Crust Vegan Bakery about to get a whole lot sweeter

MANAYUNK (WPVI) -- At Crust Vegan Bakery, you can savor all kinds of scratch-made sweets, from cakes, bars, pop tarts to biscuits, brownies, classic cinnamon buns, scones and cookies.

The compost cookie is like a bucket of sweet and salty ingredients like marshmallows, chocolate chips, potato chips and coffee grounds.

And there are cheesecakes in a variety of flavors, including peanut butter and jelly.

Owner Meagan Benz grew up down South and started baking and selling vegan cakes in college.

With a degree in graphic design, she came to Philadelphia to work as a pastry chef at a vegan restaurant, with the goal of opening her own bakery.

She launched Crust Vegan Bakery a decade ago as a wholesale and catering kitchen. And then, when all of the bakery's events were cancelled at the start of the pandemic, Meagan decided to grow the business and open a storefront on Main Street in Manayunk.

She and her team, known as the Crusties, do the actual baking and decorating in a nearby kitchen.

Crust is celebrating its 10th birthday with a big growth spurt, moving the kitchen and storefront under one roof in a new cafe in neighboring East Falls later this year.

The cakes, Meagan says, have always been the top seller.

The pop tarts, made in seasonal flavors, are her personal favorite.

The soft serve ice cream is popular in summer, and for Thanksgiving, they sell hundreds of fresh-baked pumpkin, sweet potato, apple, and pecan pies, with a portion of proceeds going to a local non-profit.

Social justice issues are a big part of Crust's corporate values, with Crusties earning a living wage with paid time off.

Every month, the staff chooses a non- profit that aligns with their values and they dedicate a cookie to the cause, donating a dollar from each cookie sale.

Crust Vegan Bakery | Instagram
4409 Main Street, Philadelphia, PA 19127