Reviewed by: Pat Byington
K&J’s Elegant Pastries makes national list of ‘most over-the-top desserts’
Reading time: 5 minutes
Do you have a sweet tooth that you’ve never quite been able to satisfy? Have I got the treat for you.
Among K&J’s Elegant Pastries’ many, many offerings, they have a “kolossal” milkshake that is sure to satiate your cravings — if not put you into a coma.
The massive milkshake has gained national recognition as K&J’s social media presence has grown, especially on TikTok, where the bakery has earned 7.2 million likes.
That national renown secured its milkshake a spot on a list proclaiming the “most over the top desserts” in the entire country by Fodor’s Travel, an 80-year-old travel publication that has distributed over 440 guides on 300 destinations around the world.
Customers can get a simple milkshake at K&J’s, which is located in uptown along City Walk BHAM, but the signature Kolossal Milkshakes are truly a sight to behold. Words cannot do these goliath desserts justice, so take a look for yourself:
(My favorite is the sea salt caramel shake. The inside of the cup is lined with caramel syrup, and it’s topped with plenty of crunchy treats, including pretzels, caramel popcorn and peanuts. Safe to say I had some leftovers to take home!)
K&J owner — and expert chef behind the elaborate desserts — Kristal Bryant was thrilled to learn she was on the list, which she learned about from a follower on social media.
“I dropped the phone…I called my husband like, ‘Oh my god we’re the top 15 in America!’ That is big, you know, you just think about how much you pour into something.
We’re in here 60, 70 hours a week, here on the weekends, we’re still working when we’re at home, because we still have to do inventory, and we don’t have investors or anybody else. It’s 100% our business.”
Kristal Bryant
The other desserts that made the list are definitely equally as “over the top” as the K&J milkshake. Some of them are:
- Cotton Candy Burrito (Creamberry in Las Vegas)
- Ice Cream Potato (Westside Drive-in in Boise, Idaho)
- Maple Bacon Donut (Nord’s Bakery in Louisville, Kentucky)
- 20-Layer Chocolate Cake (LAVO in Las Vegas)
The cupcakes that went viral
@kjselegantpastries Today's FLAVORS 😍 #kjselegantpastries #cupcake #bakery #Birmingham #Alabama #Montgomery #huntsvillealabama #fyp #fy #fypシ #explore #cakedecorating #cake #sweet #dessert #unitedstates ♬ original sound – K & J's
Bryant’s family often told her she should make TikToks to share the bakery’s products, but she was a bit skeptical at first.
“That’s a lot to run and make sure you keep the content going. I didn’t feel like I could handle another platform, and I ended up just getting on there, and, man, I’ve only been on there regularly for probably about a year.”
That decision would go on to change the course of her life and business forever. Now, she has folks from all over the country who visit her bakery. Her busiest week that she can recall recently was the last week of summer vacation.
“I literally met people from almost every single state. They were headed to the beach, coming right off [Interstates 20 and 59]. We met people from Indiana, Pennsylvania, Missouri. I met somebody this week from Utah, and they knew about my business. Like, that is insane.”
Right now, her cupcakes are taking the spotlight. They aren’t as grandiose as the milkshakes, but they are still unique enough to catch people’s attention. She often shares which varieties of cupcake she will have available for sale on TikTok — the comments are always full of drooling fans.
@kjselegantpastries Happy JUNETEENTH ❤️ 2260 9th Ave North #Birmingham #happyJUNETEENTH #cupcake #cakes #bakery #fy #fypシ #cakesoftiktok ♬ original sound – K & J's
Those fans are so ravenous that she has decided to start shipping her cupcakes, allowing people from all over the country to get a taste of K&J’s. A lot has gone into this, so the process has taken a while, but she said they will start shipping soon.
“We ordered from all these online bakeries to see what their packaging was like. How did they come? Did they stay in place?… I want it to be perfect. I worked with my graphic designer to design the perfect box, and then get the sample boxes to come over, make sure they work, and then go to production. We’ve been working on that for probably three months.”
K&J’s has even more in store, if you can believe it. Some of her plans are under wraps but will be shared in the coming weeks.
K&J’s Elegant Pastries: 205-663-4827 | Website | TikTok | Facebook | Instagram
Address: 2260 9th Ave. N
Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 10 AM to 7 PM; Friday + Saturday 10 AM to 8 PM; Closed Sunday + Monday
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