by Melissa Puppo | October 22, 2024

Baked to Perfection: The Cookie Monsters of Florida

These Florida bakers are whipping up treats so good, one cookie won’t cut it.

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There’s something undeniably comforting about a fresh, warm cookie. No matter your age, it’s a bite of nostalgia. Whether you grew up baking them with loved ones or snuck pieces of raw cookie dough when no one was looking, cookies have always been a treat. It’s no surprise that this sweet love affair has blossomed into a booming scene of inventive bakeries across Florida, from the Capital City to Miami’s bustling streets. Meet five entrepreneurs who’ve turned their passion for baking into irresistible success stories and discover where you can snag your next fresh box.  

Night Owl Cookies

Miami
Andrew Gonzalez presents a Rainbow Over Bedrock cookie. Photography by Gabriel Gutierrez.

If the name Andrew Gonzalez sounds familiar, you’ve probably seen the first-generation Cuban American on Food Network’s “Chopped Sweets,” read about him in a Forbes “30 Under 30” list or have been lucky enough to savor a sweet from Night Owl Cookies. Considered the original cookie baker in Miami, Gonzalez’s claim to cookie fame began in 2012 as a self-described “lost college student” who whipped up batches of cookies in his family’s kitchen. But long gone are the days of using a stand mixer; the solopreneur and his team of 170 employees now churn out thousands of cookies daily across his eight Florida locations—with another eight along the way. Each store is a vibrant, playful nod to his personality, complete with “spill tea, not milk” signage and table counters featuring real rainbow sprinkles.

“When I started Night Owl, I wanted the flavors to really embody my childhood and the nostalgia, like Fruity Pebbles and Oreos,” said Gonzalez. His first creation was the OG chocolate chip—a warm, slightly underbaked cookie loaded with chocolate. But Gonzalez doesn’t stop there. From the Ave Maria (guava cookie dough mixed in with crunchy Maria cookies and drizzled with cream cheese frosting) to the Dirty Diana (signature chocolate dough stuffed with Nutella), his imagination knows no limits. He’s even whipped up a chicken-and-waffles flavored cookie using Publix chicken tenders and attempted a Doritos-infused dough for “420 Day,” an ode to the “official stoner holiday.”

Night Owl Cookie serves fun flavors like Frosted Sugar Daddy, Dirty Diana and Kelce Mix (Taylor’s Version). Photography courtesy of Gabriel Gutierrez.

Reflecting on his journey brings Gonzalez back to baking with his mom and grandmother, often leaving him emotional. “My long-term goal is to consistently deliver the best products and make the guests feel as great as possible,” he said.


Andrew Gonzalez’s shared his recipe for Cinnamon Toast Crunch maple cookies

Gideon’s Bakehouse

Orlando
Steve Lewis combines his love for the weird and the curious with his passion for desserts. Photography courtesy of Gideon’s Bakehouse.

Ask a Floridian about their favorite cookie, and Gideon’s Bakehouse will likely come up. Steve Lewis, the mastermind behind Gideon’s, opened his first shop in 2016 at East End Market in Orlando. Since then, his cookies have been hailed as the best cookie by top publications. His second location at Disney Springs is equally beloved, drawing crowds for its iconic “almost half-pound cookies.” “I fancied myself a mad scientist as a child and always had fun experimenting,” Lewis recalled. “It took me 15 years to perfect my chocolate chip cookie recipe. If I had any training, it might’ve taken just 15 days.”

Stepping into Gideon’s Bakehouse feels like entering another world. The decor, with original Gideon’s universe character illustrations, pays homage to its mysterious namesake. Lewis found inspiration for the shop’s name when he discovered an 1898 cookbook filled with notes and sketches, with only the name of a young boy named Gideon, who dreamed of becoming a baker. Moved by this, Lewis named his bakery to honor that forgotten dreamer.

Gideon’s Bakehouse is known for their half-pound cookies. Photography courtesy of Gideon’s Bakehouse.

While Gideon’s OG chocolate chip is a best-seller, locals tend to favor the pistachio toffee chocolate chip. Limited edition flavors like the sea turtle cookie and the peanut butter cold brew cookie also create high demand. Lewis’ favorite? Banana bread chocolate chip, what he called “a love letter to the 10-year-old me.” While he doesn’t believe in being the best, he and his 180 employees always put their best foot forward, inventing the most wow-worthy cookies with equally impressive ingredients. “Coming to Gideon’s is an event,” he said. “Our team cares more about talking with you than selling you things. Gideon’s is a vibe. Gideon’s is a community, and none of it is manufactured.” 


La Gringuita

Palm Beach
Caroline McGinley shows off her products outside Whole Foods Market. Photography courtesy of Your Artsy Hub.

What happens when an American teacher living in Uruguay craves a little taste of home? She starts baking chocolate chip cookies to share with her colleagues. “I wasn’t really doing anything too crazy initially,” shared Caroline McGinley. “I was just baking normal desserts, stuff that my mom would make me or that I grew up having.” But it didn’t take long for her to get creative, stuffing her baked goods, posting her treats on Instagram and selling her bake-from-frozen cookie dough around her neighborhood—all while navigating life in a new country and a new language. That’s how La Gringuita was born, a nod to her experience as a foreigner abroad. 

When the pandemic forced McGinley back to Palm Beach County in 2020, she brought her passion and momentum, selling her frozen quarter-pound stuffed cookie dough at local markets. Her flavors range from the classic Brown Buttah with sea salt to stuffed creations, like El Churro Chocolate Soufflé, and her personal favorite, The Jammy—a vanilla cookie stuffed with mixed berry jam that, as she put it, “tastes like a hug.” 

El Churro Chocolate Soufflé cookie stuffed with dulce de leche. Photography courtesy of Your Artsy Hub.

Today, over 30 stores carry her cookie dough—17 of those at Whole Foods, with more coming soon. Last year, she expanded into a 400-square-foot kitchen in West Palm Beach’s Warehouse District, even taking over the neighboring bay to house her walk-in freezer—allowing her to mix a few hundred pounds of cookie dough in a single day. When asked about the best compliment she could receive, McGinley said, “It’s when someone says, ‘This reminds me of a time with my grandpa’ or a childhood memory,” she shares. “It’s that nostalgia, even though my cookies are more elevated and unique than what you might have grown up with. It’s about bringing back those feel-good memories.” 


Brother Cookie

Gainesville 
Thomas Tarrant, owner of Brother Cookie. Photography courtesy of Thomas Tarrant.

With flavors like iced carrot cake and lemon white chocolate, it’s hard to resist Brother Cookie. Owner Thomas Tarrant launched the business during the pandemic to stay afloat after losing his job at a cafe. A cookie business seemed like the perfect fit, operating first from his home before moving into a brick-and-mortar location near the University of Florida. With just three employees, Tarrant’s vision for Brother Cookie has always been about more than just baking. “The name felt warm and welcoming,” he said. “It reflects an important aspect of the business for me—responsibility, especially toward my employees. From the very beginning, I made it a priority to compensate them fairly. When I came up with the name, I envisioned the logo, and everything just clicked.” 

Tarrant experiments with gourmet cookie flavors like the mango tajin cookie, which gives a spicy kick to the sweet dough. Photography courtesy of Thomas Tarrant.

Now, his small-batch cookies sell out daily, with crowd favorites like brown butter, chocolate chunk and roasted walnut and the classic chocolate chip in constant rotation. Tarrant isn’t afraid to get inventive either, whipping up flavors like the mango and tajin and rosemary balsamic fig, which is now a mainstay on the menu. Beyond the delicious treats, Tarrant is committed to giving back, donating a portion of profits to causes like UNICEF and Equality Florida. At Brother Cookie, it’s not just about the cookies—it’s about creating a sense of community and connection. 


Mo Cookies

Tallahassee

College life thrives on caffeine, late-night study sessions and the irresistible allure of a sweet snack. Muhammed “Mo” Khalil knew this all too well when he set his sights on the perfect customer base to launch a cookie delivery service to satisfy those midnight cravings. After a stint at the University of Florida, Khalil took the business back home to Tallahassee, opening Mo Cookies on Tennessee Street near Florida State University. Their best-seller is the signature classic chip cookie, which Khalil described as “crisp on the outside and doughy in the middle.” New York City’s famed Levain Bakery cookie inspired the creation. “I never had a cookie like that before, but I wanted to make it my own,” he recalled. 

Today, his bake shop churns out a range of indulgent cookies, from standard to signature and premium, each more decadent than the last. Tallahassee locals love options like cookies and cream—a chocolate chip cookie packed with Oreos—or the Freshman 15, a chocolate chip cookie stuffed with Nutella and drizzled with sweetened condensed milk. His specials rotate monthly while infusing seasonal, limited editions into the mix, like a game-day special paying homage to the Seminoles’ garnet and gold. Khalil’s ambition doesn’t stop there—he’s got his sights on five more locations, with two set to open in Boca Raton and Tampa. As Khalil put it, it’s either “Mo cookies or no cookies.”