If there’s one thing that best sums up Phoenix’s bakery scene, it has to be “so many bakeries, so little time.” That’s because down most major streets, around many bustling corners, and tucked into cozy neighborhoods are sweet spots where the best loaves, pastries, cookies, pies and so much more are made. If you’re looking for a decadent treat, here are Phoenix bakeries that rise to the occasion.
aFlour Shop
If you appreciate good design as much as you adore sweet treats, then you’ll love aFlour Shop, specialty bakery in downtown Phoenix. Owner Andrea Tuck shares her love of authentic Italian desserts with swoon-worthy baked goods ranging from cannoli and ricotta cookies, to biscotti and Sicilian cheesecake. But it’s her wedding cakes and special occasion desserts that make A Bakeshop so special. Modern and minimalist in design, her towering cakes are a feast for both your palate and your eyes. Cake flavors include coconut lime, salted caramel, and banana cream, among many others.
LGO Bake Shop
Inside La Grande Orange Grocery & Pizzeria — the famous Arcadia pitstop for any kind of goodie you can imagine — is LGO Bake Shop, where you can find a plethora of pastries and cookies, as well as cake, pie and cupcake, all of which is made fresh daily next door at Cake Shop by LGO Hospitality. LGO Bake Shop may be most famous for its sea salt chocolate chip cookies, which you can enjoy at neighboring restaurants Chelsea's Kitchen, Buck &Rider and Ingo's Tasty Food.
Ruze Cake House
This bakery is almost like a secret oasis hidden the hustle and bustle of Old Town Scottsdale. Owned by mother-daughter duo Joyce and Jessica Boutwell, the pair locally source as many of their ingredients as possible, including Arizona honey, citrus and dairy.
Essence Bakery
To say this popular bakery and restaurant captures the true “essence” of fresh-baked goodness is an understatement. Owner Eugenia Theodosopoulos has mastered the art of French pastry, which can be seen—and tasted—in her award-winning macarons. She learned to make the quintessential French treat at the prestigious École Lenôtre in Paris. The cookies are ethereal and airy, but it’s the filling that will get you every time. From espresso, to French chocolate, to raspberry rose, Theodosopoulos’ macarons are a true work of art.
Karl’s Quality Bakery
Tucked in the northern reaches of Phoenix, in a quaint Sunnyslope neighborhood, is one of the most established and long-standing bakeries in town. Owned by Karl Boerner, Karl’s Quality Bakery is where you go if a sense of place, community and family is just as important as the food itself. The bakery specializes in European desserts and pastries, including danishes, croissants, streusel, cream puffs, éclairs and macarons.
Urban Cookies Bakeshop
Despite the name, this central Phoenix mainstay may be known more for their cupcakes than their to-die-for cookies (and other tasty treats). That’s because the bakery won the Food Network’s coveted “Cupcake Wars” in 2011; Cupcake Love-In in 2011; and Best Cupcake in the 2013 Phoenix New Times “Best of Phoenix” awards. Always pushing the cupcake envelope, Urban Cookies is now offering churro cupcakes, available in assorted flavors topped with cream cheese frosting and rolled in cinnamon sugar.
Casa Filipina Bakeshop and Restaurant
When you think of Filipino food, decadent pastries most likely don’t come to mind. But you’d be remiss to undermine the baking prowess of this unique cuisine. Case in point, Casa Filipina Bakeshop, located in west Phoenix, where traditional Filipino baked goods truly shine. There’s emsaymada, a sweet, brioche-like roll topped with whipped butter, sugar and cheese; desserts made with ube, a sweet purple yam, and frosted mango cakes. And just for good measure, bring home a bag of pan de sal, a Filipino breakfast roll that goes perfect with a morning cup of coffee.
Noble Bread
There are few bakeries that have a cult following like Noble Bread in central Phoenix. A favorite among local chefs who serve the delicious, hearty loaves in everything from cheese and meat boards, to dips and sandwiches, Noble Bread got its start in 2011 when founder Jason Raducha began baking bread inside a wood-fired oven mounted on a trailer.
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