The Era of the $9 Sweet Treat in NYC Has Begun…

I have news that pains me to say: the era of the $9 sweet treat in NYC has begun.

New York has always been expensive. But turbulent tariffs, sky-high egg prices, and rising dairy costs have added fuel to the fire and the cost of baked goods has gone through the roof. Sub-$5 desserts and pastries are few and far between, and good luck making it out of a bakery without being at least $10 poorer.

I’ve been out of the city for nearly a year, and last week I simply couldn’t help myself from shelling out the big bucks at some of the city’s best bakeries.

I spent $9 for a sweet treat in NYC on 3 different occasions in 1 week, and I’m going to let you know if they were #worthit…

1. Cinnamon Roll from Red Gate Bakery, $9.50

Red Gate Bakery is a cozy East Village spot that opened it’s brick and mortar doors in 2019. Owner Greg Rales knows what he is doing, both as a baker and as a businessman. The core menu features familiar favorites with elevated twists. Cardamondoodle cookies, salted caramel brownies, and homemade oreos are just some of the items on offer.

But what keeps people lining up for Red Gate Bakery again and again is the leverage of scarcity.

You can only get their classic cinnamon buns on Wednesday and Thursday. And each weekend, they will whip out a totally unique cake and totally unique cinnamon bun that they might not ever recreate again. Last weekend there was a Peachy Corn Cake and Corn Buns. The week before it was a Cherry Garcia Slice and Cherry Vanilla Swirl bun. If you can only get something once, there’s never the, “Well, maybe next week...” conversation.

We popped in on a Thursday, just on a whim, and left with one of their OG Cinnamon buns in hand. For $9.50, my expectations were through the roof.

The outside of the bun had a slight crispiness, and the inside was mega ooey gooey with a hefty coating of cinnamon and sugar on each layer. The dough itself had a bold, yeasty flavor and soft mouthfeel, and the brown butter cream cheese icing with a drizzle of “cinnygoo” took it all over the edge.

Is it worth it?!: YES!

2. Sour Cherry Chocolate Almond Croissant from Radio Bakery, $9

Radio Bakery took the New York bakery scene by storm when it opened it’s doors in 2023. People went absolutely rabid for the inventive pastries and expertly crafted breads. Lines down the block were more common than not, and it wasn’t unheard of for the wait to be longer than an hour. Two years later, and Radio Bakery is just as popular as it was when it opened. In fact, they have even opened up a second locale in Prospect Heights.

Tip: to avoid long lines, avoid weekends!

I’ve been at least 6 times, and I must admit, Radio Bakery is worth the hype. I particularly like the tomato and garlic focaccia and earl grey morning bun. Most of their pastries are in the $5-$8 range, but on a recent visit I simply couldn’t pass up the sour cherry, almond, and chocolate croissant for a whopping $9.

The croissant itself was perfect. It was beautifully laminated with a crispy exterior and soft, buttery layers, and I loved the subtle chocolate flavor. The filling had big pieces of juicy, sour cherries layered in with a sweet almond paste. Each of the three components were worthy of being a headlining star. But something I’ve learned from my years in the arts is that not all soloists work well as an ensemble. It felt like the flavor components were competing for attention rather than working together. I think the cherry and almond filing in a plain croissant would be fabulous. Or perhaps we should boot out the almond and leave the chocolate and cherry to do their thing. Not to mention, it was unbelievably rich and all I needed was a couple bites.

Was it worth it?!: I enjoyed trying it, but $9 is far too steep for the final product when there are so many other delectable pastries to try!

(Get the rundown on more Greenpoint eats HERE!)

3. Carrot Cake from Billy’s Bakery, $9

Billy’s Bakery is a mom and pop style shop serving up a wide variety of cakes, brownies, and cookies. While there are dozens of sweet treats that are sure to tickle your taste buds, I frequent Billy’s Bakery for one thing only: the carrot cake.

It’s the perfect carrot cake. The texture isn’t too fine, and you can see reasonably sized pieces of carrot and coconut. There’s plenty of pecans to add crunch, and just enough pineapple to add moisture. The cream cheese icing is thick and decadent. Back in the day, there used to be two layers of cream cheese frosting. But also back in the day it used to be $7 a slice instead of $9.