Tucked along Aurora Pike in Preston County, The Carriage House Bakery & Foods is small bakery and café is a relatively new addition to the area, opening in 2024 as a family-run business rooted in local heritage. The bakery sits on a property tied to the owners’ family history (once home to a grist mill, store, and post office), and the space is meant to feel like a gathering place for both locals and travelers passing through the area. The building looks like a modern farmhouse that blends seemlessly into the property. The outdoor space features rocking chairs, and the interior is simple but rustic-chic. They serve house-made pastries like croissants, cinnamon rolls, donuts, and cakes alongside coffee, tea, and simple breakfast and lunch items such as sandwiches, quiche, and salads. The focus is on fresh, in-house baking and approachable grab-and-go food, with gluten-free options available as well. The breakfast sandwich here is straightforward and built for consistency: egg with either bacon, sausage, or European-style bacon on a brioche bun or English muffin, with a gluten-free option available. It's a classic, no-frills bakery sandwich—moderate in size, reasonably priced, and designed for grab-and-go rather than indulgence. It's a solid, traditional breakfast sandwich that fits the setting—fresh, approachable, and more about reliability than reinventing the format. Have you been? Grade: A

This & That Bakery in Morgantown (well, technically Granville) delivers delicious goodies like macarons and pepperoni rolls fresh from the oven. "Annie, Becky, and Molly are self-taught bakers who have a lifetime of experience baking and cooking for friends and family, and as cottage-law bakers in WV for almost 15 years," reads the website. Their signature pepperoni rolls, offered in regular, banana-pepper, jalapeño, and seasonal ramp flavors — are baked in garlic-herb bread with olive oil and deli pepperoni. More options include artisan loaves, assorted bagels, savory scones, focaccia, and even tomato-ricotta tarts. Sweet treats include cupcakes, cakes, brownies and more. I enjoyed a solid pepperoni roll and a variety of other traits that were all just as tasty. Have you been? Grade: A

Cupcake Me Home Bakery + Café in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, sometimes operates as a small pop-up vendor, with cupcakes and other goodies brought to local events and markets. I had tried their cupcakes once before in Morgantown but was excited to check out their brick-and-mortar location, which is home to a silent book club and features locally roasted coffee, bakery items, cakes and lunch food. Soft lighting and cozy seating give it a homey vibe, making it a relaxing spot to sip coffee or enjoy a pastry. They have space for other local products, so I'll have to stop back when they're in stock. I ordered a frozen hot chocolate, which is one of my all-time favorite drinks. It blends the rich, chocolatey flavor of traditional hot chocolate with ice to create a cold, slushy treat. It’s made by combining milk, chocolate syrup or cocoa, sugar, and ice in a blender until smooth, then topped with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. The result is creamy, sweet, and indulgent — like a chocolate milkshake with the deep, comforting flavor of hot cocoa. The coffee cake was really moist and soft, with a buttery flavor that made each bite feel fresh and homemade. The cinnamon-sugar topping added a nice touch of sweetness and warmth without being too much. It just disappeared way too fast.



Grade: A

Kanawha Valley's newest bakery is causing quite a "stirr." Get it? In a good way! Batter & Bliss Baking Co., located in Campbells Creek, is a small, homegrown shop that is churning out as many sweet treats as they possibly can to hordes of hungry customers. They specialize in a variety of donuts, cookies, made-to-order custom cakes and other sweet treats. Their "mad dog" is especially sought after, which is a long donut stuffed with cream. Founder Rylee Vealey began baking at age 14— starting with a lemon-curd cupcake for her stepdad—and eventually turned her passion into a bakery business. She pursued her dream seriously in 2024, launching the storefront to local fans and customers. There's a reason people wait in line - in the rain - for the shop to open. Every item is so tasty that they can sell out quickly. If you have your heart set on a mad dog, you'll want to be at the front of that line. In fact, they even put a limit on them - thankfully, because on the day I went, the couple in front of me was fully prepared to clean out the case. I was fortunate they enforced the limit so I was able to try it. The donuts are incredibly fresh with a perfect balance of cream and soft, chewy texture - easily one of the best around. Their rotating cupcakes, like Wedding Cake and Red Velvet Oreo, are moist, flavorful, and topped with rich, creative frostings. The honey bun slice offers a comforting swirl of subtle sweetness, making it a satisfying treat without being too heavy. Have you been? Grade: A

Bite Me Bakery is a small town bakery with big flavors. Located in Wheeling, the Market Street shop serves up "Classic Family Recipes with a Twist." From cookies and cakes to macarons and donuts, Bite Me Bakery whips up a plethora of baked goods. I snagged a sampler of a few things to take home and try. First up: macarons. I know these are difficult to make, so I am always excited when I see them available for sale. These were a nice version with a few different flavors. A littke on the extra sweet side. A blueberry mini loaf was lovely. As was an almond croissant. Grade: A

Page's Sourdough is a home bakery based in Sumerco. I recently placed an order with her to try it out. I ordered a sourdough flight, which contained four mini loaves of different flavored sourdough: original, asiago, Italian herb & cheese, and cinnamon & brown sugar. All that plus a sourdough pizza pinwheel. I dipped this one in marinara! Have you tried any of these baked goods? Grade: A

Bake My Day is a macaron shop in Nitro. I've enjoyed macarons from Bake My Day prior to them having a storefront, so I knew I was in for a treat.



"We don’t just have macarons! Stop by for a cup of coffee, check out our huge free selection of used books, and browse goods and wares from local WV vendors! We also host monthly beginner crochet classes, have macaron making parties, live music, a monthly plant swap, arts and crafts events, and much more! We’re a great place if you want to come hang out with friends, find a quiet place to work on your laptop or have a meeting, and we even host private parties!" reads the website.



French macarons are an art, and they are a practice in precision. So, I'm always impressed when people can get that perfectly chewy interior. Signature flavors here include chocolate, bananas foster, caramel macchiato, coconut, cookies & cream, dreamsicle, funfetti, lavender lemonade, lemon, peanut butter & jelly, pistachio, strawberry, plus plenty more seasonal flavors.



I have enjoyed peanut butter & jelly, funfetti and cookies & cream most recently. Just a slight crisp and then chewy interior. Plus feet (the little edges) are key to good ones.



This shop also carries other goodies from home bakers, like Tastes Like Heaven cotton candy. Doesn't cotton candy just always feel like a treat? I'm used to only enjoying it at special events so this makes everything feel a bit more special.



Grade: A

I found a hidden gem in Frankford, West Virginia. This small community in Greenbrier County is home to Good Roads Bakehouse.



They are a small-batch country bakery and trade post with everything from cookies and pastries to breads and brownies.



And they must be doing something right because they were named to Taste of the South Magazine's 2022 Taste 50 list.



When I made my way here and found a parking spot in the gravel lot, I went inside to find a long line had already beat me there.



But, that gave me more time to peruse the offerings. I pointed to everything that caught my eye - a quiche, a brownie, a pastry - you get the idea.



One bite, and I could see why everyone is clamoring to this place. They have classics, but they're done well. Fresh and flavorful.



They even have pizza and pepperoni rolls, the latter of which are pretty tasty, though I haven't had a chance to try the former.



They even had a unique version of a pepperoni roll - a brisket kolache - that was quite good. Same concept with meat baked into a soft roll - but a new spin (at least for this area).



Grade: A