Some of the bread, cookies and custom cakes sold in Dahlonega come out of home kitchens, not storefronts. Georgia changed the rules for those home bakers in 2025. This article explains the change in plain terms, from the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s own documents, so you know what you are buying. It is a buyer’s guide, not legal advice. If you bake and want to sell, read the state’s pages yourself and contact the program directly.
What counts as cottage food
The Georgia Department of Agriculture says cottage foods, also called home-kitchen foods, are made and packaged by the vendor in a kitchen for direct sale by that vendor. Its list includes loaf breads, rolls and biscuits; cakes; pastries and cookies; candies and confections; fruit pies; and jams, jellies and preserves.
The limit is safety. Home bakers may make only foods that are not potentially hazardous. Under the law, baked goods whose fillings need refrigeration or have high moisture content do not qualify, per the HB 398 bill text the department posts. So a fruit pie or a loaf of bread fits the program; a cream-filled pastry that has to stay cold does not.
What changed on July 1, 2025
House Bill 398 took effect on July 1, 2025, according to the department’s HB 398 FAQ. Two things changed that matter to a buyer:
- No state license and no state fee. The FAQ says cottage food operators no longer need to obtain a license with the Georgia Department of Agriculture or pay a licensing fee to the state.
- More places to buy. Home bakers may still sell directly to you, including online and by mail order, and may now also sell to grocery stores, convenience stores and restaurants.
One caution. The department’s older Cottage Food FAQ page still shows answers written before 2025, including old label wording and a question about why home bakers cannot sell to a restaurant. The law changed, and that older wording is out of date. Go by the HB 398 FAQ and the bill text.
- Georgia's House Bill 398, which updated the cottage food rules, took effect on July 1, 2025. Georgia Dept. of Agriculture
- Since HB 398, Georgia cottage food operators no longer need a Department of Agriculture license and pay no state licensing fee. Georgia Dept. of Agriculture
- Home bakers may sell cottage foods directly to consumers, including online and by mail order, and since HB 398 also to grocery stores, convenience stores and restaurants. Georgia Dept. of Agriculture
The label you should see
The new law spells out a label statement. In at least 10-point type, a cottage food item must say: “This product was produced at a residential property that is exempt from state inspection. This product may contain allergens.”
The label, a placard where the item is sold, or the web page for online sales must also give the baker’s business name, address and telephone number. A baker who does not want to print a home address may ask the department for an identification number to use instead, so a number in place of an address is normal.
Custom and phone orders work a little differently. For a custom cake ordered by phone, the seller may skip the printed label but must tell you the item was made at a residential property exempt from state inspection and may contain allergens. If you are ordering for someone with a food allergy, ask about ingredients before you pay.
If you see cottage foods in a store, the law says they must be shown in a separate section or display case from the store’s other food, labeled as cottage food items.
What still applies
- Training. Cottage food operators must complete an ANSI-accredited food safety training program; the department says Food Handler training is acceptable.
- Complaints. The state no longer inspects home kitchens before sales begin, but the HB 398 FAQ says the department still investigates consumer complaints and reports of foodborne illness.
- Local rules. Each Georgia city or county may pass an ordinance barring cottage foods from being sold through third-party stores and restaurants within its limits, and local business-license and zoning rules still apply.
- Market rules. A farmers market can still require its vendors to hold a Food Sales Establishment License, because a market’s own rules sit outside the state’s cottage food regulations.
- Bake sales. The cottage food law does not apply to bake sales run by a nonprofit, charitable or religious organization.
One more practical point: the Georgia Department of Public Health’s inspection search covers restaurants and other food service places regulated by county health departments. A home baker’s kitchen will not show up there, and that is expected.
How the Dahlonega Farmers Market fits
The market is where most visitors meet a home baker. The City of Dahlonega says the Dahlonega Farmers Market is held in Hancock Park every year from May through October. In 2026 it ran Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the last market on the downtown calendar was Saturday, October 10, 2026, per the Dahlonega DDA. No winter market is published, and 2027 dates are not out yet.
The DDA’s 2026 vendor list named these bakers and makers, in their own words:
- Whisked Bakery, a home bakery offering bread and freshly made cookies.
- L & R Feathered Goats, a Dahlonega micro bakery and micro dairy farm making Mennonite sourdough breads, scones, cookies and other desserts; the baker said she would offer allergy-friendly and flourless options.
- Sherry’s Sweets-n-Eats, a baker and cake artist making wedding and celebration cakes and pastries.
- Strawberry Roan Farm, an organic farm that says it makes jam and baked goods as well.
- A University of North Georgia student selling her baked goods.
- Croix Cupboard with freeze-dried treats, and Master Gardener Connie Monroe with jams made from her own produce.
These were 2026 vendors. Whether each returns in 2027 is not published.
Home bakers you can order from off-season
Two Dahlonega makers in this guide take orders year-round without a storefront. Nonni’s Bakery works by appointment only through an inquiry form, per its own site. Sherry’s Sweets-n-Eats takes custom orders through its Order Inquiry form, and its site says a self-serve farm stand for sourdough breads, cookies, brownies and cakes is “coming soon,” with no date or location published yet, per Sherry’s Sweets-n-Eats. For lead times and what to ask, read ordering a custom cake in Dahlonega.
Cakes Order ahead: no storefront hours
Nonni's Bakery
By-appointment Dahlonega baker making floral cupcake bouquets, custom number cakes and gourmet cookies, and running Sugarbelles Cake & Co., a restored vintage horse trailer used as an event cake bar.
- On its own menu: Cupcake Bouquet — The McKenna (7 Cupcakes) · Custom Floral Cupcakes (Dozen) · Number Cakes · Gourmet Cookies & Treats
- How to order: By appointment only; inquiry form ('we'll be in touch within 48 hours with availability'); text appreciated at (850) 461-2282.
- By appointment only
- Dahlonega, Georgia (no street address published; by appointment only)
- (850) 461-2282
Source: nonnisbakeryga.com, checked Oct 19, 2026
Cakes Order ahead: no storefront hours
Sherry's Sweets-n-Eats
Licensed cottage bakery in Dahlonega specializing in made-from-scratch wedding and custom cakes, plus cupcakes, decorated cookies and dessert tables; also on the DDA's 2026 Dahlonega Farmers Market vendor list.
- On its own menu: Wedding & Custom Cakes · Custom Cookies & Cupcakes · Desserts Catering · Dessert Cake
- How to order: All custom orders are individually priced through its Order Inquiry form; for weddings the balance is due 2 months ahead, for other events 2 weeks ahead.
- Mon–Fri 11 am–7 pm · Sat–Sun 1 pm–7 pm (as published)
- Dahlonega, GA 30533 (no street address published)
- (678) 769-5871
Source: sherryssweetsneats.com, checked Oct 19, 2026
Farmers market baker Order ahead: no storefront hours
Whisked Bakery
Home bakery on the DDA's 2026 Dahlonega Farmers Market vendor list, baking bread and cookies in the tradition the baker learned from her grandmother.
- bread · cookies
- Not published online (2026 Dahlonega Farmers Market vendor)
- Sells at the Dahlonega Farmers Market (no shop address published)
Source: Dahlonega DDA, checked Oct 19, 2026
Farmers market baker Order ahead: no storefront hours
L & R Feathered Goats
Dahlonega micro bakery and micro dairy farm on the DDA's 2026 Dahlonega Farmers Market vendor list, making Mennonite sourdough breads, scones, cookies and other desserts with organic and ancient grains; the baker says she will offer allergy-friendly and flourless options.
- Mennonite sourdough breads · scones · cookies · eggs · goat milk
- Not published online (2026 Dahlonega Farmers Market vendor)
- Dahlonega (farm; sells at the Dahlonega Farmers Market; no address published)
Source: Dahlonega DDA, checked Oct 19, 2026
A short buyer’s checklist
- Look for the label statement, or for the spoken notice on a custom order.
- Find the baker’s business name and phone (or the state ID number) so you can reach them later.
- Ask about allergens and fillings, especially anything with cream or custard.
- Keep the item as the baker tells you, and eat it when they suggest.
Who to ask
For anything about the rules themselves, the department’s cottage food program lists CottageFoodInfo@agr.georgia.gov and (404) 656-3627 on its cottage food page. For local business-license or zoning questions, ask the city or county. This article is not legal advice. For the wider picture of who sells baked goods around town, see custom cakes and home bakers and farmers market bakers.
Questions people ask
Do Georgia home bakers need a cottage food license?
Not from the state since House Bill 398 took effect on July 1, 2025: the Georgia Department of Agriculture says cottage food operators no longer need a license with the department or pay a state licensing fee. Local business-license and zoning rules can still apply. This is not legal advice.
Source: Georgia Dept. of Agriculture, checked Oct 19, 2026
Can a Georgia home baker sell to a store or restaurant?
Yes, since HB 398 home bakers may sell to grocery stores, convenience stores and restaurants as well as directly to consumers. A city or county may pass an ordinance barring those third-party sales within its limits.
Source: Georgia Dept. of Agriculture, checked Oct 19, 2026
What should a home-baked label say in Georgia?
Under HB 398 it must carry, in at least 10-point type, the statement that the product was produced at a residential property that is exempt from state inspection and may contain allergens, plus the baker's business name, address and phone (or a state identification number in place of the address).
Source: Georgia Dept. of Agriculture, checked Oct 19, 2026
Can a Georgia home baker sell pastries with fillings that need refrigeration?
No. Cottage foods must be foods that are not potentially hazardous, and the law excludes baked goods whose fillings require refrigeration or have high moisture content.
Source: Georgia Dept. of Agriculture, checked Oct 19, 2026
When can I buy from home bakers at the Dahlonega Farmers Market?
The market runs Saturdays in Hancock Park from May through October; in 2026 it was 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the last market on the downtown calendar was October 10, 2026. 2027 dates are not published yet.
Source: Dahlonega DDA / Main Street, checked Oct 19, 2026
Written by the Dahlonega Bakery Guide Editorial Team. AI tools help us draft; people check every fact against its source before it publishes.
