Gideon's Bakehouse has entered soft opening mode today, December 23, at Disney Springs! The "official" Grand Opening will be after the New Year. We were there for the soft opening and spoiler alert - Gideon's bakes the most delicious cookies in the world!
When we arrived at Gideon's at 10:15 AM (they opened at 10 AM) there was already a three hour wait! We knew it would be worth it so we put our name on the virtual waitlist and spent some time shopping around Disney Springs. At 1:06 we received our text to return and we couldn't wait.
Gideon's Bakehouse's new location is in The Landing across from Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar at Disney Springs. Upon arrival you can see the intricate details and dark doors (could this be foreshadowing) leading into the bakery.
Once inside you are transported to a gothic bakery that is so intriguing and mysterious that you want to immediately know the story behind the bakery. Gideon's asks you to say hello to a new cast of odd characters framed on the wall that will watch you as you wait in line. There's so much in this little space that you can't possibly take it all in on the first visit. From odd characters on the wall to the thousands of antique books behind the checkout counters, your eyes just constantly searching for an answer to this mysterious and delightful bakery's backstory.
On to the whole reason we are here - the food! Gideon’s is best known for their almost half-pound cookies (yes, you read that right, half-pound cookies) and cakes. Gideon’s has an expanded menu of cookie and cake slices available and has added their own line of unique iced coffees, like the Original Peanut Butter Cold Brew. They also have limited edition cookie flavors during special daily releases.
We decided to try the original chocolate chip, Santa's White Christmas (a holiday flavor) and the most talked about cookie, the coffee cake cookie. The Bakehouse previously announced that their very popular Coffee Cake Cookie (previously only available one month a year) will be on sale every morning. We also tried the ginger snap cold brew made with oatmilk and locally roasted.
Please note there is a limit of six cookies per guest. It was also announced that there will be a Hot Cookie Hour each evening for those looking for a sweet treat after dinner.
When checking out we noticed this incredibly interesting fire feature in front of the registers. It doesn't release any heat but really does play into the theme of the bakery as these naughty treats are very sinfully delicious.
We made our way home to experience the cookies out of the heat. We tried the original chocolate chip cookie first and I have to say if you like chocolate chips this cookie is for you! I also loved the texture to the cookies as they taste almost like cookie dough (although fully cooked.)
Santa's White Christmas was equally delicious with a vanilla and nutty flavor and a hint of coconut in some bites. The chef stated that they also grind white coffee beans to add to the cookie. The cookie is surrounded in white chocolate chips, coarse sea salt, and edible glitter that makes the cookie sparkle!
I saved the best for last with the Coffee Cake Cookie! The Disney Springs exclusive cookie is a vanilla bean cookie filled with the cinnamon strudel you would usually find in a coffee cake. It is then topped with butter crumbs giving it a decadent crunch. I couldn't stop eating the cookie. I am actually dreaming of another one and trying to plan when I want to leave the house to stop by and grab one (or two) more.
So a little fact about me, I LOVE coffee. I don't travel the world looking for new roasted flavors but if I could choose one drink that I had to live on for the rest of my life it would be coffee. So I HAD to try Gideon's nitro cold brew on tap.
Everyone was buzzing about the Original Peanut Butter Iced Coffee but I unfortunately am not a big peanut butter fan (I know I know we can talk about it later.) I went with the ginger snap cold brew. Let me tell you this was the best coffee I have ever had in my entire life! It tasted like gingerbread cookies had been pulverized and sprinkled in my coffee. Every sip was spicy like gingerbread and smooth and decadent and I could go on and on. Now my normal daily coffee pales in comparison.
We didn't try the cake slices (yet!) But the scratch made slices change daily. When we were there they had a red velvet with cream cheese frosting, a cake that tasted like a caramel latte according to the chef and a peanut butter cup cake. They all looked equally delicious and over the top and I can't wait to try one next visit!
Overall, Gideon's Bakehouse is my favorite addition to Disney Springs in a VERY long time. The mysterious bakery almost makes you feel like you're in a secret club when you enter and then you are greeted with the most delicious and out-of-this-world sweets! I can't wait to return!