Lancaster County is home to over 90 bakeries: farm market bakeries, home kitchen bakeries, tourist attractions, historic bakeries, specialty bakeries, and everything in between.
We’re not here to tell you which bakery is the best in all of Lancaster County. We’re here to share what stands out about each bakery on this list — from our perspective as locals.
Don’t skip the hidden, tucked-away gems. Unless you’re driving back roads for the fun of it, you’ll likely miss them. Several of the bakeries on our list aren’t on Main Street, but they’re well worth the drive.
How these bakeries were selected
Each bakery on this list was chosen based on insights from Lancaster County locals, with a focus on customer experience, consistent quality, signature items, etc.
This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list. Out of the 91 bakeries we considered, we selected only those that stood out and met our criteria.
A quick note on the word “best”: We all know it’s subjective. As Lancaster locals, we choose bakeries for different reasons (ex. a favorite item, a convenient location, or a quick turnaround). Every bakery on this list is the “best” in its own way, depending on what we’re looking for.
We hope you enjoy!
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Amish-Made Baked Goods
Old Barn Creamery & Creamery
Old Barn Creamery is our choice for fresh, Amish-made baked goods. They have a full selection of whoopie pies, pastries, cookies, breads, pies, donuts, soft pretzels, apple dumplings, and more.
Our favorite baked goods from Old Barn Creamery & Bakery are:
- Soft pretzels (Saturdays only)
- Seasonal pies
- Chocolate chip cookies
- Whole wheat bread
- Oatmeal whoopie pies
We love the baked goods sourced from the farm across the road — especially their seasonal pies of cherry, rhubarb, apple, peach, etc.
Their donuts are made fresh every morning around 6am. If you stop by soon after that, you’ll have full selection of their flavors: plain, white icing, fudge cream, salted caramel, glazed, and cinnamon sugar.
All baked goods can be purchased on-site or pre-ordered for later pick-up.
The overall experience provided is great for families or simply someone looking to take in the slower pace of Lancaster’s culture. We love the interior wooden barn design as well as the outdoor seating area that overlooks Lancaster’s countryside.
Plus, an added benefit of being tucked away from the county’s main touristy areas is that the prices are extremely reasonable. If you’re visiting Lancaster, it’s worth the 20-minute drive from the touristy areas.
157 Martic Heights Dr, Holtwood, PA 17532
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Professionally-Designed Cakes
Cake Creators
Cake Creators, located in Lancaster, is a family cake shop specializing in custom-designed cakes for all occasions.
Patty’s cakes have everything you’d look for in a quality wedding or birthday cake: moist texture, amazing flavors, and top-tier design work. If you’re looking for a local baker for your next event, check out her work for some inspiration. It may not be the most well-known cake bakery in the area, but it’s one of the highest-rated in Lancaster County in our book.
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Cheesecake
The Urban Farmhouse
The Urban Farmhouse, located in Lancaster, offers homemade cheesecakes and other baked goods.
This is one of several hidden-gem bakeries in Lancaster city. We highly recommend their cheesecakes. They are, as many locals will tell you, some of the best you will find in the county. All homemade, and with various unique flavors — some of which are inspired by PA Dutch recipes. And of course, we love the seasonal and local ingredients used. It’s a great stop in the city!
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Dessert Displays
Salt & Light Pastry Co.
Salt & Light Pastry Co, located in Lancaster, is a small-batch pastry studio specializing in custom-designed wedding cakes and a variety of unique, gourmet desserts.
Their dessert displays are simply stunning. They are made up of various options with custom-tailored flavors that match your vision for an event. Ruby (owner) is a true master at what she does and the kind of person that is up for a challenge. She consistently delivers on unique and complex requests.
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Hand-Rolled Sourdough Pretzels
Hammond’s Old-Fashioned Hand Made Pretzels
Hammond’s Old-Fashioned Hand Made Pretzels, located in Lancaster, offers hand-rolled sourdough hard pretzels, a great selection of pretzel flavors, and a traditional pretzel-making experience.
If you’re looking for sourdough hard pretzels, this is where it all began. Hammond’s is one of two historic pretzel bakeries in Lancaster County. They have been around since 1931 (coming up on their 100th year!)
You may recognize their brand from the grocery aisles — they sell their pretzels across the country in Wal-Mart, etc. It’s worth the time to experience Hammond’s in person — especially if you’re interested in history and, of course, pretzels.
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Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Michael’s Homestyle Breads
Michael’s Homestyle Breads, located in Strasburg, offers a variety of fresh baked goods including specialty breads, sticky buns, cookies, and pies.
Their cinnamon raisin bread is incredible. Hand molded. No preservatives. Moist. Everything you would look for in cinnamon raisin bread. Many locals say it’s the best they’ve had — you be the judge!
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Triple Berry Pie
Lancaster Pie & Coffee
Lancaster Pie & Coffee, located in Lancaster, offers a variety of made-from-scratch sweet and savory pies, along with coffee.
If you’re in Lancaster City looking for a fresh slice of pie with a cozy atmosphere, this is your place. Our favorite is the triple berry pie, but there is plenty of options depending on your taste and what you’re looking for. The pies have a signature all-butter crust (as opposed to using shortening). It’s an all-around beautiful business that adds to Lancaster’s charm.
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Made From Scratch Cupcakes
Sweet Shenanigans Cupcakery
Sweet Shenanigans Cupcakery, located in Intercourse, specializes in made-from-scratch cupcakes with a wide variety of unique flavors. They offer gluten free cupcakes as well.
Don’t miss this stop when driving through Intercourse, PA. We love that everything at Sweet Shenanigans is homemade — the cupcake batter, the fillings, the frosting, and even the drizzles on top. And they freshly bake all the cupcakes every day. Our favorite cupcake flavors include Peanut Butter Cup & Chocolate Salted Caramel.
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Homestyle Baked Goods
M & A Sweet Treats
M&A Sweet Treats, located on the outskirts of Intercourse, offers a wide variety of fresh, homestyle baked goods including donuts, traditional PA Dutch pies, breads, and cupcakes.
This is another great option if you are in the Intercourse area. They’ve got a great selection of fresh donuts (apple fritters, cinnamon twists, powered, glazed, etc.). It’s also a convenient place to get PA Dutch traditional baked goods, like whoopie pies, shoofly pies and fry pies. All the baked goods have that homestyle quality you’d expect from a small Lancaster County bakery.
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Gluten Free Creations
Erica Joy Bakes
Erica Joy Bakes, located in Lititz, offers custom-designed and decorated cakes, cupcakes, and other sweet treats for any occasion.
Erica Joy Bakes is one of the best options in Lancaster County for good quality, homemade gluten free baked goods. All baking is done in a wheat-free, allergy-conscious environment. We love her seasonal selections as well.
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French Macarons
Valosh pâtisserie
Valosh Pâtisserie, located in Elizabethtown, offers a variety of European-style baked goods, including authentic French macarons, pastries, and custom cakes.
Valosh Pâtisserie is the place of choice for French macarons in Lancaster County. You can try several kinds of unique flavors (pistachio, etc.). They are also a thought leader in the area for French macarons — check out their classes to make your own.
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Wedding Cakes
Rosie’s Creative Wedding Cakes
Rosie’s Creative Cakes, located in Manheim, specializes in crafting custom-designed cakes for special occasions like weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries.
Pictures of her past work speak for themselves. Rosie is one of the best in the area for stylish and stunning wedding cakes. Her designs are detailed and custom according to the theme you are looking for. She’s a world-class designer, hidden in the back roads outside the sleepy town of Manheim.
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Elegant Cake Designs
Bella Manse
Bella Manse, located in Millersville, is a custom cakery specializing in designing and creating stunning wedding cakes and other cakes for special occasions.
Renee is a master at creating visual appeal with cakes. She offers some delicious flavors, like pink champagne and vanilla/raspberry mousse. Her cakes are moist and fluffy and her style usually reflects an elegant vibe, but she can adapt to any mood upon request.
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Gourmet Donuts
Beiler’s Donuts
Locals’ Choice: Beiler’s Donuts is our choice for gourmet donuts in Lancaster County.
Our favorites donuts from Beiler’s are:
- Glazed donuts
- Apple fritters
- Cream filled donuts
- Key lime pie donuts
- Maple bacon donuts
What keeps us coming back: Beiler’s Donuts are consistently excellent. The toughest part of a Beiler’s Donuts run is making a decision between the old faithful flavors or venturing out with their more “out there” flavors. We always enjoy the trip: great people, clean environment, and some of the best donuts you’ll find in Lancaster County.
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Bagels
Grand Central Bagel
Locals’ Choice: Grand Central Bagel is our choice for bagels.
Our favorite products from Grand Central Bagel are:
- Bagels (paired with their coffee)
- Breakfast sandwiches
- Chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting
What keeps us coming back: This is a frequent stopping point for not just our team but many locals when they are in the area. We love their breakfast sandwiches made from fresh, in-house baked bagels. Overall experience is typically fairly seamless. It’s also our go-to when we need a large batch of bagels to-go for an event or hosting.
245 Centerville Rd, Lancaster, PA 17603
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Wide Selection
Bird-in-Hand Bakeshop
Locals’ Choice: Bird-in-Hand Bakeshop is our top pick if you want the one of the biggest selections of PA Dutch baked goods in the area.
Our favorite baked goods from Bird-in-Hand Bakeshop are:
- Chocolate chip whoopie pies
- Shoo-fly pies
- Cherry pies
- Soft pretzels (out in the parking lot)
What keeps us coming back: It’s hard to pinpoint a specific favorite of ours at Bird-in-Hand Bakeshop. One thing that is consistent is the quality with every one of our visits. This is a tourist attraction for a reason, but not a trap — many locals in the area will tell you this is their go-to for baked goods. We enjoy making the trip to try out something new from their many options. Family-friendly too — take your sweet treats out back to check out the petting zoo.
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Hard Pretzels
Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery
Locals’ Choice: Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery is our choice for hard pretzels. This is their expertise, and it shows. They were the first commercial pretzel bakery in the US.
They’ve got lots of varieties available:
- Dark chocolate pretzels
- Sourdough pretzels
- Cheddar pretzels
- Peanut butter stuffed pretzels
- Cinnamon pretzels
- Jalepeno pretzels
- Crunchzels & assorted pretzels tubs (our favorites!)
What keeps us coming back: Julius Sturgis is a great place to take the family if you’re interested in history — you’ll enjoy the combination of pretzels and the guide tour on the history of the pretzels. We loved that we could get involved and hands-on with making our own pretzels. Staff and ownership are phenomenal.
Long John’s
Achenbach’s Pastries
Ask any local and they will tell you: Achenbach’s is the best bakery in Lancaster County to get a Long John donut.
What sets Achenbach’s Long John’s apart, at least in our book, is their icing. It’s super rich and has a unique flavor that we haven’t tasted anywhere else.
Achenbach’s also offers the Long John’s in the form of a cake, which is a fun way to celebrate a birthday party or wedding.
The product is fresh. No preservatives and homemade — it’s an authentic Lancaster County experience.
They sell their Long John’s at their location in Leola and online. You’ll probably see Achenbach’s at other local bakeries or cafes as well.
Cakes
The Market at Oregon Dairy
The Market at Oregon Dairy, located in Lititz, offers a wide range of freshly baked goods including pies, whoopie pies, donuts, and various breads and pastries.
They are known for its custom cakes. It’s the locals’ favorite place to purchase cakes for weddings, birthday cakes, or other events. Their staff, the ordering process, attention to detail on custom orders, and creativity with their cakes makes the whole experience go well every time.
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Local Ingredients
Zig’s Bakery & Cafe
Zig’s Bakery & Cafe, located in Lititz, offers a wide variety of baked goods including shoofly pie, cookies, cakes, and breads.
When we’re looking to enjoy Lancaster’s plentiful produce and fruit in the form of a pie, cookie, or cake, Zig’s is our choice. Zig’s makes both traditional PA Dutch and modern treats from scratch and in-house, with a focus on sourcing many ingredients locally. We love the seasonal treats — don’t miss their strawberry rhubarb pies in the spring!
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Gourmet Cupcakes
Lancaster Cupcake
Lancaster Cupcake, located in Lancaster, has a wide selection of gourmet cupcakes. This is a specialty baker, so you won’t find many other options in terms of baked goods.
Our all-time favorite is their Pink Champagne cupcake. It’s incredibly moist and flavorful.
Other great flavors we enjoy: White Velvet, Honey Bourbon Spice and the seasonal flavors.
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Unique Cookies
Taylor Chip Cookies
Taylor Chip Cookies, located in Lancaster, offers a wide variety of gourmet cookies, coffee, and edible cookie dough.
They are known for their crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside style of cookies. It’s hard to choose a favorite, but S’mores, Chocolate Chip (classic) and the Salted Caramel Pretzel are usually our go-to if we’re not venturing out beyond the known.
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Vanilla Wet Bottom Pie
Village Farm Market
Village Farm Market, located in Ephrata, offers a variety of homemade baked goods, including pies, cookies, bars, breads, and cakes.
There are a few baked goods that are hard to find outside of Lancaster County, and you’ll likely find every one of them here. Owned by a Mennonite family, this shop gives a real taste of PA Dutch culture. All their baked goods are great, but the all-time favorite for us is their homemade vanilla wet bottom pies (sorry, no photo available). Absolutely incredible!
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European-Style Breads
Dosie Dough
Dosie Dough, located in Lititz, offers fresh bagels, breads, and homemade baked goods and donuts.
From high-quality croissants to chocolate chip bagels, this is our go-to for a fresh, culturally rich experience. We also love the strong sense of community here.
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Oatmeal Whoopie Pies
Harvest Lane Farm Market
Harvest Lane Farm Market, located in Lititz, offers a variety of fresh local produce and their own homemade baked goods, including soft pretzels, pies, and cookies.
Their oatmeal whoopie pies are our favorite (sorry, no photo available!). Lots of flavors available outside of that, though. Visiting Harvest Lane Market for a whoopie pie is a great way to enjoy a Lancaster County classic product with a Lancaster County classic experience.
You’ll find a farm market on any back country road if you drive far enough in Lancaster County, but Harvest Lane is not one to miss if you are in the Lititz area.