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Mexican pan dulce Ruth Tobias

24 Sweet Tooth–Satisfying Bakeries in Denver

From cakes and croissants to panettone and pan dulce

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Reputation for adventure and fitness notwithstanding, Denverites have always been big on the comforts of bakeries. Since the pandemic, their passion for homey, carb- and sugar-laden treats has only expanded — and so have options for obtaining them.

Because it’s impossible to cover them all, some categories have been excluded here, namely doughnut shops (which have their own map) as well as mobile and cottage operations without storefronts: To name a few worthy examples, check out Hinman Pie, Raleigh Street Bakery, El Secreto, Black Box, and Funky Flame. Also of note are cult favorite Bakery Four and Syrian Sweets, both of which are about to reopen in new digs.

What this map does is offer a broad overview of the local bakery scene in all its spectacular diversity, from classic boulangeries and pâtisseries to specialists in Armenian, Iraqi, Japanese, and still other international breads and pastries.

Note: This map is not ranked but ordered geographically from north to south. Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; the latest data about the delta variant indicates that it may pose a low-to-moderate risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial transmission. The latest CDC guidance is here; find a COVID-19 vaccination site here.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Babettes Pizza & Pane

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Longmont got lucky when Babettes bounced from RiNo to the ’burbs. While it’s perhaps most renowned for its first-class breads, there’s really nothing this mom-and-pop operation doesn’t do well, from croissants and cruffins to bubble-crusted pizzas and sandwiches on crusty rolls.

Cardamom roll
A cardamom roll at Babettes.
Rachel Greiman

Moxie Bread Co.

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With additional locations in Boulder and Lyons, Moxie lives up to its name by milling its own heritage grains, so buckwheat, spelt, blue corn, and flaxseed may pop up in muffins, loaves, and such; what’s more, it turns out a few items you don’t see much elsewhere, including bialys and fougasse.

Scrambled egg–filled tart shells
“King egg” savory tarts are a Moxie signature.
Moxie Bread Co.

Reunion Bread Co

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When Babettes left The Source for the burbs, no one could have guessed it would be replaced by an equally special bakery, but it was — national media–attention special, in fact. Diverse influences yield a daily selection that may include Portuguese pasteles de nata (custard tarts) and Venezuelan golfeados (cheese-sprinkled sticky buns) in addition to cardamom buns, chocolate babka, and various bread loaves; for the holidays, it also makes Italian panettone.

Buns, croissants, and breads on butcher paper Ruth Tobias

Dolce Sicilia Italian Bakery

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Cannoli, sfogliatelle, tricolore cookies, baba au rhum, calzones, pan pizza, and the list goes on: This long-standing Wheat Ridge fixture covers all of Sicily’s greatest hits, right down to holiday specialties like zeppole and cuddura cu l’ova (Easter bread).

Loaf of panettone with cookies
Though not originally from Sicily, the panettone from Dolce Sicilia is worth a Yuletide trip to Wheat Ridge.
Ruth Tobias

Rosales Mexican Bakery

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At this decades-old panaderia in LoHi, dozens upon dozens of types of pan dulce await in the display cases and behind the counter, from palmier-like orejas and shell-shaped conchas to pumpkin or apple empanadas. Don’t miss the luscious but not cloying tres leches cake and buttercream-filled besos (spherical sandwich cookies).

Mexican pan dulce
A variety of pan dulce from Rosales.
Ruth Tobias

Wooden Spoon Cafe & Bakery

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Tiny in size but big in spirit, this LoHi fixture puts its all into its pastries, and it shows in above-and-beyond cheese danishes, textbook crumbly scones, and turnovers in hearty flavors like mushroom-potato with mozzarella and caramelized onions. Among regulars, breakfast sandwiches on brioche rolls are in heavy rotation.

Bakery counter full of pastries Ruth Tobias

Izzio Artisan Bakery

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From morning to night, the Denver Central Market location of Izzio serves up not only its signature kouign-amanns, croissants, cookies, cakes, buns, and breads but also bowls, toasts, and still more; brunchtime brings the likes of Benedicts and croques madames.

U Baron Group

Turnover, Darling

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With a bubbly retro atmosphere and a sweet-as-pie staff, this new Ballpark parlor specializes in its namesake: fat, flaky turnovers for breakfast and lunch. Selections like the Chicken Pot Pie and the Greek with spinach, egg, dill, and feta come with a choice of sauces, including tomatillo salsa and asiago gravy; also lining the counter are daily-baked sweet treats ranging from tea breads to sour cream coffee cake.

Bakery-cafe counter lined with turnovers, tea breads, and buns Ruth Tobias

Owlette Bakery

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One of Denver’s best — and sleekest — coffee shops expanded to this companion bakery around the corner last summer, and it’s an equally stylish keeper with a penchant for sophisticated flavors: Think arugula-chimichurri focaccia, white chocolate–rosemary scones, gingerbread-pear doughnuts, and kicky berbere cookies. Bonus: On Friday and Saturday evenings, Owlette (which is open Thursday–Sunday) transforms into a wine bar.

Good Bread

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Chewy-crusted and tender-crumbed, the bread at this takeout-only bakery on East Colfax is better than good, be it a classic multigrain loaf or an asiago–green onion or blueberry-walnut boule; so are the picture-perfect pastries, ranging from apple fritters and chai cruffins to chicken-meatball danishes. Come and get ’em early — the queue begins to form even before the doors open at 8 a.m. Thursday–Sunday.

Bakery counter lined with breads and pastries Ruth Tobias

La Fillette Bakery

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Season after season, this tiny, adorable Hale outlet always has something new to savor, be it rich and buttery pop tarts in flavors like Palisade peach and apple strudel; mint or peanut butter–and–jelly macarons; key lime or maple-bacon cruffins; or blackberry-lavender or pumpkin spice scones. That’s all in addition to more traditional breads, pastries, pies, and more, not to mention custom cakes.

Thanksgiving-themed cookies on a platter
Seasonal flavors and decorations are a theme at La Fillette.
Ruth Tobias

Rebel Bread

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Cacio e pepe croissants with parmesan and pepper; chocolate ciabatta; bagels in the form of rich and tender, Dijon cream cheese–filled puffs and giant “family-size” rings; specials like tiramisù knots and tomato-butter croissant squares: This Saturday-only takeout bakery on South Broadway has a quirky style all its own, and its fans are here for it, lining up outside the entrance at 8 a.m. sharp.

Bakery counter lined with breads and pastries Ruth Tobias

Istanbul Café and Bakery

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Phyllo-philes unite at this Turkish cafe in a southeast strip mall, where the counter and display case are lined with not only baklava of all kinds but also poğaça (a type of cheese bun); bagel-like açma; and börek, coiled or flat layers of dough filled with ground beef or spinach and feta. Turkish coffee service is a plus.

Börek and simit pastries on a plate
Börek and simit from Istanbul.
Ruth Tobias

Rosenberg's Kosher

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One of just a handful of kosher bakeries in Denver, Rosenberg's opens on Fridays and Sundays to offer a wide selection of bagels, bialys, challah, and breads such as rye and pumpernickel, along with schmears, fish, and deli salads.

Jon Loether

Cuba Bakery & Café

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In addition to a full slate of European-style cakes, cookies, and tarts, this bustling Cuban cafe turns out savory and sweet treats from the motherland, including empanadas and not-to-be-missed coconut pastelitos.

Detour Bakery

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The name fits, as it’s tucked away at the back of a strip mall in a largely residential neighborhood, but this bakery is worth the search for cinnamon rolls, peach danishes, clafoutis, and the like as well as savory items such as leek-parmesan puffs and blue cheese–walnut bread.

Leek-parmesan puff
Detour’s leek-parmesan puff
Ruth Tobias

Tokyo Premium Bakery

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From buns filled with matcha cream, red bean paste, or beef curry to sandwiches on shokupan (milk bread), this Old South Pearl gem has given the classic French bakery a charming Japanese twist — though it’s no less adept at croissants, danishes, and the like.

A photograph of three shelves containing selection of sweet and savory pastries at a bakery on Old South Pearl Street, including custard and matcha cream pastries. Josie Sexton/Eater

Azucar Bakery

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Stunning custom cakes are perhaps this bakery’s bread and butter, but it’s also known for South American specialties such as alfajores, piononos, quesitos, and incredibly light, flaky turnovers filled with guava jelly and cream cheese.

Bakery display case Ruth Tobias

Taste of Denmark

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Strudel, kringles, and waffle cookies count among the key specialties of this quaint little Lakewood longtimer — along, of course, with light and flaky danish filled with jam and custard (try the apricot). But the list goes on, encompassing cinnamon rolls and twists, bear claws, coffee cake, and much more.

Ruth Tobias
Bakery counter with pastry display

House of Bread

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In addition to European confections ranging from macarons to tiramisù, this fabulous cafe and bakery serves up the specialties of the owners’ native Armenia, including the egg- and feta-stuffed bread boat known as ajarski; pizza-like lahmajun; and ponchik, a type of filled doughnut. An equal flair for coffee drinks enhances the experience.

Puffy Armenian cheese bread
Megruli kachapuri, a cheesy Armenian bread puff, from House of Bread.
Ruth Tobias

Shahrazad Bakery

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Pandemic or no pandemic, there’s room for only one customer at a time at this takeout-only Iraqi bakery — the production area behind the counter takes up most of the space, as various flatbreads fresh from the clay oven line the tables in all shapes and sizes amid racks of baklava and displays of manakish (similar to pizza). Reminiscent of naan, the delightfully chewy khubz is a great place to start here.

Walnut baklava and carrot halwa
Carrots, cheese, and nuts of all kinds distinguish the sweets at Shahrazad.
Ruth Tobias

Trompeau Bakery

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In search of a bûche de Noël come holiday time? This beloved Englewood fixture delivers on that score just as surely as it does such Gallic staples as pain aux raisins, chaussons aux pommes, chocolate eclairs, quiche, and the croissants it’s perhaps best known for.

Four fruit-topped tartlets on a plate
Tartlets at Trompeau.
Trompeau Bakery

Le French

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Run by two French-Senegalese sisters, this airy cafe serves a full menu all day that reflects both sides of their heritage — fried tuna pies and chicken yassa with French toast on one hand, traditional boulangerie items and dainty confections such as pumpkin madeleines and lemon tartlets on the other.

Entrance to a cafe with pastries in a display case Ruth Tobias

Poulette Bakeshop

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This is the definition of a destination. From 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, husband-and-wife owners Alen Ramos and Carolyn Nugent — whose joint résumé is as exalted as they come — and their veteran team put all their star-powered experience into a diverse repertoire that might on any given day yield ham-and-cheese bear claws and BBQ chicken handpies, Berliners and Spandauer (or actual Danish-style danishes), gâteau Saint Honoré, and maple-buttermilk–glazed apple fritters. Watch their Instagram for news of an eventual bread program.

Danish-style danishes on a tray
True Spandauer at Poulette.
Alen Ramos

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Babettes Pizza & Pane

Longmont got lucky when Babettes bounced from RiNo to the ’burbs. While it’s perhaps most renowned for its first-class breads, there’s really nothing this mom-and-pop operation doesn’t do well, from croissants and cruffins to bubble-crusted pizzas and sandwiches on crusty rolls.

Cardamom roll
A cardamom roll at Babettes.
Rachel Greiman

Moxie Bread Co.

With additional locations in Boulder and Lyons, Moxie lives up to its name by milling its own heritage grains, so buckwheat, spelt, blue corn, and flaxseed may pop up in muffins, loaves, and such; what’s more, it turns out a few items you don’t see much elsewhere, including bialys and fougasse.

Scrambled egg–filled tart shells
“King egg” savory tarts are a Moxie signature.
Moxie Bread Co.

Reunion Bread Co

When Babettes left The Source for the burbs, no one could have guessed it would be replaced by an equally special bakery, but it was — national media–attention special, in fact. Diverse influences yield a daily selection that may include Portuguese pasteles de nata (custard tarts) and Venezuelan golfeados (cheese-sprinkled sticky buns) in addition to cardamom buns, chocolate babka, and various bread loaves; for the holidays, it also makes Italian panettone.

Buns, croissants, and breads on butcher paper Ruth Tobias

Dolce Sicilia Italian Bakery

Cannoli, sfogliatelle, tricolore cookies, baba au rhum, calzones, pan pizza, and the list goes on: This long-standing Wheat Ridge fixture covers all of Sicily’s greatest hits, right down to holiday specialties like zeppole and cuddura cu l’ova (Easter bread).

Loaf of panettone with cookies
Though not originally from Sicily, the panettone from Dolce Sicilia is worth a Yuletide trip to Wheat Ridge.
Ruth Tobias

Rosales Mexican Bakery

At this decades-old panaderia in LoHi, dozens upon dozens of types of pan dulce await in the display cases and behind the counter, from palmier-like orejas and shell-shaped conchas to pumpkin or apple empanadas. Don’t miss the luscious but not cloying tres leches cake and buttercream-filled besos (spherical sandwich cookies).

Mexican pan dulce
A variety of pan dulce from Rosales.
Ruth Tobias

Wooden Spoon Cafe & Bakery

Tiny in size but big in spirit, this LoHi fixture puts its all into its pastries, and it shows in above-and-beyond cheese danishes, textbook crumbly scones, and turnovers in hearty flavors like mushroom-potato with mozzarella and caramelized onions. Among regulars, breakfast sandwiches on brioche rolls are in heavy rotation.

Bakery counter full of pastries Ruth Tobias

Izzio Artisan Bakery

From morning to night, the Denver Central Market location of Izzio serves up not only its signature kouign-amanns, croissants, cookies, cakes, buns, and breads but also bowls, toasts, and still more; brunchtime brings the likes of Benedicts and croques madames.

U Baron Group

Turnover, Darling

With a bubbly retro atmosphere and a sweet-as-pie staff, this new Ballpark parlor specializes in its namesake: fat, flaky turnovers for breakfast and lunch. Selections like the Chicken Pot Pie and the Greek with spinach, egg, dill, and feta come with a choice of sauces, including tomatillo salsa and asiago gravy; also lining the counter are daily-baked sweet treats ranging from tea breads to sour cream coffee cake.

Bakery-cafe counter lined with turnovers, tea breads, and buns Ruth Tobias

Owlette Bakery

One of Denver’s best — and sleekest — coffee shops expanded to this companion bakery around the corner last summer, and it’s an equally stylish keeper with a penchant for sophisticated flavors: Think arugula-chimichurri focaccia, white chocolate–rosemary scones, gingerbread-pear doughnuts, and kicky berbere cookies. Bonus: On Friday and Saturday evenings, Owlette (which is open Thursday–Sunday) transforms into a wine bar.

Good Bread

Chewy-crusted and tender-crumbed, the bread at this takeout-only bakery on East Colfax is better than good, be it a classic multigrain loaf or an asiago–green onion or blueberry-walnut boule; so are the picture-perfect pastries, ranging from apple fritters and chai cruffins to chicken-meatball danishes. Come and get ’em early — the queue begins to form even before the doors open at 8 a.m. Thursday–Sunday.

Bakery counter lined with breads and pastries Ruth Tobias

La Fillette Bakery

Season after season, this tiny, adorable Hale outlet always has something new to savor, be it rich and buttery pop tarts in flavors like Palisade peach and apple strudel; mint or peanut butter–and–jelly macarons; key lime or maple-bacon cruffins; or blackberry-lavender or pumpkin spice scones. That’s all in addition to more traditional breads, pastries, pies, and more, not to mention custom cakes.

Thanksgiving-themed cookies on a platter
Seasonal flavors and decorations are a theme at La Fillette.
Ruth Tobias

Rebel Bread

Cacio e pepe croissants with parmesan and pepper; chocolate ciabatta; bagels in the form of rich and tender, Dijon cream cheese–filled puffs and giant “family-size” rings; specials like tiramisù knots and tomato-butter croissant squares: This Saturday-only takeout bakery on South Broadway has a quirky style all its own, and its fans are here for it, lining up outside the entrance at 8 a.m. sharp.

Bakery counter lined with breads and pastries Ruth Tobias

Istanbul Café and Bakery

Phyllo-philes unite at this Turkish cafe in a southeast strip mall, where the counter and display case are lined with not only baklava of all kinds but also poğaça (a type of cheese bun); bagel-like açma; and börek, coiled or flat layers of dough filled with ground beef or spinach and feta. Turkish coffee service is a plus.

Börek and simit pastries on a plate
Börek and simit from Istanbul.
Ruth Tobias

Rosenberg's Kosher

One of just a handful of kosher bakeries in Denver, Rosenberg's opens on Fridays and Sundays to offer a wide selection of bagels, bialys, challah, and breads such as rye and pumpernickel, along with schmears, fish, and deli salads.

Jon Loether

Cuba Bakery & Café

In addition to a full slate of European-style cakes, cookies, and tarts, this bustling Cuban cafe turns out savory and sweet treats from the motherland, including empanadas and not-to-be-missed coconut pastelitos.

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Detour Bakery

The name fits, as it’s tucked away at the back of a strip mall in a largely residential neighborhood, but this bakery is worth the search for cinnamon rolls, peach danishes, clafoutis, and the like as well as savory items such as leek-parmesan puffs and blue cheese–walnut bread.

Leek-parmesan puff
Detour’s leek-parmesan puff
Ruth Tobias

Tokyo Premium Bakery

From buns filled with matcha cream, red bean paste, or beef curry to sandwiches on shokupan (milk bread), this Old South Pearl gem has given the classic French bakery a charming Japanese twist — though it’s no less adept at croissants, danishes, and the like.

A photograph of three shelves containing selection of sweet and savory pastries at a bakery on Old South Pearl Street, including custard and matcha cream pastries. Josie Sexton/Eater

Azucar Bakery

Stunning custom cakes are perhaps this bakery’s bread and butter, but it’s also known for South American specialties such as alfajores, piononos, quesitos, and incredibly light, flaky turnovers filled with guava jelly and cream cheese.