Jumbo Triple Chocolate Cookies from Benny Dean’s Bakery
If you’ve been looking for a dedicated nut-free bakery in the Lehigh Valley, your waiting may be over.
Benny Dean’s Bakery, a delivery-only bakery owned by Jessica Dean of Hellertown, provides high-quality, home-baked sweets, all of which are baked by Dean in her own nut-free kitchen. Dean, who has a serious allergy to peanuts and tree nuts, is extremely mindful of keeping these allergens (as well as potentially cross-contaminated products) away from her kitchen, where she prepares delicious cookies, cupcakes and much more.
In 2020, Dean was struggling to find a nut-free cake for her son’s first birthday when she was struck by a life-changing idea: to open her own bakery.
“I have always cooked,” said Dean, “but I avoided dessert for years because of my allergy. Finding a nut-free cake for my son’s birthday was almost impossible.”
Dean decided to open her own nut-free baking establishment, using a combination of her maiden (Benowitz) and married (Dean) names to create the bakery’s name.
While the onset of the coronavirus pandemic caused a delay in the opening of Benny Dean’s, Jessica, whose office job hours were cut considerably short, took advantage of the opportunity to prepare for an eventual debut.
“I spent the first year playing around, having fun,” said Dean, who has since resumed her office manager position full-time in addition to managing the bakery. By December 2021 Dean had developed a full menu and her business took off, thanks to the running start she already had.
The menu may be free of nuts, but it’s full of bakery classics, including cupcakes by the dozen, cookies, chocolate-dipped Oreos and other sweet treats. According to Dean, fans of the up-and-coming bakery especially love the Oreo chunk cookies and snickerdoodle cupcakes she bakes. “We also carry a soy-based peanut butter substitute,” Dean added.
Orders can be placed via Facebook or Instagram: @bennydeansbakery.
Dean accepts all major credit cards, cash and Venmo as payment methods. An official website is currently in the works. Benny Dean’s Bakery can be reached directly at 267-371-0179 or be**************@gm***.com.
Look for Benny Dean’s at the Quakertown Farmers’ Market’s Spring Craft Fair on April 2.
