N.J.’s 71 best bakeries: Your ultimate list for holiday cakes, pies, cookies, pastries

To me, Thanksgiving has always meant one thing.
No, not turkey, stuffing or that icky cranberry sauce, but all the baked goods that came before and after the big feast — cakes, pies, cookies, pastries.
Even if you’re stuffed, there’s always room for a slice of cake or pie, or a handful of cookies. Diet the day after.
Fellow food writers Lauren Musni, Murjani Rawls and Jeremy Schneider added their favorites to the list, which your loyal and relentless baked goods reporter (it’s not an official title, but should be) has updated annually. I’ve eaten countless cakes, pies, pastries and doughnuts the past five years without it affecting my waistline one bit. I should write a book or something.
The bakeries range all over the state and are not ranked; they’re listed in alphabetical order by town. It’s not just one neighborhood bakery after another. There are cake and pie stores, patisseries and boulangeries, vegan bakeries, ethnic bakeries, long-established and just-opened shops, and more, all evidence of the state’s unparalleled culinary diversity.
Nineteen of the state’s 21 counties are represented.
The list doesn’t include doughnut shops, but since you asked, here’s a list of the state’s best. Did somebody say bagels? Here’s our list of the state’s 44 best bagel shops, ranked.
My family rented a house in Bay Head for a vacation one summer when I was a kid, and we quickly fell in love with the nearby bakery that served some of the best crumb cake I had ever tasted. Some spot called Mueller’s. Little did I know that the place is pretty legendary — the place has been baking since 1890! All their pastries are great, including their doughnuts, but it’s the crumb cake that my family now brings on vacation wherever we go. Even if it’s across the country from Bay Head. (JS)
Del Ponte’s is a Jersey Shore fixture, but the bakery’s roots are in Brooklyn’s Sheepshead Bay section, where the first store opened in 1963. There were subsequent stores in Sayreville, South Bound Brook and Monroe, but Bradley Beach is the only Del Ponte’s still open in New Jersey. Vinnie Del Ponte’s daughter is the owner of Simona’s Bakery in Wall. Del Ponte’s is biscotti heaven; there are about 25 different kinds available at any one time. (PG)
The key lime pie (photo) is the most heralded pie at 502 Baking Co., but there’s plenty of fresh-baked goodness about. The bakery’s mission statement: “In the age of Big Box stores and Supermarket Bakeries, we are dedicated to producing the highest quality, hand crafted baked goods made with care.” The cranberry, pear and apple pie is terrific; I made a special trip to the store to pick one up. (PG)
Old-school, old-fashioned: Call Century Bakery what you want. It’s one of those plain-Jane neighborhood bakeries you thought had disappeared years ago. ry the glazed doughnut holes. Bet you can’t eat just one. One cool thing: The bakery serves as a job training center for local foster youth. (PG)
Ralph Aversa worked at legendary Philly bakery Cacia’s before opening his first store in 1982 in Turnersville. There are now two more Aversa’s locations in Brigantine and Margate.
Bakery appearances can be deceiving. The Brigantine Aversa’s is small, and there are no endless, glistening display cases. But there’s plenty to love here: great sticky buns (the state’s best), torpedo rolls (I lost count of the number of times when three of those rolls and a cup of Wawa coffee constituted breakfast) and a chocolate cake that I’m still dreaming about. (PG)
You could easily drive right past Yhanne’s House of Cheesecakes; it’s in an unprepossessing low-slung building next to a Family Dollar. The shop’s startup is a sweet story; the owner, Yhanne, made a cheesecake for his future wife that was part of his proposal dinner for her. “Where did you get this cheesecake?” she asked. “I baked it myself,” he replied. According to eatthis.com, Yhanne’s makes the state’s best cheesecakes. There are about 40 flavors in all, from Original New York Style, Strawberry Shortcake and Banana Pudding to Cinnamon, Oreo’s Sundae Delight and Sweet Potato. The New York style cheesecake, made with cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, eggs, butter and cookie crumbs, is slightly thicker than most and close to marvelous. The strawberry shortcake is creamier and no less wonderful. Cupcakes, specialty cakes and sweet potato pies are also available. (PG)
Winners of our N.J.’s best bakery showdown in 2017, Sweet Melissa Patisserie is owned by Melissa Murphy and husband Chris Rafano, who operated three patisseries in Brooklyn for 16 years before moving to New Jersey and opening their bakery. Temptation abounds — croissants, eclairs, danish, doughnuts, pie. There’s even something called a Trouble Bun. Many of the baked goods here have French names, but you don’t need to dust off your high school French. Just point! Canelés (rum/vanilla pastries), merveilleux (a small cake of two meringues held together with whipped cream) and macarons share shelf space with eclairs, crullers and danish. (PG)
I found true love during a recent bakery field trip. Macarons. What, you can’t have a love affair with dessert? Macarons (sandwich cookies made with almond flour, egg whites and confectioner’s sugar, and often filled with fruit) are not to be confused with macaroons, craggy-shaped coconut mounds made of egg whites and sugar. For the latter, visit The Macaroon Shop in Avon-by-the-Sea. For macarons, stop at Delice Macarons, a cute little shop in downtown Cranford, one of New Jersey’s unheralded dining destinations. There are nearly 20 kinds, from raspberry, strawberry and dark chocolate to mango passionfruit (my favorite here), pink birthday cake and violet cassis.
But Delice is more than macarons. The pastries may be even better. Highly recommended: Choux a la Creme, a pastry made with vanilla whipped cream, custard cream and raspberries, and Le Delice, made with dark chocolate mousse, brownie sponge cake, hazelnut creme brulee and crunchy hazelnut. I was still licking the crazy-good cream off that Choux five days later. (PG)
L&M Bakery is Carli Lloyd’s favorite bakery. What more do you need to know? The Olympic soccer star, now retired, grew up on L&M’s doughnuts and pastries. She even made a bet that she’d eat a doughnut for every goal she scored in the Women’s World Cup in 2015 (she scored six goals and was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s most outstanding player).
L&M opened in 1964 in a space once occupied by a gas station and Ford dealership. John and Carol Kahl are the owners. “We are primarily known for our buttercream,” John says proudly. (PG)
Mo’Pweeze? That’s what Christine Allen’s twins would say when mom would bake bread or a cake. Her son has 37 allergies. Christine calls him her “inspiration.” Mo’Pweeze’s slogan is “Where having allergies can be a treat” — all her baked goods avoid the top eight food allergens. Her cupcakes are excellent, and the jelly doughnut is light, sugary and addictive. Her retail location is no longer open, but you can order online. And her web site informs us that a “new storefront (is) coming.” (PG)
Two Sweet is a mother-daughter business. Before opening the shop, Alex Centrone made cakes from home, and her mom made chocolates. They combined the two in Two Sweet. The cupcakes are highly recommended; try the chocolate cheesecake and Baileys Irish cream cupcakes. (PG)
Pasquale and Anna Sorrento opened Sorrento Bakery in 1975, and the current location opened in 1993. Their sons, Anthony and Dominick, now run the spacious bakery, open every day of the year. “Cakes” are the first thing that comes to mind with Sorrento, but there’s a great variety of baked goods and even a deli where you can pair the excellent bread with lunch meats.
The chocolate cream pie is a standout, and passion fruit mousse is a sweet little confection. Try the graffe, the Italian sugar doughnut. (PG)
Hammerbacher has transitioned from full-scale bakery to eatery now known as ShuGG, but the delicious baked goods remain, including cookies, a Boston cream “cruffin,’’ and their Sin Bun, maybe the ultimate in cinnamon buns. It’s run by a husband-wife team, Paul and Lauren Erbacher. (PG).
Rispoli’s closed its Ridgefield location this year after nearly 90 years in business, but the Emerson location remains open. And good thing, because they make the state’s best sfogliatelle and lobster tail (the two are not the same, although most Americans use the terms interchangeably). The light, luscious filling is so good you want to sip it with a straw. (PG)
NYC-based Balthazar Bakery opened in the city in 1997 before launching their Englewood store in 2002. They feature an enormous selection of breads, cookies, bars, cakes, tarts, pies and much more. Once you step inside the store, you are welcomed with irresistible aromas of sweet and savory goods. I love their galettes, pecan buns and tarts. Don’t mind the line, it moves quickly. (LM)
The Baklava Lady, a sweet little cafe in the heart of town, is more than just baklava; Turkish specialties include ezogelin corba (red lentil soup with Turkish bread), sausage, egg and cheese borek (baked pastry). There are a half dozen or so kinds of baklava available each day; the chocolate hazelnut is pricey ($12 for a big piece) but near-perfect. And the baked rice pudding shames every diner rice pudding in the state. The Baklava Lady represented Englishtown in my Greatest Thing About Every New Jersey Town series. (PG)
Bread may be the star of the show here, but the phenomenal sourdough pastries aren’t far behind. Bread and Culture bakes the flakiest, most buttery croissants I’ve ever had. My favorites were the harissa twist, the vanilla strawberry danish and the morning bun. They also have cruffins (croissant and muffins hybrids), breakfast sandwiches, cinnamon rolls and much more. I recommended getting here when they first open as they are guaranteed to have a line outside the door. (LM)
I started drooling the second I stepped foot into this bakery — the display of all their baked goods was too much for me to handle. They have a ton of savory options, cookies, croissants, cinnamon rolls, cakes and cupcakes. You name it, they probably have it. Don’t miss out on their sourdough bread and focaccia either. I took some focaccia home and made an incredible Italian-style sandwich with it. (LM)
More macarons! (I told you I’m in love with them). Instead of bringing the same old bundt cake or pumpkin pie to the Thanksgiving dinner, bring a couple dozen macarons (they’ll go fast, trust me). At Lilla Vanilla, in the Shoppes at Nottingham Point, you can see the pastry chefs at work in the open kitchen. Their creations are scrumptious and gorgeous; a recent mousse with chocolate flowers was inspired by Monet’s “Water Lilies” painting. While there are excellent macarons, you’ll want to also pick up the impossibly cute petit gateaux, a small, beautifully constructed several-layered cake. The mango mousse petit gateaux is marvelous; the chocolate mousse version is not far behind. There are also cakes, tarts and cupcakes. (PG)
Don’t go looking for some pastry-packed storefront when heading to Baking Grace. The bakery is inside a purple-shuttered house set off the street. Grace Morello started making desserts in her basement, then opened a tiny shop in Totowa before eventually ending up in Hawthorne, where her business was initially known as Just Desserts.
Her philosophy here? “Real butter, the finest chocolate, freshly whipped cream and no pre-mixed anything.”Her cakes are great, and her cupcakes rock. They were the best cupcakes among the dozens I sampled during our N.J.’s best bakery showdown. (PG)
An Australian bakery, with locations in New York, that not that long ago came to New Jersey. Still with me? Good, because this place is delicious. After getting its start across the world in Sydney, Bourke Street opened in New York In 2019 and launched its Jersey City outpost in 2023. The menu includes everything-seasoned croissants, cacio e pepe cheese twists, blueberry ricotta muffins and more. But Bourke Street’s cant-miss item is the sausage roll — an Australian speciality — featuring deliciously seasoned sausage in a flakey pastry crust. Dip it in some of their house-made ketchup for a real treat. (JS)
The hours are weird — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday through Sunday. The prices aren’t cheap. The lines are long, filled with foodies from across New Jersey and New York. You might even see a celebrity — Jerrod Carmichael, Phoebe Bridgers, Bo Burnham and Lionel Boyce (who played Marcus on “The Bear”) have all been spotted there recently. Does it live up to the hype? I’m here to definitively say: yes. While it was master baker Rick Easton’s Roman-style pizza that got Bread and Salt on The New York Times’ radar, it is the tiny shop’s baked goods that have me braving lines in the Jersey City Heights on a weekly basis. The pillowy, sugary bomboloni might be my single favorite pastry in all of New Jersey. The maritozzi are excellent as well. If you don’t feel like a sweet treat or one their delicious sandwiches, at least grab a loaf of their vaunted bread. (JS)
Prato, Italy, is considered the birthplace of biscotti, but there they are called cantucci. “The difference is that biscotti are baked twice; cantucci are baked once, which is why they’re softer,” said Teresa Villi, whose husband, Simone Bertini, is the baker/owner of Prato.
The bakery also makes such Tuscan treats as Focaccia con Nutella, cornetto (croissants), and sandwiches made with handmade focaccia, prosciutto crudo di Parma, mozzarella and other ingredients. There are three locations in Jersey City and one in Hoboken. (PG)
Biggest lobster tail pastry in the state? Maybe the one at Dixie Lee Bakery, which celeb chef and Hazlet native David Burke bought in 2022. The shop, which opened in the 1930s, seems bigger and brighter than I remembered. There are cookies galore, plus cakes, pies, pastries, and that monstrous lobster tail. It’s not as memorable as its counterpart at Rispoli’s, also on this list, but it’s pretty darn good. The cheesecake, available in full and mini versions, beats most diner versions. My favorite thing here: the glazed cinnamon bun. I sampled one each of the Hungarian cookies (lemon, almond, apricot, raspberry), then took the rest of the box to my car dealership, which was servicing my Jeep. Those cookies were gone in no time. (PG)
Locals have adored this little bakery since Joanne Canady-Brown opened the Mercer County shop in 2011. Indulge in their gooey cinnamon rolls, flaky danishes, biscuits or the caramel crack (my favorite) – rich brioche rolled and baked in their signature toffee sauce. They also offer an ode to the state’s capital: the Trenton volcano. This pastry stuffs pork roll, spinach, cheddar and swiss inside a brioche bun and is topped with everything bagel seasoning. (LM)
Ornately iced cookies, decadent coffee cakes and incredible pies are the norm at The Able Baker, the elite Essex County bakery that become known for its seasonal delights. The skeleton cookies pictured above were among my favorites. The bakery is socially conscious as well, selling discounted coffee to show wage gap on International Women’s Day. (JS)
Mary Linda Saldutti passed away about a year ago, but her daughter Maria is still round at the homey Maria’s Mom’s Italian Cookie Cupboard. There’s much more than just cookies here. Try the biscotti, pizzelle, cakes and macaroons. (PG)
This bakery won’t be hard to spot on Metuchen’s Main Street as it’s popping with pink. Owner Luisana Moronta (aka Lu) specializes in pastries and flavors commonly used in the Dominican Republic, including guava. The guava cheesecake is one out of their many guava desserts which highlights a beautiful balance of tart and sweet. But if you had to take just one thing home, let it be their coconut cookies. These sweet puffy little pillows of shredded coconut are fluffy on the inside but toasty on the outside finished with a cherry center. (LM)
Since 2018, Liv Breads, with its strong European and Israeli influences, has graced the community with its beloved pastries and baked goods. This bakery strives to make quality bread and their perfectly leavened loaves don’t disappoint. Order their sourdough, challah and most importantly, their rich chocolate graham babka. Stop by their retail kiosk in Short Hills or dine in their bakery in Millburn with coffee, sandwiches, salads, soups and more. (LM)
Sicilian fig cookies. It’s a must-order at Amici (thanks again, Twitter tipsters!). “A little taste of Brooklyn” is Amici’s slogan. Pastries, biscotti and cookies beckon fill the display cases. One of my favorite things is a powdered-sugar-topped, overlapping-shelled enormous chocolate log. The sfogliatelle boasts a perfectly flaky crust, and the eclair (photo) is topped with a cute little rose-colored cream. (PG)
Le French Dad — so cute! — should win an award for best new business name. The tiny shop may offer the state’s biggest croissants. There are cinnamon rolls, raisin buns, eclairs, macarons, brioche, French rustic breads, quiches, sandwiches, and more. The twisty loaf in the photo paired nicely with a cup of coffee the morning after. (PG)
The Pie Lady Café is a charming little shop, with a patio and tables for summer (or mild winter) pie eating. The mixed berry pie is fruity deliciousness. The blueberry and coconut custard pies are also standouts. Scones, muffins, soups and sandwiches are also available. (PG)
Nicolo’s gets plenty of attention for its subs. But what’s the most important part of a sandwich? The bread! Nicolo’s makes some of the absolute best Italian bread you will find anywhere in New Jersey, perfect for sandwiches or anything else you use it for. The shop has been open since 1967 for a reason! But their cookies and pastries are next-level as well. The Zeppole de San Giuseppe is my personal favorite. (JS)
“Our food is focused on comfort, not calorie count!” proclaims the menu at Cats Luck, a fully vegan bakery. I liked everything sampled here: the rosemary chocolate chip cookie, chipotle cheddar chive biscuit, chocolate almond biscotti, banana muffin, and the cosmic brownie. It was — sorry — near-heavenly! The gingerbread apple strada (also known as strata) is a bread-pudding-like creation made with day-old bagels, among other things. (PG)
Newark’s Ironbound is home to scores of cafés, bakeries and pastry shops. My favorite is Suissa, a tiny Portuguese bakery at the corner of Pacific and Garden. One must-try: the sonho (Portuguese for “dream”), a deep-fried, sugar-topped doughnut that is simply irresistible. I also love the croissants, the custard cups and the deer (not bear) claws. (PG)
This Portuguese bakery and fixture of the Ironbound maintains three locations in the Ironbound. If you decide to visit their Ferry Street location, you’re greeted with an immaculate wall filled with different kinds of bread. I can’t leave without a few bags of their light, crisp Portuguese rolls and a box of the pastéis de nata (Portuguese custard tarts) with its flaky shell filled with a perfectly creamy, yet firm center with a crème brûlée-like topping. (LM)
This Central Jersey bakery is another one that just opened this year, but it didn’t take long for us and locals to take notice. There are so many sweet treats offered at this shop. Even though I wasn’t sure what was what just by looking, the staff warmly explained everything to me. I got a few different cakes and pastries and none of them disappointed. They even have the viral Dubai chocolate bar here for $8, which is a fraction of what local bakeries are selling it for. (LM)
Emery’s makes fresh fruit pies that have no equal. The Trifecta pie — a combination of blueberries, cherries and peaches — is probably my favorite here. One bite, and you’ve hit the pie jackpot. The market is located just off Route 539, one of New Jersey’s great scenic roads. (PG)
Bakehouse by Joe Murphy is a bakery newcomer. “We have not advertised; we’re letting the community discover us,” one of the staffers explained. With pastries, cakes and pies this good, they may never have to advertise. Joe’s been around; he worked under such chefs as David Burke and Jean-Georges Vongeritchen, and was global pastry director for Dean and Deluca. The apple turnover, with a distinctive shell-like flaky crust, bears no resemblance in shape or taste to your usual dreary diner turnover. The sfogliatelle is not on the order of Rispoli’s — no one is — but it’s still pretty darn good. My favorite thing here: the raspberry cheese danish, one of half dozen best pastries I’ve had all year. (PG)
Sticky buns are a dime a dozen along the Jersey shore, and Mallon’s makes the state’s second-best, next to Aversa’s (see separate entry). The original store, at 14th and Bay in Ocean City, opened in 1988. There are four locations in all, two in Ocean City, one each in Avalon and Sea Isle. Only the 14th and Bay Avenue shop is open now; it is closed from Dec. 24 through Easter. Their crumbcakes are top-notch, too. (PG)
What bakery stays open 24/7? Taskin Bakery does. The “We never close” sign is for real. The owners call it the largest Turkish bakery in the country. There’s also a cafe adjoining the bakery. The bakery’s bread can be found in about 200 restaurants in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
I sampled baklava (five kinds!), and also the traditional Turkish bread known as pide, a flatbread made in a stone oven. To the uninitiated, Turkish bread comes as a revelation: lighter, airier, great on its own or as the foundation for a sandwich. Also sampled: mercimek, made with green lentil and poppy seed, and the sweet glazed treats known as tulumba. My favorite thing: bazlama, the traditional charcoal oven bread similar to naan. (PG)
“Fine Pastries”? CocoLuxe makes very fine pastries, made from classic European recipes. Cakes, croissants, tortes, tarts, pastries, muffins, cookies and cupcakes provide ample temptation. The carrot cake is immensely popular, but my favorite here is the sour cream coffee cake. There are also sandwiches, including one with Brie and fresh arugula with raspberry compote on a French baguette. The breads include Rosemary Focaccia, who should have been a character on “The Sopranos.” And this time of year is a great time for a cup of their decadent hot chocolate. (PG)
D’Orsi’s is not on this list because it’s minutes from the office (not that I’ve been in the office lately) but because it’s a prime example of that Jersey icon: the neighborhood bakery. Open for some 60 years, the once-small shop in Port Reading underwent a major renovation several years ago. Every imaginable pastry is here: strudel, cannoli, turnovers, cream puffs, crullers, danish, lobster tails, eclairs, bear claws, custard cups and more. And don’t forget the cookies, pies, cupcakes, doughnuts and muffins. You name it, they’ve got it. Must-orders: the crumb buns, rugelach and lemon chiffon cake. (PG)
Terra Momo in Pennington has a great assortment of fresh bread, but the highlights are the pastries and the breakfast sandwiches. I would advise you to try the chocolate almond croissant. (MR)
Though this bakery just opened early this year, there were already many people anticipating its opening. Owner Deanne Veliky started doing pop-ups in 2018, selling pastries crafted with her beloved sourdough brioche recipe. Customers can’t go wrong with anything in this bakery. But if you have to get one thing, get her amazing sourdough doughnuts. Their menu changes so different flavor doughnuts are routinely available. (LM)
Keum-Sook Park’s favorite cooking utensil is a “simple rubber spatula.” If only that’s all you needed to be a great baker. She opened Sook Pastry in downtown Ridgewood in 2011. “It’s a very good town, a lively town,” she said. “The people are very friendly.”
On display are exquisite creations you’re almost afraid to disturb, much less eat. All the cakes are named after Ridgewood streets. The Ridgewood is a marvelous melange of chocolate mousse, vanilla creme brûlée and chocolate sponge cake. The Napoleon, with a heavenly cream filing, is just about perfect. Sook was one of ten finalists in our N.J.’s Best Bakery showdown. (PG)
Pinho’s started in Newark’s Ironbound. Raul Pinho, the owner, was just 19 when he and his brother bought out their dad’s business. Then Raul bought out his brother. Today, Raul and his wife, Julie, run the bright, spacious bakery. Many of the cakes are works of art: The Pretty as a Rose is a spectacular, giant rose-like creation topped with a white chocolate butterfly. (PG)
How do you make 125,000 rolls a day? When you have the space and machinery Deluxe Italian Bakery does. There are three buildings, 55,000 square feet of space and a giant Erector set-like cylindrical cooling machine that had me thoroughly transfixed during a visit. There’s a fleet of trucks out back ready to deliver doughnuts, pastries and rolls around the state.
The cream doughnut just may be the state’s best. Excellent cupcakes, cinnamon buns and cheesecake. And resistance is futile when it comes to the cream puff tower. (PG)
Renee Faris opened Erie Coffeeshop & Bakery in 2015 in a former barber shop, although you’d never know it after an extensive renovation. This isn’t your typical sprawling neighborhood bakery with hundreds of items. The selection at Erie is compact and highly creative. Sweet potato cayenne biscuits? Check. Olive oil citrus cake? Yes. Oh, and delicious doughnuts — available on Saturdays only. (PG)
Diner danish are a Jersey staple; unfortunately, most of them are substandard. For proper danish, visit Shorebreak Cafe, two blocks from the ocean. The cinnamon bun (left in photo) is a glazey, cakey delight, and the chocolate babka (upper left in photo) is comfort food personified. The crumb cake, lighter than most, would feed a small family, and Mom would heartily approve of the apple pie. The wedding cakes look wonderful, and no surprise there; the pastry chef competed on the Food Network’s Wedding Cake Championship. (PG)
Tears were shed when The Flaky Tart in Atlantic Highlands closed permanently several years ago. Well, here’s some good news. Flaky Tart co-owner Matthew Rosenzweig opened The Bakers’ Grove in Shrewsbury. As with The Flaky Tart, the emphasis is on quality over quantity; don’t go expecting rows and rows of overflowing display cases. What you’ll find are handsomely-made croissants, cookies, muffins, brioche, macarons and more. The pearl sugar brioche is light and lovely, and the salted chocolate chunk cookie reminds me of a classic toll house cookie on steroids. My favorite thing: the brambleberry bar. It’s layered with blackberry/black currant jam and topped with vanilla oat crumb. (PG)
Many Shore bakeries close for the season; not Chester’s Pastry Pantry Bakery, open even on Christmas Day. Honey buns are the bakery’s signature item. The butter cream at the screen-doored shop is so prized, regulars often ask for a cupful to take home. The cream, jelly and chocolate doughnuts are all highly recommended. (PG)
Café Pierrot has been open 30-plus years, but it still seems a relative secret outside Sussex County. The Sparta café/bakery is cozily set inside a house (photo), while there’s a bakery in Andover. Breads, cakes, pastries, scones, croissants, macarons — they have it all. Look for the chocolate peppermint cupcake. It’s amazing. (PG)
Everyone seems to bring the same old cookies to the family Thanksgiving dinner. Be different and bring the turkey leg-shaped cookies from Pattycakes, one of many artful creations in this small shop at Lake Mohawk. Cakes, pies, cookies, pastries, cupcakes — take your pick. The cherry crostata (photo) is bursting with fruit, with a perfect flaky crispy crust. (PG)
Nick + Sons, a Brooklyn mainstay, opened in the former Spring Lake post office last summer. Danish, croissants, cookies, biscuits and raisin buns beckon from racks just beyond the front counter. I had my hopes, and stomach, set on one their cinnamon buns, but they wouldn’t be available for at least another hour, so I settled on a raisin bun, and it turned out to be my favorite thing here. The chocolate chip cookie is nearly the size of a Frisbee, and both the fig and strawberry danish will make you quickly forget your favorite diner danish. Also recommended: the maple biscuit. (PG)
I love scones. Trouble is, I can’t find any good ones within 50 miles of my house. The Scone Pony makes superlative scones: buttery soft, silky, just crumbly enough. Muffins, cakes, danish, tarts, croissants, crumb cakes and cookies are also available. (PG)
Nick Nikolopoulos, owner of Two Fields Bakeshop, (formerly Gluten Free Gloriously), is a French-trained pastry chef who says he’s “bringing that experience to the gluten-free world.” Many of the desserts at Gluten Free Gloriously are frozen because gluten-free product “goes stale very quickly,” Nick says. The French cheesecake is smooth, rich and creamy. (PG)
Natale’s and Philly fluff — the two go together like Mom and apple pie. The cake with Philadelphia Cream Cheese filling (photo) is the bakery’s signature dessert — it sells dozens of them every day. Natale’s opened in 1938. (PG)
If the blueberry pie in the photo doesn’t get your heart racing, check for a pulse. I can never get enough blueberries in my life — I eat them like candy— and the blueberry pie at Baked on the Beach looks beautiful and tastes even better. Chocolate brownie, crumb cake, blueberry muffin, triple chocolate cookie — everything I sampled here was first-rate. (PG)
The three New Jersey crumb cake giants? B&W Bakery in Hackensack, Styretowne Bakery in Clifton and Mueller’s Bakery in Bay Head, Pastry Chef might just be on that level. Luscious cake and crumb topping should make any crumb cake lover happy. I like the chocolate doughnuts here, too. (PG)
Argentina Bakery is cramped, colorful and atmospheric, where you may have to dodge scampering little kids as you try to get close to the display case. The bakery opened in 1991. Tres leches cake, custard tarts, whipped cream eclairs, canoncitos and custard-filled bombitos are among the tempting treats. My favorite thing here is the pastel de guayaba y queso, a guava and cheese-filled pastry. (PG)
Olive oil wine cookies and sprouted wheat chocolate chip cookies. Dried cherry pistachio chocolate biscotti. Figgy buckwheat scones. Ventnor 7311 is not your average neighborhood bakery, or coffee shop. It’s co-owned by Caroline “Cookie” Till, owner of the restaurant Steve and Cookie’s by the Bay in Margate. The caramel-laced morning bun is a cinnamon bun on steroids, and the scones are hefty and first-rate. (PG)
You’ve got to get a diner on this list somewhere. The Vincentown Diner — “We’re not your average diner!” — is one of South Jersey’s best. The burgers are bangin.’ Leave room for dessert. The cran-apple pie (photo) combines Mom’s favorite pie and one of Jersey’s prime crops. The cranberries are both inside and atop the pie. Here’s my story on the state’s largest cranberry farm. (PG)
High volume doesn’t necessarily mean compromised quality. Sweet Eats will sell 300 to 400 7-inch cakes on a typical Saturday. Doug Davidowich started the business in his house in 1987, and his wife, Marge, would deliver cakes to customers. Great cakes here — the white chocolate cream cake with chocolate chips may have been the single best cake in our epic N.J’s best bakery showdown. (PG)
“Love in every bite” is the slogan at Chocolate Carousel, and I’m not about to disagree. I spent a good part of an afternoon here sampling cake after cake — an almond cake with raspberry Chambord filling, a red velvet cheesecake with Oreo crust, and a yellow cake with “fudgy pudding” and a chocolate mousse filling. My favorite thing here, though, is the coconut custard pie. (PG)
I wish there was a bakery like Palazzone1960 closer to my house. Then again, maybe not, because I’d probably be there every day. It sits at one of the state’s major crossroads, where Routes 23, 46 and 80 meet, an unlikely location for a high-end pastry shop. You’ll find superlative Italian pastries here. Try the sugary ciambella; the cream-filled bomba; the sweet-crusted, cream-filled pasticciotti; and the croissants, made with margarine, not butter, which makes them crispier than usual. (PG)
West Cape May is often ignored because of the Victorian wonder that is Cape May, but there’s at least one good reason to visit the sleepy little town: Chez Michel. I’m not sure I’ve had lighter, lovelier pastries anywhere. Traditional French croissants and baguettes can also be found here, along with American sticky buns, muffins and tea biscuits. Steps away is Good Earth Organic Eatery, one of 11 best restaurants in the Cape May area. (PG)
Westfield High grad Ralph Bencivenga is the owner of Bovella’s, a charming little bakery/café in downtown Westfield. Bovella’s roots are in Plainfield: Michael and Rita Rove opened a bakery there in 1949, and the business moved to Westfield in 1978. Bencivenga introduced a European-style café to the traditional bakery business. There is another location in Mountainside. (PG)
Husband and wife, Jeff and Uyen Kirshenbaum first started out as an online gourmet cookie delivery service during the pandemic. Then they opened their first brick and mortar in September 2022 in Westfield and have been baking up a storm ever since. They carry a variety of cookies that can ship nationwide like salted chocolate chip, snickerdoodle and lemon poppy along with whole cakes and pies they sell by the slice. The Taylor ham and cheese hand pie and white chocolate cranberry cookie are my usual go-tos. (LM)
Cream doughnuts! It’s what McMillan’s Bakery is best known for, but there’s plenty more baked goodness in the legendary neighborhood bakery. Arline Biemiller, the owner, passed away last November; her parents opened the bakery in 1939. Arline drove to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina by herself and dropped off 250 cream doughnuts when her grandson, then a Marine stationed at the base, asked if she could bring a few down during a visit. So how much cream is in each cream doughnut? “As much as it takes,” she replied, smiling. Sad news: The building housing the bakery is up for sale, but the bakery remains open for the time being. (PG)
Those familiar with Dulce de Leche’s first West New York store — “small” doesn’t do it justice — may be shocked when they walk into the spacious new location, just down the street. During my last visit, Mariana and Julieta, the two sisters who help run the family business, kept bringing out one dee-lish delight after another — a double mousse, tres leches cake, churros, the powdered sugar-topped canoncitos and more. That double mousse is close to perfect. There are also locations in Englewood and Jersey City. Dulce de Leche was one of 10 finalists in our N.J.’s best bakery showdown. (PG)
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Peter Genovese may be reached at [email protected]. On Twitter, @petegenovese. On Instagram, @peteknowsjersey and @themunchmobile.