Spotlight on: Gideon’s Bakehouse at Disney Springs

Guests with a sweet tooth are in luck – Disney Springs is full of delectable bakeries, candy shops and dessert spots that offer up some of the most tempting sweet treats in Walt Disney World.  

Amorette’s Patisserie in Town Center serves up yummy cakes and other dessert specialties that are as beautiful as they are delicious. The Ganachery at The Landing is a chocolate lover’s dream, with its handcrafted treats that are perfect for indulging or as a gift for a loved one. Erin McKenna’s Bakery NYC offers sweet eats that you’ll never know are vegan and gluten-free.  

One of the sweet spots that we are eager to try on our next trip to Walt Disney World is Gideon’s Bakehouse at The Landing, which we’ve heard will forever change our perception of the humble chocolate chip cookie.  

Today, we shine the spotlight on Gideon’s Bakehouse, which I suspect will become our new Disney Springs addiction!

What’s In a Name

We love the story behind the name of this beloved bakery. It seems that the owner of the shop, Steve Lewis, came across a cookbook from 1898 at an estate sale years ago.

The name written at the back of the book was “Gideon”, and in the margins, there were notes scribbled by a young boy who apparently dreamed of becoming a baker (think: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but the sweet tooth version).

Lewis decided to honor the mysterious Gideon by naming the bakery after him. While the very first Gideon’s Bakehouse opened back in 2016 at East End Market in Audubon Park, the flagship location in Disney Springs didn’t open until January 2021.

Theming

As befits its Victorian origins, the interior of Gideon’s Bakehouse is equal parts antique library and spooky oddity museum. Lewis imagined what little Gideon’s ideal bakery might look like, and took inspiration from Disney’s Haunted Mansion attraction and the artwork of Edward Gorey, who illustrated books like Dracula and The War of the Worlds.  

If like me, your perfect day would be spent curled up in a magnificent-and-possibly-haunted old library reading books and eating cookies, you may find it hard to leave! 

Cast iron lanterns dangle from aged ceiling boards and worn wooden bookcases wrap wall-to-wall around the room, groaning with the weight of the books and curiosities that adorn them.  

A creepy steampunk-style family portrait gallery hangs on one wall, and the dividers that direct traffic flow look like the ornate fencing you’ve seen outside the haunted house in, well, every single horror movie ever filmed.

It’s a feast for the eyes, but of course, you’ve come here for a different kind of feast. So let’s move on to the main attraction!

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

Not many people would labor for 15 years to create the perfect chocolate chip cookie, but that’s exactly what the genius creator behind Gideon’s Bakehouse did, and we salute his perseverance!  

Each cookie weighs about half a pound and takes a full 20 hours to create. That’s almost a full day. To make each and every cookie. (We’re relieved the bakers here have the patience and self-restraint of saints, because if it was left up to us, that cookie dough would never make it to cookie form.)

So what makes the Original Chocolate Chip Cookie at Gideon’s Bakehouse so life-changing? The verdict seems to be that it’s a combination of the many different vanilla-infused chocolates used in the process, and the texture itself, which is reminiscent of cookie dough. Say no more, we’re sold!

Other Cookies

While Gideon’s claim to fame is the Original Chocolate Chip Cookie, the bakehouse has branched out to offer a variety of other flavors.  Guests can indulge in the Cookies & Cream Cookie (likened to an Oreo milkshake), Peanut Butter Crunch Cookie, Triple Chocolate Chip Cookie, and Pistachio Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookie.  

There are also limited-edition flavors – like the Coffee Cake Cookie and Dark Coffee Cake Cookie – available at certain times of the day until they sell out.  

Finally, you might encounter a seasonal flavor depending on the month, like the Frankenstein Cookie at Halloween.

…And More

Just to make your dessert decision more difficult, cake slices are also available at Gideon’s Bakehouse (but remember, there’s no shame in a meal comprised solely of cookies and cake!). The flavors rotate, so you’ll have to come in to see what’s on offer any given day.  

You might find Key Lime Pie Cake, Chocolate Churro Cake, Andes Mint Cookies and Cream Cake, or other mouth-watering versions.

And then there are the Limited Double Frosted Slices that double up on the buttercream and come in a variety of flavors (sign me up, please). Guests can also grab a range of cold brew options that have been created to pair perfectly with all that sweetness.

Rules

If you think “bakery” and “rules” should never, ever be used in the same sentence, you’re not alone. However, Gideon’s cookies have proven wildly popular!  

To make sure that all Guests are able to enjoy a bite or two of cookie heaven, and because the bakehouse can only store a limited number of freshly made cookies at once, there’s a strict 6-cookie limit per person in the store.

But since each cookie is massive and could feed numerous people, the 6-cookie limit really isn’t that unreasonable.

Bottom Line

There’s no shortage of options for foodies at Walt Disney World, and Disney Springs is the perfect place for a sweet snack or dessert. 

One of the newest sweet eateries is Gideon’s Bakehouse, which you may just want to visit multiple times on your WDW trip so you can sample all of its tasty magic!