L.A.’s deep appreciation for bakeries<\/a> and confectioneries<\/a> isn\u2019t novel. But with the widespread influence of TikTok and the continued rise in little treat culture<\/a>, the number of places to satisfy one\u2019s sweet tooth has reached a fever pitch.<\/p>\n The dense concentration of internet-famous bakeries across Pasadena and Highland Park even inspired Koreatown resident and TikToker Irene Chang<\/a> to coordinate a 13.1-mile walking route that crisscrossed town to sample half a dozen spots. <\/p>\n Keep up with LAist.<\/p>\n If you’re enjoying this article, you’ll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less. <\/p>\n With over 1,000 sign-ups and only 50 entrants due to limited capacity, many sweets lovers were left disappointed. \u201cSomeone said, \u2018I’m more nervous about getting a spot than getting into college,'” Chang said. “I was doing the math, and that’s true.\u201d<\/p>\n Eight bakeries in eight miles<\/p>\n As an avid walker and runner, I’d put together something similar in 2009, a 5-mile dumpling race across the San Gabriel Valley<\/a>. After reading about Chang’s venture, I felt compelled to curate my own pedestrian-friendly, pastry-centric crawl for the LAist reader. <\/p>\n This 8-mile route visits eight Northeast Los Angeles bakeries<\/a> that have gained viral popularity in recent years.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Starting in Pasadena and winding its way west toward Highland Park, the itinerary includes Los Angeles\u2019s ultimate chocolate croissant<\/a>, the plushest matcha cinnamon rolls<\/a> around, and the internet\u2019s most photogenic churros<\/a>. These are the spots that everyone is talking about online and in real life.<\/p>\n So, lace up your sneakers, grab a water bottle and slather on sunscreen \u2014 you\u2019re in for a treat.<\/p>\n Artisanal Goods by CAR<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n The luscious chocolate croissant by Artisanal Goods by CAR<\/p>\n In a city blessed with world-class pastries, the chocolate croissants at Artisanal Goods by CAR stand out for owner Haris Car\u2019s meticulous attention to detail. While it is standard for many bakeries to laminate dough on site, Car goes the extra mile by making chocolate batons from scratch using ethically sourced cacao beans. The result is supremely flaky croissants laced with Normandy butter and oozing with chocolaty satisfaction.<\/p>\n Location:<\/b> 1009 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena BadAshBakes<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Bad Ash’s cookie display<\/p>\n Pastry chef Ashley Cunningham took her nearly 600,000 TikTok followers on the winding journey of opening a bakery<\/a> in Pasadena months before the business officially launched. By the time doors opened in May 2025, crowds were queuing up and clamoring for a taste of the charismatic baker\u2019s slate of cakes and cookies. While it\u2019s hard to go wrong with any of Cunningham\u2019s well-balanced sweets, the matcha cinnamon rolls are as fetching to behold as they are to taste, while the banana pudding comforts with layers of fruit, custard and vanilla wafer cookies.<\/p>\n Location: <\/b>247 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena Delight Pastry<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Delight Pastry’s take on spiral croissants, with a Persian bent<\/p>\n Taking a cue from the viral success of The Supr\u00eame<\/a> pastry from Lafayette Grand Cafe & Bakery in New York<\/a>, Pasadena\u2019s Delight Pastry introduced its take on spiral croissants<\/a> in 2023. Inside the brightly lit cafe tucked into a quieter pocket of Old Pasadena, the tightly coiled laminated pastries \u2014 usually filled with cream, dipped in white or dark chocolate, and adorned with garnishes \u2014 take on a Persian bent as a nod to the shop\u2019s owner and pastry chef Lily Azar\u2019s heritage. The creation filled with pistachio cream is the one to get.<\/p>\n Location:<\/b> 39 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena Sweet Red Peach’s cinnamon bun<\/p>\n Sweet Red Peach<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Sweet Red Peach opened in Inglewood in 2011 and has expanded to Pasadena, Carson and even Atlanta in recent years. While Karolyn Plummer\u2019s Southern bakery has always attracted a steady crowd for its expertly constructed layer cakes, especially the red velvet, her cinnamon rolls are bringing in additional foot traffic after being declared L.A.\u2019s very best by a popular food-rating website<\/a>. Served in individual-sized aluminum tins, the cinnamon rolls are incredibly supple, saturated with cinnamon, and finished with a tangy cream cheese icing.<\/p>\n Location:<\/b> 319 S. Arroyo Pkwy. #6, Pasadena Salted Butter Company<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Salted Butter Company has been packed since it opened in August 2025<\/p>\n Wife and husband team Haruna and Johnny Romo weren\u2019t sure what to expect when they opened Salted Butter Company in August 2025. Seemingly from the start, crowds descended on the Nancy Meyers-coded bakery and bought out the whole lot of well-crafted sweet and savory pastries within its first hours of business. These days, dedicated folks are lining up before the shop\u2019s posted 7 a.m. opening time for the choicest selection of classic croissants, laminated cinnamon rolls, and Earl Grey morning buns.<\/p>\n Location:<\/b> 1 W. California Blvd., #412, Pasadena Modu Cafe<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Modu Cafe owner and pastry chef Jiyoon Jang knows the power of social media for small businesses. Before opening her bakery in Highland Park in 2024, the self-taught baker sold her Korean-inflected cookies, doughnuts and milk breads on Instagram, selling out with every drop. Now that Jang has settled into a smartly appointed home base, sweets seekers can dependably swing by for picture-perfect milk cream buns, perilla lime tarts, and black sesame mochi cake bars.<\/p>\n Location:<\/b> 5805 York Blvd., Unit A, Los Angeles Santa Canela<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n L.A. shaped churros are served fresh out of the fryer at Santa Canela<\/p>\n At Highland Park\u2019s warm and welcoming panaderia Santa Canela, pastry chef Ellen Ramos is serving new-school takes on classic Mexican pan dulces. Find the bakery\u2019s daily selection casually arranged and neatly labeled on butcher paper at the front counter. The conchas are memorable, served simply or piped with seasonal cream, as are the frosted long johns. Still, it’s the L.A.-shaped churros served fresh out of the fryer and dusted in cinnamon and sugar that have captured the hearts and stomachs of Angelenos online and off.<\/p>\n Location: <\/b>5601 N. Figueroa St., Unit 120, Los Angeles Fondry<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n The opening of Fondry<\/a> \u2014 a bakery founded by the owners of Kumquat and Loquat coffee shops, as well as the all-new Quat campus in Glassell Park<\/a> \u2014 attracted eager crowds from day one, and it continues to be a pastry destination for many. The daily selection of flaky and rich viennoiserie flexes with the seasons and is overwhelming in the best way possible, offering a dozen different sweet and savory croissants, kouign amanns, Danishes and \u201ccroiffins\u201d (a mash-up of croissant and muffin).<\/p>\n Location:<\/b> 4703 York Blvd., Los Angeles ![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768310351_53_.jpeg\")
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Hours: <\/b>Tuesday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"Rows](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768310354_661_.png\")
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Hours:<\/b> Wednesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768310356_552_.jpeg\")
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Hours:<\/b> Daily, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"sweet](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768310359_688_.png\")
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Hours:<\/b> Daily, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768310359_151_.jpeg\")
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Hours: <\/b>Wednesday through Monday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Hours: <\/b>Tuesday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768310360_246_.jpeg\")
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Hours:<\/b> Daily, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Hours:<\/b> Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n