Kawartha Localist is an editorial series from kawarthaNOW sharing trusted local recommendations, hidden gems, and favourite discoveries from people who know and love this region. It’s what we love about where we live. Kawartha Localist is sponsored by Kawartha Financial Services.

Over the last few weeks, the Kawartha Localist series has been introducing you to some of our favourite bites across the region, from pizza to food truck grub

But we wouldn’t dare leave you hanging without some sweet desserts to bookend your meal. Whether you like to start your day with a sugar boost from a cream cheese-coated carrot muffin, enjoy a butter tart for a mid-afternoon snack, or prefer to wait until after dinner to sink your teeth into a creamy cheesecake, there’s a place across the Kawarthas to meet your needs.

From bakeries serving award-winning recipes to those offering celiac-safe pastries, here are some not-to-be-missed bake shops to drop into across the Kawarthas and what to order when you get there.

Try a flavourful homemade scone at Brouwer Bake Shop in Downeyville

If you’re unfamiliar with the small town of Downeyville in Kawartha Lakes, you might want to change that for the sake of your taste buds.

What began with Hannah Brouwer’s love of making cakes for her family has turned into the Brouwer Bake Shop, where you’ll find cakes and baked goods that are made from scratch in house as much as possible.

People travel from far and wide to try the specialty scones made at Brouwer Bake Shop. Standard flavours include lemon blueberry, orange cranberry, raspberry almond, apple cinnamon, and cheddar and herb, with limited-time seasonal flavours popping up throughout the year.

Other baked goods you’ll find on rotation at the bake shop include turnovers, muffins and, on Saturdays, cupcakes. Have a special occasion? You can purchase a semi-custom cake for pick-up where you can choose the size, flavour, filling, and colour.

Brouwer Bake Shop is located at 857 Sturgeon Road in Downeyville, east of Lindsay and north of Omemee. To learn more or place an order, visit brouwerbakeshop.com.

Enjoy 24 doughnut flavours at Double DZ’s Doughnut and Diner in Cavan Monaghan

When The Spud and The Bull Food Truck started out serving Peterborough with poutines, burgers, and other food truck grub in 2018, you may not have guessed it would eventually begin frying some of the most beloved doughnuts in town.

In 2022, Cheryl Goodridge used those doughnuts to establish Double DZ’s Doughnuts and Diner, an American-style restaurant with a drive-thru.

Today, these hefty doughnuts continue to be made in-house with brioche dough and real butter. On the weekends, you’ll find 24 unique flavours including cronuts (a combination of donuts and croissants).

Customer favourite flavours that are on rotation include apple fritters, tiramisu, cheesecakes, chocolate bar-topped doughnuts, alongside the regularly offered Boston creams, jelly, cinnamon sugar, sprinkles, chocolate dip, and many more.

Prefer to have your doughnut for dessert? Stay for breakfast or lunch and sink your teeth into the famous smoked brisket or avocado toast on homemade croissants. Many meal items on the menu at Double DZ’s are the same that were served at the food truck.

Double Dz’s Doughnuts and Diner is located at 2622 Maple Grove Road in Cavan Monaghan Township just west of Peterborough. For more information, visit doubledzs.ca.

You’ll soon find French pastries in Douro-Dummer at Brioche Bakery, the former Kawartha Sweets & Eats

French pastries are soon coming to Brioche Bakery in Douro-Dummer.

That’s the new direction owner Jeremey Riel is taking with what was formerly Kawartha Eats & Sweets. Think eclairs, croissants, fruity tarts, pain du chocolats, and more.

Rest assured, even once those are on the menu, Riel’s doughnuts aren’t going anywhere. They’re the same ones that were served at Kawartha Sweets & Eats over the past several years, which Riel makes in house using techniques developed while studying at Le Cordon Bleu.

We’re talking real fluffy and light brioche doughnuts. Alongside doughnuts filled with real homemade whipped cream, other favourites include those made with bischoff or Oreo, cinnamon sugar, vanilla glaze, chocolate glaze, and others on rotation depending on the season.

On Saturdays, you’ll also find large cookies — we’re talking six or seven ounces — available in brown butter chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, double chocolate, lemon white chocolate, and more.

Brioche Bakery is located at 17 Indacom Drive in Douro-Dummer, just off Highway 28. Find out more on Facebook.

Professional pastry chefs craft only the tastiest treats at The Peddler in Millbrook

Though widely known for serving delectable meals in a heritage building of a historic town, The Peddler Bistro in Millbrook has always has a selection of high-quality homemade baked goods available.

Wendy Bannerman, who owns the business alongside her husband Mark, suggests it’s having professionally trained pastry chefs rather than bakers in the kitchen that make all the difference.

Butter is used in place of shortening, and the chefs curate something new depending on what’s in season and available. From muffins to squares and French pastries, everything is made fresh daily using ingredients from as close to home as possible.

The Peddler is located at 17 King Street in Millbrook. To learn more and browse the menu, visit thepeddler.ca.

Support a non-profit social enterprise when eating baked goods at Wattle & Daub in Bancroft

Did you know that when you munch on freshly made baked goods at Wattle & Daub in Bancroft, you’ll be supporting the community? This garden café is actually a non-profit social enterprise that supports Bancroft Community Transit, which offers door-to-door public transportation across North Hastings.

All the baked goods at this bistro are homemade — from the butter tarts to the cheesecakes, Chelsea buns, large cookies, date squares, fresh fruit pies, tea biscuits, and beyond. Local ingredients are used as much as possible, and there are celiac-safe and gluten free options available daily.

The quality and fresh goods extend to the bistro menu, where you’ll find the popular Reuben sandwich, chicken BLT sandwiches, and more. In Wattle & Daub’s new courtyard, you can now watch your homemade wood-fired pizza be crafted right in front of you at the new outdoor pizza oven.

Wattle & Daub Café is located at 26B Station Street in Bancroft. To find out more, follow Wattle & Daub on Facebook.

Buy full cakes or mix-and-match minis at Cherry on Top Cheesecakes in Peterborough

After spending her childhood baking alongside her Nana, Robyn Cass made it her mission during the pandemic to find the perfect cheesecake recipe. When she did, the demand from family and friends and the burn-out she was feeling in her career quickly led to the establishment of Cherry on Top Cheesecakes in Peterborough.

Cherry on Top Cheesecakes now has more than 80 flavours on rotation, and Cass continues to develop more and more flavours. When you step in store or order online, you’ll always find traditional cherry cheesecake and a mix of fruity and decadently chocolate cakes.

Other favourites and fast sellers include raspberry white chocolate, coconut cream, banana cream, and chocolate caramel brownie. Whether you want a full cake, want an individual or mix and match with cupcake sizes, you’ll find a cheesecake size that suits your needs and appetite.

Outside of cheesecakes, you’ll also find brown butter chocolate chip cookies, and the specialty cinnamon rolls on Thursdays. Other pastries available depend on the day, from cheese parfaits to cheesecake nachos — cinnamon-flavoured tortilla chips with whipped cheesecake and a caramel apple filling.

Cherry on Top Cheesecakes is located at Northcrest Plaza at 184 Marina Boulevard in Peterborough. For more information and to order online, visit www.cherryontopcheesecakes.ca.

Butter is the secret ingredient in the tarts at The Butter Tart Empire Bakery in Roseneath

Adam Crowe’s butter tart recipe has been in development since 2014 and is now one of the most well-loved across the region, with the delectable dessert available at The Butter Tart Empire Bakery in Roseneath.

It’s no surprise they are so beloved, given that they are homemade with butter. That’s right: no margarine, no lard, no shortening — just butter.

Alongside his fiancée and manager Bobby-Jo Cayen, Crowe believes in using only the very best ingredients to curate the 21 flavours available online and the rotating smaller selection available in store. Customer favourites include the plain, pecan raisin, raspberry, raspberry coconut, and limited-time seasonal tarts like the pumpkin butter tart that will be rolling out in the fall.

Also selling well on the menu are the chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, brownies, and haystacks — each also made with butter.

The Butter Tart Empire is located at 8611 Highway 45 in Roseneath. To learn more and order online, visit thebuttertartempirebakery.com.

Find homemade celiac-safe baked goods at The Good Baker in Peterborough

Nobody misses out on getting a taste of something sweet at The Good Baker thanks to owner Brad Katz’s dedication to serving homemade baked goods that are gluten-free and celiac-safe.

Katz first began developing recipes for his celiac son and his son’s mother before opening The Good Baker inside the YMCA’s Balsillie Family Branch in late 2022. The Good Baker quickly became a beloved spot for those who don’t consume gluten and Katz opened a second location, The Good Baker YPQ, at the Peterborough Regional Airport in 2024.

Katz says the number one bestseller are the moist, flavourful, and large muffins — there’s a new flavour every day. Blueberry mango, blueberry banana, and blueberry lemon are all stand-out favourites. The date squares, brownies, carrot cake and Nanaimo bars are also well-loved and fly off the shelves.

While regular gluten breads are used for sandwiches at both locations, the staff follow a strict protocol to ensure there is no cross-contamination with the gluten-free baked goods.

The Good Baker is located at 123 Aylmer Street South in downtown Peterborough and The Good Baker YPQ is localed at 925 Airport Road in Cavan Monaghan Township just south of Peterborough. To learn more, follow The Good Baker on Facebook.

Step into the open kitchen at Gooderham Bakehouse in Haliburton County

While not a brick-and-mortar bakery, Gooderham Bakehouse is a local favourite in Haliburton County. Carie Wright began baking as a coping mechanism for her stressful job in social services and, upon retirement, turned it into a whole new passion.

Almost every Saturday, Wright and her wife Char Seabourne open up the doors of their log home to welcome people into an open kitchen. Beginning at 9 a.m., their 10-foot-long kitchen island turns into a display featuring a variety of freshly made goods.

Every week sees a new bestseller depending what’s on the lineup. Butter tarts, scones, cinnamon rolls are must-have favourites, while loaves including banana, lemon, or apple fritter are also available. Wright says it’s really important to her and her wife to support local, so you can be sure all honey, maple syrup, and other products are sourced from nearby where possible. There’s also always at least one gluten-free baked good available for purchase every week.

On Saturdays when Wright and Seabourne are unavailable to open their doors, they will put together mystery boxes which can be picked up from coolers on the porch. For $20 by honour system, visitors can pick up mystery boxes with $25 worth of products, as well as some extra incentives like gift cards for local businesses.

Outside of the Saturday hours, customers can pre-order from Gooderham Bakehouse for pick-up on any day except Saturday.

Gooderham Bakehouse is located at 2098 Glamor Lake Road in Highlands East, north of Gooderham. Find out more at gooderhambakehouse.ca.

Discover pastry influences from travels around the world at LóLa Cakes & Coffee in Peterborough

One of the newest bakeries in the region is LóLa Cakes and Coffee, which has quickly become a go-to spot in Peterborough.

Having opened in December 2025, LóLa Cakes and Coffee is the first project from owner and chef Nino Ante, who brings a wealth of pastry experience from working across the world from Shanghai to the Philippines and across Canada.

Based on his resume, including working with global brands to being club chef at the Rogers Centre with the Toronto Blue Jays, you can be certain Ante knows his way around the kitchen.

At LóLa, Canadian ingredients are used to make custom cakes and baked goods influenced from Ante’s travels around the world. You’ll find daily made croissants, cinnamon rolls, pides, cream puffs, and more. Customers can’t stop talking about the ube mascarpone pandesal — a popular Filipino bread roll — and the Swedish cardamom buns.

LóLa Cakes and Coffee is located at 136 Hunter Street West in downtown Peterborough. To learn more, visit lolacakesandcoffee.ca.

Indulge in award-winning butter tarts at Doo Doo’s Bakery in Bailieboro

If you don’t want to listen to our advice, take the advice of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair because the butter tarts from Doo Doo’s Bakery in Bailieboro have won multiple awards, year after year after year.

Diane Rogers has been baking up famous butter tarts with delectable, flaky crusts, and a buttery filling in the country-style, charming bakery since 1998.

On the lineup, you’ll find classics like raisin and pecan, as well as some that are more adventurous — anyone up for a cheesecake butter tart?

In addition to its award-winning entries at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Doo Doo’s has also picked up wins at the Kawarthas Northumberland Butter Tart Tour and Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival in Midland.

Along with its famous butter tarts, Doo Doo’s also serves up tarts, pies, and cookies, as well as savouries including sausage rolls and quiche. And if you can’t make it to the bakery, they will even ship butter tarts to you!

Doo Doo’s Bakery is located at 187 County Road 28 in Bailieboro. For more information and to order butter tarts online, visit doodoos.ca.

Kawartha Localist is an editorial series from kawarthaNOW celebrating the places, experiences, businesses, and communities that make our region extraordinary. Written by people who live here, work here, and have spent nearly 30 years exploring the Kawarthas and surrounding region, each edition shares trusted local recommendations, hidden gems, and favourite discoveries from across Peterborough County, the City of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, Haliburton County, and Hastings Highlands.

Whether you’re looking for your next hiking trail, favourite patio, scenic drive, farmers’ market, or weekend adventure, Kawartha Localist is what we love about where we live.

Kawartha Localist is sponsored by Kawartha Financial Services.