Best bakeries and dessert shops in Monmouth County, NJ

41 local picks across 26 towns, hand-picked by Monmouth Guide.

Bakeries, ice cream stands and dessert shops, from Italian pastry counters to boardwalk-style soft serve. Here are 41 bakeries and dessert shops across 26 Monmouth County towns, from Marlboro to Long Branch.

Local favorites

• Abbate Bakery

  Matawan · Italian bakery · Baking since 1976 (originally in Brooklyn)

  Family Italian bakery with Brooklyn roots turning out cannoli, sfogliatelle, sourdough, prosciutto bread and custom cakes.

• Antoinette Boulangerie

  Red Bank · French bakery · Time Out Red Bank EAT List

  Parisian-style French bakery for croissants, viennoiserie, quiche and custom cakes.

• Cravings Desserts

  Allenhurst · Bakery, cookies, desserts · 4.8 stars across 110+ reviews

  Main Street bakery selling cookies, cakes and other desserts.

• Delicious Orchards

  Colts Neck · Bakery & country market · Monmouth County institution for pies and cider donuts

  Beloved country market with an on-premises scratch bakery famous for seasonal fruit pies and apple cider donuts.

• Gaston's Bakeshop

  Allentown · 4.9 stars on 80+ reviews

  Small-batch bakery on South Main Street that also takes custom orders.

• Nick + Sons Bakery

  Spring Lake · French Bakery · Parisian-style croissants

  Brooklyn artisan bakery's Spring Lake shop for croissants, sourdough and pastries; tends to sell out early.

• The Baker's Grove

  Shrewsbury · Bakery, café · Rated 4.6 across 120+ reviews

  Bakery and café on Broad Street selling pastries, breads and coffee.

• The Baklava Lady

  Englishtown · Turkish bakery, cafe · 4.7 stars across 380+ reviews; open weekends only

  Cafe and bakery on Main Street serving fresh-baked vegan Turkish-style baklava, pastries, and brunch dishes such as a Turkish breakfast board.

• The Hot Bagel Bakery

  Ocean Township · Bagels · Asbury Park Press readers' top bagel pick

  Kosher-supervised bagel bakery (since 1979) that hand-rolls, boils and bakes bagels the old-fashioned way.

• The Macaroon Shop

  Avon-by-the-Sea · Bakery · Famous since 1930

  Bakery on Main Street selling coconut macaroons and other baked goods.

• TK's Ice Cream

  Upper Freehold · Ice cream · 4.8 stars across 240+ reviews

  Ice cream stand on Route 539 in Cream Ridge that is on the NJ Ice Cream Trail and also makes custom ice cream cakes.

More bakeries and dessert shops to try

• Caffè di Famiglia

  Belmar · Italian Bakery & Cafe

  Italian-style cafe with traditional pastries, coffee, breakfast waffle sandwiches and Italian street sandwiches.

• Crazees

  Rumson · Ice cream

  Vintage-style ice cream parlor scooping Thomas Sweet ice cream with rotating seasonal flavors, sundaes and ice cream cakes.

• Day's Ice Cream

  Neptune Township · Ice Cream

  Ocean Grove ice cream parlor operating since 1876, now under new owners; seasonal, with the 2026 season running through Oct. 11.

• Dune Donuts and Bagels

  Spring Lake · Donuts & Bagels

  Third Avenue shop for fresh bagels, breakfast sandwiches and rotating mini-donut flavors.

• Everything Bagels and Cafe

  Marlboro · Bagels

  Neighborhood bagel shop and cafe on Route 79 serving bagels and breakfast from 6am.

• Fancy Cakes

  Freehold Township · Bakery

  Custom cake shop making cakes, cupcakes, cookies and wedding cakes, praised for handling last-minute orders.

• Four Boys Ice Cream Shop

  Englishtown · Ice cream

  Ice cream shop on Tennent Avenue, with a second location in Farmingdale.

• Get YO Froyo & Ice Cream Parlor

  Marlboro · Frozen Yogurt

  Kosher self-serve frozen yogurt cafe with 16 flavors and fresh toppings daily, serving Marlboro since 2020.

• Grandpa's Bagels

  Marlboro · Bagels

  Bagel shop using a natural fermentation process, with flavors like za'atar and hot Calabrian honey.

• Hershy's Bakery

  Howell · Kosher Bakery

  Kosher bakery on Route 9 known for danishes, rugelach, challah, black-and-white cookies and birthday cakes.

• Hinlickity's Ice Cream Parlor

  Highlands · Ice cream

  Old-fashioned ice cream parlor on Bay Avenue that also rents a vintage ice cream truck.

• Jake's Cree-Mee Freeze

  Manalapan · Ice Cream

  Ice cream stand on Route 33 with a wide variety of ice cream choices.

• La Dolce Bakery

  Freehold Township · Bakery

  Bakery and coffee shop in the Raintree Village Center known for moist, flavorful cakes.

• Main Scoop Creamery

  Manasquan · Ice Cream

  Main Street ice cream shop making its ice cream in-house, with vegan flavors and a candy wall.

• Nicholas Creamery

  Fair Haven · Ice cream

  Small-batch handcrafted ice cream with rotating seasonal flavors and vegan options.

• Nino's Bakery

  West Long Branch · Italian bakery

  Italian bakery on Oceanport Avenue selling breads, pastries and cakes.

• No Whey! Bake Shop

  Howell · Allergy-Friendly Bakery

  Bake shop from No Whey Chocolate whose treats are free of the top 9 allergens, vegan and kosher.

• Normandie Bakery

  Hazlet · Bakery

  Bakery on Route 35 known for pastries and cookies, plus cakes.

• Ocean Grove Bake Shoppe

  Neptune Township · Bakery

  Year-round Main Avenue bakery for muffins, pastries, cakes, cookies and coffee.

• Ryan's Homemade Ice Cream

  Tinton Falls · Ice Cream

  Homemade ice cream shop since 1988, also serving shakes, cakes, Italian ice and dairy-free soft serve.

• Salomon Bakery

  Manalapan · Bakery

  Jewish-style bakery in the Gordons Corner plaza, praised for its traditional baked goods and quick, friendly service.

• Shivers Ice Cream

  Howell · Ice Cream

  Family-owned ice cream shop in Aldrich Plaza on Route 9, open year-round for ice cream, frozen desserts and cakes.

• Simona's Bakery

  Wall Township · Bakery

  Bakery known for jumbo stuffed cupcakes, custom cakes, French macarons and cookies; featured on the Food Network.

• Strollo's Lighthouse

  Long Branch · Italian Ice

  Beloved Italian ice and soft-serve stand near Seven Presidents beach, celebrating 50 years in 2026.

• Sweet Bee Bakeshop

  Red Bank · Cookies & ice cream

  Cookie shop known for its signature Bee Bites and gourmet cookies, plus ice cream.

• Sweet N Joe

  Ocean Township · Dessert, Coffee & Ice Cream

  Coffee, dessert and ice cream bar in Ocean Township, open since 2020.

• The Bagel Nook

  Freehold Township · Bagels

  The original Bagel Nook, famous for creative flavored bagels and over-the-top cream cheese 'overloads'.

• The Pastry Chef

  Tinton Falls · Bakery

  Bakery on Asbury Avenue in Tinton Falls with pastries, cakes and cookies.

• Turquoise Bakery & Cafe

  Marlboro · Bakery & Coffee

  Specialty coffee and pastry cafe known for scones, custom cakes and a relaxing lounge.

Plus 1 more in the free app, searchable by town and distance.

Bakeries and Dessert Shops by town

• Things to do in Marlboro4 picks here
• Things to do in Howell4 picks here
• Things to do in Freehold Township3 picks here
• Things to do in Red Bank2 picks here
• Things to do in Spring Lake2 picks here
• Things to do in Englishtown2 picks here
• Things to do in Ocean Township2 picks here
• Things to do in Neptune Township2 picks here
• Things to do in Manalapan2 picks here
• Things to do in Tinton Falls2 picks here
• Things to do in Matawan1 pick here
• Things to do in Allenhurst1 pick here

Quick answers

More Monmouth County guides

• Best restaurants376 picks
• Best italian81 picks
• Best pizza58 picks
• Best seafood30 picks
• Best mexican23 picks
• Best tacos15 picks

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