Purple ube brownies, fresh Filipino bread rolls, and coconut-filled buns are just a few reasons to visit JP Makes and Bakes in Detroit. This small bakery on Woodward Avenue specializes in Filipino favorites that are hard to find at typical Michigan bakeries.
Owner Jonathan Peregrino makes traditional pan de sal alongside creative variations, including a version filled with cream cheese and topped with everything bagel seasoning. The menu also features ube cookies, cassava cake, and rotating savory Filipino dishes.
The bakery grew from Peregrino’s years of selling pastries at pop-ups into a permanent storefront in Detroit’s New Center neighborhood. Beyond the purple desserts, there’s an interesting story behind how he brought these family-inspired recipes to the city.
A Purple Pastry Case on Woodward Avenue
JP Makes and Bakes sits at 6529 Woodward Ave, Suite B, in Detroit, Michigan. The address puts it in the city’s North End, a short drive from Eastern Market and Midtown.
The bakery focuses on Filipino flavors, with plenty of American bakery favorites mixed in. Its pastry case holds purple ube treats, golden bread rolls, cookies, and cakes, all made in-house.
I find the setup refreshing. Detroit has many bakeries, but few build their menus around Filipino ingredients like ube, cassava, pandan, and calamansi.
The shop itself is small. It works mostly as a carryout spot, with just a little indoor seating and some shared outdoor seating along Woodward.
That size shapes the experience in a good way. The focus stays on the food, and the kitchen is visible from the counter, so you can see bakers at work while you decide.
The bakery keeps a short weekly schedule, opening Wednesday through Saturday and closing Sunday through Tuesday. Weekdays start early in the morning, while Saturday opens a bit later and closes in the afternoon.
Plan around those days before driving over. Showing up on a Monday would mean staring at a dark window instead of a purple cookie.
From Food Hall Ice Cream to a Bakery of His Own
Before the bakery opened, JP was already serving ube ice cream to Detroit fans. Longtime customers remember buying it from him back in his Huddle days, years before the storefront existed.
That history matters. It shows the bakery grew out of a steady following that started with a single purple scoop, not a sudden business plan.
The name says a lot too. JP Makes and Bakes is personal, and the owner’s name sits right on the sign.
I like that kind of origin story. It feels rooted in community rather than a corporate idea of what Filipino food should look like.
The bakery has also catered events, including weddings. For couples with Filipino families, having familiar treats at a big celebration can carry real meaning.
That catering side is good to know if you are planning a party in Michigan. Asking directly about options and lead time would be the smart first step.
The ice cream roots never fully left, either. Soft serve still appears on the menu, often in ube-based flavors, which feels like a nod to where everything began.
Pan de Sal Gets the Spotlight It Deserves
Ask almost any Filipino family about breakfast, and pan de sal will probably come up. These soft bread rolls are a daily staple in the Philippines, often eaten with coffee in the morning.
The name comes from Spanish and roughly means salt bread. Even so, the rolls usually lean slightly sweet, which surprises many first-timers.
JP Makes and Bakes bakes its pan de sal from scratch. That matters, since fresh rolls are the whole point of this humble bread.
Pan de sal works well on its own. It also pairs nicely with butter, cheese, eggs, or a smear of jam if you are taking some home.
For anyone new to Filipino baking, I would start right here. It is a simple, friendly introduction before moving on to bolder purple treats.
Buying a few extra rolls for the next morning is a practical move too. Plenty of families in the Philippines treat pan de sal as an everyday bread, not a special-occasion pastry.
The bakery also plays with the classic recipe in a fun way. One version wears a topping you might recognize from a New York deli.
Everything Bagel Seasoning Meets a Filipino Roll
Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic, onion, and salt are not what most people expect on Filipino bread. Yet that is exactly what tops the Pan de Everything.
This roll takes the soft pan de sal style and adds everything bagel seasoning plus cream cheese. It borrows from two food cultures at once.
The result is a savory-sweet breakfast option. The bread keeps its gentle sweetness, while the seasoning brings crunch and a salty, garlicky kick.
I can understand why it catches people’s attention. It feels playful without losing respect for the original bread.
It also makes a good choice for someone who says they do not like sweet pastries. The savory topping gives it a more grab-and-go breakfast personality.
Pairing it with a coffee drink makes sense for a quick morning stop. The bakery’s early weekday opening helps if you are heading to work in Midtown or New Center.
This roll shows something about the bakery’s style overall. The kitchen enjoys mixing Filipino basics with familiar American flavors, and that habit shows up again in the drinks menu.
Ube Cookies and Brownies Bring the Purple
Purple food tends to make people stop and stare. At this bakery, the ube cookie is the treat that most often earns that second look.
Ube is a purple yam widely used in Filipino desserts. Its flavor is often described as mild, nutty, and a little like vanilla.
The ube cookies here are soft, with a subtle yam flavor. Kids seem drawn to them too, probably because of the bold purple color.
Then comes the ube brownie. It takes a familiar American dessert and swaps in a Filipino ingredient, giving it a tender, cake-like bite.
If I had to pick a first purple treat, I would grab one of each. That way you can compare how ube works in a cookie versus a brownie.
Other ube items show up too, including ube cheesecake, an ube roll, and an ube kouign amann. Availability can change, so checking the case is part of the fun.
Buying a box of cookies to share also makes sense. They travel well and make an easy gift for coworkers curious about Filipino sweets.
Coconut Buns, Cassava Cake, and Salted Egg Scones
Some of the most interesting items in the case are the ones you may not recognize at first. They deserve a closer look.
Pan de coco is a soft bun filled with sweet coconut and brown sugar. It is a classic Filipino snack, and many people outside the Philippines find it familiar too.
Cassava cake is another traditional favorite. It is made from grated cassava, a starchy root, and often baked with coconut milk for a dense, custardy slice.
The salted egg scone brings a newer twist. Salted egg is a popular flavor across Southeast Asia, adding a rich, savory note to baked goods.
You might also spot Spanish bread, a rolled bun filled with butter, sugar, and breadcrumbs. Bicho bicho, a sugared doughnut twist, sometimes appears as well.
Sweets like suman, a sticky rice treat with coconut and brown sugar, have shown up too. These items bring real Filipino home baking into the case.
My advice is simple. Pick one item you already know and one you have never heard of, then compare notes on the drive home.
Sticky Cinnamon Rolls and Other Familiar Comforts
Not every treat here needs a translation. The bakery also turns out comforting classics that most Michigan kids grew up eating.
The cinnamon sticky bun is one of them. If it is in the case when you arrive, many fans suggest grabbing it before it disappears.
Peach cake has also appeared on the menu. Slices are described as not overly sweet, which makes them a reasonable pick alongside morning coffee.
Cookies, doughnuts like bomboloni, and filled pastries round out the lineup. A yellow mung bean croissant even blends French pastry with a common Asian filling.
I like how this mix keeps the menu welcoming. A group can include someone craving a plain chocolate chip cookie and someone excited to try ube.
Families especially benefit from that balance. Picky eaters get something familiar, while curious eaters get room to explore.
Because everything is baked in small batches, the selection changes. Arriving earlier in the day usually gives you the widest choice, while later visits may mean fewer options left in the case.
Ube Lattes and Soft Serve Swirls
Purple coffee sounds like a gimmick until you learn how common ube drinks are in Filipino cafes. The ube latte here is one of the bakery’s best-known drinks.
The drinks menu goes further than that. Options like an Ube Coco Matcha and a mango and calamansi drink called the Mangomansi have appeared.
Calamansi is a small citrus fruit used across the Philippines. Its bright, tart flavor works well in cold drinks during warm Detroit summers.
Then there is the soft serve. Flavors rotate, with combinations like ube and lychee or ube and melon swirled together.
Tamarind sherbet has shown up too, offering a tangy, refreshing option. Tamarind appears often in Filipino cooking, especially in sour dishes.
I would treat the frozen menu as an adventure rather than a sure thing. Some flavors are bold, so tasting first is a smart idea when staff can offer a sample.
Drinks also make the visit easier if seating is full. A latte in one hand and a bakery bag in the other is a perfectly good plan for a stroll down Woodward.
Savory Specials Straight From Filipino Kitchens
Baked goods get most of the attention, but the specials board deserves a glance. It sometimes features home-style Filipino dishes you rarely see in Detroit.
Ukoy has been one of them. These crispy fritters are made with shrimp and vegetables and served with a vinegar dipping sauce and white rice.
Dinuguan, a rich pork stew, has also appeared as a special. It is a traditional dish that many Filipino families serve at gatherings.
Breakfast specials have shown up too, like biscuits with eggs and gravy. Lunch bowls have been promoted on social media as well.
Because these dishes rotate, there is no promise any one will be available. That is part of the charm for return visitors.
Following the bakery’s social media is the easiest way to see what is cooking. Specials can change quickly, and checking ahead saves a wasted trip.
I find this detail especially appealing. A bakery that also serves real Filipino home cooking gives Detroit diners a rare chance to taste dishes beyond desserts, without needing to find a full restaurant.
Smart Moves Before You Head to the North End
Seating is the first thing to plan for. The shop has only a small table or two inside, plus some shared outdoor seating along Woodward.
On busy weekends, the room can fill up fast. Treating the visit as carryout is the safest bet.
Items are served from behind the display case, so you order at the counter. Deciding what you want ahead of time can make things smoother when a line forms.
Scrolling the bakery’s Instagram before arriving helps with that. It also shows which treats and specials are currently available.
Remember the schedule too. The bakery opens Wednesday through Saturday and stays closed Sunday through Tuesday.
Arriving earlier usually means a fuller pastry case. Popular items like cinnamon rolls can run out as the day goes on.
A small merchandise section sells items like T-shirts. It is a fun extra if you want a souvenir from your stop.
Eastern Market and Midtown are close by, so pairing the bakery with other errands is easy. A bag of ube cookies tends to make the rest of the day better anyway.
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