10 Surprisingly Affordable Old-School Bakeries In Central Pennsylvania

In 1946, a young man started selling donuts out of his bicycle basket.

That tiny side hustle grew into a company that now sells frozen baked goods across the country and beyond.

Central Pennsylvania is packed with bakeries that have roots like that.

One still hand-rolls sourdough pretzels behind the family’s original houses, a habit that started during the Great Depression.

Another began in a farmhouse kitchen with a couple and their nine children. The range is what grabs me most.

You can get a sticky bun through a drive-thru window, pick pastries off a self-serve porch at night, or watch doughnuts being made in an open kitchen.

One bake shop even has a small petting zoo out back.

I love that mix, because it turns a simple bakery run into a little road trip. Why settle for one box when the next town over bakes something completely different?

1. Achenbach’s Pastries

Most bakeries brag about a signature treat, but this one put it right in its nickname: the Home of the Long John.

Leon and Anna Achenbach opened the shop in 1954, and scratch-made pastries have been the focus ever since.

Baking runs deep in this family. Anna’s father, John Bender, ran his own bakery in Berks County during the Depression years.

Start with a Long John, obviously. After that, your choices spread out fast, with sticky buns, pecan rings, eclairs, cannolis, and cinnamon twists waiting nearby.

Pie fans get a long list too. Look for milk apple, oatmeal, and lemon sponge pies alongside apple, cherry, and blueberry.

A little money tip makes this stop even sweeter. The bakery offers a Baker’s Dozen, so you get 13 items for the price of 12.

Bread lovers shouldn’t skip the shelves either. Iced raisin bread and deluxe cheese bread make a strong case for grabbing a second bag.

Planning a weekend trip? Saturday hours wrap up at 3 p.m., and the doors stay closed on Sundays.

Fall brings a few seasonal surprises worth tracking down. Pumpkin bread and mini pumpkin whoopie pies show up when the leaves start turning.

Address: 375 E. Main Street, Leola, PA 17540

2. Maple Donuts

Back in 1946, Charles Burnside sold donuts from his bicycle basket. Talk about a humble delivery system.

His first store sat on Maple Street in York, which explains the name. Today the company also makes frozen bakery products for other bakeries around the country and overseas.

Planning an early or late stop? Hours have changed.

The East Market Street location is currently listed as open daily from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., so a 2 a.m. donut run is no longer an option there.

The case covers classic glazed, cake, filled, and yeast-raised styles. You’ll also spot fun picks like peanut butter and jelly, apple pie, and filled caramel with pretzel crunch.

Keep it old school if you like. Sugar, devils food, sour Kreme, maple creme, and kustard delight all hold down the traditional side of the menu.

Can’t pick just one? Donut holes let you sample a few flavors without committing to a full dozen.

Need something more filling for the road? Breakfast croissant sandwiches and coffee turn a sweet stop into an actual meal.

The business remained in the Burnside family for decades. In June 2025, private equity firm Swander Pace Capital acquired Maple Donuts, with the founder’s sons, Damian and Nathaniel Burnside, serving as co-presidents at the time of the sale.

Address: 3455 E. Market Street, York, PA 17402

3. Bird-in-Hand Bake Shop

Shoofly pie voted number one for ten years in a row?

That’s a winning streak most sports teams would envy.

The Bird-in-Hand Bake Shop opened in 1972 and remains family-owned and operated. Many recipes have been passed down through generations.

That famous shoofly pie should top your list. Pecan sticky buns, cinnamon buns, and whoopie pies with peanut butter icing deserve spots right next to it.

Bread shoppers get options like cheddar, rye, and cinnamon raisin. Potato rolls and dinner rolls make easy add-ons for Sunday dinner.

What really sets this stop apart is the setting. There’s a picnic area, a playground, and a small animal petting zoo on the grounds.

Bring the kids and let them burn off some energy. Then reward everyone with hand-dipped ice cream before the drive home.

Gluten-free options are available too, which helps mixed groups. Cookies, bars, muffins, and turnovers round out the shelves.

Check the calendar before you go. Hours run until 5 p.m. most of the year but end at 4 p.m. in January and February, and the shop is closed Sundays.

Address: 542 Gibbons Road, Bird-in-Hand, PA 17505

4. Beiler’s Doughnuts

Front-row seats to a doughnut show come free here.

The open kitchen lets you watch the hand-rolled dough get shaped and fried.

Beiler’s started over 30 years ago as one of the first Amish merchants at Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia.

The same Pennsylvania Dutch family still runs the business, using recipes that go back generations.

So what should you order first? The glazed doughnut has been called the best in Pennsylvania, which is a bold title to live up to.

Cream lovers have plenty to explore. Banana creme, Boston cream, and peanut butter creme all come with rich homemade fillings.

Feeling adventurous? Maple bacon, salty caramel, and caramel apple bring a little extra fun to the box.

Old-fashioned plain and red velvet cake give you a break from the gooey stuff. An apple fritter works nicely if you want something big enough to share, or not.

The doughnuts are fried in zero-trans-fat oil. Muffins, chocolate chip cookies, and coffee are on hand too.

Timing matters on weekends. The shop is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Address: 398 Harrisburg Pike, Lancaster, PA 17603

5. Sunnyside Pastries

Nine kids, one farmhouse, and a whole lot of flour.

That’s how Eli and Sarah Lantz launched this Amish family bakery in 1993.

Business grew enough to need a bigger space in East Earl. Retail sales began in 2007 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Popularity pushed the hours wider over time. Today the retail store opens Tuesday through Saturday, so plan your week around it.

Eli and Sarah retired in early 2016. Their daughter and son-in-law took over, keeping it a family affair.

Nearly all of the baked goods are made from scratch. That’s a pretty impressive claim for such a full lineup.

Peanut butter fans, pay attention. Peanut butter Long Johns and Reese’s peanut butter donuts are both on the menu.

Chocolate whoopie pies and raisin cinnamon bread make solid picks too. Apple pie is there if you want a classic for dessert.

Can’t make it out to the countryside? Sunnyside also runs a booth at the Green Dragon Market in Ephrata.

Address: 421 Weaverland Valley Road, East Earl, PA 17519

6. Gable House Bakery

A bakery porch that’s open until 8 p.m.? Your evening dessert plans just got easier.

Gable House Bakery runs a self-serve porch daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The storefront opens on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

That porch setup feels refreshingly small-town. You can swing by before work or after dinner without watching the clock.

The lineup covers breakfast pastries, dessert pastries, breads, and sweet rolls. Other desserts show up too, along with coffee and tea.

Local sourcing is a big deal here. The bakery works to buy ingredients locally as much as possible.

Its mission is short and sweet: To actively brighten lives through goodness. Not bad for a slogan, right?

Thinking about a fancy birthday cake? Custom cakes are available for larger events and weddings, but orders that include a cake must meet a $500 minimum.

Cupcakes and other desserts are available for smaller celebrations.

Saturday is your best bet for the full storefront experience. Any other day, the porch has your back.

Address: 441 Chestnut Street, Mifflinburg, PA 17844

7. Mr. Sticky’s Homemade Sticky Buns

Few bakeries call their own product extremely addictive. This one does, and it built a whole business around that claim.

The story starts at the Grange Fair in Centre Hall, Pennsylvania. A Sugar Valley baker shared a sticky bun recipe at the Boarding House Restaurant, and it became a breakfast buffet hit.

Phil Poorman, his wife, and their four children took it from there. Their first bakery on wheels debuted in May 2000 at a carnival in Jersey Shore.

Cold weather and year-round demand eventually called for something sturdier. A permanent shop opened in the Golden Plaza in Williamsport.

Choose your sticky style. Regular, walnut, and mini sticky buns are all on the menu.

Cinnamon buns come plain, with cream cheese icing, or with peanut butter cream cheese icing. That last one sounds like trouble in the best way.

Hungry for real food first? Sandwiches on homemade rolls, homemade soups, and salads are served here too.

There’s a dining area if you want to sit. The drive-thru window works for sticky fingers on the go.

Address: 1948 E. 3rd Street, Williamsport, PA 17701

8. Hammond Pretzel Bakery

America’s oldest continuously family-operated handmade pretzel bakery sits right in Lancaster. That’s some serious crunch credibility.

William Lichty founded it in 1931, during the Great Depression. His grandfather, William Hammond, a baker since the 1800s, supplied the pretzel recipe.

The process has changed very little since then. The bakery still operates at the rear of the original Lichty and Hammond households.

Visitors can see and smell the pretzels being made on site. It’s a fun bonus for curious kids and grownups alike.

These hand-rolled sourdough pretzels come in plenty of salt levels. Pick from regular, salty, extra-salty, low-salt, or no-salt, plus a dark version.

Sweet tooth calling? Chocolate-covered pretzels are hand-dipped in Wilbur Chocolate, in dark, milk, and white.

Pretzel clusters and sea salt caramel pretzel turtles add even more temptation. Shenk’s cup cheese and pretzel dips make snack time complete.

Production stays limited to protect quality. Saturday hours run only from 8 a.m. to noon, so don’t sleep in.

Address: 716 S. West End Avenue, Lancaster, PA 17603

9. Shady Maple Farm Market Bakery

Over 3 million donuts a year. Let that number sink in for a second.

The bakery at Shady Maple Farm Market makes them in 53 varieties. Crullers, rings, fritters, filled donuts, and Long Johns all make the list.

Flavor picks include apple cinnamon, Boston cream, maple bacon, and blueberry lemon. Good luck walking out with just one.

Donuts are only part of the show. The bakery offers over 300 scratch-made items, from breads to whoopie pies.

Classic shoofly pie has been baked from scratch here since the 1970s. Apple and pumpkin pies share that same long track record.

Feeling fancy? Apple orchard pie, caramel pumpkin pie, and maple butter tart pie offer something different.

Shady Maple began in the 1960s as a roadside produce stand under a maple tree. Founders Marvin and Miriam Weaver saw it grow into a small supermarket by 1970.

Seventeen expansions later, the market is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Custom cakes for birthdays and holidays are available too.

Address: 1324 Main Street, East Earl, PA 17519

10. Beeman’s Baked Goods

Crackers and fudge from the same bakery? Beeman’s keeps things interesting.

This family-owned shop has been baking since 1984. It started by selling sweet treats at the downtown Carlisle Farmer’s Market.

The recipes come from current and past generations of the family. Today a mother-daughter duo runs the women-owned business.

Everything centers on made-from-scratch Pennsylvania Dutch style baking. Expect cakes, pies, cookies, muffins, and pastries.

Quick breads and regular breads fill out the lineup. Homemade crackers are a fun surprise you won’t find at many bakeries.

Fudge makes an easy gift if you’re visiting someone. Or keep it for yourself, since nobody has to know.

Coffee and other drinks are available too. That makes it a handy stop during a stroll around downtown Carlisle.

Plan around the schedule, though. The shop opens Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Address: 51 S. Orange Street, Carlisle, PA 17013