Top 6 Treats at Epcot’s Flower & Garden Festival

By Sarah Chapman

I am going to go out on a limb here and say something that is going to either get a lot of heads nodding as an affirmative or a lot of “she must be crazy” comments . . . .I like Epcot’s Flower & Garden Festival better than the Food & Wine Festival. There. I said it. It is out there in internetland and I can never take it back (though I reserve the right to change my opinion based on festivals in future years). What’s not to love about the Flower & Garden Festival?

Epcot is at its most beautiful with colorful flowers everywhere, there is exclusive merchandise, concerts performed by the actual artists (no matter how old), home, garden & food demonstrations . . .AND food and drink booths. It is a win, win, win, win. I thoroughly enjoyed the food booths on my last visit, both the savory and sweet dishes. But I think that the sweet treats were really the standouts at the Flower & Garden Festival, so here are my picks for the top 6 Treats:

6. Macaron Guimauve a la Fraise (Strawberry Macaroon)

Macaroons seem to be all the craze in Disney parks these days, and this version found at the Fleur de Lys booth in France did not disappoint. The large strawberry flavored macaroon was filled with a strawberry preserve and marshmallow. Yum! It was moist and full of fresh flavor, but was a light treat. And almost as good as the macaroon was the cute French newspaper wrapper it was served in. Bon Appetit!

5. The Piggylicious Cupcake

This was a repeat from last year for me. Despite any reservations anyone may have about bacon pairing well with a sweet dish, this is really good. Appropriately served at The Smokehouse: Barbecue and Brews in the American Pavilion, the bacon cupcake is topped with maple frosting and broken up pretzels for a crunch. The bacon with the maple is very reminiscent of breakfast, and the pretzel adds a nice crunchy texture and a bit of salt to finish it off. My only complaint is that my cupcake is a little more dense and drier than I prefer . . . but that may be the consistency they were going for to go with the bacon. Everything’s better with bacon, right?

4. Flan de Queso con Chocolate Abuelita

This was the sleeper hit of the festival for me—I’m not a huge flan fan, so I didn’t have high expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised. Served up in Mexico at the Jardin de Fiestas booth, the flan was a Mexican chocolate custard topped with whipped cream and cinnamon. It was almost like a flan version of a lava cake. The Mexican chocolate was a nice touch with the slight spice to it and really complimented the texture of the flan. It was definitely a repeatable item for me (as was the veggie quesadilla at the same booth . . . but we are here to talk about the sweets).

3. Florida Blueberry and Lemon Curd Tart.

Mmm, mmm, mm, m, mmm. Yum! This light tasting dessert was a beautiful presentation and the perfect thing for spring between the complementary fruit flavors and the perfectly pastel colors. The lemon curd was perfectly balanced by the berries and it was a really delicious treat.

2. Beijing Style Candied Strawberries

This is something I wanted to try the last Flower & Garden Festival but never got around to it . . .boy do I wish I had. These strawberries served by the Lotus House booth in China are covered with a hardened candy shell and topped with some white sesame seeds. The shell is just the right thickness to easily bite, but still give a very different texture to what you are used to with a strawberry—not to mention an extra kick of sweetness. And it is fruit, so it is a healthy snack. I’m sure of that.

1. Frozen Desert Violet Lemonade

I feel pretty sure that the violet lemonade takes a backseat at the Pineapple Promenade to the various dole whip options that they are serving, but it really should not. This treat was refreshing, light tasting, delicious and beautiful. The combination of the floral notes with the lemonade was perfect—it was perfect for the hot week we were having. And the presentation was so pretty, a pop of purple color and served up with an edible flower (mine blew off before I could snap the picture though). I highly recommend you stop for a violet lemonade if you are visiting during the Flower & Garden Festival, and I really hope maybe they decide to add it to one of the menus year ‘round.

So there you have it, my top 6 sweet treats—what was your favorite?

Credit: Disney Dining