Seven Pennsylvania Bakeries Already Taking Orders For Christmas Cookie Trays
Somewhere between the first frost and the first carol, a plain bakery case can steal your whole afternoon. A tray of sugar-dusted cookies sits there, and suddenly holiday plans feel easier.
Across Pennsylvania, bakeries big and small are filling order books for Christmas cookie trays right now. Here are seven spots worth calling dibs on before the December rush hits.
1. Paddy Cake Bakery
Picture a cold Bloomfield morning on Liberty Avenue, with the bakery lights already glowing at six o’clock. Paddy Cake Bakery has been part of this Pittsburgh neighborhood for a long stretch, and its holiday cookie trays fit right into that steady, familiar rhythm.
Custom-designed cakes and assorted donuts are the everyday specialties here. Come December, though, the spotlight shifts to trays packed with a wonderful assortment of special cookies, the kind of mix that covers every corner of a family dessert table.
Cannoli and birthday cakes round out the case for anyone who wants extra sweets on the side.
How does pickup work? Service is takeout only, with no dine-in seating and no delivery, so plan on grabbing your tray and heading straight home.
A cup of coffee can ride along for the trip.
Hours run Monday through Saturday, starting at 6 AM, with Thursday and Friday stretching an hour later into the evening. Sunday the shop stays closed.
Saturday mornings and weekday mornings fill up fast, so an early order spares you a long wait.
Parking is paid street spaces along the avenue. Holiday schedules can change, so check current hours and ordering details before you go.
2. Pastries A-La-Carte
Small storefront, big ambitions. Pastries A-La-Carte on Clairton Boulevard in the South Hills of Pittsburgh fits donuts, pies, and towering wedding cakes into one petite shop, and each holiday season it adds a Christmas Inspired Cookie Tray to the lineup.
Beautifully decorated cakes earn plenty of attention, yet the cookies hold their own with an addictive streak. Trays are reserved with scheduled pickup dates in December, which makes planning simple for office parties or holiday open houses.
Convenience stands out here more than at most bakeries on this list. Curbside pickup, in-store pickup, and delivery are all available, and a free on-site parking lot means no circling the block with a fragile tray in hand.
Do you want breakfast while you wait? Coffee and donuts are ready from 7 AM on weekdays and 8 AM on Saturdays, with closing time at 5 PM and Sundays off.
Weekday mornings tend to stay calm, while Saturdays bring the biggest crowds.
The shop is also LGBTQ+ friendly. With no restroom or seating, visits are quick in-and-out stops.
Holiday ordering windows shift each year, so confirm details ahead of time.
3. Oakmont Bakery and Its Quick Pickup Line
Sunlight pours through tall windows onto rows of glass cases at 1 Sweet Street. Yes, that is the real address of Oakmont Bakery, a longtime bakeshop just outside Pittsburgh where the holiday cookie tray has become a seasonal tradition of its own.
Large trays come loaded with variety. Farklberry cookies, playful Cookie Monster-shaped treats, and other sweets share space with classic holiday favorites, and the texture leans soft and moist.
Here is the clever part. A quick pickup line lets you skip the main counter and grab cookie trays, brownies, rolls, and cakes without browsing every case.
During December, that shortcut saves serious time.
Unlike several smaller shops, Oakmont offers ample seating, restrooms, and breakfast, so a paczki or croissant with coffee can turn errand into outing. Apple dumplings make a fine reward, too.
Doors open at 6 AM daily, closing at 7 PM Monday through Saturday and 3 PM on Sunday. Saturdays draw the heaviest traffic.
Parking options include free and paid lots plus street spaces. Order deadlines change yearly, so check before making the drive.
4. Isgro Pastries
Did you know that an Italian cookie tray is practically a holiday requirement in many South Philadelphia homes? Isgro Pastries on Christian Street has been turning out those trays for generations, and the presentation is as polished as the cookies are tasty.
Assorted Italian cookies and biscotti fill the trays, often alongside almond horns. Arrangements look fabulous at pickup, ready to set straight onto the dessert table without any rearranging.
Beyond cookies, the case holds sfogliatella, chocolate cream cannoli, fresh fruit tarts, and ricotta cheesecake topped with strawberries. Adding a few pastries to a tray order is an easy way to stretch a spread for a bigger crowd.
Hours run 8 AM to 6 PM Wednesday through Saturday, with shorter days on Tuesday and Sunday. Mondays the shop is closed.
Saturdays pack the counter, while weekday mornings stay much quieter.
Delivery, in-store pickup, and takeout are all options, though there’s no seating. Free street parking can be found nearby, though the block gets busy in December.
Holiday ordering timelines vary, so confirm before heading out.
5. Chewy Classics From The Famous 4th Street Cookie Company
Forget fancy piping and delicate sprinkles. The Famous 4th Street Cookie Company, a vendor inside Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market, bakes chewy, homestyle cookies that win on comfort rather than flourish.
Chocolate chip and snickerdoodle lead the lineup, joined by black and white cookies and Philly dipped cookies. A Custom Cookie Tray lets you pick the mix, which makes it handy for crowds with strong opinions about their favorites.
Need a mountain of cookies? Bulk orders reach as high as twelve dozen chocolate chip cookies, enough for a school party or a large office gathering.
Fresh batches land on display trays throughout the day, and the smell alone makes walking past difficult.
The stand stays open seven days a week from 8 AM to 6 PM, a rare perk during the holiday crunch. Coffee, free Wi-Fi, and restrooms are available inside the market, though seating at the stall itself is not.
Delivery and in-store pickup are both offered. Parking means paid lots or metered streets downtown.
Prices are wallet-friendly for the variety, but check current details before ordering.
6. Bake Your Day, Erie’s Christmas Eve Rescue
Ran out of time to bake? Up in Greene Township near Erie, Bake Your Day has opened on Christmas Eve with assorted cookie trays ready to buy, a true lifesaver for anyone whose holiday plans slipped through the cracks.
Family owned and operated, this small bakery handles a surprising range. Turnovers, Danishes, bagels, pepperoni rolls, and muffins fill the morning case, while made-to-order cakes, cupcakes, and pies can be requested ahead of time.
Snow drifts against the windows on winter mornings as coffee, tea, and hot chocolate warm up the room. Prices sit in the friendliest range on this list, making a cookie tray an easy add to any grocery run.
Timing matters. Hours run 6 AM to 2 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, with weekends wrapping up at noon and Thursdays closed entirely.
Service is takeout only, with no delivery.
For a Pennsylvania lake-region bakery this cozy, early arrival pays off, especially in late December. Holiday hours and tray availability can change from year to year, so check ahead before making the drive.
7. My Boys Baking
Biscotti served daily at a car dealership showroom might be the most unexpected bakery credential in the state. My Boys Baking in Bethlehem supplies biscotti and cookies to Faulkner Chevrolet Cadillac every day, which says plenty about consistency.
Cookie trays are the main event here. Wedding receptions have featured them, and the same care translates neatly to Christmas gatherings, where a tray of crisp biscotti and soft cookies feels both elegant and homey.
Located on Stoke Park Road, the bakery runs on a weekday schedule, open Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 4:30 PM and closed on weekends. That means planning ahead matters more than usual, since a Saturday scramble simply isn’t an option.
Delivery and takeout are both available, with no dine-in seating. Prices land a bit higher than most spots on this list, reflecting a focus on special-occasion orders rather than quick snacks.
For Lehigh-area hosts juggling holiday parties, a tray from here covers dessert in one stop. Ordering windows fill as December approaches, so confirm current details early and lock in your date.
