Vanilya

Found this place by surprise on a late Friday night (it was still open). Delicious (chocolate mousse!) and reasonably priced dessert. My friend and I also had a little chat with the lovely owners of the place and seeing how hardworking they are –and how delicious my dessert was– makes me want to go back next time I’m in Philly. Strongly recommend.

Yummm! Support local and make sure you support Vanilya! I have had numerous treats from here and have no reason to complain. Everything is fresh and delicious and there is usually a nice variety. Great addition to East Passyunk!

I don’t often write reviews on here, but I just consumed what i think are possibly the two best cookies I’ve ever tasted, and I thought this place deserves some praise! I stopped in earlier and got the chocolate chip and the mudslide cookie — OMG! Moist, chewy, perfect texture and absolutely bursting with flavor. Chocolate was so flavorful without being overpowering. Cookies are also huge and I have an equally delicious portion for the morning! I purchased them earlier from what I imagine was the owner/​chef, and she couldn’t have been nicer and was really proud of her baked goods, which I appreciate as a cooking/​baking enthusiast myself! The only thing more beautifully decorated than the store itself were the little pies and tarts for sale. Can’t wait to return and try some more of these delicious pastries!

Vanilya is a perfect addition to the Passyunk Square area. It’s a lovely, welcoming space with awesome owners. We had the Moccachino and Chocolate Mousse cakes (which ran about $ 5 ea which is very reasonable) and they were absolutely fabulous. So impressed with the texture and flavor. Many baked goods out there are too sweet but these were totally perfect. We’ll be back for more, for sure! Only wish they were open more during the week to satisfy my constant sweet tooth!

OVER. THE. TOP! I love this bakery and the magically talented Bonnie who brings cake visions to life! She over delivered on my best friends 30^th Birthday cake and I couldn’t have asked for more. Every guest, restaurant employee, every on looker and most importantly the birthday girl, were captivated by this cake! Bonnie responds quickly, is great with follow up and has a knack for taking what you are imagining and executing. It’s evident she loves what she does and loves her customers even more. If you have a cake dream or idea, bring it to Bonnie at Vanilya and I promise that you’ll be blown away with her end result.

Hands down the best cookies I’ve ever had, let alone in Philly. I’m big on the chocolate chip or mudslide. Bonnie is as sweet as her creations and has accommodated orders from 1 cookie to dozens. Fair prices, large cookies. I couldn’t be happier that this is in walking distance from my house!

I contacted Vanilya Bakery because I wanted a birthday cake for my niece’s 13^th birthday. I wanted something that looked good as well as tasted good.
I spoke with Bonnie and explained what I had in mind. She emailed me the cake flavors. Wow! There were cake flavor combinations already set or you could pick your own cake flavors and butter creams. Everything sounded so yummy, but I let my niece choose. She opted for the vanilla cake with the oreo icing.
Next, Bonnie went into great detail about decorating the cake. She wanted to know what her favorite colors were, if there was anything she liked that could be represented on the cake, etc. She sent me pictures of other cakes to see if anything caught my eye. After much deliberation, I chose a purple and green cake with polka dots.
The day of pick-​up, I was amazed. The cake looked beautiful, and I knew my niece would love it! Bonnie had added a «13» on top to make it even more special for my niece’s birthday.
As I said, I wanted something that both looked good as well as taste good. Bonnie did not disappoint on either end. The cake was moist and delicious. The oreo butter cream between the layers was perfect. Everybody at the party was talking about this cake!

This is definitely my go-​to sweets shop in South Philly. I live nearby, and stop in probably a little more frequently than I should! The owner is the sweetest lady that always greets me with a friendly smile. Her sweet confections have yet to disappoint. Whatever you do, don’t leave her shop without a cookie! My personal favorite is the Mudslide cookie. She also offers some great holiday special orders that are really reasonably priced. I got pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for Thanksgiving and they were vastly superior to the pumpkin pies that i have purchased and made in the past.

I went in for two treats and had a hard time choosing because everything in the case looked amazing. Bonnie couldn’t have been nicer, too. Vanilla Panacotta and Tiramisu were both incredible!

Bonnie is amazing! We were very particular about our wedding cake: all natural, no dyes, preservatives, nothing artificial, etc. She bakes from scratch anyway, so she was very accommodating. Bonnie also has a special «cake printer» that allows her to put edible images on a cake. So, we asked for many images of art from our artist friends to be put on the cake, framed in gold. Impossible? Not for her — and the cake was stunning and delicious. All our guests simply raved about it and said it was the most imaginative cake they’ve ever seen. It was also delicious…

Maybe this is unfair, but my day did not get off to a good start.
On the way home from center city I decided I’d get a pastry and decided to go to Vanilya instead of stopping by the Italian Market. According to Unilocal’s business page they open at noon today. So I went in a little after 2:30 and found that the dessert case was entirely empty except for one dessert which I didn’t want. The woman there (who I assume is the owner) said she got a «late start today.»
Fine, we all get late starts. But it’s so so annoying to go into a bakery two and a half hours after opening time only to find there’s not a goddamn thing you can purchase. Already this place is open only four days a week.
If you need more time to fill the case, don’t open your storefront. If you can’t get it done by opening time, maybe the opening time needs to be changed. I purposely avoided going to a place where I know I could have gotten something, just to try Vanilya. Now I’m at home, don’t want to travel anywhere else, and just won’t have anything at all. There’s nothing else to get around here besides cannoli. And Belle Cakery is also closed, probably for eternity at this point.
Also, the name «Vanilya» is really awful sounding. It reminds me of saying «Up in ya.»

«Your wait for an outdoor table will be 20 – 25 minutes. We’ll call you when it’s ready.» Ok… now what? Well duh– go to the bakery up the street and grab a giant cookie to share. And that’s exactly what we did. One GIANT chocolate chip cookie held 5 people over during our wait for dinner– and it was only $ 2.25! It was soft and chewy. The chocolate wasn’t purely milk chocolate, it had to have been a mix of milk and dark– or a higher cocoa percentage because it was decadent. We didn’t get anything else (since we were literally on our way to dinner) but those few bites each of us got to share were amazing. Next time I’m having a party, I’ll definitely go her for my sweets. :)

Yum yum! Great little bakery on Passyunk with a passionate and friendly owner.
They have a case of small desserts for $ 5 and cookies for less.
I had a peanut butter mouse with chocolate and it was awesome!!! Perfectly balanced flavor. Not overly sweet.
Will definitely be back to try some tiramisu or panna cotta! Very interested in whatever dessert had the candied butternut squash!

This place is absolutely divine! There is a flourless chocolate cake that is otherworldy and a chocolate caramel pot de crème that will knock your socks off. Other lighter and equally delicious options are a strawberry shortcake and a surprisingly light cheesecake. The owner, Bonnie, is as sweet as her confections. This is my go-​to for a decadent dessert. At $ 5 a pop, you can’t beat it. Her cookies also look good but I haven’t tried one yet. She also has made-​to-​order cakes that look beautiful.

I am a health nut with a crazy sweet tooth. This place is my go to reward spot!
I picked up 3 dozen cookies for a 4tth of July party and the cookies could not have been more of a hit! They were seriously gone and moments. People literally were grabbing them to go!
I have also picked up her petite cakes for dinner with friends and we fight over them with our forks. Her peanut butter mouse cake, and banana cream deliciousness, and strawberry shortcake is heaven!!! If you are not trying this place you are seriously missing out!

Vanilya is a new bakery on East Passyunk near the fountain that gets a big two thumbs up from me. They’re closed most of the week to the public, and specialize in personalized cakes and baked goods for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. But they’re open a couple days a week and have a case-​full of tempting delicious desserts! Options range from strawberry shortcake to chocolate mouse to petite cakes… and the huge and inexpensive cookies! The owner here is named Bonnie and she’s certainly a doll. If you’re in the area, and this place is open, you should certainly check it out!