The candied smells of gingerbread cookies, vanilla cakes and pecan pies saturating the air throughout the holidays send most into a sweet tooth overload. These eight bakeries in Houston are making scrumptious treats this season that’ll surely have residents lined up for the seasonal selects. Travel to Latin America with Sweets by Belen or snatch up a vegan cookie from Sinfull Bakery to ease your holiday cravings. As we approach the most wonderful time of the year, try these must-have sugary delights.

Three Brothers Bakery

Multiple Locations

Three Brothers Bakery is  home to  the critically acclaimed Pumpecapple Piecake. The massive delicacy is made up of pumpkin pie that is baked into a pumpkin spice cake, which sits atop its award-winning Pecan Pie, warmed in a chocolate cake. Next, the cake is stacked onto an apple pie that is melted into a spice cake. The Piecake is stuffed with cream-cheese icing and a caramel drizzle, garnished with pecans to satisfy every craving awakened during the Noël season. 

Sweets By Belen

Gulfton

Peruvian bakery Sweets By Belen has the ingredients for a Christmas cookie worthy to “serve Santa.” The Alfajores Cookie is a traditional South American shortbread crumble sandwich, packed with Latin America’s addictive Dulce de Leche and a hint of caramel flavor. These authentic mini bites instantly melt in your mouth for a divine taste, which is subject to chronic visits all through December. 

Sinfull Bakery

Midtown

A minty flavor truly defines the holiday season. Houston’s first vegan dessert shop, Sinfull Bakery, is best known for their green-drizzled chewy Chocolate Mint Cookie. Be sure to keep a hidden stash of the fan favorite confection, as the rare treats are baked once a year, exclusively on the 25th of December. 

Moeller’s Bakery

Bellaire

Bellaire’s own Moeller’s Bakery brings a custom pastry to the south with a German classic, Christmas Stollen. A moist sweet bread is loaded with cinnamon, cashews, fruit and raisins. The pastry is finished with white glaze icing, fruity-candied cherries and pineapple chunks. Not to be compared to fruitcake, Moeller’s bread-like stollen is a deliciously unique experience. 

The Bakers Man

Midtown

Black-owned bakery, The Baker’s Man, combines a fluffy bundt cakes and gingerbread flavor to create their notable Gingerbread Bundt Cakes. Using locally sourced ingredients, this holiday dessert is freshly baked each day with sweet molasses, and topped with cream cheese frosting and tasty white chocolate chips. This poppable treat will easily have you craving for more. 

Dessert Gallery

Greenway/Upper Kirby

Dessert Gallery has a vast array of delectable holiday treats to choose from. Want something traditional? Order a slice of old fashioned pumpkin pie with a dollop of whipped cream on top. If you’re looking to spread the joy, order a whole S’mores Pie baked with a buttery graham cracker crust, ganache, and toasted marshmallow meringue. 

Ooh La La Sweets

Cinco Ranch, Park Row

Ooh La La Sweets has been serving Houstonians freshly baked sweets from scratch daily for 15 years. You can’t go wrong with any of their cookies or pies, but try their holiday Eggnog Cupcake topped with a sweet buttercream and decorated to be a yummy snowman. 

Michael’s Cookie Jar

West University, Downtown

Mom did say to keep your hand out of the cookie jar, but this cookie jar holds more than just the soft and chewy treat. Michael’s Cookie Jar is home to the Southern Italian delight Cucidati, commonly known as fig cookies. These fig cookies are constructed from buttery dough and filled with figgy jam.