Birmingham guide
The best bakeries & dessert in Birmingham
Birmingham has 10 standout bakeries & dessert worth your time — these are the ones locals actually send people to, ranked by how well-loved each spot is and checked by hand. The Essential, Savage's Bakery and Big Spoon Creamery lead the list. No chains, nobody pays to rank.
The Essential
Brunch, and the pastry case. Brunch and lunch on Morris Avenue, on the cobblestone stretch. Look at the pastry case before you order.
Savage's Bakery
Smiley-face cookies & meltaways. Homewood's bakery since 1939. It closed in February 2026 when the owner retired, and the owner of O'Carr's across the street reopened it a month later.
Big Spoon Creamery
Small-batch ice cream sandwiches. Small-batch ice cream in the MAKEbhm building. The sandwiches are the thing to get.
Bandit Pâtisserie
Almond croissant. The bakery behind La Fête's bread and pastry, on First Avenue North. Pies, tarts and quiche to order around the holidays.
Chez Lulu & Continental Bakery
European breads & bistro lunch. Bakery up front, bistro in back, on Cahaba Road in English Village.
O'Carr's Delicatessen
Deli lunch & Memory Lane ice cream. Deli lunches on 18th Street since 1975, with a retro ice cream parlor next door.
Gilchrist
Limeades & chicken salad. Old soda fountain in Mountain Brook Village. Order a limeade and a chicken salad sandwich.
Big Spoon Creamery (Edgewood)
Ice cream sandwiches. The Edgewood shop from the Big Spoon folks, right across the street from Edgewood Creamery. Try both and pick a side.
Edgewood Creamery
Old-fashioned scoops in Edgewood. Old-fashioned ice cream shop in Edgewood. Get a cone and walk the neighborhood.
Iz Cafe
Soup, sandwich and dessert. Longtime lunch spot on Rocky Ridge. Save room for the cake case.
Good to know
What is the best bakeries & dessert in Birmingham?
The Essential — brunch, and the pastry case. Savage's Bakery and Big Spoon Creamery round out the top of the list. Every place is locally owned and checked by hand.
How many bakeries & dessert are on this list?
10, all locally owned and ranked by how well-loved they are. None of them paid to be included.