The holiday season is fast approaching, and with it comes lots of traditions, but none sweeter than binging on baked goods.
There are plenty of bakeries around Northern Kentucky to get your festival treat fix and we’ve gathered a few for you to check out.
Whether you’re picking up a pie for Thanksgiving, grabbing a cookie for Santa or you just need some sugar to get you through the day, we’ve got you covered.
North South Baking Company
Previously operating out of Newport’s Incubator Kitchen Collective, North South Baking Company opened at its location on Pike Street in Covington in 2021.
The bakery offers lunch and breakfast ‘sammies,’ sourdough bread, morning buns, croissants, coffee and other pastries, known locally for their cruffins.
Owner Kate Nycz loves working with local ingredients. She recently told LINK nky that she loves baking with Arkansas black apples from McGlasson Farms in Hebron.
Their holiday pre-order menu will open on Nov. 7.
North South Baking Company is located at 39 W. Pike St. in Covington. Find more information at northsouthbaking.com.
Breadsmith of Bellevue
With another location in Cincinnati, Breadsmith opened its location in Bellevue in December of 2024. The shop offers guests freshly-made loaves of bread in a vast variety of styles and flavors.
But they don’t just stop at bread, some of the other sweets and specialties carried daily include croissants, cookies, muffins, biscotti, pizza dough and scones. In addition to daily offerings, it also rotates weekly offerings. This week, they’ve got a “Coconut Lovers Gourmet Cookie,” and next week, they’ve got “Double Chocolate Chip Gourmet Cookie” on deck. Check out the bakery’s baking schedule here.
Breadsmith of Bellevue is located at 315 Fairfield Avenue, Bellevue. Find more information at breadsmith.com.
Emerson’s Bakery
NKY chain Emerson’s Bakery has been around since 1970, and it now has five locations: two in Florence, one in Erlanger, one in Independence and one in Covington.
They offer a wide variety of baked goods, including pies, pastries, bread, cookies, custom cakes and more that are all made in-house. They are known for their donuts, which they offer in over 18 varieties.
Emerson’s Bakery is located at 7606 Dixie Hwy., Florence; 8459 Hwy. 42, Florence; 3411 Dixie Hwy., Erlanger; 4147 Madison Pk., Independence and 3612 Decoursey Ave., Covington. Find more information at emersonsbakeryky.com.
F & Goode Desserts
F & Goode, which opened in December of 2024, is known for its custom cakes, wedding cakes, decorated cookies, specialty desserts, catering, wholesale pastries and holiday desserts. Customers can expect to see a rotating array of freshly baked goods ready for purchase.
Owner Stefanie Hockett previously told LINK nky that at her bakery, “Ultimately, my goal is to give you the feeling of homemade and something that your grandmother or your mom used to make so that you feel at home when you’re here.”
Although the bakery is relatively new to Covington, it has been in operation in some form for over a decade. Founded in southern California, it has traversed the western United States over the years, moving from California to Hawaii and then Oregon. Before the move to W. Pike Street, F & Goode operated out of the Incubator Kitchen Collective in Newport.
Check them out at 222 W Pike St., Covington. Find more information at fngoodedesserts.com.
OakBrook Bakery
This Florence-based bakery offers a variety of baked goods such as pretzels, strudel, donuts and more. According to their Facebook page, the shop’s owner has 40 years of baking experience in a German family-owned bakery.
Check them out at 7500 Oakbrook Road, Florence. Find more information at facebook.com/Oakbrookbakery.