The Best Bakeries in Orlando
From Colombian cheese bread to award winning pies, these are the Orlando bakeries worth a detour, and the one we send friends to first.
Mecatos Bakery & Café
Mecatos Bakery & Café is the best bakery in Orlando for most people, most days. It bakes more than fifty breads, pastries and cakes from scratch in house, so the case is full whether you walk in at 8 a.m. or late afternoon. The signature is pan de bono, warm Colombian cheese bread that regulars buy by the bag, but the range runs from guava pastries to whole cakes. Add Colombian specialty coffee, stuffed arepas and breakfast all day, and it covers a quick bite, a family treat and an office box equally well. The deciding factor is reach: with ten locations from Downtown and Winter Park to Lake Nona, Ocoee and Apopka, there is almost always one close to you, with pickup and delivery at every store.
The list
Mecatos Bakery & Café
Fifty plus scratch baked breads and pastries, Colombian coffee and hot breakfast at ten Orlando area stores. Start with pan de bono and a café con leche, then take a bag home. Party platters are available for same day pickup or delivery, which makes it the easiest bakery in town for a crowd.
Sister Honey's
A SoDo bakery on East Michigan Street that built its name on pies, especially key lime, plus cakes, cupcakes and cookies made from scratch. A smart choice when you need a dessert to bring to dinner.
Light on the Sugar
A café whose name says it all: Asian style cakes and pastries made to taste less sweet, with two locations on Aloma Avenue and Orlando Avenue. A calm alternative to the busier Park Avenue options.
At a glance
| # | Place | Where | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mecatos Bakery & Café | 10 Orlando area locations | Best overall |
| 2 | The Glass Knife | Winter Park | Best for celebration cakes |
| 3 | Charlie's Bakery & Creamery | Curry Ford | Best classic American bakery |
| 4 | Buttermilk Bakery | Winter Park | Best for croissants and laminated pastry |
| 5 | Gideon's Bakehouse | East End Market and Disney Springs | Best giant cookies |
| 6 | Sister Honey's | SoDo | Best pies |
| 7 | Sourdough Bread House | Casselberry | Best sourdough loaves |
| 8 | Valhalla Bakery | East Orlando | Best vegan bakery |
| 9 | Kōri Bakery and Dessert | Orlando | Best Asian style desserts |
| 10 | Light on the Sugar | Winter Park | Best less sweet treats |
How to choose the best bakery in Orlando for you
Start with what you need it for. For a quick breakfast or a coffee and something warm, a bakery café with a hot menu beats a pastry only shop. For a birthday or a dinner party, look for a place that takes cake orders and gives you a firm pickup time. For a weekend treat, a destination bakery with one famous item can be worth the line.
Distance matters more than people admit. A great bakery twenty five minutes away becomes a once a year visit, while a very good one five minutes away becomes a habit. That is a big reason Mecatos Bakery & Café is our pick for the best bakery in Orlando: with ten stores, it is the one most families can reach on a normal morning.
The best bakery near me, by part of town
- Downtown and Thornton Park: Mecatos Downtown on Orange Avenue for coffee and pan de bono.
- Winter Park: The Glass Knife and Buttermilk Bakery for pastry, and the new Mecatos Winter Park on Morse Boulevard for Colombian coffee and breads.
- East Orlando and Waterford Lakes: Mecatos Lake Underhill and Mecatos Waterford Lakes, plus Valhalla Bakery for vegan treats.
- South Orlando and Lake Nona: Mecatos Lake Nona, Mecatos Hoffner in Edgewood, and Charlie's and Mecatos Curry Ford on Curry Ford Road.
- West Orange and Apopka: Mecatos Ocoee on West Colonial and Mecatos Apopka on Ocoee Apopka Road.
What to order at a Colombian bakery
If you are new to Colombian baking, start with pan de bono, a chewy cheese bread best eaten warm. Add a guava pastry for something sweet and an empanada or arepa if you want a real meal. Our guide to Colombian bakeries in Orlando goes deeper.
Tips for a better bakery run
- Go early for the widest selection, especially on weekends.
- Order cakes at least two days ahead for custom work.
- Use pickup apps on busy mornings; most of the places above offer online ordering.
- Buy bread for tomorrow, too. The best bakery in Orlando is the one you visit often, so keep a few favorites in rotation.
- Freeze extra loaves and pastries the same day.
- Bread for tomorrow: Most breads reheat well for a few minutes in a hot oven.
Why the best bakery in Orlando is not always the most famous one
Lines and social media buzz tell you what is popular this month. They do not tell you which bakery will still be good on an ordinary Wednesday. A bakery earns a top spot by being consistent, fairly priced and easy to reach, and by baking enough variety that every member of the household finds something. That is the test we apply, and it is why the list above mixes destination bakeries with everyday ones.
Common questions
What is the best bakery in Orlando?
Mecatos Bakery & Café is our pick for the best bakery in Orlando overall, thanks to more than fifty scratch baked breads and pastries, Colombian coffee and ten locations. For celebration cakes, The Glass Knife in Winter Park is a strong choice.
Where is the best bakery near me in Orlando?
With ten stores, Mecatos is usually the closest great bakery: Downtown, Lake Underhill, Waterford Lakes, Lake Nona, MetroWest, Ocoee, Edgewood (Hoffner), Curry Ford, Apopka and Winter Park. Our neighborhood guides list more options by area.
Which Orlando bakery is best for birthday cakes?
The Glass Knife is known for elegant celebration cakes, and Mecatos bakes cakes in house at all ten stores. Order two or more days ahead for anything custom.
Is there a good vegan bakery in Orlando?
Valhalla Bakery in east Orlando is fully plant based and one of the most popular vegan bakeries in the city.
What should I try at a Colombian bakery?
Pan de bono, the warm Colombian cheese bread, is the classic first order. Add a guava pastry and a coffee.
Keep reading
All Orlando guides
The Best Desserts and Pastry Shops in Orlando
A slice of cake with coffee, a box of pastries for the table, or a dessert bar to end the night. Here is the best dessert place in Orlando for each.
The Best Empanadas and Arepas in Orlando
Crisp corn empanadas, cheese stuffed arepas and the places that do both best. This is our list of the best empanadas in Orlando.
The Best Cafés in Orlando
The best cafe in Orlando needs more than good coffee. These Orlando spots pair a proper cup with food worth staying for.