Adobe Stock / Steve Cukrov
Whether you crave triple chocolate, buttery shortbread, or sprinkles galore, local bakers have just the sweet snack for you.
Who doesn’t love a good cookie?
Now we’re not talking about the packaged grocery store staples that you may or may not eat in one sitting (cough, cough Oreos). No, we’re referring to the home-baked, melt-in-your-mouth varieties that come warm from the oven and practically beg to be devoured. Often hidden inside grandmothers’ kitchens and big city bakeries, the beloved indulgences have a quiet, yet flavorful presence in the Hudson Valley. They might not be at the same level as apple cider donuts — yet — but maybe that’s a good thing. More for us, right?
Do your sweet tooth a favor and take a browse through some of the most decadent, stuffed, and sumptuous cookies the Valley has to offer. Be warned — you’re going to want a tall glass of milk for this one.
The Bakery
New Paltz
If the name didn’t give you enough of a hint, The Bakery excels at homemade treats of all sorts. For locals in the know, however, the shop’s cookies are the true shining stars. Fall in love with the pumpkin oatmeal and gingerbread cookies in the cooler months, then enjoy the almond crescents and black and white cookies all year long.
Beacon Pantry
Beacon
If Beacon Pantry isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you think of really, really good chocolate chip cookies, it’s time to reevaluate your priorities. The artisanal grocery store is locally famous for its loaded chocolate chippers, which are wonderfully thick and packed with shards of semisweet chocolate that gets just the right amount of melty when warm.
Yeah, you’ll want at least five.
Cardoso Cookies
Hopewell Junction, online only
If you’ve never had a Cardoso cookie: 1. What are you doing with your life? 2. Go get you some immediately. The heavenly treats are impossibly soft and thick (no wimpy cookies here!). As for flavors, the bittersweet brownie and birthday sugar cookies are must-haves, while the newer cookie dough-stuffed brownies are the perfect balance of two of your favorite sweets in one. Cardoso is online only, so visit the website for a rundown of the dozens of desserts available.
Cookie Dough & Moe
Tillson, online only with contactless pickup
Maureen “Moe” Braren proves that home baking can be just as sweet as larger operations. What started as a few compliments from coworkers has grown into a small community of “Moe” fans, eager to try cookies from that week’s batch. Cookie Dough & Moe offers 20 varieties of the treat, including funfetti, cinnamon bun, and “oreo crushers.” Customers schedule a time for pickup and grab their fresh-baked orders from water-tight bins on her front porch in Tillson — completely contactless. You can find these pillowy desserts at Deitz Stadium Diner and Sunrise Bagels in Kingston as well.
Cyn’s Sweet Tooth
Poughkeepsie, online only
Based in Poughkeepsie, owner Cynthia Herivaux crafts cookie delights to satisfy ALL your cravings. Think a chocolate chip pretzel cookie that hits the sweet and salty spot and a seasonal pecan pie cookie that tastes just like the real deal. Cyn’s is currently online only, so reach out @cynssweettooth on Instagram if you want to place an order.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-CVoSQDZLp/
Kitchen & Coffee
Beacon
Sweet tooth eaters with any sort of intolerance (dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, you name it!) need to take a trip to Kitchen & Coffee (formerly Ella’s Bellas), the sugar paradise in central Beacon. Even if you don’t have a restriction, you’ll want to sample at least one of every single baked good on offer. Can’t decide which one to choose? The vegan almond cookies can double as breakfast and dessert, while the PB&J cookies are just the thing to pair with an afternoon cup of joe.
Frida’s Bakery & Café
Milton
Milton’s small-town bakery hides more than one hidden gem on its cookie menu. Ask for whatever’s fresh from the oven when you get there, then prepare for option overload as you pick and choose between hearty oatmeal cookies and delicate madeleines. Of course, you could always plan ahead and pick up an assorted box to go.
Halfsies Cookie Co.
Marlboro, online only
No, you’re not getting short-changed at Halfsies. In fact, the Marlboro-based business makes its name on loaded cookies sliced precisely in two. The local company has developed such a cult following that its cookie “drops,” which often take place on Fridays and are announced on its website and on Instagram, sell out in the blink of an eye. As for how to get the goods, expect them to arrive vacuum-packed at your door a few days after they ship. When it comes to flavors, go for broke with the birthday cake sugar cookie with vanilla chips or the snickerdoodle cookie with sea salt caramel chips. You’ll need a tall glass of milk to wash down these mammoth treats.
Lisa’s Cookie Shop
Goshen, Warwick, Online
Since 2004, Lisa Ciriello has made life in the Hudson Valley just a little sweeter with her nostalgia-packed cookies. Her famous Kitchen Sink cookie, for instance, is based on a beloved aunt, while her dreamy raspberry bars draw inspiration from her time in Germany. The shop doesn’t have a dedicated storefront, but interested snackers can find the treats at Pennings Farm Market in Warwick and Quaker Creek Store in Goshen.
Nilda’s Desserts
Poughkeepsie, online and throughout the Hudson Valley
As something of a standby snack for Vassar College students, Nilda’s desserts are a must for cookie monsters in the Hudson Valley. Eat fan-favorite flavors like sprinkle, peanut butter chip, and oatmeal chocolate straight out of the package or, if you’re patient, microwave them a few seconds to create a cookie that’s so warm and soft you’ll never be able to stop at just one. P.S. Nilda’s blondies and brownies are an excellent base for ice cream sundaes, too.
Nocturnal Cookies
Albany
When it comes to late-night cravings in Albany, no one delivers like Nocturnal Cookies. The Albany shop caters to the region’s college crowd with soft bites that come in flavors like M&M chocolate chip, white chocolate macadamia, and triple chocolate chunk. Vegan and gluten-free varieties are available, too.
If you’re smart, you’ll get a warm box, plus a pint of milk, delivered to your dorm or apartment for all your nighttime snacking needs. Both delivery and pick-up options are available after midnight during the week and until 1:30 a.m. on weekends.
