The Best Pies and Pastries in Durham

A slice of pie – the whole thing – is the perfect cherry on top of a day adventuring around the Bull City. Rest assured, Durham's bakeries, restaurants, pop-up shops and everything in between are making the world a better place, one crust at a time.

Bean Traders

105 W NC 54 Hwy #249

How can you grab just one slice when faced with pie choices like Nutella banana cream, blueberry lemonade, salty walnut chocolate truffle and almond joy? Order a slice of each option or do yourself a favor and get the whole pie!

Bull City Bake Shop

3604 Witherspoon Blvd. #109

Bull City Bake Shop prides itself on perfecting the classics. Step into this open bakery to see masters at work, baking muffins, cupcakes, cake pops, cakes and more. We especially recommend the peanut butter cookies and mini Dutch apple pies.

Favor Desserts

4520 S. Alston Ave.

Keijuane "The Cake Man" Hester has been selling cakes through Favor Desserts for over 20 years. It only takes one bite to know Keijuane has earned his nickname many times over. Favor Desserts does it all when it comes to cake: sheet cakes, cupcakes, pound cakes, custom specialty cakes and more. It's hard to pick a "best flavor" at Favor Desserts, but you won't want to miss out on the Red Velvet cupcakes or the Italian Creme cake.

Foster's Market

2694 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd.

Need a place that sells both sweet and savory pies? Foster's Market, a gourmet food market and cafe off of Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd., has chicken pot pie, lamb shepherd's pie, french silk pie, coconut cream pie and more.

The French Corner Bakery

2005 N. Pointe Dr.

This authentic French bakery tucked away in a north Durham shopping center is one of the city's best-kept secrets. If you're looking for pie, you're in luck with plenty of options in the pastry case. Take it from us, though – you'll want to stock up on plenty of baguettes, sweets and other treats.

Guglhupf

2706 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd.

You don't need to get on a plane to get a taste of Germany. Delivering not only German flavors but also German ambiance, Guglhupf is a great spot to get pastries, cookies, tarts and more. Sit down and enjoy a treat and a coffee by yourself or with a friend.

La Recette Patisserie

4823 Meadow Dr.

What began in an apartment is now a fully fledged bakery creating French, Algerian and Middle Eastern Desserts. Order cupcakes, cake pops, tarts, croquembouche and more. They also make amazing custom cakes.

Little Barb's Bakery

530 Foster St., Ste 1

Little Barb's Bakery is a dream come true, both for owner Barbara Nigro and everyone who gets a taste of the creations that come out of this establishment. Completely self taught, Barbara specializes in baking unique treats with her own personal flare. With cheesecake bites, homemade pop-tarts, take-and-bake scones and more, Little Barb's is the perfect stop any time of day.

Loaf

111 W. Parrish St.

While Loaf has been at it's downtown brick-and-mortar location since 2011, this bakery comes from humble beginnings. It started as a backyard brick oven, moved to a stall at the Durham Farmers' Market, then opened in its current downtown location. Specializing in hearth-baked breads and pastries, Loaf offers something truly unique to lovers of baked goods in Durham. Stop by Loaf for pies, pastries, tarts, eclairs and more.

Mad Hatter Cafe & Bakeshop

1802 W Main St.

Mad Hatter is well known for its cupcakes and cakes, but you can't overlook the pies. Try a piece of key lime pie topped with whipped cream or pumpkin pie made with hand-rolled crust and organic pumpkin filling.

Ninth Street Bakery

136 East Chapel Hill St.

From fresh bread to pastries, Ninth Street Bakery serves a variety of delicious baked goods. Head on over for their oatmeal whoopie pie with vanilla frosting sandwiched between two chewy oatmeal raisin cookies and or grab savory hand pie filled with a curry veggie mix for a quick lunch on the go.

Refectory Café

2726 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd.

The Refectory Cafe focuses on social and environmental sustainability, healthy dining and sourcing from local farms. The menu options are compatible with all diets, including their numerous pie options. Stop by for a delicious slice of cranberry apple pie, sweet potato pecan pie and much more.

Rose's Noodles, Dumplings & Sweets

121 N. Gregson St.

Rose’s is an East Asian-inspired eatery and bakery serving lunch, dinner and weekend brunch alongside artisan pastries and sweets. Hungry for pie? They have plenty of options including a coconut buttermilk pie with passionfruit curd or the miso caramel apple pie.

Smallcakes

4711 Hope Valley Rd.

The name alone lets you know exactly what the bakers at Smallcakes have perfected: small cakes, otherwise known as cupcakes. Smallcakes has appeared on not just one, but three seasons of The Food Networks "Cupcake Wars" and was named by USA today as one of the top 10 cupcake joints in the country. Stop by Smallcakes to get a one-of-a-kind cupcake experience.

Sweets by Shayda

105 W. Morgan St., Ste 105

After learning the art of pastries in France, Shayda came back to her home town with a dream: starting her own sweets shop in the Triangle. She started with macarons, selling them at local farmers markets. Eventually, Sweets by Shayda opened up a brick and mortar location in Durham. Stop by the store for eclairs, macarons and other awesome treats like soft serve in a croissant.

Whisk & Rye

3401 University Dr., Ste 5

Drop into Whisk & Rye for a coffee and a slice of some of Durham's best pie or a cinnamon knot. Whisk & Rye serves up classic baked goods with a flare of freshness and creativity. For vegan and gluten free sweet lovers, Whisk & Rye has a number of options.