14 Must-Try Mexican Pastries In California That Will Sweeten Your Day
California’s Mexican bakeries offer some of the most delicious pastries available. Flaky conchas, sweet cuernos, and a variety of other traditional treats showcase authentic flavors rooted in Mexican culinary heritage.
These bakeries prepare their pastries using recipes passed down through generations, ensuring every bite reflects time-honored techniques and ingredients.
Perfect for breakfast or a midday snack, the offerings are crafted with care and attention to detail.
1. La Monarca Bakery, Los Angeles Area
Walking into this spot feels like stepping into a bakery in Mexico City. The smell of fresh bread hits you immediately.
Their conchas come in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, each one perfectly crunchy on top and soft underneath. The orejas are buttery and flaky, practically melting in your mouth.
They’ve got multiple locations around LA, so you’re never too far from your next pastry fix. Grab a café de olla to go with your selection.
2. La Mejor Bakery, San Francisco
Located in the Mission District, this family bakery has been feeding San Francisco for decades. People line up early for the empanadas de calabaza.
The pumpkin filling is spiced just right, not too sweet but perfectly balanced. Their cuernos are another customer favorite, with layers that separate beautifully when you bite in.
Prices stay reasonable even as the city gets pricier. The staff remembers regular customers and their usual orders, which makes every visit feel personal.
3. Pan Estilo Copala, Compton
This Compton gem specializes in Sinaloa-style baking that tastes like home cooking. Their specialty is the chilindrina, a crispy pastry topped with sugar that crunches with every bite.
The bolillos here are crusty on the outside and airy inside, perfect for making tortas. Early morning is the best time to visit when everything comes out piping hot from the ovens.
They also make fantastic semitas, round pastries with a subtle sweetness that pairs wonderfully with coffee.
4. Peña’s Bakery, Oakland
Oakland’s Peña’s has mastered the art of tres leches cake. The sponge soaks up the three milks without getting soggy, staying light and airy.
I remember trying their strawberry tres leches for my cousin’s birthday last year, and we finished the entire thing in one sitting. Their polvorones crumble perfectly, dusting your fingers with powdered sugar.
The bigotes, named for their mustache shape, are crispy puff pastry strips covered in cinnamon sugar. Everything here tastes freshly made because it is.
5. Forma Bakery, Oakland
Forma brings a modern twist to traditional Mexican baking. Their concha croissant hybrid sounds weird but works beautifully, combining French technique with Mexican flavor.
The pastry chefs here trained in both Mexico and Europe, and it shows in every bite. Their seasonal flavors rotate monthly, so there’s always something new to try.
The space itself is bright and Instagram-worthy, but don’t let that fool you. The quality matches the aesthetics, with real butter and organic ingredients throughout their menu.
6. La Esperanza Bakery, Sacramento
Sacramento locals know La Esperanza as the place for authentic pan dulce. Their cochinitos, little pig-shaped cookies made with piloncillo, are addictively spiced.
The gingerbread-like flavor comes from cinnamon and molasses, creating something uniquely Mexican. Their conchas stay fresh for days, though they rarely last that long in anyone’s house.
Weekend mornings get busy with families stocking up for the week. The trays of pastries rotate constantly, ensuring you always get something warm from the oven.
7. Panchitas Bakery, San Diego
Panchitas has been a San Diego staple since the 1990s. Their marranitos are legendary, with a dense texture and deep molasses flavor.
These pig-shaped treats are less sweet than most pastries, making them perfect for dunking in coffee or hot chocolate. The empanadas here come with various fillings like pineapple, apple, and sweet potato.
Each one is crimped by hand, showing the care put into every pastry. The bakery opens early, so swing by before work for the best selection.
8. La Mascota Bakery, Boyle Heights, Los Angeles
This Boyle Heights institution has served the neighborhood since 1953. Generations of families have grown up on their pastries.
The pink conchas here are particularly famous, with a shell pattern that’s both pretty and delicious. Their besos, which means kisses, are two meringue cookies sandwiched with jam.
Light and sweet, they practically dissolve on your tongue. The bakery maintains old-school pricing, keeping treats affordable for everyone in the community. Cash only, so come prepared.
9. Delicias Bakery & Some, Highland Park, Los Angeles
Highland Park’s Delicias combines bakery and cafe into one cozy spot. Their elotes, corn-shaped pastries with a subtle corn flavor, stand out from typical offerings.
Last month, I watched a kid convince his mom to buy six of them, and honestly, I understood completely. The puerquitos here are spiced perfectly, not too strong but definitely present.
They also serve excellent coffee drinks to accompany your pastry selection. The outdoor seating makes it a great place to hang out on sunny California mornings.
10. Panadería La Mexicana, Los Angeles
This no-frills bakery focuses on one thing: making excellent pan dulce. Their selection might seem overwhelming with dozens of varieties lining the shelves.
Grab a tray and tongs, then pick whatever catches your eye. The conchas here have extra thick topping, giving you more of that sweet, crunchy shell everyone loves.
Their orejas are massive, easily big enough to share, though you probably won’t want to. Prices are marked clearly, and everything rings up quickly at the counter.
11. La Victoria SF, San Francisco
Another Mission District treasure, La Victoria specializes in Jalisco-style baking. Their birote, a sourdough roll from Guadalajara, is crusty and tangy.
While not sweet, it deserves mention for being absolutely perfect for sandwiches. On the pastry side, their conchas are fluffy and generous in size.
The vanilla ones have a subtle flavor that lets the bread shine through. Weekend afternoons bring mariachi music from nearby restaurants, creating an authentic atmosphere while you shop for treats.
12. La Favorita Bakery, Los Angeles
La Favorita lives up to its name by being many people’s favorite spot. Their specialty is the novias, delicate pastries topped with meringue that looks like wedding decorations.
The meringue stays crispy even hours after baking, which seems like magic. Their empanadas have generous fruit fillings that don’t leak or get soggy.
The pineapple version tastes like actual pineapple, not artificial flavoring. Lines form quickly on weekends, but they move fast thanks to efficient staff who know their regulars.
13. El Gallo Bakery, Los Angeles
Named after the rooster, El Gallo opens when most people are still sleeping. Early birds get the best selection of pastries straight from the oven.
Their specialty is the rejas, lattice-topped pastries filled with guava paste. The sweet and slightly tart filling contrasts beautifully with the buttery dough.
Their polvorones are so delicate they almost fall apart when you pick them up. The bakery also makes custom cakes for celebrations, decorated with bright colors and fresh flowers.
14. La Sonorense Bakery, Los Angeles
La Sonorense brings northern Mexican baking traditions to LA. Their coyotas, large flour cookies filled with piloncillo, represent Sonoran baking at its finest.
These flat, round treats are less sweet than most pastries but incredibly satisfying. The filling has a caramel-like quality from the unrefined cane sugar.
Their flour tortillas, while not pastries, are worth trying for their incredible softness. The bakery maintains recipes brought from Sonora decades ago, keeping traditions authentic and flavors consistent year after year.