Written by Mariah Schlossmann for Food Network Magazine

It's not your imagination: For years, desserts have been getting bigger, fancier, wilder and more mind-blowing. The makers of these showstopping sweets just keep outdoing themselves—which works out really well for the rest of us. We scoured the country and found a must-try in every state. Plan a few stops on your road trips this summer. These are all worth a detour!

Ice cream and Fruity Pebbles wrapped in blue spun sugar is a fan fave at Cream & Cones in Pelham.

Photograph courtesy of Cream & Cones

The northern lights inspired these beauties at Aurora Chocolate in Anchorage. They're coated in colored cocoa butter.

Photograph courtesy of Aurora Chocolate

You need two hands for this creation, served at Chase Field in Phoenix.

Photograph courtesy of MLB

You'll find these only on Fridays—in flavors like fudge, Almond Joy and cherry—at Me & McGee Market in North Little Rock.

Photograph courtesy of Me & McGee Market

The Donut Bar in San Diego bakes whole Pop-Tarts into this doughnut, then tops it with glaze, sprinkles and crushed Pop-Tarts.

Photograph courtesy of The Donut Bar San Diego

Edible bioluminescent powder lights up this goodie at Denver's Inventing Room Dessert Shop.

Photograph courtesy of The Inventing Room

You can order this gravity-defying wonder any time of day at Elm Street Diner in Stamford. The only way to tackle it is from the top down.

Photograph courtesy of Elm Street Diner

Rolled ice cream is extra fun when it's tucked into a glazed doughnut bun at Sweet Charlie's in Rehoboth Beach.

Photograph courtesy of Sweet Charlie's

Let them eat cotton candy! This knockout 'do stands two feet tall at Barton G. The Restaurant in Miami.

Photograph courtesy of Hearst Digital Media.

This ode to Cracker Jack at Canoe restaurant in Atlanta has popcorn ice cream, Chantilly cream and popcorn-nut clusters.

Photograph courtesy of Canoe Restaurant

Makani's Magic Pineapple Shack in Hilo serves this amazingly smooth acai from a soft-serve machine.

Photograph courtesy of Makani's Magic Pineapple Shack

This isn't a dinner side at Boise's Westside Drive In—it's molded vanilla ice cream coated with cocoa powder.

Photograph courtesy of Westside Drive In

This pie at Gibson's Bar and Steakhouse in Chicago is dotted with macadamia nuts and stands a full foot high!

Photograph of courtesy of Gibson's Bar & Steakhouse

Customers at Punkin's Pies Sweet Treats in Indianapolis say these glittery fruits are too gorgeous to eat...almost.

Photograph courtesy of Punkin's Pies

Cookie monsters in Des Moines head to Dough Crazy, where they can choose from 12 cookie-dough fillings, and sugar or chocolate chip cookies.

Photograph courtesy of Dough Crazy

This iconic treat at Fairway Creamery has everything you want in a sundae—and a whole doughnut too!

Photograph courtesy of Fairway Creamery

The volcano-like treat at Guacamole Modern Mexican in Louisville actually has heat: There's jalapeno in the mousse.

Photograph courtesy of Guacamole Modern Mexican

You've never had pasta like this! The Bonjour dessert shop in Baton Rouge serves crepe noodles with an ice cream meatball.

Photograph courtesy of Bonjour

Over-the-Top treat from MAINE. Lobster Ice Cream. Buttery lobster is even more luxurious in this ice cream from Ben & Bill’s Chocolate Emporium in Bar Harbor.

Photograph courtesy of Down East

This reinvented classic at Sacre Sucre in Baltimore, made from croisant dough, is prettier than the average monkey bread!

Photograph courtesy of Sacre Sucre

The pastry chef at Jonquils Cafe in Boston prints 3D molds to create dramatic treats like this; inside is apple confit and chocolate sponge cake.

Photograph courtesy of Jonquils Cafe

Toasted waffles and tasty frozen custard have people flocking to The Custard Hut in Dearbon Heights.

Photograph courtesy of The Custard Hut

No need to pick a flavor at Milkjam Creamery in Minneapolis—with this dish you get every single one (and every single topping)!

Photograph courtesy of Milkjam Creamery

HollyPops Bakery in Tupelo reimagined the traditional dessert as a chocolate cheesecake, complete with a marshmallow top.

Photograph courtesy of HollyPops

Apple slices stacked in a container get flipped over into a crust to make this showstopper at The Blue Owl Bakery in Kimmswick.

Photograph courtesy of The Blue Owl Bakery

Hollowed oranges are lined with dark chocolate, filled with ice cream and meringue and set aflame tableside at Chico Hot Springs Resort in Pray.

Photograph courtesy of Chico Hot Springs

This magical treat at Sweet Magnolias Bake Shop in Omaha is made with confetti blondies and a rainbow of buttercream.

Photograph courtesy of Sweet Magnolias Bake Shop

Inside this Dia de los Muertos treat at Chica in Las Vegas is a scary-good chocolate lava cake and horchata ice cream.

Photograph courtesy of Chica

Lickee's & Chewy's in Dover transforms local Honeycrisp apples into these cuties with marshmallows and gumballs.

Photograph courtesy of Lickee's & Chewy's

This favorite at the Brownstone Pancake Factory chain is more dessert than breakfast!

Photograph courtesy of Brownstone Pancake Factory

These churros were a food-truck favorite, so the owners made them into a cake and opened Churro Bar in Santa Fe.

Photograph courtesy of Churro Bar

Pistachio flavor is a win at NYC's Lafayette Grand Cafe and Bakery, but specials like Sour Cherry Amaretto take the...croissant.

Photograph courtesy of Lafayette

At Kandy Apples by K in Raleigh, grapes are dipped in homemade liquid candy, then coated with toppings like Nerds and Jolly Ranchers.

Photograph courtesy of Kandy Apples by K

Now that's a wrap! Custard, fruit and chocolate pearls come nestled in a crepe cone at Tea and Crepe in Fargo.

Photograph courtesy of Tea and Crepe

Regular buckeyes are little chocolaty peanut butter bites. Buckeye Donuts in Columbus supersizes 'em.

Photograph courtesy of Buckeye Donuts

It looks sweet, but this mega-scoop of pecan-crusted ice cream at Cheever's Cafe in OKC has a chile powder kick.

Photograph courtesy of Cheever's Cafe

The 1927 S'mores Company in Portland, named after the year the Girl Scouts recipe came out, takes the treat to new levels.

Photograph courtesy of 1927 S'mores Company

A baker at Frangelli's Bakery in Philadelphia dipped a piece of a doughnut into cannoli filling one day, and the frannoli was born!

Photograph courtesy of Frangelli's Bakery

When a Newport Creamery customer said the ice-milk-and-syrup shake was "awful big and awful good," the name stuck.

Photograph courtesy of Newport Creamery

You could easily mistake this bucket of cornflake-dipped ice cream at Charleston's Life Raft Treats for the real deal.

Photograph courtesy of Life Raft Treats

In Sioux Falls the next best thing to a tropical vacation is chocolate-coated coconut lime cake and cremeux at CH Patisserie.

Photograph courtesy of CH Patisserie

Chef Tam's Underground Cafe in Memphis whipped up this dish to satisfy customer requests for more crust.

Photograph courtesy of Chef Tam's Underground Cafe

This gorgeous ice cream sandwich from Joy Macarons in Dallas also happens to be gluten-free!

Photograph courtesy of Joy Macarons

It's a jolly good British tribute: The soft serve is made with Earl Grey tea at Normal Ice Cream in Salt Lake City.

Photograph courtesy of Normal Ice Cream

Locals in West Dover can make breakfast a big deal with a cake made of 13 cinnamon rolls from Sticky Fingers Bakery.

Photograph courtesy of Sticky Fingers Bakery

The honey-brushed toast at Magnolia Dessert Bar in Vienna has it all: strawberry mousse, ice cream, candy and more.

Photograph courtesy ofMagnolia Dessert Bar

How can you top this one? Vista Prime Steaks & Seafood in Snoqualmie serves it with Mexican hot chocolate sauce.

Photograph courtesy of Vista Prime Steaks & Seafood

The Brownie House in Morgantown based this gooey goodness on a recipe from the founder's grandma.

Photograph courtesy of Brownie House

Uncle Mike's Bake Shoppe in Green Bay gives the kringle an irresistible twist. Try it for breakfast or dessert!

Photograph courtesy of Uncle Mike's Bake Shoppe