Missouri’s Emerging Sweet Treat: The Dessert Calzone

I don’t know if this dessert was developed on “The Hill” in south St. Louis, but it would make sense. The satisfying Italian pizza dough sandwich --but with dessert fillings instead of savory meats, cheeses and sauces? Yes, please!

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In St. Louis, calzones have become big business over the last decade plus. “Sauce on the Side” opened their first fast food calzone restaurant in 2012, and now have several locations in Missouri, but also in Indiana and Illinois. They have also expanded the calzone concept to dessert.

Begun in St. Louis, with locations in three states now

The dessert calzone can be as varied as any meaty or cheesy calzone. Cheese could definitely be employed within a dessert calzone. At “Sauce on the Side” there are a couple dessert calzones on the menu. First there is the Caramel Apple Pie calzone filled with cinnamon apples and crunchy graham crackers, cinnamon crust and a caramel sauce finish on top. Then there is the S’mores calzone (!!!), with chocolate chips, marshmallows, crunchy graham crackers with extra chocolate syrup, marshmallows and chocolate chips on top.

A sweet surprise inside!

Messy? Yes. Delicious? Without a doubt. The dessert calzone is gaining momentum in a city where the ice cream cone was invented and gooey butter cake is readily available. Be on the lookout for “Sauce on the Side”, and grab a dessert calzone. You’re welcome.