It’s been a while since I have written! Nonetheless, I am super excited to be writing about one of my favorite things… dessert. I have a huge sweet tooth that rears its sweet little head on weekends, and I am always running to my favorite bakeries for some delicious treats. An oreo here or Entenmann’s cake there is always welcomed, but when I indulge, I want it to be totally worth every calorie. It is Valentine’s Day weekend which is equally about the sweets as it as love, so I am sharing my favorite bakeries down the shore! You may gain a few pounds just from reading this… full disclosure haha.

Simona’s Bakery- Sea Girt, NJ

Ah, Simona’s! I love you and your amazingly creative cupcakes! All of the flavors are so artfully produced and exceptionally creative. Now, you can have all the creativity you want on paper, but the execution is a must. Simona’s delivers every time. I am a cupcake lover. Their cupcakes are exceptional. Some of my favorites are the Cinnamon bun, Nutella (with the vanilla cake), Samoa, and caramel hostess, but there is truly a flavor for everyone.  Simona’s also has cakes, cookies (try their macaroons too).. whatever your heart desires. I also heard they are coming out with cake in a jar…. UMM YES, I will be in shortly.

Chocolate Carousel- Wall, NJ

I love this place. First off, they make some of the best cheesecake I have ever had. These orders must be typically placed ahead of time, but it is so worth the effort! I have definitely been across the board here, gaining pounds left and right eating not only their cheesecake, but cupcakes, cakes, cookies, and shooters. They did my son’s first birthday cake, which was so amazing! They also have festive desserts suitable for any holiday. I love the bakery, and the owner seems like such a doll. I highly recommend this place!

Pastry Chef- Tinton Falls, NJ

Pastry Chef is one of my go-to spots. This was one of the first bakeries I was frequenting when I moved down this way. I love bringing cakes from here up north to where I work for all my friends there, and they are my birthday cake go-to. They also did my son’s christening cake. The nice thing about Pastry Chef is that you can walk in anytime and probably find what you need without a preorder. I have bought Christmas and Halloween cakes from there on a dime. The pastries and cookies are great as well and they are so fairly priced. Let me also drop a hint that the mini fudge cake is one of the best thing that your palate will ever come across if you like chocolate. Yea, you can thank me later.

Mike’s Crumb Cake Factory- Brick, NJ

Mike’s Crumb Cake Factory is pretty strictly crumb cake as the name suggests, but the crumb cakes are out of this world and there are so many cool flavors to choose from. You can get a whole cake or single pieces if you do not want to commit to one flavor. It is truly overwhelming the amount of flavors to choose from. They have their common flavors and also seasonal. If you want a specific flavor in a full cake, you may want to preorder. I LOVE the apple caramel crumb cake. It was the first one I ever tried and my taste buds were living their best life. The banana chip and regular apple crumb are great, but they even have some more indulgent flavors like red velvet stuffed with cream cheese as well as cookies and cream. It is cash only, so get to the ATM and head over to Mike’s!

Del Ponte’s Bakery- Bradley Beach, NJ

Who can talk bakeries without mentioning Del Ponte’s? It is truly fantastic and they even now have a creamery! Talk about having it all! You can’t miss at Del Pontes. The cakes are great…the cookies are great…and they get the stamp of approval for their cupcakes too. Did I mention great breads as well!? Del Pontes is the full package. They are expanding and opening a new location in Freehold. Check them out and tell me what you loved!

Broad Street Dough Co- Freehold/Oakhurst, NJ

Calling all doughnut lovers! Plain jane doughnuts? No problem. All the classics? Great. Crazy, cool flavors? Absolutely. Their twist on cronuts too called triangles! Get mini doughnuts, regular sized, one or a dozen. Try some of the BSDC specialty flavors like the smores galore, the Monmouth, Broadstreet, and the Belmar bliss. I love how some of the names reflect the shore area! Check them out when you’re in the area.

Abbate Bakery- Matawan, NJ

This bakery is not necessarily down the shore. Matawan is a bit north of there, a quick ride up route 34 or parkway North, but I will make an exception since its only about 25 min from the closest “shore town.” I felt really compelled to add it here for a few reasons. First of all, their baked goods are so fresh and tasty. Pastries are full of flavor. I must say, they have some of the best black and white cookies I have ever had which brings me to the sentimental reason why I love this place. My aunt, who passed a few years ago, loved Abbate and would always bring black and white cookies from here! I grew up in Old Bridge so of course that prompted me to check this place out. Home run. If you’re a cannoli fan, I’d definitely try them from here too.

Trust me, there are other fantastic places that I did not list, but these are some of my absolute favorites that have not let me down and may have already made a name for themselves. Enjoy!