9 New Jersey Bakeries Serving Pastries So Good They’re Worth The Detour
There’s nothing quite like stepping into a bakery where the air itself feels sweet—thick with the scent of butter, sugar, and dough fresh from the oven.
While New Jersey is often celebrated for its pizza or diners, its pastry scene is every bit as remarkable, hiding treasures that rival Europe’s finest patisseries.
From family-run Italian institutions to modern shops turning out jewel-like French confections, the Garden State’s bakeries prove that great pastries are worth the extra miles.
After years of tasting my way from Bergen County to Cape May, I can confidently say these nine spots don’t just serve desserts—they create cravings powerful enough to turn even casual visitors into devoted regulars.
1. La Bon Bake Shoppes: Where Cream Puffs Reign Supreme
I accidentally stumbled upon this Woodbridge gem while taking a wrong turn on my way to the mall. Best wrong turn ever! The cream puffs here are legendary—light, airy shells filled with the most velvety custard that somehow manages to stay perfectly chilled without making the pastry soggy.
Family-owned since 1952, they still use the original recipes brought over from Sicily. The current owner, Maria, once told me they whip their cream by hand because machines “just don’t put the love in it.”
Their almond croissants sell out by 9 AM most days, so I’ve learned to call ahead and have them set aside. Worth mentioning: they make a cannoli that would make my Italian grandmother weep with joy.
2. Gencarelli’s Bakery: Italian Cookie Heaven In Bloomfield
“You haven’t tried a rainbow cookie until you’ve had one from Gencarelli’s,” my Newark-born neighbor insisted before dragging me to this Bloomfield institution. He wasn’t exaggerating. These colorful almond-paste delights are moist, perfectly layered, and have just the right hint of raspberry between the vibrant cake layers.
Fourth-generation bakers run this no-frills spot that hasn’t changed its decor since the 1970s—and doesn’t need to. The glass cases display cookies by the pound, but don’t overlook their sfogliatelle—those crispy, ridged shells filled with orange-scented ricotta.
My personal ritual involves buying a pound of pignoli cookies (pine nut-topped almond cookies) that I swear I’ll share but inevitably devour alone in my car before reaching home.
3. Calandra’s Italian Village: Bread Bakery Turned Pastry Paradise
“Take a number and prepare to wait,” I texted my friend who was meeting me at Calandra’s in Caldwell. The line often stretches out the door, but locals know the lobster tails are worth every minute spent shuffling forward in anticipation.
Calandra’s started as a bread bakery in 1962, and while their crusty loaves remain spectacular, their expansion into pastries has created a dessert empire. The lobster tail pastries feature impossibly thin, crispy layers that shatter delicately when bitten, revealing a rich, vanilla-bean-speckled filling.
During Christmas season, I brave the hour-long wait for their panettone, which makes store-bought versions taste like cardboard by comparison. Pro tip: their espresso bar in the back serves the perfect bitter companion to their sweet treats.
4. Sorrento Bakery: East Hanover’s Cannoli Champion
“Never eat a pre-filled cannoli,” warned the elderly gentleman behind me in line at Sorrento’s. “That’s why this place is the best—they fill them right when you order.” He became my unofficial bakery guide that day, pointing out specialties in the sprawling display cases of this East Hanover landmark.
The cannoli shells are fried to a precise golden brown, creating a sturdy yet delicate vessel for the sweetened ricotta filling studded with chocolate chips. They pipe the filling right before your eyes, ensuring that perfect textural contrast between crisp shell and creamy center.
Beyond cannoli, their pignoli cookies have converted me into a pine nut enthusiast. The old-world charm extends to their pricing—somehow they’ve managed to keep their pastries affordable despite using premium ingredients.
5. Sweet Melissa Patisserie: French Technique Meets Jersey Flair
My first bite of Sweet Melissa’s croissant made me close my eyes involuntarily—that’s how transcendent their laminated pastries are. After relocating from Brooklyn to Clinton, chef Melissa Murphy brought her French-trained expertise to New Jersey, creating a destination bakery that rivals anything you’d find in Paris.
The kouign-amann—a caramelized, buttery pastry from Brittany—has developed a cult following, with regulars driving from Pennsylvania just to snag one. Each pastry features dozens of paper-thin layers, creating a honeycomb interior that shatters gloriously with each bite.
During peach season, their galettes showcase local fruit in a way that’s both rustic and refined. I once arrived five minutes before closing and the staff packaged up the remaining pastries at half-price—a delicious stroke of luck!
6. Cocoluxe Fine Pastries: Montclair’s Modern Macaron Master
“You’re going to think I’m exaggerating, but these macarons changed my life,” I told my skeptical sister as we parked outside this unassuming Montclair storefront. One bite of their salted caramel macaron transformed her from doubter to devotee in seconds.
Owner Jennifer O’Brien trained in Paris before bringing her technicolor creations to New Jersey. Her macarons achieve that elusive perfect texture—crisp exterior giving way to a slightly chewy interior, filled with ganaches and curds that balance sweetness with sophisticated flavor.
Beyond the classic French offerings, seasonal specials like maple bacon or strawberry basil keep regulars coming back to see what’s new. The shop itself is tiny, but the flavors are massive. Fair warning: their chocolate croissants have ruined all other chocolate croissants for me forever.
7. The Pirate Cupcake: Unexpected Treasures In Westfield
The first time someone directed me to a shop called “The Pirate Cupcake,” I almost didn’t go. Cupcakes? Hadn’t that trend sailed away years ago? Thankfully, curiosity won, and I discovered this Westfield bakery isn’t just riding the cupcake wave—it’s reinventing it with European-inspired pastries that happen to be cupcake-sized.
Their rum-soaked savarin—a yeast cake saturated with syrup—comes topped with fresh berries and crème chantilly. It’s like a sophisticated adult version of the birthday cupcakes from childhood. Owner Ana Beall studied in Vienna, bringing back techniques rarely seen in American bakeries.
The shop’s quirky pirate theme belies the serious baking happening in the kitchen. My personal favorite: their Paris-Brest, a ring of choux pastry filled with praline cream, miniaturized into an adorable two-bite version.
8. The Gingered Peach: Lawrenceville’s Cinnamon Bun Destination
“If we get there after 10, they’ll be sold out of cinnamon buns,” my friend warned as we sped down Route 1 toward Lawrenceville one Sunday morning. The Gingered Peach inspires this kind of urgency among its devotees, and after trying those famous buns—pillowy spirals of brioche dough loaded with cinnamon-sugar and topped with cream cheese frosting—I understood why.
Baker-owner Joanne Canady-Brown creates pastries that honor tradition while incorporating unexpected flavors. Her cardamom morning buns offer a Swedish-inspired alternative to the classic cinnamon version.
The bakery sources ingredients locally when possible, including honey from nearby farms for their baklava croissants—a brilliant Mediterranean-French fusion. I’ve started setting an alarm for their 8 AM opening time on Saturdays to ensure I don’t miss out.
9. Italian Peoples Bakery: Trenton’s Time-Honored Tomato Pie Companion
My Italian grandfather would make special trips to Italian Peoples Bakery whenever we visited Trenton, insisting no other bread could properly accompany the city’s famous tomato pies. Five generations later, this bakery still makes crusty seeded Italian loaves that have a cult following throughout Mercer County.
While bread may be their foundation, their pastries deserve equal acclaim. The sfogliatelle (or “lobster tails” as locals call them) feature dozens of tissue-thin layers of dough wrapped around a citrusy ricotta filling. Each bite produces a symphony of crackling pastry sounds that true connoisseurs recognize as the mark of quality.
Founded in 1936, the bakery maintains old-world techniques while running multiple locations. Their ricotta cookies—soft, cake-like mounds topped with simple glaze—are my personal kryptonite.