20 Pastries That Define New York City’s Sweet Side
New York’s pastry culture reflects its people: immigrants, dreamers, and chefs who’ve turned simple recipes into local icons. Across the boroughs, bakeries blend old traditions with new ideas, creating desserts that feel both familiar and bold. These 20 pastries capture how the city’s sweet side keeps evolving without losing its roots.
Carrot Cake at Lloyd’s Carrot Cake
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Lloyd Adams’s Bronx bakery has made carrot cake since 1986 using a family formula that still draws a crowd. Each ten-inch cake contains grated carrots, walnuts, and cream cheese frosting. His children run the ovens today, keeping the same dense texture and even sweetness that define this long-running neighborhood standard.
Pineapple Linzer Cookie at Té Company
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In the West Village, Té Company’s Linzer cookie trades raspberry for pineapple jam with a trace of yuzu kosho. The butter cookie’s quick heat and citrus brightness pair cleanly with oolong tea. The combination shows how global flavors can fit into a classic European form.
Knafeh at Ayat
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Ayat in Bay Ridge serves knafeh straight from the oven, topped with crisp phyllo and a layer of soft, sweet cheese. Rose syrup adds fragrance without overwhelming the richness. Owners Abdul Elenani and Ayat Masoud keep the dessert close to its roots while presenting it with consistent technique and care.
Chocolate Babka at Breads Bakery
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When Breads Bakery opened near Union Square in 2013, it revived citywide interest in chocolate babka. Uri Scheft’s version uses laminated dough filled with dark chocolate and Nutella and baked until glossy. Its layered crumb and subtle sweetness updated a Jewish staple and inspired dozens of new bakeries to follow suit.
Sour Cream Glazed Doughnut at Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop
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Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop in Greenpoint has served its sour cream glazed doughnut since the 1950s. The glaze sets into a light shell that gives way to a soft, tangy crumb inside. It’s a simple recipe that’s lasted through decades of change, and it still fits perfectly with the shop’s chrome counters and spinning stools.
Corn Husk Meringue at Cosme
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Cosme’s corn husk meringue reshapes a Mexican ingredient through fine-dining technique. Burnt corn husks are powdered and folded into meringue, enclosing a whipped corn mousse. The dessert carries light smoke and gentle sweetness.
Guava and Cheese Fan-Fan at Fan-Fan Doughnuts
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At Fan-Fan Doughnuts in Brooklyn, Fany Gerson combines guava glaze, cream cheese filling, and brown butter crumble for a doughnut modeled on Latin bakery favorites. The texture holds a soft bite, and the flavor shifts from bright fruit to deep richness. It nods to pan dulce traditions while carving out something distinctly her own.
Lysée at Lysée
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Chef Eunji Lee’s Lysée pastry layers hazelnut sablé, pecans, and praline mousse under rice-infused cream with a toasted note. Its tile-patterned top, drawn from Korean architecture, reveals Lee’s background in design. The dessert’s structure emphasizes balance and control, a precise expression rather than an exercise in excess or decoration.
Ensaymada Croissant at Kora
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Kora Bakery in Queens adapts the Filipino ensaymada into a croissant made with Edam cheese, sugar, and butter. The pastry stays crisp on the outside and soft at the center, carrying a gentle sweetness. Founder Kimberly Camara created it as a tribute to her grandmother’s baking, blending family memory with New York’s craft for layered doughs.
Honey Cake at Hani’s
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At Hani’s, pastry chef Miro Uskokovic prepares honey cake from layers of cookie-like dough and honey-caramel mousse that rest for several days before serving. The result is tender and balanced, with a faint tang of sour cream. The process requires time, producing quiet richness rather than immediate sweetness.
Egg Tart at Xin Fa Bakery
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Xin Fa Bakery in Sunset Park serves a Portuguese-style egg tart with a crisp shell that breaks into thin layers around a smooth custard. The top browns to a glossy bronze, adding just enough bitterness to balance the sweetness. Fresh from the oven, it’s the kind of pastry that slows down even a crowded street.
Banana Cream Pie at Pies ’n’ Thighs
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In Williamsburg, Pies ’n’ Thighs serves banana cream pie built from banana custard, Nilla wafers, and whipped cream. A bit of lemon juice sharpens the flavor and keeps it from leaning too sweet. The pie’s steady following shows how Southern desserts adapt comfortably within New York’s restaurant landscape.
Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookie at The Pastry Box
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At The Pastry Box, Tiara Bennett’s quarter-pound chocolate chip cookie mixes milk and dark chocolate and is topped with flaky sea salt. The edges stay crisp while the center remains soft. Its size and texture reflect long testing aimed at producing a reliable, balanced version of a familiar favorite.
Laminated Baguette at ALF Bakery
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In Chelsea Market, Amadou Ly makes laminated baguettes combining croissant technique with traditional French bread. The loaves bake into thin, crisp layers surrounding a chewy center. Ly learned the method from Roger Gural at the former Arcade Bakery. Each batch sells quickly, confirming the continued value of hand-made bread.
Black Cake at Allan’s Bakery
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Allan’s Bakery in Flatbush has baked black cake for more than sixty years. Dried fruits soaked in rum and wine are folded into a spiced batter before baking. The texture stays lighter than most versions but retains the same depth. It remains central to Brooklyn’s Caribbean holiday gatherings.
Beef Patty at Pop’s Patties
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Chef Shirwin Burrowes developed Pop’s Patties to update the classic beef patty with cleaner ingredients. Grass-fed beef is seasoned with thyme, garlic, and scotch bonnet and sealed in a flaky crust. The mild burn lingers without overpowering. Sold at Winner Bakery and Barclays Center, it modernizes a long-standing street food.
Potato Sauerkraut Knish at Elbow Bread
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Elbow Bread’s knish by Zoë Kanan uses layered dough around mashed potatoes mixed with sauerkraut and dill. The flavor is sharper than a traditional version, and the pastry bakes until the base turns golden. The result respects Lower East Side heritage while adjusting the filling for more acidity and lift.
Vanilla Concha at Masa Madre
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At Masa Madre in Queens, José Luis Flores ferments his vanilla conchas with an years old sourdough starter. The slow process creates a slight tang beneath the crisp sugar shell. Soft and aromatic, each bun reflects the technical side of Mexican baking rarely seen in New York shops.
Maple Cruller at Daily Provisions
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Daily Provisions treats the maple cruller as a study in precision. Rings of pâte à choux dough are fried until hollow and light before being glazed with maple. The texture falls between doughnut and canelé. Its consistency over time has turned it into one of the city’s most dependable morning pastries.
Cheesecake at Agi’s Counter
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Agi’s Counter in Brooklyn serves Jeremy Salamon’s cheesecake, made with cream cheese, lemon, and sea salt, finished with a drizzle of olive oil. The texture is smooth but not heavy, and the flavor stays clean. The dish connects New York deli tradition with a more restrained modern approach to dessert.