Best Bakeries in Austin

Rockman

Amanda Rockman is the MOST talented pastry chef, and she’s finally giving Austin what it’s been missing in terms of laminated pastries at Rockman Coffee and Bakeshop. You can get 11 different types of croissants, plus bagels, cakes, cookies, and more pastries, along with wine, a spritz, or a coffee until 7 p.m. in a musically fun and colorful space. The menu is always rotating as Amanda comes up with creative ideas with the seasons, but my favorites are the Chocolate Fudge Croissant, Churro Croissant, Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookie, Pecan Bar, Basque Cake, and any bagel with Loaded Lox Schmear.

Épicerie

Épicerie is a French café & grocery tucked in Allandale, and they have the best sprinkle cookie in Austin and basically anywhere. It’s the perfect consistency—soft, with extra height, and good flavor for a seemingly simple choice. While you’re there, grab a croissant and their chocolate chip cookie too, which I’d say is less rich and less oozy, but still near the top of my list.

Russell’s Bakery

The no fuss, old school Russell’s Bakery up north is hands-down my fave for birthday cakes, specifically, the vanilla cake with raspberry filling which is not a flavor I’d traditionally even order so you know it’s THAT good. The coconut is another high ticket! They’re just so good — moist, the perfect icing sweetness, and even good after freezing and reheating.

Gati and Thai Fresh

Ok, so you would never know or even dream that a Thai restaurant would have an amazing bakery, but Thai Fresh does—so good they opened up their own dedicated bakery and ice cream shop, Gati on the east side as well. Everything is gluten free, but all you GF haters would never know because they make their own flour and use all fantastic ingredients. The menus are different so here are my favorites. At Thai Fresh, make sure to get the Salted Caramel Brownie and ask for it heated up, lemon bar, olive oil chocolate cake, and whatever the cake slice of the day is.

At both you can order, the Coffee Cake, which is the most moist coffee cake I’ve ever had and the crumble topping is to die for and the Magic Bar. They also make custom pies and cakes, great for the holidays, and their vegan ice cream is delicious—try the chocolate or golden milk, which are coconut based but do not taste coconutty or icey like other vegan brands.

ThoroughBread

ThoroughBread is my top choice if you want an all-around winning cookie in Austin. Their cookies are unmatched—gooey and fully loaded with the goods, so they’re thick and heavy—no fear that it will crumble in your lap. They serve four different cookies and four different breads in a small bakery in Zilker. The banana nutella cookie is a must-try—it’s like chocolate heaven with a hint of banana. The PB&J cookie is also a fun twist, and the classic chocolate chip is my all time favorite and first cookie I recommend to everyone in Austin. This one’s good for gifts too, because the cookies are sizable and look pretty wrapped up in a box.

Matok

Originally from Tel Aviv, Pastry Chef Michal Michaeli trained in restaurants in Israel and NYC before starting her pastry work. What is so fascinating to me about this place is how soft the dough is inside the croissant. When you pound a croissant, you end up drenched in flakey crumbs, and that’s the joy of it! This one has that crunchy delicate exterior you expect, and I’m so impressed by the contrast between the unbelievably soft interior and that crunchy exterior in the Pistachio Cherry Croissant. Filled with plenty of pistachio cream and an incredible cherry jam, I actually liked the cherry flavor even more than the pistachio. The Dulce De Leche Babka special strikes me more as a danish as opposed to the classic babka I’m used to having. The pastry holds just the right amount of dulce de leche cream and a perfect, almost brownie-like chocolate filling, but you can still taste the dough in every bite. Matok uses croissant and brioche dough for all their pastries, including the Cinnamon Croissant Cake (similar to monkey bread, yum!) and Rugelach, plus an array of sourdough loaves, cakes, cookies, and so much more. There isn’t much seating so it’s definitely an unassuming and quaint pick-up place.

Local Foods

You might not think of Local Foods as a bakery, but they actually boast a huge window case with a number of amazing desserts. I LOVE the Cowboy Cookie with oats, Valrhona white and dark chocolate, and pecans; and the Carrot Cupcake with vanilla frosting. Both of those happen to be vegan, too. Local Foods also recently revamped their Chocolate Chip Cookie with way more chocolate chips so if you haven’t tried the new version, go now! I need to go back for the Miso Brown Sugar Cookie and Chocolate Chip brownie.

Swedish Hill

MML Hospitality took over old Austin staple, Swedish Hill, and preserved its name while overhauling the pastry offerings and expanding across town. It’s like Gjusta (from LA) meets Russ & Daughters (from NYC). Go for the laminated dough pastries here—I love their croissants and kouign-amann. Also, if you go on a good day, the Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies are my favorite. Just make sure they are light in color and that’s your green flag to GO!

SugarWolf

The long-awaited SugarWolf hails from the Guy + Larry restaurant group, known for the heavy hitters of Restaurant Francois, Red Ash, ATX Cocina, J. Carver’s, and beyond. Because they operate all of these restaurants already, they can pull off this grandiose scale of laminated pastries, sandwiches, sourdough, focaccia, salads, and a full coffee bar in such a magnificent way operationally. Although we’re focused on the pastries, this really is a full breakfast and lunch spot with hours of 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. My must-order items are the Housemade Turkey Sandwich on Bone Bread; Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie (available starting at 11 a.m.); and Cinnamon Roll.

Abby Jane Bakeshop

Located off Fitzhugh Road, Abby Jane is connected to the famous Barton Springs Mill, and all of the baked goods come from these incredible stone-milled and organic grains. I’d call this the best cinnamon roll I’ve ever had in Austin, with layers of cinnamon goo around each ring and icing that isn’t too tangy. I also love the chocolate croissant’s ratio of chocolate to dough – she put TWO bars of chocolate in there. This renowned shop also serves bread, cookies, and more pastries Thursday through Sunday until 4 p.m.

Mercado Sin Nombre

This “middle-of-the-street” spot instantly transported me to vacation mode, like stumbling upon that perfect little bakery or market you discover by accident and then making it your daily morning ritual for the rest of your trip. The moment I stepped into their bright, colorful outdoor-only seating area with those gorgeous string lights and neon milk crates, I felt completely transported. Masa is their star ingredient, and The Bad Honey Bunny, a masa milk bread with masa honey glaze and cardamom salt is the one that swept me off my feet way even before Michelin recognized them in 2025. Go team!

Salty Donut

Some mornings, you just need a nice warm donut. My choice is Salty Donut, which came here from Miami. They offer two kinds of donuts: Cake and Brioche. A few specialty options include Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake, Brown Butter and Salt, and Maple and Bacon. They come in a beautiful package, so they’re great to pick up for the office or a kids’ birthday party.

Ciccio Bomba

You may have heard of Ciccio Bomba because of its famous owner, comedian Tom Segura, who tried Italian baker Gianba Vinzoni’s treats and helped him move to Austin to open these. I was expecting the new South Lamar location to be only a bakery, but it’s a full restaurant with plenty of seating and a full breakfast menu with a Breakfast Sandwich on a buttery croissant, four different omelets, and more. They even have lunch and dinner with pizzas, pasta, sandwiches and a full bar. This feels like a standard European cafe you’d pass on any corner abroad and ideal for an easy coffee and pastry. For the baked goods, I recommend the Apple Danish and Seasonal Brioche Bun, and if you like crispy chocolate chip cookies, this one is for you. 

Sour Duck

Everyone knows about Sour Duck Market, which is essentially the bakery component to Barley Swine and Odd Duck restaurants, with a casual backyard picnic table setting surrounded by a boulangerie and bread bakery. The indoor case is lined with the 4 C’s: Croissants, Cookies, Cruffins, and Cinnamon Rolls, plus Sourdough! The S’mores Kouign Amann is one of the most playful treats I’ve had in a long time with flaky dough, an almost brownie-like center, and a marshmallow fluff-like cream on top. Go for it! I don’t love their chocolate chip cookie, but I want to try more here!

Salty Blonde Bakery

This Hyde Park food truck’s Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie is so fresh and soft that I could barely pick it up. It’s also only $3.50, which feels like a deal these days! While I did like the cookie and its gooeyness, I was most impressed by the soft and pillowy dough in her cinnamon rolls. The novelty of the Oreo Cinnamon Roll really caught my eye, and while the chocolate-y decadence was fun and a combo that really teased my brain, I’m excited to go back to try the traditional Cinnamon Roll after loving that dough and icing so much. Open everyday but Monday and Tuesday, the flavors rotate weekly so you can try a Blueberry Compote Roll, Strawberry Pop-Tart Cookie, or Cinnamon Sugar Monkey Bread, depending on the week. This is a true one-woman show, and she makes everything from scratch! You can also place special pre-orders 48 hours in advance for a party or event.

Chez Zee

Open since 1989, Chez Zee is an easy bistro and bakery on Balcones Drive with a HUGE dessert list. I came back for the first time since college specifically to order dessert and we ended up ordering three — yes, we did. Surprisingly, my favorite was the Strawberry Palooza Cake with strawberry jam and strawberry cream cheese frosting. I loved the rich Chocolate Decadence Cake, too. Our third treat, the Sticky Date Pudding, was good, but by the time I got to it, it was just too much sugar. The expansive dessert menu also features Lemon Rosemary Cake, Coconut Tres Leches, Bread Pudding, Cheesecake, and six different pies.