No Work Desserts: Be The Superhero of Your Holiday Dinner

The holidays are that one time of year where we’re all given a get-out-of-jail-free card when it comes to diets and eating healthy. When else can you guiltlessly (well, almost) enjoy choice holiday treats like Bûche de Noël, gingerbread, pumpkin pie, not to mention countless varieties of cookies? If only we had the time to spend our days in the kitchen wafting the smells of freshly baked goodies coming from the oven. Well, just because you’ve got last minute shopping, errands to run, and projects to finish doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy homemade (almost) treats this season. We’ve rounded up some awesome bakeries that will satisfy your sweet tooth without spending hours over a hot oven. Enjoy while you can, because once Jan 2nd roll around, it’s back to the workout grind!

Pearl Bakery
This ‘gem’ of a bakery is offering quite a selection of festive goodies to make your season bright. Their linzertorte with raspberry filling is blended with cranberry and features a delectable almond crust. Kids will love their pear gingerbread spiced upside-down cake which is chock-ful of locally grown bosc pears, as well as their famous cranberry walnut bread which makes yummy breakfast toast. Moms and dads may opt for Pearl’s flourless chocolate chestnut torte made with fresh chestnuts and Meyer’s rum — yum! Note: Place your order three days in advance.

102 NW 9th Avenue
Portland, Or
503-827-0910
Online: pearlbakery.com

New Cascadia
Those on a gluten-free diet will never miss out on baked goodies again with New Cascadia’s extensive and absolutely divine menu which is filled with desserts for those on alternative diets (and even if you’re not GF, you’ll love these treats). Their entirely gluten-free holiday menu includes an array of sumptuous offerings: chocolate peanut butter tarts, vegan gingerbread cookies, snowball cookies, shortbread holiday cookies in Christmas or Hanukkah shapes, sticky date pudding, peppermint patty cookies, and more.

1700 SE 6th Avenue
Portland, Or
503-546-4901
Online: newcascadiatraditional.com

Random Order Coffeehouse & Bakery
Your kids’ eyes will be wide as pies when they feast them on the delicious varieties offered at Random Order Coffeehouse & Bakery. Their sweet handmade pies are crafted from scratch using local, seasonal, and organic produce and boasting all-butter pastry crusts. Their seasonal holiday pies will suit everyone’s taste, and the one we think kids will go the most gaga for is their Tahitian vanilla salted caramel apple pie which is comprised of organic apples tumbled in homemade caramel and blanketed under a vanilla sugar salted crust. Note: Travel & Leisure voted it Best Pie in America! And kids are sure to sink their teeth right into Random Order’s chocolate cream pie which boasts three types of chocolate, topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings!

1800 NE Alberta
Portland, Or
971-340-6995
Online: randomordercoffee.com

Saint Honore Bakery
If you’re looking for a holiday dessert with a certain je ne sais quoi, look no further than the traditional French Christmas goodies at Saint Honore Bakery. Among the delicious selections are an egg nog pudding — pain perdu of brioche and pastries baked in an eggnog custard and lightly drizzled with caramel sauce, Bûche de Noël – Raspberry White Chocolate, which is raspberry butter cream rolled with light sponge cake and frosted with white chocolate butter cream, and Chocolat Maison, a selection of exclusive housemade chocolates including flavors: orangette confit, hazelnut praliné and mendiant, each packaged in festive holiday wrapping. Bon appétit!

315 1st Street
Lake Oswego, Or
503-445-1379

2335 NW Thurman Street
Portland, Or
503-445-4342
Online: sainthonorebakery.com

Two Tarts Bakery
The winter inspired offerings at cookie bakery, ‘Two Tarts’ are enough to make anyone’s mouth-water in pure anticipation. Just a few of their tantalizing treats are ginger molasses chews made with three varieties of ginger, S’mores made with thick-cut honey grahams and filled with their own homemade marshmallows and dipped in dark chocolate, pumpkin whoopie pies, not-so-thin mint bars, and apple pecan rugelachs. Pair with a mug of hot cocoa and let the festivities begin!

2309 NW Kearney Street
Portland, Or
503-312-9522
Online: tartnation.wordpress.com

Where is your favorite spot to find holiday goodies? Or, do you opt for homemade treats? Are there any family favorites your can’t go without?

— Beth Shea

photo credit: Pearl Bakery facebook page, New Cascadia facebook page, Random Order Coffeehouse and Bakery facebook page, Tuan L. via yelp, Ryan L. via yelp