Where to Find The Best Cookies Near Oak Park
Cookie: Even the word is delightful. And as for cookies themselves, certainly there may be a few folks out there who don’t enjoy them, but we haven’t met any. Those of us who appreciate these morsels of joy will find plenty of bake shops in and around Oak Park to satisfy their cravings.
When you fancy a chewy chocolate-chip cookie to tide you over between meals, a crispy biscotti to dunk in your coffee, or something sweet and indulgent just because, head to our favorite bakeries to soothe your inner Cookie Monster.
Oak Park
Blackout Baking Co. | 210 South Marion Street, Oak Park, IL
Named after the now-legendary chocolate cake filled with chocolate pudding and topped with chocolate crumbs, Blackout Baking Co. has a magical way with chocolate. For proof, try its flagship Blackout cookie: chocolate with chocolate chunks and filled with chocolate ganache. The brown-butter chocolate-chip cookies, also filled with chocolate ganache, is equally sumptuous, especially when placed in a microwave for a few seconds so that the center is just the right amount of gooey. There’s also much for non-chocoholics to savor, including peanut butter–filled peanut butter cookies, vanilla-bean shortbread cookies, and the various cookies of the month.
For some of the flavors, a bite or two is all you need, so it’s a good thing these are smaller than your average cookie. Another benefit of their petite but flavor-packed proportions is that you can mix and match flavors, and get to taste a little bit of everything. And when your sweet tooth is really calling, opt for one of Blackout Baking Co.’s ice cream sandwiches, made with your choice of cookies and its Blackout chocolate or brown-butter vanilla ice cream!
Broken Tart | 1108 Chicago Avenue, Oak Park, IL
An homage to old-school Chicago bakeries and classic European bake shops alike, Broken Tart is probably best known for its lush, impeccably decorated cakes. But its cookies are also worthy of adoration. The malted chocolate buckwheat cookies are earthy in the sweetest possible way and brownie-like to boot; the ginger creams sandwich cream-cheese buttercream between chewy ginger cookies. Along with these sophisticated options, Broken Tart offers standards including chocolate-chip cookies that offer the best of all possible worlds: soft centers and crispy edges. Need to stay away from gluten? The bakery makes gluten-free chocolate-chip cookies and buckwheat financiers. (Some classify financiers as mini cakes rather than cookies, but who cares when they’re this tasty!)
Located on Oak Park’s Chicago Avenue, the bijou shop has indoor seating and, weather permitting, a patio. So if you need a break after admiring the local architecture, stop by, grab a cookie (or pastry) as well as a coffee, tea, or smoothie, and savor.
Oak Park Bakery | 904 South Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park, IL
Looking for cookies that taste as good as those Grandma used to bake—or used to buy from her local bake shop? You’ll find them at Oak Park Bakery. Melt-in-your-mouth butter cookies, beautifully decorated sugar cookies in whimsical shapes, classic chocolate-chip cookies, cookies studded with M&Ms… This is the taste of childhood, pure and simple. And as a bonus for those who grew up scarfing kolacky, those fruit-filled Central European treats: Oak Park Bakery has plenty of flavors to choose from.
Besides cookies, Oak Park Bakery sells fresh breads, pies, donuts, and cake. And it opens at 6:00 a.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, so you can grab a bundle of baked goodness to keep you going through breakfast, lunch, and a late-night snack.
Sugar Fixé Pâtisserie | 119 North Marion Street, Oak Park, IL
As the accent marks in its name indicate, Sugar Fixé Pâtisserie is a French-style bakery, its cases laden with flaky croissants, lavishly layered entremets, and cakes piped with artistry and pride. Of course, it wouldn’t be a French bakery without macarons on the menu. Regular flavors include vanilla, chocolate, pistachio, and Nutella, and you can expect to find surprise flavors as well.
Those who prefer American-style snacks can enjoy oatmeal sandwich cookies, chocolate-chip cookies, and sugar cookies so beautifully decorated with royal icing, you might hesitate to eat them (though not for long!). Sugar Fixé offers cupcakes, brownies, and lemon bars too, all made from scratch daily. And for a taste of Franco-Anglo heaven, try the croissant bread pudding.
Elmwood Park
Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets | 2400 North Harlem Avenue, Elmwood Park, IL
You might not think to head to a grocery for primo-quality fresh-baked cookies. But Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets is no ordinary grocery store. It’s best known for its Italian specialties, from spicy sausage to imported pasta to biscotti, amaretti, occhio di bue (a fruit-filled sandwich cookie also known as a bull’s-eye), and other classic Italian cookies. Caputo’s also sells butter cookies studded with chocolate chips, bedecked in sprinkles, or topped with jam, along with temptingly decorated sugar cookies.
Other Italian baked goods include mini cannoli, tiramisu, extravagant mille foglia, and zuppa inglese—aka Italian trifle. Many of these delights are made from scratch using recipes from Romana Caputo, the Italian-born wife of founder Angelo Caputo himself.
Forest Park
Twisted Cookie | 7410 Madison Street, Forest Park, IL
Can’t decide between a cookie and a slice of pie? At Twisted Cookie you don’t have to. This Forest Park bakery makes cookie pies: pocket-size bursts of goodness with a flaky cookie crust topped with pie fillings such as apple with streusel crumble. The cheesecake cookies are in the same vein, with velvety vanilla cheesecake filling crowned with Oreo pieces, cherries, and other sweet somethings. And wait till you try the cupcake cookies, which are butter cookies as thick and tall as cupcakes heaped with frosting and toppings.
Amid these innovative options are plenty of less rarefied treats, including lemon butter, snickerdoodle, peanut butter, and chocolate-chip cookies. For maximum decadence, opt for one of Twisted Cookie’s chocolate-dipped brownies stuffed with peanut butter or caramel.
La Grange
The Bellbird Bake Shop | 15 West Harris Avenue, La Grange, IL
As devotees of The Great British Baking Show know, macarons are difficult to master. Not only has The Bellbird Bake Shop done so, but it offers these bites of paradise in an ever-changing array of innovative flavors, ranging from carrot cake to raspberry lychee to peanut butter and jelly. Macarons aren’t the only reason this relative newcomer to La Grange has quickly developed a loyal following, however. The caramel apple oat cookies are as sweet and comforting as a warm hug; the ginger molasses cookies have just the right balance of zing; the salted chocolate-chip cookies are perfection.
Other handcrafted delectables include several types of fresh-baked sourdough bread, scones, seasonal Danish, croissants, and bostocks—day-old brioche soaked in syrup, topped with frangipane, and baked to create something altogether delicious.
North Riverside
Vesuvio Bakery & Deli | 8717 West Cermak Road, North Riverside, IL
Cannoli aficionados are no doubt familiar with Vesuvio Bakery & Deli. In addition to classic cannoli, this traditional Italian shop produces them in an unexpected, ever-changing array of flavors (Irish cream! Pumpkin spice! Peanut butter!). The North Riverside institution also sells biscotti, rainbow cookies, and other Italian mainstays, many baked from family recipes and all perfect for dipping into espresso.
Beyond cookies, pastries, and donuts, Vesuvio sells fresh-baked breads that regulars come far and wide for, calzone, subs, focaccia, and pasta dishes. It’s also stocked with Italian pantry essentials such as pasta, tins of spiced sardines, and Calabrian chili peppers. A visit here is the next best thing to a trip to Sicily.