May 15th is Chocolate Chip Day – another unofficial holiday this month that simply can not go unnoticed. I'm personally the kind of person who loves all forms of chocolate and I know that Chocolate Chip Day isn’t just about cookies. But to honor this day you truly can’t go wrong with a homemade chocolate chip cookie.
In these past weeks, I stopped by my favorite bakeries, checked out the most likely spots, and followed suggestions of friends. Now I take you on a tour of the 5 best cookie spots in our area.
Unleash your inner Cookie Monster and get ready to indulge in these life’s sweet pleasures.
Cindy Lou’s Cookies - 7320 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33138
A Graduate of both Boston College and The Culinary Institute of America in New York, Pastry Chef Cindy Kruse bakes enough variety of chocolate chip cookies to satisfy every kind of sweet tooth. There is the classic Cindy Lou’s, crispy on the outside and chewy in the inside; the vegan with walnuts; the gluten free; the thin and crispy; the thick and chewy; the chocolate chip shortbread; and the Miami version of the chocolate chip cookie – Cindy’s favorite- with coconut in it. After 20 years in the food industry, Cindy started baking her own way to success 7 years ago converting her garage into a cookie business. In 6 months her cookies became so popular among local retailers selling her products that she expanded her business in South Beach. A year ago, together with Eric, her partner in life and in business, she opened Cindy Lou’s Cookies, a classic All-American Cookie Shop specializing in big, old fashioned seriously delicious cookies. Initially a wholesale business it soon became a retail shop that already got voted best cookie shop in Miami by the Miami New Times. A bright gem in Little River Neighborhood with a lot of energy and great chemistry.
Fireman Derek’s Bake Shop & Café - 2818 N Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33127
Any Instagram foodie has seen Fireman Derek’s famous pies, but does everyone know how great their cookies are? You have to try their chocolate chip cookies and guava white chocolate cookies. They are moist, rich and heavenly, and chances are you will catch them coming straight out of the oven. But freshness of their products is not the only thing customers love about this Wynwood’s staple. This funky hole in the wall bakeshop will never disappoint you with taste, service, or friendliness neither. Locals who know good coffee and sweet treats come here to get their sugar rush to help make it through the workday or at the end of their shifts. Nearby businesses sell their products as their desserts. Friends are regular customers or part of the team. There is a huge sense of community around this little place – probably a legacy of its founders’ personal story. For years real-life fireman Derek and co-owner Kim’s husband, Pat, worked together at Station 1 in Downtown Miami. When Pat suddenly passed away, Derek and Kim decided to open their bakery, fullfilling Pat’s wish to get into business with his mate. The key lime pie was Derek’s first pie and will always be, but one of their top 5 selling pies is the so-called “Cookie Monster” – a cookie cheesecake pie with a chocolate chip cookie, a layer of Oreo cheesecake, whipped cream and chocolate chip cookies on top. If you have a sweet tooth Fireman Derek’s is definitely the place for you.
Café Crème - 750 NE 125th St, North Miami, FL 33161
This French Bakery and Café in North Miami is the brainchild of Co-owners Corentin Finot and Chef Claude Postel, founders and former owners of Buena Vista Deli. Supported by North Miami Community Redevelopment Agency’s Grants, they opened Café Crème right next door to the MOCA in 2016, attracted by the demographic diversity of the clientele, the accessibility of the location – parking is free and easy – and the development potential of the area. Created with the goal to serve fresh, tasty and affordable meals and drink, this homey cafe with a Parisian sidewalk feel offers terrific value-driven food and a culinary pedigree that reaches deep into France’s fine dining history. Corentin’s great grandfather was the director of French Champagne house Veuve Clicqot. While Chef Postel is a 2 Michelin Star Chef in Paris, the 7th generation of Chefs in his family and his great granduncle was the chocolate maker for the French Royal Family. Indulge yourself with their cookies, or with any other item from their menu, and you can be certain to be treated to an experience that provides not only high quality food at a reasonable value, but also a taste of the simple life and a skilled attention to quality and detail.
PHENOMENOM Cookies - 413 15th Street, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Our area is blessed with a plethora of delicious destinations, from coffee shops to ice cream parlors, from chocolate boutiques to specialty cafes. One of the newest addition to the local bakery scene is PHENOMENOM Cookies, a lively, grab-and-go dessert destination catering to locals, tourists on-the-go, and foodies seeking late-night munchies. They are open Sunday to Thursday from 12pm to 12am and Friday and Saturday from 12pm to 3am. The brainchild of 26-year-old owner and visionary, Chuck Woodard, PHENOMENOM Cookies marks the fourth South Florida location for the PHENOMENOM brand, known for its nitrogen ice cream and bake shops. PHENOMENOM cookies are made from scratch and baked fresh daily to perfection in-store. The mouthwatering cookies measure six-ounces each, with a distinctly gooey texture, thanks to a homemade secret batter recipe held close to home. Flavor options include classics such as Chocolate Chip and Sugar cookies, plus crowd favorites such as M&M-Oreo and S’mores. A tall glass of milk is required.
Chef Chloe and The Vegan Cafe - St Roch Market, 140 NE 39th St 2nd fl, Miami, FL 33137
Chef Chloe Coscarelli finally made her way to Miami, and in a sweet way. The only vegan chef to capture the top prize on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, she recently opened Chef Chloe and the Vegan Cafe within St. Roch Market food hall in the Miami Design District. She got into cooking at a young age thanks to her mom who is an amazing cook and baker, according to her. She grew up sitting on the kitchen counter watching her and when she went vegan, they veganized her family recipes together! An award-winning chef, successful entrepreneur, and best-selling cookbook author, today she gets inspiration from traveling or from non vegan things that she sees in the world. When creating her recipes, she does a lot of trials and errors, she tests like crazy until they pass the taste tester of a diehard carnivore! I am not vegan. I eat meat and dairy and pretty much everything. I tried Chef Chloe's Chocolate Chip Cookies and I must say they were one of the tastiest cookies I've had in a while. Guaranteed you will not miss the dairy.
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