Is there any better scent in the world than the aroma inside a world-class bakery? The smell of toasted butter, caramelized sugar, and freshly-brewed coffee can instantly turn even the biggest frown upside down. When we need fresh baked breads and treats, these are The 10 Best Central Jersey Bakeries we trust.
Believe it or not, Central Jersey is a wonderland of generational Italian sweet shops and modern, Michelin-trained pastry chefs. These artisanal talents freshly bake naturally-leavened doughs and over-the-top indulgent treats every single morning. So whether you are hunting down the perfect sourdough loaf, a custom birthday cake, or a delicious Parisian croissant, these are The 10 Best Central Jersey Bakeries to find it. Keep Scrolling to See the Full List.
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The 10 Best
Central Jersey Bakeries
Featured from Union County:
Bakehouse by Joe Murphy
Where: 1253 Springfield Ave, New Providence | 82 Main St, Madison
Details: Head Pastry Chef Joe Murphy comes from decades of experience at 5-Star hotels and Michelin-star restaurants. Now, he offers Parisian-style and luxury baked goods from his approachable Bakehouse. His most popular item is the signature Brooklyn Blackout Cake. This indulgent delight is pure cacao powder-infused chocolate cake with layers of chocolate pudding made using Belgian dark chocolate. Chef Joe finishes “the ultimate chocolate cake” with a ganache glaze and homemade chocolate crumble. Other popular desserts include cookies, brownies, and individual servings of tiramisu, cheesecake, and parfaits. In addition to baked good, the Bakehouse serves coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. The menu also includes savory items like avocado toast and Taylor Ham & Cheese Croissants. Every item on the menu is made using recipes Chef Joe has developed over his lifetime as a pastry chef.
| Visit Their Website | Order Online | Follow on Instagram | Follow on Facebook | Call 908-955-8496 (New Providence) | Call 973-671-0844 (Madison) |
Blue Sheep Bake Shop
Where: Somerville
Details: Blue Sheep Bake Shop combines two of the dessert world’s greatest joys, baked goods and ice cream. Their menu encompasses everything from cheesecakes, cupcakes, and tres leches to gourmet cookies, brownies, and macarons. They also bake special occasion custom cakes and make handcrafted ice cream cakes. In particular, their selection of signature birthday cakes are extremely popular and come in many different flavors and shapes. If we could only pick one thing to order, it would be the Reese’s Peanut Butter Ganache Brownie.
Bread & Culture
Where: Flemington
Details: The name Bread & Culture has a double meaning for the team at this artisanal bakery. On one hand, the literal meaning describes the fermentation process and microbial cultures of their breads. On the other hand, it reflects their passion for baking and the importance of bread to our local culture. What started as a small, home kitchen operation has now grown into a successful pillar of Flemington. The team hand-make their now famous naturally-leavened breads, including their signature croissants and sourdough bread.
Chocolate in the Oven Bake Shop
Where: Milford
Details: The bakers here believe their shop is home to the best hand-crafted sweets anywhere near the Delaware River. Their menu of custom cakes and confections includes Italian pastries, cheesecakes, cookies, pies, custom cakes, and small batch ice cream. Plan a visit during the holidays to check out their latest seasonal specialties for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and more. Custom cakes for special occasions are always a hit, but we also recommend their chocolate chip cheesecake and lobster tails.
D’Orsi’s Bakery
Where: Port Reading
Details: This bakery uses old-world baking techniques to create custom cakes, breads, and both sweet and savory treats. It’s a popular spot for breads and rolls, including their fire roasted garlic bread and bagels. Cookie lovers will go wild for their assortment of gingerbread, oatmeal, chocolate chip, black and white, and butter cookies. D’Orsi’s even offers single slices of cake in popular flavors such as Oreo and carrot cake. But it’s their specialty cupcakes we might love the most, in flavors like Pina Colada and Strawberry Shortcake.
Italian Bakery & Espresso Bar
Location: Flemington | Raritan
Details: This family owned bakery offers traditional Italian breads, cakes, pastries, and more. Often simply referred to as “the Italian Bakery”, locals love this spot for their warm customer service and fresh desserts. From fresh coffee and mini pizzas to cookies, cannolis, and homemade gelato, any time of day is the right time to visit Italian Bakery & Espresso Bar. In particular, we recommend picking up the Sfogliatella, some cream puffs, and an iced cappuccino. ATTN Focaccia fans: this is also the spot to pick up fresh bread in the area.
LiLLiPiES Bakery
Where: Princeton
Details: The dizzying-to-read LiLLiPiEs specializes in single-serve pies, breakfast all day, artisan breads, and sweets. All of their products are made with organic flour and feature locally-sourced ingredients as a celebration of Jersey flavors. Their most popular breads are the sourdough English Muffins, Soudough baguettes, and Sourdough Loaf, all of which typically sell out daily. In addition to nationwide shipping via GoldBelly, they host special events onsite at their commercial kitchen. This includes baking classes with owner Jen Carson.
Nino’s Pastry Shoppe
Location: Trenton
Details: Nino’s Pasty Shoppe started as a simple dream to serve homemade desserts to the local community. Now, more than two decades later, it is Trenton/Hamilton’s trusted spot for fresh baked cakes, cookies, and more. Their signature danishes are the must-try menu item for first-timers. There isn’t really a wrong choice, but we recommend the classic Cheese, Apple, or Blueberry danishes. Other standout treats include their crumbcakes, walnut rings, and so-good-they-should-be-illegal buttercream donuts.
Sweet Melissa Patisserie
Where: Lebanon
Details: Baker Melissa Murphy loves desserts. (Perhaps it’s because she was born on Thanksgiving Day, just after her mother finished baking some pies.) So it’s no surprise she offers both sweet and savory treats at Sweet Melissa Patisserie. Patrons love her hand rolled, all butter croissants that come in a variety of flavors. Other menu favorites include the pain au chocolat, ham and Gruyère, raspberry Nutella, and almond croissants. They even have a savory croissant stuffed with a roasted vegetable of the day or a variety of cheeses.
The Gingered Peach
Where: Lawrenceville
Details: The handcrafted baked goods at The Gingered Peach are all made from scratch in small batches. That means every cinnamon bun, danish, biscuit, muffin, pound cake, and more is always fresh out of the oven. Their chewy scones are never dry, and feature unique flavors like cranberry, butterscotch pecan, cinnamon chip, and limited seasonal options. We also recommend their authentic Polish Bialys. These sort-of-but-not-really bagels are filled with either Fig Jam & Goat Cheese, Mushroom, Onion, & Mozzarella, or Spinach, Feta, & Mozzarella.
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Central Jersey’s
Best Bakeries FAQs
Bread & Culture (Flemington) is famous for its sourdough and breads. Likewise, LiLLiPiES Bakery (Princeton) is the local favorite for sourdough English muffins, baguettes, and loaves using organic, locally-sourced flour.
Blue Sheep Bake Shop (Somerville) specializes in customized cakes and handcrafted ice cream cakes in many shapes and flavors. Chocolate in the Oven Bake Shop (Milford) is also highly recommended for custom cakes and holiday confections.
Bakehouse by Joe Murphy (New Providence and Madison) is helmed by a Michelin-recognized pastry chef. His iconic Brooklyn Blackout Cake and luxury pastries are fan favorites. For hand-rolled, all-butter croissants, check out Sweet Melissa Patisserie (Lebanon).
Italian Bakery & Espresso Bar (Flemington and Raritan) is a family-owned spot known for sfogliatella, fresh cannolis, mini pizzas, and homemade gelato. Meanwhile, Nino’s Pastry Shoppe (Trenton) is a generational favorite that has spent decades perfecting their danishes and buttercream donuts.
The Gingered Peach (Lawrenceville) bakes everything from scratch in small batches, ensuring their treats are always fresh. LiLLiPiES Bakery (Princeton) is another small-batch gem, specializing in single-serve pies.
Top (Hero) Photo: © Bakehouse by Joe Murphy / Website
