The best platform to sell baked goods in New York is Homegrown, which gives you an online storefront for $10 per month with local pickup and delivery scheduling, inventory management, and built-in card processing — no website, no marketplace fees, and no percentage taken from your sales. New York home processors can sell baked goods directly to consumers under the New York Home Processor Exemption, and Homegrown is built for exactly this type of local, pickup-based food business.
The short version: New York allows home processors to sell baked goods and other non-potentially-hazardous foods directly to consumers. Unlike most states, New York does not call its program "cottage food" — the legal term is "home processor." There is no annual sales cap for home processors in New York, and you can sell at farmers markets, from your home, and through online orders with local pickup. The best platform for managing these orders is Homegrown ($10 per month annual, $12.50 monthly), which handles ordering, payments (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction), pickup scheduling, and inventory — all through one shareable link. Other options include Square Online (free with Square branding), Shopify ($39+ per month), and Etsy (6.5% per transaction plus listing fees).
New York's home processor exemption permits the sale of non-potentially-hazardous foods produced in your home kitchen. The program covers:
New York has no annual sales cap for home processors, making it one of the most permissive states for home food production. However, New York does have specific labeling requirements: your name, address, ingredients, allergens, net weight, and the statement "Not Inspected." Some counties and municipalities may have additional local health department requirements, so check with your local health department as well.
New York also has a separate "Home Processor with Exemption" path for items like acidified foods, which requires pH testing and documentation. Standard baked goods fall under the simpler home processor category.
New York's food scene is enormous and competitive. From New York City's boroughs to Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany, and the Hudson Valley, cottage food vendors operate in markets ranging from dense urban neighborhoods to rural farm stands. The diversity of selling contexts creates unique platform needs.
Common problems New York bakers face without a platform:
A selling platform gives your customers one link to browse, order, pay, and schedule pickup — whether they found you at the Union Square Greenmarket or through an Instagram story.
Homegrown is built for local food vendors who sell through pickup or local delivery and farmers markets. You list your products, set your pickup locations and times, and share one link. No website to build, no marketplace competition.
Here is what Homegrown includes:
With no sales cap in New York, Homegrown's flat $10 per month fee scales perfectly — your platform cost stays the same at $500 or $10,000 per month in sales.
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Best for: New York home processors who sell baked goods through farmers markets, home pickup, and social media.
Start your free 7-day trial with Homegrown.
Etsy gives you marketplace visibility but charges a $0.20 listing fee, 6.5% transaction fee, and 3% + $0.25 payment processing. On a $30 custom cookie order, total fees are approximately $3.40 — roughly 11.3% of the sale.
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Best for: New York bakers who want to reach customers beyond their local farmers market network.
Square Online offers a free tier with Square branding. If you already use Square at New York farmers markets, it syncs in-person and online payments.
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Best for: New York bakers who already use Square at farmers markets.
Shopify provides robust store management at $39 per month. For a home processor selling locally, Shopify provides more infrastructure than needed.
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Best for: New York food businesses with commercial kitchen licenses selling statewide or nationally.
| Feature | Homegrown | Etsy | Square Online (Free) | Shopify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $10 (annual) | $0 (listing fees apply) | $0 | $39+ |
| Transaction fee | 0% | 6.5% | 0% | 0% |
| Card processing | 2.9% + $0.30 | 3% + $0.25 | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2.9% + $0.30 |
| Total fees on $30 order | ~$1.17 | ~$3.40 | ~$1.17 | ~$1.17 |
| Local pickup | Yes (built-in) | Workaround | Basic | With apps |
| Local delivery | Yes (built-in) | No | Basic | With apps |
| Multiple pickup locations | Yes | No | Limited | With apps |
| Inventory management | Yes (batch) | Basic | Basic | Yes |
| Food-specific features | Yes | No | No | No |
| Setup time | ~15 min | 30-60 min | 30-60 min | 4-8 hours |
On $2,500 per month in sales, Etsy fees total approximately $275 while Homegrown costs $10 plus approximately $90 in card processing — a $175 per month difference.
New York's home processor program has no sales cap, which means your cottage food business can grow as large as you want without upgrading to a commercial kitchen. A flat-fee platform ensures your operating costs stay predictable as revenue scales. Food safety education is available from the New York State Department of Health, and food science research is available from the Illinois Institute of Technology's Institute for Food Safety and Health.
Start your free 7-day trial with Homegrown.
No. New York does not impose an annual sales cap on home processors. You can sell as much cottage food as the market will bear without upgrading to a commercial kitchen or food processing license. This makes New York one of the most permissive states for home food businesses.
No license is required for home processors selling non-potentially-hazardous foods in New York. You do not need a food handler's license, and your kitchen does not need to be inspected by the health department. However, some counties and municipalities may have additional local requirements, so check with your local health department before starting sales.
Yes. New York home processors can take orders online and accept electronic payment. The delivery must be direct to the consumer — either through local pickup or personal delivery. You cannot ship home-processed foods through common carriers like UPS or USPS. An ordering platform with local pickup and delivery scheduling is ideal for New York home processor compliance.
New York home processors report strong demand for decorated sugar cookies (especially for events, weddings, and corporate gifts), custom birthday cakes, babka, banana bread, brownies, rugelach, challah, conchas, and seasonal items like pumpkin pie and holiday cookies. New York City's diversity drives demand for a wide range of cultural baked goods — from Italian pastries to Caribbean-style cakes to Latin American pan dulce.
New York does not require liability insurance for home processors. However, a general liability policy typically costs $200 to $500 per year and is a reasonable investment. Many New York City greenmarkets and farmers markets require proof of insurance as a vendor participation condition.
New York requires home processed foods to be labeled with your name and address, a complete ingredient list including allergens, the net weight or volume, and the statement "Not Inspected." Labels must be legible and attached to or printed on each product's packaging.
Yes, but NYC farmers markets — especially the GrowNYC-operated Greenmarkets — have their own vendor application processes, insurance requirements, and product standards. Application cycles often open months before the market season, and space is competitive. Many NYC-area markets require proof of insurance and may have restrictions on product types beyond what state law requires.
A home processor sells non-potentially-hazardous foods directly to consumers from a home kitchen with no inspection, no license, and no sales cap. A food service establishment operates under a New York State Department of Health or local health department permit, requires commercial kitchen facilities that pass regular inspections, requires food handler certifications, and allows potentially hazardous foods, wholesale distribution, and shipping. The food service path is necessary if you want to sell cream-filled pastries, refrigerated items, or wholesale to stores and restaurants.
Calculate your ingredient cost per item and multiply by 3 to 4 for retail pricing. New York's higher cost of living — especially in the NYC metro area — supports premium pricing for quality baked goods. Many NYC-area home processors price higher than the 3-4x formula because the market bears it. Factor in platform costs: Homegrown adds $10 per month flat, while Etsy takes approximately 11% per sale. At $2,000 per month in sales, Homegrown costs $10 while Etsy costs approximately $220 — that $210 per month difference is $2,520 per year in savings that goes directly to your bottom line.
New York home processors can sell from their home, at farmers markets, at roadside stands, at fairs and festivals, at community events, and through online ordering with local pickup or personal delivery. You can also sell through pop-up markets and food swaps. All sales must be direct to the end consumer — you cannot sell wholesale to restaurants, stores, or cafes. Many successful New York home processors combine weekly farmers market presence with an online ordering link for home or porch pickup throughout the week.
No. New York's home processor exemption only covers direct-to-consumer sales within New York. You cannot ship home processed foods across state lines, as interstate commerce falls under federal FDA regulation, which does not recognize state cottage food exemptions. If you want to sell nationally, you need a licensed commercial kitchen that meets FDA requirements for interstate food sales.
Your products deserve a storefront where the listed price is what your customer pays — no marketplace fees, no checkout surcharges, no percentage taken from every sale. Homegrown gives food vendors a shareable ordering link, built-in payments, and local pickup and delivery scheduling for $10 per month flat. Start your free 7-day trial.
