As many of us know, New York City is one of the food hubs of the world. Whether you are looking for a giant plateful of deliciousness for a couple of dollars, a five-star Michelin dinner recommendation, gluten-free bakeries, a simple diner, or anything in between, chances are you will find it in NYC. However, sadly, no matter how long you live in New York City, you will most likely never have the chance to try every single place, a big part of its charm and adventure. Therefore, for all the foodies, travelers, or those with a sweet tooth, I’ve created a guide for the best bakeries to try in New York City.

I'm no food critic, but I do consider myself an expert in bakeries. I’ve lived outside of New York City my whole life. I consider myself a lover of food, and not only enjoy cooking and baking but also trying new and trending restaurants and foods. Since middle school, I’ve kept a food Instagram diary and photographed every restaurant I’ve tried and kept an ongoing list of different places I’ve seen on social media or heard about. 

By The Way Bakery

By The Way Bakery is one of the most delicious bakeries I’ve ever tried. Their cupcakes are moist,  flavorful, and are topped with rich and creamy frosting. They offer cakes, cookies, brownies, cake pops, mini bundt cakes, and so much more. The best part is all of their products are gluten and dairy free. While I don’t have an allergy to gluten or dairy, I would choose this bakery over a number of other ones. I don’t think I could pick out their products as the ones without gluten.

Locations: Hastings-on-Hudson, Upper West Side, Upper East side, Brooklyn, and Greenwich, Connecticut.

Chip City NYC

Chip City NYC is known for its decadent cookies. Their core flavors include a gooey chocolate chip cookie, a S’mores cookie, and a white chocolate macadamia cookie, as well as menu items that change weekly. I went to Chip City’s Brooklyn location after going on a food tour around the city, and it was totally worth the sugar coma. The chocolate chip cookie was warm, melted in my mouth, and was so large, I had the chance to enjoy it over the span of multiple days.

Locations: West Village, Rockefeller Center, Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Williamsburg and Carroll Gardens Brooklyn, Astoria, Long Island City, Sunnyside, Forest Hills, Bayside and Ditmars in Queens, Garden City, and Oceanside Long Island, in Newark and Ridgewood New Jersey, and new locations coming soon in Hoboken, Tribeca, and Babylon.

Little Cupcake Bakeshop

This bakery is another loved spot by those living in the city. When you walk in, it feels like you could be in an episode of Gilmore Girls with its checkerboard floors, trendy pink light-up sign, and wrought-iron white tables. It has a real, cozy neighborhood vibe, and the desserts never disappoint. Again, I’m a chocolate girl, so my go-to order is either the black and white layer cake or the Brooklyn blackout cake. The best part is you can buy everything by the slice or as a cake.

Locations: Prince Street in Manhattan, 9102 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn, and 598 Vanderbilt Ave, Brooklyn

Two Little Red Hens

Two Little Red Hens is a local fave for those living on the Upper East Side. The ambiance is cute and cozy and only adds to the magical experience of tasting one of their desserts. As a loyal chocolate lover, my all-time favorite menu item is their Brooklyn blackout cake, a four-layer cake with layers of chocolate pudding in the middle and covered with thick dark chocolate fudge icing. They have carrot cake, yellow fudge cake, vanilla cake, red velvet, marble cake, and assorted fruit-flavored cakes, as well as pies, cupcakes, cheesecakes, cookies, muffins, scones, and more.

Location: They are currently in the transition of moving to a new location located at 1641 2nd Avenue on the NW corner of 85th Street.

Doughnuttery

I tried Doughnuttery for the first time at their location in the Turnstyle in Columbus Circle. I got the classic cinnamon sugar doughnuts, and I truly have never forgotten that taste. They were warm, freshly coated in sugar, and the dough melted in my mouth. They have a number of traditional sugar flavors such as apple cider, cinnamon sugar, chocolate glaze, and vanilla glaze, but also a number of house favorites such as a salted caramel flavor, banana, coconut, and coffee flavors, and a number of fruity, nutty, or savory flavors such as fruit cereal, PB&J, and one with Rosemary, Roasted Cornmeal, and Fig.

Locations: 425W 15th St, at the Turnstyle Underground Market on 40W 42nd St, and on 630 Old Country Rd 1st Floor or Roosevelt Field Mall.