Austin's Best Bakeries: A Guide To Tasty Treats in the Texas Capital

Since moving to Austin, Texas, I've looked for the city's best bakeries. Head to any of these Austin bakeries when you're in the mood for something sweet, like cookies, cakes, and pastries.

Best Bakeries in Austin

1. Rockman Coffee + Bakeshop

Rockman Coffee + Bakeshop, from pastry chef Amanda Rockman, opened its doors in East Austin's Holly neighborhood on Oct. 11, 2024. Rockman, a James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef, brings over 20 years of pastry experience to this sunlit space.

I've dropped by a few times. The cacio e pepe croissant was surprisingly light, with a subtle pasta-like flavor. The sourdough chocolate chip cookie is fantastic, soft, and uber‑chocolatey. The banana chocolate coffee cake was solid.

Rockman has received some flak for pricing, but I'm happy to pay for high-quality ingredients and production from an independent, women-owned bakery.

Thanks to outstanding laminated pastries, standout cookies, and excellent coffee, Rockman has earned a spot on my East Austin must-visit list. 2400 E Cesar Chavez St Suite 200, Austin, TX, rockmanatx.com

2. Comadre Panaderia

Comadre Panaderia is a modern Mexican bakery that opened behind Nixta Taqueria in the spring of 2023. Owner and pastry chef Mariela Camacho serves savory pastries like the Papa Ranchera egg and cheese empanada I had for breakfast and delicious desserts (I walked out with a piece of TX buckwheat and cajeta chocolate cake).

I was also happy to see four options for bottled cacao drinks, including:

• Oaxacan Chocolate
• Mexican Cacao and Cold Brew
• Snow Jasmine Milk Tea Chocolate
• Calabaza Spice Chocolate (seasonal)

Camacho received national recognition for her baked goods when she was named a James Beard Award semifinalist in the Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker category in 2023 and again in 2024. 1204 Cedar Ave, Austin, TX, comadrepanaderia.com

3. Tzintzuntzan

Tzintzuntzan is a new bakery and cafe from the folks behind Fonda San Miguel, a restaurant I've enjoyed for years. It's quickly become one of my favorite recent openings in Austin.

The space blends Mexican flavors and traditions with a menu of pastries, coffee drinks, and savory breakfast, brunch, and lunch options. Everything I've tried so far has been thoughtfully made and full of flavor.

On my first visit, I started with the chocolate concha, which was tender and just sweet enough. The Mole Negro Pinguino, filled with chantilly cream and finished with chocolate ganache, was another winner.

I also sampled a few cookies-the gluten-free chocolate raspberry and the caramelized banana miso with Maldon salt were both excellent. The café de olla proved to be another highlight. It was so flavorful that I drank it black, no sugar or cream needed.

If you're in the mood for something savory, the menu also includes huevos rancheros, enfrijoladas, chilaquiles, ceviche, and guacamole with totopos.

The outdoor patio, with its walls and fountains, immediately brought to mind the relaxed atmosphere of cafes I've visited in Mexico City. 2302 W North Loop Blvd, Austin, TX, tzintzuntzan.com

4. Quack's 43rd Street Bakery

My #1 pick for cupcakes in Austin is Quack's 43rd Street Bakery. You'll find a chocolate peanut butter cupcake with frosting that towers over the competition here.

Over the years, I've tried other options, including cookie dough, red velvet with cream cheese frosting, chocolate whipped cream-filled, and pina colada. Muffins, scones, croissants, and cookies are also available, as well as cakes and pies by the slice or whole.

Originally opened in 1983 as Captain Quackenbush's Intergalactic Dessert Co. and Espresso Cafe in downtown Austin, Quack's Bakery relocated to the Hyde Park neighborhood in the 1990s.

In 2018, Quack's expanded to a more picturesque second location, Lady Quackenbush's Cakery, in the family-friendly Mueller neighborhood. It was followed by Captain Quackenbush's Coffeehouse, which began serving South Austin in 2021.

The third outpost features a stage for live music, beer and wine, and scratch-made baked goods. 411 E 43rd St, Austin, TX, quacksbakery.com

Related: Austin's Best Coffee Shops

5. OMG Squee

Former freelance photographer Sarah Lim and her partner, Michael DeAnda, began OMG Squee in 2016 out of their tiny home kitchen. Their Asian-inspired pastries proved popular at local farmers markets and pop-ups, leading to the 2020 opening of their brick-and-mortar location in East Austin.

Despite the tricky timing and everyday challenges of running a bakery, OMG Squee prevailed, as shown in Season 6 of Queer Eye (Netflix). Kel and I drove by OMG Squee on several weekends only to find a line of customers out the door (and down the sidewalk).

When we finally got there early enough to avoid a long wait, we made the most of it, ordering:

• Four mochi donuts (including lemon butter and Mexican vanilla)
• A Taiyaki soft serve with bao custard and black sesame swirl, and dulce de leche
• Milk tea with homemade boba (tapioca pearls)
• A French macaron

The donuts are adorable enough to make any pastry fan say "squee" and remind me of some we got at Kulu Kulu, a Japanese cake shop in Honolulu.

The soft serve ice cream in a fish-shaped Belgian-style waffle was fun; milk tea fans will appreciate the scratch-made boba. The OMG Squee kitchen is 100% gluten-free. 4607 Bolm Rd Suite A, Austin, TX, squeeclub.com

6. Swedish Hill

Swedish Hill Bakery is one of Austin's best-known bakeries, with multiple locations across the city, including Clarksville, downtown, and South Austin. MML Hospitality acquired the space formerly occupied by Sweetish Hill Bakery & Cafe, an Austin institution since 1975, and reopened it as Swedish Hill in 2019.

The bakery offers pastries, breads, cookies, cakes, and an all-day café menu featuring breakfast items, bagels, and deli sandwiches. Along with a cappuccino, I typically order a sweet treat such as a salted chocolate chip cookie or banana cream pie. Multiple locations, Austin, TX, swedishhillbakery.com

Related: San Francisco Bakeries

7. Tiny Pies

My first encounter with Tiny Pies was at the Austin Food + Wine Festival. This small business is built on four generations of family recipes that Amanda and her mom, Kit, brought to pie fans in Austin.

Amanda's 9-year-old son came up with the idea for homemade pies you can eat with your hands. The pies are made with natural ingredients and come in sweet (S'mores, blueberry lemon cream) and savory (chicken pot pie, pulled pork mac 'n cheese) varieties; they also sell full-size 9" pies.

When my mother passed away in 2021, my friend sent me a half-dozen tiny pies; they offered moments of sweet relief between the tears.

Tiny Pies is available locally and nationally. The original brick-and-mortar location is on Burnet Road, and other shops are in South Lamar, Westlake, Lakeway, and Waco. 5035 Burnet Rd Ste. 100, Austin, TX, tinypies.com

8. Easy Tiger

One of the first bakeries in Austin I frequented was Easy Tiger, a beer garden and bakery initially operating downtown on 6th Street. Easy Tiger is known for its fresh-baked salted pretzels and beer cheese dip (worth the extra $3).

The all-day menu includes seasonal toast on Hill Country sourdough, croissants, caramel banana bread, soups, salads, housemade sausages, sandwiches, and more.

If you plan a BBQ, pick up their burger and sausage buns. You can also find their loaves in local H-E-B and Whole Foods grocery stores. While Easy Tiger's popular downtown location closed in 2020, the company has expanded to the Highland District in Central Austin and South Lamar. Multiple locations, easytigerusa.com

Related: Best Bakeries in Copenhagen

9. ThoroughBread

ThoroughBread is a charming micro‑bakery in South Austin's Zilker neighborhood, founded by Austin native Ryan Goebel.

It specializes in naturally leavened sourdough, small-batch pastries, and creative savory treats like brisket-egg-cheese klobasnek. This neighborhood gem was included in Food & Wine's "100 Best Bakeries in America" list.

When I dropped by in 2025, I picked up a loaf of white sourdough, which lasted me a week at home. The peanut butter and jelly cookie I took home was also excellent. 1709 Bluebonnet Ln, Austin, thoroughbreadatx.com

10. Hayleycakes and Cookies

If you've got a sweet tooth like me, check out Hayleycakes and Cookies, which has been "family owned, operated, and fought in since 2013.″ This cute bakery has a display case full of cupcakes and cookies decorated with fun and sassy sayings. Check out their Instagram to get a feel for Hayley's style.

When I stopped by to peruse their bakery items, I indulged in a double chocolate chip cookie and a cookies' n cream cupcake. In preparation for a move, I sold a piece of furniture online, and the woman who bought it greeted me with one of the bakery's "You Are Awesome" sugar cookies.

Hayleycakes and Cookies offers special orders for whole-cake, cookie, and wedding-cake tastings.1700 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX, hayleycakesandcookies.com

11. Rocheli Patisserie

Rocheli Patisserie is a relative newcomer to East Austin, opening in February 2021. This French bakery is a family affair; sisters Nelly and Linda Garcia own it along with their mother, Rosa Nelly Caballero.

Inside the bright and airy patisserie are a half-dozen tables and a display case full of enticing eclairs, tarts, macarons, and little birthday cakes for two. If you like specialty lattes, you're in the right place, as their menu offers more than a dozen options, including lavender, red velvet, and Nutella.

Rocheli Patisserie hosts a monthly High Tea service, often coinciding with holidays like Easter and Mother's Day. The service includes pastries and beverages for a set price. You can also arrange for friends or family to gather for a private High Tea service.

Beyond creating one of the best bakery shops in Austin, Nelly Garcia mentors high school students and offers internships. 1212 Chicon St #102, East Austin, TX, rocheli.com

Related: Malasadas at Leonard's Bakery

12. Teal House Coffee & Bakery

Teal House Coffee & Bakery is one of the local bakeries in South Austin that started as a food truck. This small business started when the Phillips family began baking homemade cinnamon rolls and apple pies to sell to neighbors. Their popularity led to a new food trailer and a brick-and-mortar shop.

I first tried their cinnamon rolls in 2019 during a meetup of Austin food bloggers. One taste of the sweet frosting is all it takes to see why these rolls took off. Gluten-free and vegan versions of their signature cinnamon buns, sweet and savory kolaches, and croissants are available. 2304 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX, tealhouse.co

13. 85C Bakery Cafe

During my first trip to Vietnam, I became a fan of salt coffee after being introduced to it at a cafe on a street food tour in Da Nang. When I returned to Austin, I had good news-I didn't need to look far for sea salt coffee. A Taiwanese chain, 85 C Bakery Cafe, has been selling it for years; it was even featured in Time Magazine.

Beyond 85 C Bakery Cafe's delicious coffee, every location features an in-shop bakery that pumps out more than 50 varieties of delicious pastries all day. As I saw at some bakeries in Vietnam, you can grab a tray and work your way around the offerings, taking what you like.

Everything outside the refrigerated case (full of layer cakes, whole or by the slice) is individually wrapped.

In addition to the salted coffee, I tried a Hokkaido cheese tart, a bacon-and-cheese pastry, and a slice of mango cake. Everything tasted fresh, and I'm a new fan! 11301 Lakeline Blvd #140, Austin, TX, 85cbakerycafe.com

14. Tous les Jours

Hot on the heels of my discovery of 85C Bakery Cafe in North Austin, I prioritized visiting Tous les Jours, an international French-Asian bakery chain known for its soft bread.

I tried the green honeydew melon, which was shaped like a French baguette but much softer. The cream filling added some sweetness to this tasty pastry.

Other exciting options include milk cream bread, red bean bread, taro buttercream bread, and purple sweet potato loaf.

Various danishes, croissants, fruit pastries, and donuts also fill the display shelves, and like 85C Bakery Cafe, trays and tongs are available to help you shop. 6808 N Lamar Blvd B-115, Austin, TX, tljus.com

15. Upper Crust Bakery

Austin's Upper Crust Bakery has been a part of the community for more than 28 years. Their casual cafe offers plenty of space to enjoy hot drinks and a pastry, or in my case, the Black Gold cookie, which had a brownie-like texture.

Whole cakes and pies are their specialties, though, and there are many to choose from (chocolate Italian cream, red velvet, pecan), whether you're dropping by or placing a special order. 4508 Burnet Rd, Austin, TX, uppercrustbakery.com

Related: Top Bakeries in New Orleans

16. Joe's Bakery and Coffee Shop

Established in 1962, Joe's Bakery and Coffee Shop in East Austin is renowned for its Mexican pastries, all-day breakfast, tacos, and vibrant atmosphere.

This beloved family-owned bakery has proudly and passionately served the community for years, earning it the prestigious James Beard Foundation's America's Classics Award in 2023.

Step inside, turn left, and you'll see a display case filled to the brim with cookies, pan dulce, and assorted pastries. Get them to go, or grab a seat and order off the full menu.

I did the latter, using the occasion to try Joe's pan dulce and my first pork chop taco (breaded and fried pork cutlets on a flour tortilla). 2305 E 7th St, Austin, TX, joesbakery.com

Final Thoughts

Many of the best Austin bakeries are small, individual, or family-owned businesses that rely on their communities to succeed. Let's all do our part to help by enjoying the wide variety of cookies, cakes, and pastries they offer.