That smell of freshly made sweet bread in Mexican bakeries can melt any sweet tooth. With an endless variety of items to choose from, all made fresh daily, it can be hard just to choose one, or two, or three favorites to take home and enjoy with a cup of Joe. It is a traditional place this writer visited on most weekends with her mom acquiring a long-standing adoration for it.
The following Mexican Bakeries are just some to be sure to catch on any road trip through Texas. Some are long-standing family-owned bakeries that bring you plenty of options to pick from making it really hard to walk out with just a sampling of some to take home.
1. Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery – San Antonio
Photo: Sonia Ramirez
Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery is a favorite go-to restaurant for any San Antonio visit. Not only do they serve up some of the best dishes, but their bakery is a must for picking up some great pan dulce (Mexican sweet bread). The choices are endless and you will walk away wanting more. Their menu of traditional Mexican pastries is sure to tempt any sweet tooth.
Some of our favorites as shared on their website are their “cuernos de azucar” (sugar horns-sugar-topped croissants). Their “danish de queso” (rich, flaky pastry filled with cheese), and their “campechanas” (flaky, glazed turnovers with a variety of fillings: apple, guava, lemon, pineapple, strawberry or vanilla crème).
2. El Bolillo Bakery – Houston
Photo: Facebook/El Bolillo Bakery
El Bolillo Bakery is one of this Hill Country writer’s favorite weekend spots to pick up some of the freshest sweet bread in town. El Bolillo not only has a welcoming and warm environment to shop for your favorite Mexican pastries, but you feel as if you have stepped right into a quaint little town of its own.
You may have heard about them in the news lately as they had some employees stuck in the bakery during Hurricane Harvey who decided to cook up batches of sweet bread to make available for flood victims.
Some of our favorite go-to items to get as shared on their website are their “conchas” (a dense, flavorful and not too sweet bread, topped with your favorite coating-mine is chocolate). Their “bolillos” (a French bread type) you can use to make a delicious sandwich or just with a little butter is perfect. Their “empanadas” (a sort of turnover) are made with various fillings such as pumpkin, apple, and lemon, to name a few.
3. La Mexicana Bakery – Austin
Photo: Facebook/La Mexicana Bakery
La Mexicana Bakery in Austin, TX serves up some of the most authentic offerings of sweet bread since 1989. You’re sure to satisfy that sweet bread craving with any of their delicious offerings such as their “empanadas,” “tacos de piña” (a sweet bread filled with pineapple filling), or “marranitos” (a Mexican gingerbread cookie shaped like a pig).
4. Jimenez Bakery & Restaurant – Lubbock
Photo: Jimenez Bakery and Restaurant
The Jimenez Bakery and Restaurant is an authentic Mexican sweet bread at its best. With over 45 years of serving traditional Mexican baking, according to its website.
Since 1969, the secret family recipes have been delighting folks across Lubbock. “Handed down over 3 generations of the Jimenez family!” They have a variety of made-to-order sweet delicacies such as “cuernitos” ( a sweet version of a croissant), “cherry filled tacos,” “campechanas” ( a sweet, crispy, flaky pastry filled with fruit fillings), and “tortugas” (sweet bread shaped like a turtle with a variety of sugar coatings such as chocolate and vanilla).
5. Abuelita Panaderia – Dallas
Photo: Facebook/Abuelita Panaderia
Abuelita Panaderia is a quaint little bakery listed on the Dallas Observer previously as one of seven Dallas Mexican bakeries not to miss.
Some of the favorite items on the menu include their jelly roll cake, a variety of “galletas” (especially the small cinnamon cookies), and their “pan de muerto,” a delicious sweet bread loaf served up to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos- (Day of the Dead) in November.
Odds are you have a Mexican bakery in your own neighborhood. It was a sort of rite of passage growing up going to get fresh pan dulce (Mexican bread) on any given weekend with my Abuelita (grandmother) and Mom. It’s a sweet experience as you walk into the bakery, grab a metal tray used to place the sweet bread on, and use the metal tongs they provide to grab the sweet bread from the cases they are placed in.
These are just some to visit across our great state of Texas. What are some of your favorite go-to Mexican bakeries you’ve visited?
