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A chocolatey, doughy cross-section of a chocolate babka with a slice turned towards the viewer.
Breads Bakery’s legendary chocolate babka.
Breads Bakery

13 Top Jewish Bakeries in NYC

Exceptional babka, flaky rugelach, golden challah, and more

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Breads Bakery’s legendary chocolate babka.
| Breads Bakery

From babkas to black and white cookies, and challah to honey cakes, few food cultures are as emblematic of New York as Jewish baked goods. This bakery scene in NYC reflects the many Jewish communities in the city, from the diverse enclaves of the Upper East and West Sides to the ultra-Orthodox in South Williamsburg, the Sephardic in Flatbush, and the Bukharian community in Forest Hills. Modern interpreters like Breads and Michaeli Bakery sell buttery, croissant-like babka, and storied shops like Sander’s trace their roots to the mid-20th century, showcasing recipes that generations of customers have grown up on.

To experience these bakeries is to taste sweet and savory pastries that are steeped in tradition yet ever-evolving — and to share in the long and rich history of the Jewish diaspora. “Jewish baked goods are so closely tied to particular Jewish cultures, religious practices, and palates,” explains author Rabbi Joshua Plaut, Ph.D., of the American Friends of Rabin Medical Center in downtown Manhattan.

After tasting countless baked goods at 33 spots across New York City, here are 13 stand-out Jewish bakeries stocked with everything from apple cakes to za’atar galils. (Note: Bagel shops and grocers are not included.)

Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it also poses a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission.

John Tsung is a cultural writer and multidisciplinary artist whose work explores immigrant narratives and the Asian American experience, among other themes. You can find his work here.

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By the Way Bakery

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This gluten-free and dairy-free bakery offers an entire array of kosher sweets, from small pastries to cakes, as well as a challah that is available in the shop on Fridays, or by custom order. While one’s mileage may vary on the gluten-free rugelach which sport a softer texture, By the Way’s menu has a number of standouts, including the mini apple bundt cake, crumbly and subtly sweet, a surprisingly airy chocolate whoopie pie, and crusty, chewy almond cookies.

A plate of baked goods with a By the Way pastry bag in the background.
By the Way sells vegan and gluten-free breads and pastries.
Jake Dobkin/Eater NY

William Greenberg Desserts

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For many, William Greenberg’s name is synonymous with the iconic black and white cookie. Opened in 1946, and run by owner Carol Becker since 2008, the Upper East Side bakery’s classic take on these deceptively named, cake-like cookies boast a moist and sponge-like texture. “A great black and white cookie has the perfect balance between cake and cookie.” says Becker. “It should have a fine crumb, topped with a fondant that melts in your mouth.” Becker also recommends the less commonly found schnecken, a kind of pecan cinnamon twist, as well as pecan brownies that made an appearance on Mad Men. Look out for apple macaroon cake during Rosh Hashanah: Instead of a crumb crust base, William Greenberg uses almond macaroons.

A black and white cookie and other pastries spread out on top of a floral printed plate.
Don’t miss William Greenberg’s iconic black and white cookies.
Jake Dobkin/Eater NY

Orwashers Bakery

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Orwashers, a bakery and wholesaler that started in 1916, remains a great all-around Jewish bakery. Standouts include Orwashers’ crisp, chocolate-dipped rugelach, breakfast-or-dessert sticky bun babka, cabernet-leavened sourdough, and Orwasheire, their namesake sweet olive oil brioche bun with candied orange. As with many Jewish bakeries, Orwashers also offers a holiday menu worth a serious look. Bonus tip: Get a jelly donut filled to order while you wait for your coffee.

Three small plates holding various baked goods, including babka and black and white cookies, from Orwashers.
Grab a baked good or five at Orwashers.
Jake Dobkin/Eater NY

Breads Bakery

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Breads Bakery’s trademarked babka put this Israeli-rooted bakery on the map. Decadent, sticky with Nutella, and impossible to put down, this braided, croissant-like loaf makes the perfect dinner party gift. Breads’ attention to detail and creativity extend across its French and Jewish pastry menu, from flaky cinnamon rolls and crisp butter pecan cookies to an assortment of well-executed patisserie. Fans flock to their many holiday specials, from a laminated black and white cookie to a beautiful round challah with a whole, roasted apple nestled at the center. While their chocolate babka is a must try, their best kept secret is their crisp, flaky gouda cheese sticks.

A spread of pastries and bread laid out above their brown wax sleeves on a wooden surface.
Babka, rugelach, and challah from Breads Bakery.
John Tsung/Eater NY

Rokhat Kosher Bakery

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Tucked in a quiet street in Forest Hills, Rokhat is a special bakery that serves the tight-knit Bukharian Jewish community from the Uzbek region. The shop features a variety of Central Asian breads, including lepeshka, a chewy, soft flatbread stamped in a variety of designs and baked in a tandoor oven; and crisp and flaky samsas, flavorful triangular pies filled with savory meat or pumpkin. Others worth trying are the massive, cracker-like dome bread that resembles a baked lavash, and patir, a coiled, layered onion bread that recalls a larger, heartier scallion pancake. Look for products freshest from the oven, as the breads harden over time, and pop into the connected restaurant if it is open. To experience food that speaks so much about this unique community— of which globally there are only a few hundred thousand living members — Rokhat Kosher Bakery is an essential visit. 

A hand holds out a massive piece of round, dimpled, flat bread.
The cracker-like dome bread truly is massive.
John Tsung/Eater NY

Yonah Schimmel

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There’s an on-going debate about the best knishes in the city, between Russ & Daughter faithfuls, Katz’s defenders, and those partial to 2nd Ave Deli. But nearly everyone agrees that Yonah Schimmel is a cultural institution, having served hungry Lower East Side customers since 1910. These hearty baked snacks, with a thin layer of dough wrapped around a large helping of savory or sweet filling, are not for the faint of appetite. Yonah Schimmel offers savory knishes filled with potato, buckwheat, or spinach, as well as sweet varieties with fruit and creamy cheese, which are the reason it made this list. We recommend one from each category — for many, savory knish is best eaten with a nose-clearing mustard.

Two yellow knishes on two separate white plates, laid out on a wooden surface.
The knish reigns supreme at Yonah Schimmel.
John Tsung/Eater NY.

Moishe's Bake Shop

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While the original East Village location closed in 2019 after forty years, Moishe’s — which lives on in downtown Manhattan at this spot, run by a relative — remains a cultural touchstone. For generations of New Yorkers, Moishe’s represented the go-to bakery to buy a spread of cookies or kokosh cake for post-Friday dinner gatherings in lower Manhattan. From an assortment of giant hamantaschen (the preserve-laden triangular cookies) to chocolate mandelbrot, lighter-than-air marble cakes to a dip-ready, pull-apart challah, Moishe’s affordable menu defines old-school tradition. The shop now sources its baked goods from other bakeries, including Sander’s in Brooklyn (also on this map); nonetheless, as a cultural landmark, this Lower East Side bakery is a must-stop.

A round, pull-apart challah and other baked goods arranged on plates and set on a wooden surface.
Moishe’s is a local institution.
AJ Levy/Eater NY

Michaeli Bakery

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Former Breads Bakery chef Adir Michaeli’s Lower East Side bakery echoes Breads’ refined approach to pastries and adds offerings from the chef’s home country of Israel. “Our goal is to bring our customers the flavors that we grew up with, so that they have a memory of home,” says Michaeli. Given his culinary pedigree, the kosher bakery naturally boasts knock-out chocolate babkas — in both dairy and vegan options — but also a wide array of holiday specials, like Rosh Hashanah-only apple crumble cake and dulce de leche-filled duvshaniot cookies. Michaeli’s personal favorite? “It’s my rugelach,” he says. “The aroma of the butter in the dough takes me back to being a kid.”

Challah, chocolate babka, and a few pastries arranged on a wooden surface.
A pastry and challah haul from Michaeli.
John Tsung/Eater NY

Sander's Bakery

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Established in 1959, Sander’s Bakery in South Williamsburg is the kosher bakery that supplies Moishe’s in Manhattan, which in and of itself is a testament to Sander’s quality. Serving a variety of cookies, three types of round babka (including a rare poppy seed edition), and an astonishing seven different layer cakes in rolled, square, and triangular chocolate dipped versions, Sander’s carries its traditions proudly. “We have people born in the 1950s who come in every week asking for the poppy cake,” says shop clerk David Posen. “And we have items for people born after the 90s, too.” Keep an eye out for donuts during Hanukkah.

A pastry case loaded with cakes, cookies, and other baked goods inside the Sander’s shop.
The glorious spread at Sander’s.
John Tsung/Eater NY

Oneg Bakery

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Measured out on a scale, Oneg’s kosher chocolate babka is famous for good reason. The double chocolate version is so dense and laminated that it may be more chocolate and cocoa by weight than dough. Oneg, meaning “enjoyment,” according to one of the owners, is just that. The friendly staff may see you walk in intending to buy a slice of the babka, and then leave laden with other treats.

Green's Bakery

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Discerning babka shoppers may recognize Green’s three-sided cardboard containers, as it’s been rumored that the bakery supplies white-labeled babkas to many of the high-end grocers and restaurants across New York City. Green’s kosher babkas are pareve, meaning made without dairy, and distinct from the more croissant-like takes made with butter and milk. Green’s are lighter, more bread-like, though still moist, chewy, and well-laminated. While the chocolate babka wins the popular vote, the sleeper hit is the cinnamon babka, with a bold flavor that may just win over a few cinnamon skeptics. The Hungarian immigrant-founded bakery’s industrial kitchen in South Williamsburg is a not-so-hidden secret for acolytes. Ask politely, and they may just sell you a babka straight from the source.

A white cardboard box with two wrapped babkas inside.
Babkas from Green’s.
AJ Levy/Eater NY

Shloimy's Heimishe Bakery

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In Borough Park, a group of innovative kosher Jewish bakeries — all located within a few blocks of each other around 13th Avenue and 51st Street —are bringing high quality ingredients and baking techniques to traditional Jewish dessert forms. Notably, while all bakeries provide classic treats like the rugelach, each brings a distinct perspective to their menu. Shloimy’s Heimishe Bakery, one of the more established businesses in the group, is a great representative. Bite through one of their rugelach and their stamp is clear: The neat and tightly rolled dough is dense, chewy, and very subtly sweetened, unlike some of the more traditional rugelach. While Shloimy’s may be better known, we highly recommend a visit to the other shops — Sesame, Weiss, and Taam Eden — to taste-test other specialties, including a golden, pocket-sized cheese danish that tastes almost like a Brazilian pão de queijo, with a rich, crusty exterior, yet light and airy interior.

Piles of baked goods on trays with black plastic tongs line the shelves at this bakery.
Trays laden with baked goods at Shloimy’s in Borough Park.
John Tsung/Eater NY

Isaac's Bake Shop

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Isaac’s Bake Shop, located across the street from Di Fara Pizza, is an old world kosher bakery that’s been serving the Midwood Jewish community for years. Patrons seek out their oversized chocolate babka, featured on the Travel Channel, but equally classic are the kichel bowtie cookies, the kokosh slices — a flatter, denser cousin to the babka — and apple turnover. Isaac’s Bake Shop’s portions are generous and pricing reasonable, so it’s easy to try a few different items. Just remember to save some room if you’re also planning to get in line for pizza.

By the Way Bakery

This gluten-free and dairy-free bakery offers an entire array of kosher sweets, from small pastries to cakes, as well as a challah that is available in the shop on Fridays, or by custom order. While one’s mileage may vary on the gluten-free rugelach which sport a softer texture, By the Way’s menu has a number of standouts, including the mini apple bundt cake, crumbly and subtly sweet, a surprisingly airy chocolate whoopie pie, and crusty, chewy almond cookies.

A plate of baked goods with a By the Way pastry bag in the background.
By the Way sells vegan and gluten-free breads and pastries.
Jake Dobkin/Eater NY

William Greenberg Desserts

For many, William Greenberg’s name is synonymous with the iconic black and white cookie. Opened in 1946, and run by owner Carol Becker since 2008, the Upper East Side bakery’s classic take on these deceptively named, cake-like cookies boast a moist and sponge-like texture. “A great black and white cookie has the perfect balance between cake and cookie.” says Becker. “It should have a fine crumb, topped with a fondant that melts in your mouth.” Becker also recommends the less commonly found schnecken, a kind of pecan cinnamon twist, as well as pecan brownies that made an appearance on Mad Men. Look out for apple macaroon cake during Rosh Hashanah: Instead of a crumb crust base, William Greenberg uses almond macaroons.

A black and white cookie and other pastries spread out on top of a floral printed plate.
Don’t miss William Greenberg’s iconic black and white cookies.
Jake Dobkin/Eater NY

Orwashers Bakery

Orwashers, a bakery and wholesaler that started in 1916, remains a great all-around Jewish bakery. Standouts include Orwashers’ crisp, chocolate-dipped rugelach, breakfast-or-dessert sticky bun babka, cabernet-leavened sourdough, and Orwasheire, their namesake sweet olive oil brioche bun with candied orange. As with many Jewish bakeries, Orwashers also offers a holiday menu worth a serious look. Bonus tip: Get a jelly donut filled to order while you wait for your coffee.

Three small plates holding various baked goods, including babka and black and white cookies, from Orwashers.
Grab a baked good or five at Orwashers.
Jake Dobkin/Eater NY

Breads Bakery

Breads Bakery’s trademarked babka put this Israeli-rooted bakery on the map. Decadent, sticky with Nutella, and impossible to put down, this braided, croissant-like loaf makes the perfect dinner party gift. Breads’ attention to detail and creativity extend across its French and Jewish pastry menu, from flaky cinnamon rolls and crisp butter pecan cookies to an assortment of well-executed patisserie. Fans flock to their many holiday specials, from a laminated black and white cookie to a beautiful round challah with a whole, roasted apple nestled at the center. While their chocolate babka is a must try, their best kept secret is their crisp, flaky gouda cheese sticks.

A spread of pastries and bread laid out above their brown wax sleeves on a wooden surface.
Babka, rugelach, and challah from Breads Bakery.
John Tsung/Eater NY

Rokhat Kosher Bakery

Tucked in a quiet street in Forest Hills, Rokhat is a special bakery that serves the tight-knit Bukharian Jewish community from the Uzbek region. The shop features a variety of Central Asian breads, including lepeshka, a chewy, soft flatbread stamped in a variety of designs and baked in a tandoor oven; and crisp and flaky samsas, flavorful triangular pies filled with savory meat or pumpkin. Others worth trying are the massive, cracker-like dome bread that resembles a baked lavash, and patir, a coiled, layered onion bread that recalls a larger, heartier scallion pancake. Look for products freshest from the oven, as the breads harden over time, and pop into the connected restaurant if it is open. To experience food that speaks so much about this unique community— of which globally there are only a few hundred thousand living members — Rokhat Kosher Bakery is an essential visit. 

A hand holds out a massive piece of round, dimpled, flat bread.
The cracker-like dome bread truly is massive.
John Tsung/Eater NY

Yonah Schimmel

There’s an on-going debate about the best knishes in the city, between Russ & Daughter faithfuls, Katz’s defenders, and those partial to 2nd Ave Deli. But nearly everyone agrees that Yonah Schimmel is a cultural institution, having served hungry Lower East Side customers since 1910. These hearty baked snacks, with a thin layer of dough wrapped around a large helping of savory or sweet filling, are not for the faint of appetite. Yonah Schimmel offers savory knishes filled with potato, buckwheat, or spinach, as well as sweet varieties with fruit and creamy cheese, which are the reason it made this list. We recommend one from each category — for many, savory knish is best eaten with a nose-clearing mustard.

Two yellow knishes on two separate white plates, laid out on a wooden surface.
The knish reigns supreme at Yonah Schimmel.
John Tsung/Eater NY.

Moishe's Bake Shop

While the original East Village location closed in 2019 after forty years, Moishe’s — which lives on in downtown Manhattan at this spot, run by a relative — remains a cultural touchstone. For generations of New Yorkers, Moishe’s represented the go-to bakery to buy a spread of cookies or kokosh cake for post-Friday dinner gatherings in lower Manhattan. From an assortment of giant hamantaschen (the preserve-laden triangular cookies) to chocolate mandelbrot, lighter-than-air marble cakes to a dip-ready, pull-apart challah, Moishe’s affordable menu defines old-school tradition. The shop now sources its baked goods from other bakeries, including Sander’s in Brooklyn (also on this map); nonetheless, as a cultural landmark, this Lower East Side bakery is a must-stop.

A round, pull-apart challah and other baked goods arranged on plates and set on a wooden surface.
Moishe’s is a local institution.
AJ Levy/Eater NY

Michaeli Bakery

Former Breads Bakery chef Adir Michaeli’s Lower East Side bakery echoes Breads’ refined approach to pastries and adds offerings from the chef’s home country of Israel. “Our goal is to bring our customers the flavors that we grew up with, so that they have a memory of home,” says Michaeli. Given his culinary pedigree, the kosher bakery naturally boasts knock-out chocolate babkas — in both dairy and vegan options — but also a wide array of holiday specials, like Rosh Hashanah-only apple crumble cake and dulce de leche-filled duvshaniot cookies. Michaeli’s personal favorite? “It’s my rugelach,” he says. “The aroma of the butter in the dough takes me back to being a kid.”

Challah, chocolate babka, and a few pastries arranged on a wooden surface.
A pastry and challah haul from Michaeli.
John Tsung/Eater NY

Sander's Bakery

Established in 1959, Sander’s Bakery in South Williamsburg is the kosher bakery that supplies Moishe’s in Manhattan, which in and of itself is a testament to Sander’s quality. Serving a variety of cookies, three types of round babka (including a rare poppy seed edition), and an astonishing seven different layer cakes in rolled, square, and triangular chocolate dipped versions, Sander’s carries its traditions proudly. “We have people born in the 1950s who come in every week asking for the poppy cake,” says shop clerk David Posen. “And we have items for people born after the 90s, too.” Keep an eye out for donuts during Hanukkah.

A pastry case loaded with cakes, cookies, and other baked goods inside the Sander’s shop.
The glorious spread at Sander’s.
John Tsung/Eater NY

Oneg Bakery

Measured out on a scale, Oneg’s kosher chocolate babka is famous for good reason. The double chocolate version is so dense and laminated that it may be more chocolate and cocoa by weight than dough. Oneg, meaning “enjoyment,” according to one of the owners, is just that. The friendly staff may see you walk in intending to buy a slice of the babka, and then leave laden with other treats.

Green's Bakery

Discerning babka shoppers may recognize Green’s three-sided cardboard containers, as it’s been rumored that the bakery supplies white-labeled babkas to many of the high-end grocers and restaurants across New York City. Green’s kosher babkas are pareve, meaning made without dairy, and distinct from the more croissant-like takes made with butter and milk. Green’s are lighter, more bread-like, though still moist, chewy, and well-laminated. While the chocolate babka wins the popular vote, the sleeper hit is the cinnamon babka, with a bold flavor that may just win over a few cinnamon skeptics. The Hungarian immigrant-founded bakery’s industrial kitchen in South Williamsburg is a not-so-hidden secret for acolytes. Ask politely, and they may just sell you a babka straight from the source.

A white cardboard box with two wrapped babkas inside.
Babkas from Green’s.
AJ Levy/Eater NY

Shloimy's Heimishe Bakery

In Borough Park, a group of innovative kosher Jewish bakeries — all located within a few blocks of each other around 13th Avenue and 51st Street —are bringing high quality ingredients and baking techniques to traditional Jewish dessert forms. Notably, while all bakeries provide classic treats like the rugelach, each brings a distinct perspective to their menu. Shloimy’s Heimishe Bakery, one of the more established businesses in the group, is a great representative. Bite through one of their rugelach and their stamp is clear: The neat and tightly rolled dough is dense, chewy, and very subtly sweetened, unlike some of the more traditional rugelach. While Shloimy’s may be better known, we highly recommend a visit to the other shops — Sesame, Weiss, and Taam Eden — to taste-test other specialties, including a golden, pocket-sized cheese danish that tastes almost like a Brazilian pão de queijo, with a rich, crusty exterior, yet light and airy interior.

Piles of baked goods on trays with black plastic tongs line the shelves at this bakery.
Trays laden with baked goods at Shloimy’s in Borough Park.
John Tsung/Eater NY

Isaac's Bake Shop

Isaac’s Bake Shop, located across the street from Di Fara Pizza, is an old world kosher bakery that’s been serving the Midwood Jewish community for years. Patrons seek out their oversized chocolate babka, featured on the Travel Channel, but equally classic are the kichel bowtie cookies, the kokosh slices — a flatter, denser cousin to the babka — and apple turnover. Isaac’s Bake Shop’s portions are generous and pricing reasonable, so it’s easy to try a few different items. Just remember to save some room if you’re also planning to get in line for pizza.

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