“Every day is a holiday at Oakmont Bakery,” says owner Marc Serrao. “And if it’s not, we make it one.”
Pittsburgh’s favorite bakery is always celebrating something! Whether it’s the Royal Wedding with lemon and elderflower cake, the 4th of July with red, white, & blue bagels, or special “Jack Cookies” for the tragic finale of “This Is Us,” Oakmont knows how dessert can transform anything into a celebration.
With so much going on, it can be hard to stay on top of Oakmont’s release schedule for all of their favorite products (pączki, anyone?) Below we have listed a season-by-season guide for tackling Oakmont Bakery, so you’ll never miss Farkleberry Cookie season again!
I̶f̶ when you visit Oakmont Bakery this year, we want to see your treats! Tag all of your pictures with #goodfoodpgh and @goodfoodpgh.
Your Guide to Seasonal Releases at Oakmont Bakery:
New Year’s Pretzels
When to get it: Starting at the end of December and running through the new year, Oakmont Bakery offers their famous New Year Pretzels. These massive Danish-like pretzels are made with a sweet dough and topped with a variety of icings. Popular flavors include: plain, raisin, raspberry, cinnamon, and cherry nut.
Pączki Season
When to get it: Oakmont fans wait all year to get their hands on these famous donuts!Pączki season at Oakmont Bakery runs from January 6 through Easter. Traditionally, these Polish donuts are enjoyed before the start of the lenten season. Oakmont’s pączki flavors include: coconut, maple-bacon, apple, blueberry, cherry, prune, “Oakmont cream,” and more!
King Cake
When to get it: To celebrate Mardi Gras, Oakmont sells their colorful King Cakes. These tasty cakes are available in store and online for preorder leading up to the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.
Irish Soda Bread
When to get it: To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day (March 17), Oakmont offers various green treats, as well as loaves of traditional Irish bread. The bread’s rough, golden-brown crust encases a dense, yet tender interior that is loaded with raisins!
St. Joseph’s Day Zeppoles
When to get it: On St. Joseph’s Day on March 19, Sicilians prepare an elaborate feast, known as La Festa di San Giuseppe, where Zeppoles are the signature item on the menu. To commemorate this holiday, Oakmont Bakery serves the traditional St. Joseph’s Day dessert, which is made with Choux pastry dough, filled with pastry cream, dusted with confectionery sugar, and topped with a cherry.
Paska Bread
When to get it: For the six weeks leading up to Easter, Oakmont offers Paska Bread. Paska is a flavorful Easter bread enjoyed in various Eastern European countries. Paska is made with milk, butter, eggs, flour, sugar, cream, and is often filled with raisins. The white of the bread represents the Holy Spirit.
National Donut Day
When to get it: Oakmont Bakery takes National Donut Day very seriously! On June 7, the stores offers all of your favorite varieties of this special treat. To commemorate the history of the doughboy donut (dating back to World War I), the bakery donates a dollar from every dozen donuts sold to the Salvation Army on National Donut Day.
Oakmont Bakery Carnival
When to get it: During the last weekend in July, Oakmont Bakery celebrates “Carnival Weekend” and offers a limited release of a few of their most-popular seasonal treats from throughout the year. Treats include: caramel apples, New Years Pretzels, pączki, and the beloved “Farkleberry Cookies.”
Shark Week
When to get it: Check out these jawsome cupcakes! To celebrate Shark Week, Oakmont has offered special shark cupcakes for the past two years during Discovery Channel’s Shark Week.
Pumpkin Everything
When to get it: There is no such thing as too much pumpkin! Oakmont Bakery officially celebrates the start of pumpkin season during the first weekend in October, but you can actually start getting pumpkin treats at the store starting after Labor Day. Just a few of the pumpkin-flavored treats you can expect include: biscotti, donuts, muffins, cakes, and special pumpkin pie cold brew coffee!
Holiday Farkleberry Cookies
When to get it: The legendary Farkleberry Cookies at Oakmont Bakery are available throughout the month of December. These cookies were invented by KDKA in the early 1970s to raise money for the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Free Care Fund. Since then, Oakmont Bakery has adopted the cookie, but continues to donate a portion of the sales to the Children’s Hospital. Support a good cause while enjoying these special holiday cookies which feature a soft, orange-flavored cookie combined with dried cranberries and white chocolate chips.
Other popular holiday treats available during December include: Yule Logs, Sweet Rolls, cookie trays, and Rum Torte.
What is your favorite treat at Oakmont Bakery? Leave it in the comments below!
Susan Cain says
That’s like picking your favorite child! But I never leave without a peanut butter and jelly donut, along with at least 2 full bags of goodies. Hey, you might get stuck in traffic and starve to death.
Irvin Kauffman says
I LIKE YOUR STUFF!!!