Six Sweet Stops in Niagara I Recommend this Season

Warning: this post may make you want to hop in the car and drive out for a sweet treat. However, I advise you to be careful on the roads today. Will what I share be enough to taunt you into leaving for something tasty? Quite possibly, so just exercise caution.

Why did it have to start snowing so early in November?!

I like the snow - from a distance. When I am admiring it from the warm confines of my house, I like to have a mug of something hot and pair it with a pastry. Winter is the only time I tend to bake. I open one of my cookbooks and see what I can attempt. Most often I qualify for Nailed It! over The Great Canadian Baking Show. So why not take a trip to one of my favourite bakeries in the area?

In a few weeks, I am going on a bakery tour with Phil and some friends. We are spending an afternoon visiting bakeries we have not been to, sampling their festive menus and taking in holiday decor along the way. This beats spending a day trapped at the mall. Although, you could do a bakery tour in the Pen Centre and end it with photos with Santa.

If you are coming our way for some holiday fun, like the Winter Festival of Lights or a show at the Shaw Festival, add in some stops away from the hustle and bustle. Check out one or more of these six sweet stops this season. The businesses I mention are all family-owned and local. Try to support your favourite local businesses this coming gift-giving season (and year round).

If visiting south Niagara is not on your itinerary, add it now! When you hit Port Colborne, make The Pie Guys Bakery & Cafe your first and last stop. Port Colborne offers an intimate charm in its historic areas, with access to Lake Erie and waterfront trails. West Street’s line-up of cute shops and attractions is capped off with The Pie Guys. When you need a reprieve, step into this modern cafe with a menu that hits all your tastebuds. Their on-site, fresh-baked goods and lunch menu will keep you there for hours if you let it. I always go for a croissant and latte when I visit - they are the perfect amount of flakey and buttery richness that melts in your mouth. Okay, I might need to break my own rule and drive down for one.

Parking is available for two-hours on the streets downtown Port Colborne, West Street and nearby. Stay tuned to their Instagram for updates on special events, brunches and their Christmas offerings.

Click here for directions to The Pie Guys Bakery & Cafe.

We discovered Budapest Bakeshop in its infancy and have been fans for many years. It brings an authentic taste of Hungarian cuisine to the area. The shop specializes in traditional Hungarian chimney cakes, or Kürtőskalács, with both sweet and savory flavours available. They also make sandwiches and the amazing Sausage Chimney. We struggle to pick just one favourite with Budapest Bakeshop, but I side with savory on most anything snack-related. The line-ups for both locations can be out the doors, but it is worth a small wait. Consider ordering a party tray for an upcoming event (set aside a couple for yourself before your guests arrive).

Parking at the St. Catharines location is available in both street and lot parking, free on weekends. Parking at the Niagara-on-the-Lake location is available in parking lots, with street parking filling up fast. Enjoy your cakes while walking around the historic locations and, like any good chimney, watch the steam rise like smoke out of them while you eat.

Click here for directions to the Budapest Bakeshop in St. Catharines.

Click here for directions to the Budapest Bakeshop in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Stepping into the bakery at 13th Street Winery offers a warm mixture of nostalgia and quaint charm. The bakery is tucked back amidst the frozen products and gift items available. Once you are there, you see the delicious array of baked goods and coffee. Between your tastings, get your carbs and caffeine fix. The butter tarts are award-winning and for good reason. This past summer, I could have devoured a baker’s dozen of the bacon tarts. Visit on a weekday for a quieter experience, but still get the same impeccable treats you drove out for.

Parking is available on site. Check out their website for events occurring, when planning your visit. If you can, try staying at their farmhouse for a unique experience in the wine country.

Click here for directions to 13th Street Winery.

First tip: when you enter the plaza on Fourth Avenue, look for the giant doughnut. That is where you will find the humblest of doughnut shops. Inside you see a full display of their current available selection and a coffee stand, then their industrial kitchen. On the outside, you would not expect to see all this. But inside, you encounter a cacophony of flavours that make for a harmonious snack symphony. Humble Doughnuts plays on traditional takes but adds their own twists in. 

Second tip: When you grab a box, make sure to test your tastebuds with their limited-time offerings, like banana peanut butter or Black Forest with cherries oozing out. Take home some of their dog treats to spread the wealth.

The location literally is tucked inside the corner of the plaza. Get there early to have the most options. Follow them on Instagram to see if they have sold out for the day too.

Click here for directions to Humble Doughnuts.

In the heart of Beamsville is this small but mighty bakery. Now in its 51st year, Beamsville Bakery is a traditional bake shop that has everything you would want at one stop. You go in, become mesmerized by the shelves upon shelves of fresh baked goods and try to pace yourself when ordering. Go in for some bread or buns but leave with a warm strudel, cookies or as many tarts as your heart desires. Make it a whole picnic with a stop at their deli counter and European pantry. Visit on an empty stomach and you will leave with an empty wallet. Pick your favourites or try something new, because you cannot go wrong with your selection.

Parking in Beamsville can be tight. Park in any lot behind the businesses along King Street if you cannot find street parking. This is a to-go bakery, so be ready to eat on the way or take back to your home.

Click here for directions to Beamsville Bakery.

In a hamlet like Virgil, The Pie Plate serves up more sensations than one town can handle. If you are passing through towards Old Town Niagara-on-the-Lake, stop here first for a smattering of slices. The Pie Plate once lived in a house along the main thoroughfare, but has since moved around the corner. The name says it is - these people know their pies. The chocolate cream is a heavenly staple that comes in both five and nine inch pies. You can get both sweet and savory pies, as well as explore their bakery case and marvel at their abundant options. Every so often they have specialty items like soup and pizzas, but let’s not steal focus from what makes them great.

Parking is a breeze with their large lot off Four Mile Creek in Virgil. 

Click here for directions to The Pie Plate.

Only six sweet stops for today. There are plenty more that I could add in. Which have I missed? Are there any stops I should consider for the bakery tour this December? Share in the comments below!