Jersey Shore home bakers are making cookies, cupcakes and more for the holidays

Holiday desserts used to come from one of two places: the local bakery or your own kitchen.

These days, there is another option: home bakers. New Jersey began allowing the sale of home-baked goods in 2021, and since then, more than 1,000 home-based bakers have secured the cottage food operator permit that allows them to sell their cookies, cakes, pies and more.

If you'd like to order from a home baker this season, here are five at the Shore — and the holiday treats they'll be making.

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Little Momma's Sweet Shop, Keansburg

Barbara Fernandez's journey to owning her own baking business began with helping her grandmother, a private caterer.

"I actually started making chocolate-dipped items when I was 12 years old — chocolate lollipops and chocolate peanuts ... and truffles and coconut eggs," said Fernandez, who today bakes cookies, hot chocolate bombs, chocolate-dipped pretzels, loaf breads, donuts, muffins and cinnamon rolls, among other treats.

The Keansburg mom of five has long baked and cooked for friends and family before opening her home-based bakery, Little Momma's Sweet Shop.

For the holidays, she is making holiday boxes of brownies, cookies and pretzels; do-it-yourself cookie-decorating kits; chocolate chip cookie cakes; a "Polar Express"-themed chocolate cupcake with hot chocolate frosting; and one of her best sellers, classic chocolate chip cookies ($2 to $75).

"I don't know what it is, I don't know if it's because I really have this huge passion for baking, but people come for my chocolate chip cookies," Fernandez said. "It's just a traditional chocolate chip cookie, and I'm so humbled by that."

Be sure to order early: Fernandez only accepts as many orders as will allow her to make everything to order.

"I take what I can in order to make sure everything is fresh," she said. "I really want people to feel like they’re walking into a bakery."

Go: Order via Instagram or Facebook.

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Mugsy's Baking Co., Tuckerton

If you've ordered a stuffed cookie, sticky bun or Pop Tart at The Union Market in Tuckerton, Guapo's Coffee House in Beach Haven or the Reynold's Market cafe in Stafford Township, chances are you've tasted Megan Barber's baking.

A high school culinary teacher by day, Barber bakes for Mugsy's Baking Co. by night. For the holidays, she will be making stuffed cookies in flavors like peppermint, cocoa and gingerbread, plus cinnamon rolls, do-it-yourself cookie-decorating kits, and gingerbread house-making kits ($4.50 to $35). She bakes gluten-free and vegan treats as well.

Barber started her business with cookie decorating, then began selling decorating kits on Etsy. Business exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic: She estimates she's shipped thousands of cookie kits across the country.

Go: Orders should be placed a week in advance, or two weeks for large orders; order at etsy.com/shop/mugsysbakingco; mugsysbaking.com.

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Eat S'More, Freehold Township

Danielle Busby's sweets business began with scratch-made marshmallows and graham crackers, then grew to includes s'mores pies, cookie sandwiches, marshmallow pops, cookies, cupcakes and hot cocoa bombs.

Hanukkah- and Christmas-themed boxes are filled with chocolate-covered pretzels, Oreos, chocolate gelt and candy canes ($50 to $60). Busby also offers a box of s'mores and cocoa bombs, too.

Busby's s'mores and hot cocoa board is piled with marshmallow-filled hot cocoa bombs, graham crackers, cookies, hot cocoa powder, Nutella, peanut butter, candy and more marshmallows in flavors like peppermint chocolate chip and cookie butter ($225, serves 12 to 16 people). Her sprinkle cookies and cocoa bombs can be decorated for both Hanukkah and Christmas ($25 to $42).

Go: Order deadline for Hanukkah is Tuesday, Dec 5. Order deadline for Christmas is Tuesday, Dec. 19; delivery and shipping available; order at eatsmorenj.com.

Eat My Cupcake, Barnegat

A self-taught baker who started out making allergy-friendly cupcakes, cookies and cakes for her young daughters, Jennifer Ennas-Ludewig now runs a burgeoning baking business out of her home.

Shoppers at Lenny's Colonial Ranch Market in Point Pleasant Borough and Ram Cafe in Howell might recognize her generously frosted cupcakes, which are available there on Thursdays. They can be ordered in holiday boxes alongside her chocolate chip cookies ($50, half a dozen of each).

Cupcakes will be baker's choice, Ennas-Ludewig said, in flavors like red velvet, chocolate peppermint, Christmas Funfetti, cookies and cream, and Boston cream, all with Christmas decorations.

Ennas-Ludewig, who can make her treats vegan and gluten-free, also bakes cupcakes filled with raspberry, chocolate mousse and Boston cream, among other flavors, and crusted with graham crackers, Oreo and gingerbread.

A fun note: Ennas-Ludewig is currently in the running for "Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro's "The Greatest Baker" competition.

Go: Order by Thursday, Dec. 14, at instagram.com.eat_my_cupcake_ or facebook.com/eatmycupcakebyjen. Find Eat My Cupcake pop-ups at Riv's Toms River Hub on Thursday, Dec. 7, and Stafford PTO's Chef's Tour on Saturday, Dec. 9; eat-my-cupcake.com.

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Evengrow Sourdough, Lacey

Amber Reilly didn't start baking sourdough bread with the thought of turning it into a business.

She taught herself after learning that the bread, while not gluten-free, is often tolerated well by people who are, thanks to the fermentation process required to make it. So, she got baking.

"It turns out I can eat it, and I fell in love with the process," Reilly said.

Through Evengrow Sourdough, which Reilly launched after a year of baking and learning bread, she offers home pickups of her bread, scones and chocolate chip cookies, all made from sourdough ($10 to $15).

She has done pop-ups at Pies on Nine South in Lacey, which offers specials made with her bread; The Local Market & Kitchen in Ship Bottom; and Runaway Farm in Berkeley Township.

For the holidays, "I always have my classic (sourdough bread) on the menu. Garlic rosemary is another big one, and then for this month, I was thinking of cranberry orange and maybe chocolate cherry," she said.

Reilly changes her scone flavors, too, and is planning on mocha for the holiday season.

Go: Christmas orders will be taken from Friday, Dec. 8, to Friday, Dec. 22; order at instagram.com/evengrow_sourdough.

Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to sgriesemer@gannettnj.com, follow on Instagram at Jersey Shore Eats and subscribe to our Jersey Shore Eats newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: New Jersey home bakers make cookies, cupcakes for the holidays