Bakery
Manhattan vegan bakery est. 2005 as formerly Babycakes and re-branded in 2014 to include one of the founder's namesake. Tiny place but offers a varied selection of fully gluten-free sweets like vegan donuts, cookies, and banana bread. Reported closed October 2024.
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248 Broome St (at Lower East Side), New York City, New York, USA, 10002
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Last update on 22 Oct 2024 by Scholemillers
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90 Reviews
First Review by Erin P.
cottrellbentley
Points +235
Good, but not the best ever - Edit
I've been here three times, so obviously I like it. :) The cookies are great, but not fantastic (nor "crave-worthy". The cupcakes are mediocre (dry and crumbly). Basically, there isn't anything better in the area, so where else do you go when you want a cookie or a cupcake? But I've had a lot that were 100x better tasting in different parts of the country. This place is worth going to as part of an adventure in the area.
Read morePros: LOTS of vegan options
Cons: Overpriced, Dry and crumbly
Guest
AshleyLorden
Points +1254
Delicious! - Edit
The bakery is a tiny storefront on a block without other restaurants around, so we were surprised to see it. There's really only room for about 6 customers so it could easily get crowded; I'd recommend taking to go if you have a comfortable spot to enjoy your treats, EXCEPT if you're getting cupcakes or something else with frosting; it is pretty temperature-sensitive and will fall apart in transit so be careful transporting those items.
Read moreThe big deal about this place is that it's hard to describe how amazing it is when you live vegan and/or GF and you're so used to not ever partaking in the most decadent things your friends/family are eating, and you walk into a bakery with gorgeous treats and get to choose from ALL OF THEM! It's an awesome feeling. We tried the cupcakes and doughnuts, which were all delicious. At around $4 each I wouldn't call them cheap but I thought the price was reasonable for a special treat made of high-quality ingredients.
We also purchased one of the cookbooks featuring their doughnut recipe and were able to replicate a pretty similar doughnut at home, which is now a favorite treat! :)
Pros: Delicious, All vegan and GF, Fun!
Cons: Neighborhood not super friendly, Little room for eating in
Guest
vegan_ryan
Points +3869
Delicious but very over-priced - Edit
Don't get me wrong - it's delicious. Very delicious.
Read moreHowever, if you're not looking to pay a month's salary for a few cookies and cupcakes, there are lots of other options around NYC.
Pros: 99% vegan
Cons: Overpriced
Guest
DanielAmaral
Points +707
vegan heaven - Edit
so much stuff, so little stomach. I wish I could try everything there. The "churros" were awesome, with some pumpkin spice flavor. Amazing doughnuts. Try everything you can.
Read moreGuest
Oscar M
Points +199
Great doughnuts - Edit
Great doughnuts, and they are vegan!
Read morePros: Great doughnuts
Cons: A bit pricey
Guest
jennamichelle1
Points +337
yummy stuff - Edit
We sat at the bar and kept ordering more desserts, they were all very delicious. Our group tried the chocolate and vanilla cake, a couple of different kinds of brownies, a chocolate and oatmeal cookie, and a chocolate cupcake. Our favorite were the brownies, you've got to try them. It was a great place with a cute atmosphere.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on Sunday December 16, 2007
Pros: brownies, staff, atmosphere
Cons: price
Guest
booya
Points +80
the best - Edit
Every time I'm in NYC, coming to baby cakes is a ritual....some of the best vegan desserts anywhere....plan on buying a box worth of stuff and taking it with you. I've been known to walk the box to the Starbucks a few blocks away and down half of it with a cup of coffee. Shhh....
Read moreGuest
Babette
Points +2107
I love Babycakes - Edit
I'm not usually a big fan of cupcakes, but the one I had there was excellent. The best.
Read moreAnd last time I was there, I was amazed to find madeleine and chocolate éclairs. Both were divine.
Pros: Taste, Variety
Cons: No toilet, Few tables
Guest
slo0go
Points +2179
Ehh - Edit
$5 is waaaaaaaay too expensive for a tiny, mediocre cupcake.
Read moreGo to Atlas Cafe, the Cinnamon Snail food truck, Sacred Chow, Teany, or any of the Blossom restaurants for dessert instead.
Cons: Too expensive, Just ok
Guest
MissAlanna
Points +61
Not Impressed - Edit
I was looking forward to going to Babycakes after reading all the reviews, but it was a huge letdown. The staff was rude and didn't even greet us upon arrival. The building was tiny and felt cramped with just six customers in there. Then the cupcake itself was dry and the icing had no flavor. I would not recommend this place at all.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on Thursday October 03, 2013
Guest
s144799
Points +140
Ok baked goods - Edit
Goods were just ok. Could get better elsewhere like Sweet Avenue in Rutherford, NJ or Vegan Treats in Bethlehem, PA.
Read morePros: Veg bakery which is rare
Cons: Food just ok
Guest
Sarask
Points +83
Babycakes - Edit
Walked by Babycakes on a day where I wasn't that hungry, but decided to go in there and see what they had. Luckily the sold some mini muffins, so I bought some of those and saved them for later.
Read moreThe café itself was very small but still nice and cute, but a little bit crowded on an afternoon.
I really liked the muffins, they had a great taste. A little bit on the dry side though, and not as fantastic as people have told me, but they still had a good balance of flavors and a rich taste.
Pros: Great taste, Cute shop, A lot of gluten and sugar free options
Cons: A bit dry, On the expensive side
Guest
Mellifluoust
Points +807
Lovely little bakery - Edit
Babycakes is an adorable little bakery. Looking for the most unusual thing on the menu, I ordered a pumpkin eclair. Unfortunately, it wasn't so much an eclair as a giant, oval whoopie pie - but still delicious!
Read morePros: Cute vibe, Healthy sweeteners, GF options
Guest
sglcklch
Points +3077
So-so - Edit
Finally got to try this place out. We ordered a slice of the gluten-free chocolate crumb cake to share. Like a lot of reviewers have pointed out, it was on the dry side, a little crumbly and pasty, which was all very typical of gluten-free baked goods. Perhaps that was why they aptly called it a "crumb cake" in the first place. Taste was good though, very rich and chocolatey.
Read moreStaff was super friendly. I also liked that the majority on offer was gluten-free; some were even (refined) sugar-free. They claimed that their products were easy on blood sugar as well. But I wasn't clear what they replaced the white sugar with - brown sugar, fruit purees, or stuff like stevia, splenda, xylitol, etc? If it was just brown sugar, the nutritional difference would really not be much different compared with white. So I would have liked for them to explain more on that aspect. Setting wise, the place was very small and cramped with just a few seats. Best for a quick bite or take-aways.
Pros: nice staff, quasi-healthy
Cons: tiny and cramped, vague health claims
Guest
BadassJB
Points +655
Good even when dumpstered - Edit
They were closed when I was in town, but I got to try a lot of their stuff anyway, because they throw stuff away! Dumpstering bags full of vegan treats is like a dream come true! I basically had the whole gamut, but I can't really judge the quality and experience based on dumpstered vittles. Some of the stuff was crumbly and odd tasting, but overall it was still yummy. Try the brownie bites! They have a lot of gluten-free stuff.
Read morePros: free ;), vegan bakery
Cons: closed
Guest
DaisytheHedgehog
Points +116
Amazing cupcakes! - Edit
After becoming vegan I could no longer go to Crumbs or Magnolia in the city, but Babycakes totally makes up for that! Their cupcakes are delicious, the only problem is that they don't tend to stay too well and the icing easily melts. I've had platters of 200 Babycakes cupcakes delivered to formal parties in the city, and have been a total hit. Another perk is that it is right down the street from Moo Shoes!
Read morePros: Great cupcakes
Cons: No sitting space
Guest
nancyisorganic
Points +73
like a kid in the candy store! - Edit
This bakery is amazing. I just want to order everything when I go in. This time we had a vanilla cupcake with strawberry icing and a pumpkin bread. Both were so good we couldn't wait to save them until after lunch. Great for those looking for gluten free and sugar free and it's all vegan. And they are located right around the corner from the Tennement Museum which is a must see, the tours are great, you get to go inside a Tennement building and see how folks lived back around the turn of the century. Very cool stuff.
Read morePros: taste, colors of icing, price
Cons: none
Guest
Sarah P
Points +8720
delicious - Edit
I had my first Babycakes experience and ordered the banana chocolate chip loaf with maple frosting- what a great combination of flavors and textures! My friend ordered the biscuit with strawberries and cream inside, which was delectable. We both left very satisfied and craving more Babycakes. So many items looked so good, but we only had stomach enough to eat one item each. I can't wait to return for more!
Read moreThe staff were so nice and helpful. Items were clearly marked with the kind of flour and sweetener used in them.
Pros: all vegan, scrumptious, so many choices
Cons: very small space, no bathroom
Guest
aeclarke
Points +114
Yum! - Edit
I've heard about Babycakes and have seen the cook book, so when my husband and I were visiting family in Jersey City I didn't hesitate to suggest bringing dessert from this bakery. We were slightly overwhelm walking in, but we asked the woman behind the counter to help us pick out some items "non-vegans" would like. We brought over 8 cupcakes and some of the cookie sandwiches. Everything was so good, but by far, my in-laws LOVED the cookie sandwich. I'm gonna buy the cookbook soon just so I can make these amazing goodies for my family myself! Great little place and helpful staff, highly recommended!
Read morePros: Helpful staff, Great desserts
Guest
JenK6
Points +95
Not Impressed - Edit
I was a little disappointed after all the hype. My friend had the lemon cupcake which was moist and subtle, very tasty. I had a mini cinnamon bite and that was also good, not great though. I also bought a red velvet cupcake and a brownie cupcake for later that night. The icing was good but the cake was so dry! Unforgivably so! It's the main part of a cupcake! I had to soak them in some almond milk in order to down them.
Read moreThe girl behind the counter was super nice! So I give most of my points to service. The place is a little small, but hey it's new york city! It was cozy and I could chat with my friend well enough without feeling intruded on by other customers.
That being said, I'd go back to give it a second chance.
Pros: Service, Frosting, Other baked items
Cons: Dry Cake
Guest
Sprout
Points +218
great doughnuts! - Edit
I had read mixed reviews, but I was in the neighborhood purchasing some shoes at Moo Shoes, and thought I'd give it a try. I had two cinnamon sugar doughnuts and really loved them. They had a little savory side to them, which was different, but I liked it, too. The space inside is small, but I had a nice spot on a bar stool and enjoyed my snack while the bakers were preparing other treats behind me. The staff was also very friendly. I can vouch for anything other than these specific doughnuts, as that's all I tried, but they were definitely worth the trip.
Read morePros: vegan, good doughnuts
Guest
veggiegoth
Points +217
pretty good but expensive - Edit
i find the cupcakes at Babycakes to be a bit dry the times i have tried them. however, i really like their cookies and mini doughnuts. the problem is that the items are small and expensive hence why i rarely go there.
Read moreGuest
fondducoeur
Points +1167
Good, But Pricey - Edit
I went to Babycakes twice while visiting NYC, and liked it. It was perhaps not the best vegan baked goods I have ever had, but still good. My favorite was the choc. chip cookie sandwich...the cookies were pretty perfect imo. The pumpkin muffin was yummy, and my bf loved his slice of rasberry choc. cake. The doughnuts were kinda dry, but still good (even though very small).
Read moreThe second time we went we got some things to go (the cookie sandwhich, a doughnut, the raspberry cake, and the pumpkin muffin) and it was $17. I didn't really think this was uncommonly expensive (vegan desserts always seem high), but I probably wouldn't go here much if I was local.
I had no problem with the service.
Guest
AlanC
Points +81
Wow, buy a cupcake for $3.65 - Edit
The cupcake was a la vegan betty crocker mix with really good icing. Price: a little steep.We would love to see every vegan place succeed to give us more options, but using spelt flower should not drive up the price by $2.50 per cupcake.
Read morePros: vegan
Guest
natz
Points +133
Not impressed - Edit
Not situated in the nicest area of NYC but as tourists we were determined to visit as many vegan places whilst there. Very disappointing. It was like walking into a sorority house with all the girls behind the counter too busy talking to each other to give much customer service. Horrible techno music blaring out didn't help - not fitting for a cute bakery that they're trying to create. We ordered two cupcakes and two coffees (we had to pour the soya milk in them ourselves!!) and the server was not friendly. Very expensive. The cakes were lovely but nothing I couldn't make from the great recipes on the Parsley Soup website. There were also lots of posters and messages on display about how healthy the ingredients were for people with heart problems and other ailments. Come off it, whilst using spelt and the oils they use is a better choice this is still cakes which are not the healthiest of choices so don't try and pretend otherwise! A cake is a nice treat, not a remedy for heart conditions - not sure that message is great really, they should just sell the cakes rather than try and preach health messages. Wouldn't recommend - there are lots of lovely vegan puddings to be had at other NYC places that it's not worth going to the area, being deafened with rubbish music for these expensive cupcakes!
Read morePros: food well presented, tasty cupcakes
Cons: expensive, horrible atmosphere, poor customer service
Guest
Fallopia Tuba
Points +47
Just plain good - Edit
I love Babycakes; I've been going there almost since they opened, and whenever I feel like treating myself, I go there and get some stuff. Their "skinny buns" are pricey at $5 a pop, but I like to get them and have them for breakfast. Although I'm not gluten-sensitive, they offer both spelt and gluten-free cupcakes. I'm worried about my blood sugar, which is "high-normal," and I feel pretty safe about indulging here.
Read moreI got a birthday cake made there one year, and I found that in terms of quality and quantity, it was an awesome cake! (Yes, I shared.)
Naturally, when I go here, I check their counter first to see what, if any, day-olds they've put out. For a while, they didn't even bake on Mondays and sold their day-old stock at half off; unfortunately, they don't do that currently.
Pros: vegan, gluten free, sugar free
Cons: crowded, tiny, no bathroom
Guest
clashbabi
Points +80
cuuuute place -- very pink - Edit
this place is really cute, but i've had better cupcakes. although, i'm not complaining. they totally rock because they are VEGAN.
Read moreGuest
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