10 New Jersey bakeries that are worth the ride (2024)

Craving a cannoli?

New Jersey has a bakery for that.

Freshly baked doughnuts? Cupcakes? Macarons? There are plenty to be found.

But New Jersey has much more to offer by way of baked goods,from a bakery in Pitman that specializes in cream puffs to a Brick shopknown for its crumb cake. So if you have a sweet tooth – or enjoy a road trip that ends with dessert – this one's for you.

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502 Baking Company, Brick

There is so much to choose from at Toni Marie'sBrick bakery–pies, cookies, eclairs, scones, danish– but make your way to the cheese crumb cake, if there's any left when you get there.

The confection "is what happens when a cheesecake and a crumb cake have a one night stand," proclaimthe owners, self-described "old school bakers,"and it is every bit as delicious as it sounds. Perfect crumbs kissed with powdered sugar, creamy filling with a bit of bite, and moist cake to cradle it all.

Go:502 Brick Blvd., Brick;732-477-4502, 502bakingcompany.com.

The Artist Baker, Morristown

Andrea Lekberg, owner-baker of The Artist Baker, was in a jam. She hadmade a chocolate cake for a friend's birthday andwound up with enough for one layer only. "I'm not sure what happened to the other layer," she says. "I thought I would have some fun and pile on meringue to make up for the lost layer."

Nearly eightyears have passed, and her mistake, now called S'mores Cake, is The Artist Baker'ssignature cake.

"People just love it," Lekbergsaid.

Made with homemade chocolate devil's food cake,a layer of creamy chocolate buttercream,crushed homemade graham crackers and toasted marshmallow meringue, it costs $4.75 per slice.

Go:16 Cattano Ave., Morristown; 973-267-5540,theartistbaker.com.

The Baklava Lady, Englishtown

For 40 years, Naciye Emren has called the United States home. But the sweet and savory dishes she cooks at her Englishtown cafe honorthe Turkish food she has known her whole life.

Each day, Emren, 45, beginsbaking in the early morning hours, churning out platters of fluffy olive bread called zeytinli,orange blossom semolina cakes called revani, fudgybrownies made with tahini and sesame-flavored halva, andphyllo dough "cigars" rolled around nuts and cinnamon. (See her at work in the video at the top of the story.)

But as the cafe's name proclaims, she is known for her baklava, that oh-so-flaky and syrupydessert. Emren tops hers with crushed pistachios ($4 per piece, $100 per tray of 42 pieces).

And good news for plant-based eaters: Emren is vegan, as is everything she makes.

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Limited indoor seating is available, as is curbside pickup.

Go: 34 Main St., Englishtown; 732-851-5445, thebaklavalady.com.

Chloe's Creme Puffs, Pitman

This family-owned bakery knows that when you do something well, you should focus on it to see where it leads.

And what the Lusardi family does well is créme puffs.

The ownersof the Tiffany-blue huedbakery in a Holly Avenue storefront has learned newcomers truly can't eat just one of these light-as-air confections. Just try to decide among the daily offerings, such as chocolate, vanilla, raspberry, cookies and creme, or coconut.

The bakery also offers Key lime pie (seasonal),chocolate sea salt cookies, parfaits, scones, cannoli, muffins and cakes.

Due to the pandemic, Chloe's is open this summer from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays only. You can order ahead for curbside pickup. Party trays require 24 hours notice.

Go:7 E.Holly Ave.,Pitman;856-589-2919;chloescremepuffs.com.

Grateful Bites, Flemington

With its cakes, cookies, pies, breads and pastries, bakery and cafe Grateful Bites is always serving up good vibes. But that's made even more so being that the breakfast and lunch destination isoperated by Ability 2 Work, a nonprofit thatcreates apprenticeships for special needs young adults by pairing them withsupport professionals at Grateful Bites.

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Here, apprentices complete tasks such as taking orders, serving meals or chopping vegetables, and are also trained in life skills and cognitive therapy before transitioning to other local jobs. Plus, Grateful Bites net proceeds gotoward Ability 2 Work’s outreach and education programs, which support more than 400 special needs students who are transitioning out of school and into jobs.

Go:42 Route 12, Flemington;908-782-3458,gratefulbites.org.

Mike's Crumb Cake Factory, Brick and Ocean Township

Mike Gingrich doesn't consider himself a baker, but in the year since opening Mike's Crumb Cake Factory, he's made a name for himself in the world of sweets.

"Baking experience, I don't have any," said the 49-year-old, who lives in Brick. "Iwould get the (Nestle) Toll House morsels pack, make the dough, and never get around to eating the cookies."

But his mother once owned a businessin town, Sand Dollar Deli, and sold crumb cake made from an old family recipe. The deli closed in 2012, and "I took the crumb cake and kept it going."

That year, Gingrich brought the cake to a food and wine festival in Atlantic City.

"Ten thousand people tried the crumb cake, and I knew by their response that down the road, I was going to open this store. I knew it was going to be something catchy," he said. "Everyone thought I was crazy: 'You're just going to sell crumb cake?' But everybody loves it."

Now, he bakes eight to 10 hours per day and makes more than 40varieties of crumb cake, from vanilla and cinnamon swirl toone filled with peanut butter cream and chocolate chips ($4.95 to $17.95). And a second location just opened in Ocean Township.

Go:1949 Route 88 in Brick, 732-475-6140, and871 West Park Ave. in Ocean Township;mikescrumbcakefactory.com.

The Pirate Cupcake, Milford

Those with severe nut allergies are often forced to takechances when ordering nut-free desserts from their favorite bakeries, where cross-contamination is a possibility. Not at the Pirate Cupcake: This Milford-based cupcake food truckoperates a completely peanut- and nut-free kitchen.

Some of the most popular flavors include Oreo red velvet, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, strawberry lemon, and banana chocolate; with seasonal flavors including pumpkin snickerdoodle, caramel apple and maple bacon.

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Owner Laura McConnell, who has had severe nut allergies since she was a child, battledtwo anaphylactic reactions from eating baked goods before taking mattersinto her own hands bystarting acupcake companyin whichthose with nut allergies can indulge in peace.

Go:908-208-8818;piratecupcake.com.

Rispoli, Ridgefield and Emerson

The lobster tail, an Italian pastry-must, almost didn't see the light of day.Imagine ifowner Frances Rispoli had listened to his father,who resistedoffering lobster tails at hisfamily's three-generation-oldpastry shop. Thank goodness the younger Rispoli prevailed.

Today, the tailsarein competition with the sfogliatelles for customers' favorite.The lobster tail's flaky, butter-rich shell (yes, it resemblesa lobster tail, albeit onemade ofstacked thin sheets of pastry)is stuffed with stupendousChantilly cream, whichtastes remarkably like premiumFrench vanilla ice cream.

Who can say no to that?

Go:824 Broad Ave., Ridgefield,201-943-6002 and Emerson Plaza East, Emerson,201-265-4009,rispolipastryshop.com.

Styertowne, Clifton

This stalwart bakery's famous crumb cake has been voted Best Crumb Cake in New Jersey four times in a row. So we're clearly not its only fans. And if you don't live nearby, no problem:Styertowne will deliver the cake to you (for a charge, of course).

Put on the coffee pot and slice into that heavenly moist crumb-rich cake ($13.95 will feed a dozen or so). Odds are good you're not going to want any other crumb cake from now on.

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Go:1039 Bloomfield Ave.;Clifton;973-777-6193,styertownebakery.com.

Tous Les Jours, Cherry Hill,Edison, Closter, Fort Lee and Paramus

Can't fly to Paris? Fear not.

You can indulge yourself nearly as well, or at least your palate, at Tous Les Jours, a swoon-worthy French-Korean bakery chain with locations in North and South Jersey.

Guests entering the bakery use a personal set of large tongs and a cafeteria tray to select among the luscious choices— everything from the Instagram-sexy strawberry croissants to red bean rolls. Fusion takes on sweeter meaning as you try to decide amongmelon bread, mocha roll cakes orgreen tea croissants.

Prefer savory to sweet? Not a problem. Opt for a buttery curry or kimchi croquette or “Sweet Frank Roll,” a hot dog wrapped in sweet pastry bread.

For now, you'll have to take your goodies to go. There are also drink options including smoothies, teas and coffees, including cold brew.

You can order ahead online attljus.com

Go:826 Haddonfield Road, No.3, Cherry Hill; 1761 Route 27, Edison; 40 Homans Ave, Closter,112 Linwood Drive, Fort Lee;60 Route 17, Paramus.