The Best Bakeries In Austin

If you’re the type of person who reacts to the word “bread” the way a dog reacts to the word “walk,” then you’ll know how exciting it is to enter a bakery. The air smells like the inside of a hot baguette mixed with a faint hint of atomized sugar and butter. We have bakeries to thank for all the pan dulce and kolaches that have helped us get through Monday mornings, and for the noble service they’ve provided to the tortas, bánh mì, and sandwiches that make up our lunches. Whether you’re looking for somewhere to pay respect to carbohydrates, or a stop for your next breakfast run, here’s where to find the best baked goods in Austin.

THE SPOTS

We first fell in love with Comadre Panaderia when it opened as a weekend pop-up with online pre-orders that would always sell out. Now, instead of battling everybody with a working internet connection, all we have to do is walk through a bright yellow door in East Austin to find a tiny room filled with modern pan-Latinx baked goods. The menu changes from week to week, but there are usually a handful of vegan and gluten-free options, savory sourdough croissants, and corn-based cookies and donuts. Get a couple of heirloom masa sugar cookies—they’re sweet, crumbly, and almost buttery despite being vegan—then fill the rest of your box up with a few twice-baked conchas and corn flour alfajores.

Peace Bakery’s shawarma is what usually gets us through the door, but we’ve never left without at least three pieces of baklava, most of which get eaten at one of the many dining tables or in the car before we make it home. Start with a bird nest and (at least) one pistachio baklava, then grab whatever else looks good. Their baklava has a lot of honey in it, which means it should (theoretically) last a while on your counter, so it doesn’t hurt to grab a little extra for later.

Sour Duck is an all-day cafe and bakery from the team behind Odd Duck and Barley Swine. But instead of small plates and tasting menus, it’s all about baked goods, sandwiches, and casual, lunch-friendly bites enjoyed at a restaurant that’s 90% patio. On your way in, take a look at the display case that might include kouign amann, croissants, and other European-style pastries. But don’t be too surprised if your favorite from last week didn’t make this week’s cut—the menu changes often and seasonally. Just treat it as an opportunity to keep coming back until you can find that savory mushroom danish again.

Epicerie’s all-day menu veers French by way of Louisiana, which means that in addition to a small menu of Cajun and Creole entrees, you’ll also find some excellent beignets, almond croissants, and a daily quiche that’s worth the visit alone. Come for brunch on the weekends and you can combine all of Epicerie’s strengths into a meal—or just show up on a Wednesday night and order almond croissants, a glass of Sauternes, and some hot beignets for dinner. Either way, grab a few pastries for breakfast the next morning.

Equal parts panaderia and taqueria, Mi Tradicion is a good idea at any time of the day. In the morning we’re grabbing conchas, polvorones, and breakfast tacos on homemade tortillas. At lunch, even more tacos, plus tortas made on bread baked fresh just a few feet away. And in the evenings, we’re bringing home an entire tres leches cake to graze on over the next few days. Mi Tradicion has two locations, both with the same menu and format—there’s a dine-in taqueria side and a self-serve bakery side where you can quickly load a tray up with way too many pastries to take home. It’s usually well-stocked, but get there in the morning or afternoon to ensure you don’t miss out on any pan dulce.

When you want impossibly cute pastries that also taste good, head to OMG Squee in East Austin. You’ll find mochi donuts that look like little cats or fish-shaped taiyaki filled with ube and black sesame soft serve. The entire menu is gluten-free, and there’s also a full menu of milk and fruit teas, boba, and matcha drinks. We like the classic ube donut here—it’s chewy and not overly sweet—but if cuteness is your primary factor, you’ll want one of the rotating specials that looks like an animal. There’s no indoor seating—it’s mostly just a small counter—but there are a few tables out front if you want to sit and admire your new cats/donuts for a bit.

Quack’s Bakery has been around in some form or another since the 1980s, so they’ve had plenty of time to get their scones, danishes, and chocolate twist croissants just right. These aren’t the fancy pastries you’ll see plastered on social media—they’re more homestyle and probably made with an unreasonable amount of butter. It’s also a no-frills space—you’re here to grab your pastries and enjoy them at home or on one of the patio tables facing a charming section of Hyde Park. We like the cherry danishes and the sugared cinnamon rolls, but they also make a solid jalapeño-cheddar sausage kolache if you’re in the mood for something savory.

Batch Craft Beer & Kolaches serves, well, craft beer and kolaches. And sometimes they even offer a beer brewed with kolaches. These are the best kolaches in town (and klobasneks, if you want to be that person)—the bread is soft and airy, and the fillings are pretty generous. Try the sausage, jalapeño, and cheese for something a little more classic, or get one stuffed with sliced pepperoni and cheese (it’s basically an artisanal Hot Pocket). Then finish with a chocolate pecan caramel or a PB&J dessert kolache for the full experience. Inside can get a little busy with people camped out on laptops during the day, but there’s also a massive patio out back that’s great for enjoying your meal with a little fresh air.

Even if you’ve never stepped foot into Easy Tiger, you’ve probably tried their bread. Half of Austin uses it in their sandwiches, and for good reason—it adds that distinct sourdough pop to anything it touches. But pay a visit to the bakery and restaurant and you’ll find that it’s more than just loaves of bread. Inside, you’ll find fresh-baked pretzels, pain au chocolate, croissants, and a large menu of German pub food, mostly built around some form of carbs. It’s also a beer garden, so you can grab a couple of pints to go with your dinner of cinnamon knots and scones.