The brownies here are naturally purple. That color comes from ube, a Filipino purple yam with a mellow, nutty sweetness.
The ube doesn’t stop at brownies, either. It shows up in cookies, cheesecake Danish, rolls, and even a flaky kouign amann. Meanwhile, soft pandesal rolls wait nearby, slightly sweeter than a regular dinner roll.
It is amazing how this little shop turns family recipes into something fresh and fun. Everything is made from scratch, and the flavors come straight from one baker’s Filipino roots. It’s widely recognized as the first dedicated Filipino bakery in its Michigan city.
I can’t imagine walking past that pastry case without a box in hand. There’s a catch, though. Nothing can be reserved ahead of time, so the early birds get the best picks.
Soft Pandesal Proves Simple Bread Can Steal The Show
Every Filipino breakfast table seems to have one thing in common. A bag of warm pandesal is usually close by.
Plain pandesal is a core item at this Detroit bakery. It’s a soft roll, a little sweeter than a typical dinner roll. That gentle sweetness makes it great on its own or with coffee.
The fun really starts with the variations, though. Pan de Coco is filled with a coconut and brown sugar mixture. It’s cozy, sweet, and very hard to share.
Then there’s Pan de Everything, which feels like a bagel shop and a Filipino bakery teamed up. It’s filled with cream cheese and coated in everything seasoning. Sweet bread plus savory topping turns out to be a smart pairing.
The bakery’s motto fits these rolls perfectly. JP calls it Filipino flavors in familiar formats. Pandesal is the foundation, and the creative versions build on it.
If you’re new to Filipino baking, grab one plain roll and one filled one. Comparing them is half the fun. You might leave with a bag for tomorrow morning too.
Purple Brownies Are The Delicious Reason To Set An Alarm
JP Makes & Bakes is at 6529 Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, in the New Center area. Follow Woodward north from Midtown toward the neighborhood’s business blocks.
The bakery occupies Suite B along Woodward, so look for the small street-facing storefront rather than a separate building in a shopping plaza. New Center’s larger buildings make a useful backdrop as you approach.
Use permitted nearby parking and walk to the bakery’s Woodward Avenue entrance. Check current operating days before making a special trip.
Grandma’s Kitchen Lessons Led To A Food Network Moment
Long before he owned a bakery, Jonathan Peregrino was a kid learning from his mom and grandmother. Those early lessons stuck around for decades.
Peregrino is a first-generation Filipino American. He spent about 15 years working in corporate America before following his baking dream. That’s a big career switch, and a pretty brave one.
In 2018, he trained at the Academy of Pastry & Bakery Arts in the Philippines. So his skills come from both family kitchens and professional classrooms. You can taste that mix in how he blends tradition with modern pastry methods.
Then came a fun bit of fame. In 2020, he competed on Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship during Season 7. Not every neighborhood baker can say that.
The name JP Makes & Bakes comes straight from his initials. It’s personal, and so is the food. Many of the savory dishes are home-style meals he grew up eating.
Knowing this story makes each pastry feel a little more meaningful. You’re not just buying a snack. You’re tasting one family’s recipes, polished with serious training.
From Pop-Up Tables To A Real Woodward Storefront
Plenty of great bakeries start small. This one started as a pop-up around 2020 and kept growing from there.
For several years, fans had to track down JP’s treats at events. Then the bakery found a permanent home. Its grand opening celebration happened around late 2024.
Community support helped make that move possible. The bakery received a grant from Motor City Match, a Detroit small business program. It’s a nice example of a city backing its local makers.
Today you’ll find it at 6529 Woodward Avenue, Suite B, Detroit, Michigan 48202. It sits in the busy New Center neighborhood. That puts it near offices, hospitals, a university, and the Fisher Theatre.
The location also fills a real need. Early morning food options in the area were limited before the bakery opened. Now commuters have a much tastier reason to leave home on time.
The space is cozy with limited seating. There’s also some outdoor seating along Woodward shared with nearby businesses. Plan on carryout if it’s busy, and enjoy your pastry on the go.
Your Coffee Order Might Turn Purple Too
Ube Coco Ma sounds like a dance move. It’s actually a drink made with ube syrup, coconut milk, and matcha.
That combo gives you purple, creamy, and earthy green all in one cup. It’s playful, bright, and very on-brand for this bakery. Pairing it with an ube brownie feels almost required.
For something tangy, there’s Calamansiade. It’s similar to lemonade but made with calamansi, a small citrus fruit popular in the Philippines. Think tart, refreshing, and a little different from the usual.
Classic coffee fans are covered too. The menu includes drip coffee, lattes, cappuccinos, espresso, and Americanos. The coffee comes from Craig’s Coffee, while the tea comes from Eli Tea.
Hot chocolate and hot tea round things out for non-coffee drinkers. That makes it an easy stop for families or friends with different tastes. Nobody has to sit this one out.
Milk comes from Calder Dairy, a Michigan dairy name many people recognize. Coconut and oat milk are available as alternatives. Small choices like that show real care for local partners and different diets.
Friday Lunch Bowls Taste Like A Filipino Family Dinner
Sweets get most of the spotlight here, but Fridays bring something heartier. That’s when a rotating Filipino lunch bowl shows up.
These bowls feature home-style dishes Peregrino grew up eating. The rotation includes favorites like sinigang, nilaga, caldereta, sisig, and adobo. Each one gives you a different side of Filipino comfort food.
Sinigang is famous for its sour broth. Adobo is a classic braised dish many Filipino families treasure. If you’ve only ever heard these names, Friday is your chance to change that.
Earlier in the week, savory specials run Wednesday through Friday. They often include Pan de Pep, Pan de Veg, and a soup with a roll. Past soups have included carrot ginger and chicken sopas.
Thursdays bring siopao too. It’s a Filipino version of the Chinese bao bun. Soft, filled, and handheld, it makes a great lunch for anyone on a busy schedule.
Because dishes rotate, there’s always a reason to check back. Keep an eye on the specials board. Your new favorite meal might only appear for a short time.
Saturday Mornings Deserve This Kind Of Breakfast
Weekends call for something a little special. On Saturdays, this bakery rolls out rotating breakfast items with a Filipino accent.
Longanisa gravy over buttermilk biscuits with an egg is one example. Longanisa is a Filipino sausage, and it gives the classic Southern combo a fun new twist. It’s two comfort foods meeting in the middle.
The Silog Bowl is another favorite style of Filipino breakfast. It includes a protein, garlic rice, and an egg. Simple, filling, and perfect for a lazy morning.
Then there’s the Pan de Sando. It’s pandesal stacked with a meat patty, steamed egg, and Swiss cheese. Basically, it’s a breakfast sandwich that went to culinary school.
Saturday hours run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Breakfast items rotate, so the lineup may change week to week. That keeps things exciting for anyone planning a regular weekend stop.
A smart move is grabbing a savory plate and one sweet treat. Breakfast first, dessert second. Nobody in Michigan will judge you for that order of operations.
The Pastry Case Holds Way More Surprises Than You Expect
Bicho bicho, kepeng, and polvoron sound like a fun tongue twister. They’re also all treats you can find at JP Makes & Bakes.
Bicho bicho is a Filipino twist donut. Kepeng is a flaky, buttery, sugared cracker. Polvoron is a pressed shortbread cookie, with versions like plain, pinipig, and cookies and cream.
Bibingka gets a fresh take here too. It’s a traditional Filipino cake, and variations may include cream cheese, blueberry, or chocolate. Ensaymada also makes an appearance for fans of the classic.
Familiar pastries share the spotlight. You’ll see sticky cinnamon buns, savory Danish, and filled bomboloni with monthly rotating flavors. There’s also a vegan Pan de Donut for plant-based eaters.
The calamansi olive oil cake deserves a mention too. It’s one of the bakery’s popular items. Citrus and olive oil make for a bright, grown-up kind of cake.
Cookie lovers get choices like double chocolate chip salted. The case changes, so variety is part of the adventure. Bring a friend and split several things.
Gluten-Free Friends Get Their Own Sweet Lineup
Good news for anyone avoiding gluten. Several treats here skip it entirely without skipping flavor.
Cassava cake is one of them. Cassava is a starchy root used in many Filipino desserts. The cake is a classic you’ll find at plenty of Filipino gatherings.
The Basque cheesecake is gluten-free too. It comes in ube and pumpkin variations, depending on what’s available. A purple cheesecake is a pretty strong argument for a visit.
Ginataang is another gluten-free option, and it’s vegan as well. It’s a coconut-based pudding with lots of possible mix-ins. Variations include sweet rice with corn and jackfruit, tapioca, sweet potato, taro, or rice balls.
Here’s a quick planning tip. The bakery is open Wednesday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. It’s closed Sunday through Tuesday, so plan around those days.
JP Makes & Bakes holds a 4.8-star Google rating, which says plenty. It’s also known as Detroit’s first dedicated Filipino bakery. For anyone exploring Michigan food, that’s a delicious milestone worth tasting.