The Ultimate Sweet Tooth Guide to Pasadena

Don't overlook Gourmet Cobbler Factory. The location may be small, but the servings are big. Order a personal-sized pie, regular pie, or a whole tray (in advance) of classic flavors like peach, pecan, apple, cherry, or a variety of seasonal berries. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to have it a la mode.

Inside the London-inspired shopping center, Burlington Arcade on South Lake Avenue, grab a box or two of authentic French canelés, madeleines and dacquoises filled with Japanese flavors at Bu Pastry Bar.

In Old Pasadena, Chef Romy Guiot, three-star Michelin trained pastry chef brings his savoir faire to the all-vegan cafe ID-Eclair. From classic eclairs to innovative specials, everything is made fresh daily and sure to satisfy those cravings.

French charm meets Californian ease at Oh La La Cafe & Bistro in the Playhouse Village district. The café's artisanal pastries are made in-house from scratch using seasonal ingredients and techniques from one of the most iconic century-old bakeries on the French Riviera.

Across the street from Huntington Hospital, shiny gold stanchions with red velvet ropes guides the morning rush and sets the tone for premium pastries at Salted Butter Company. A new pastry menu is released every month showcasing high-quality ingredients and creative seasonal offerings. Standout staples include the brown butter chocolate chip cookie, croissant apple fritter, and croissant cinnamon roll.

Arrive early at Miopane, the first U.S. location of Taiwan's viral bakery known for unique flavors, stuffed bagels, and a delicious lineup of sweet and savory pastries. The bakery menu features Basque burnt cheesecakes, flaky croissants, sticky cinnamon buns and chewy cookies.

Japanese pastries at WA-IRO are made from premium Hokkaido flour, prized for a light, pillowy texture. Although the bakery is well-known for savory pastries and salted breads, these sweet treats are sure to balance the palate: smore's danish, purin à la mode, and honey butter toast.

Amara Chocolate and Coffee offers Venezuelan dark hot chocolate with a thick and creamy a rich flavor. Their hot chocolate is made with certified organic cocoa powder. If you're feeling adventurous, try it Aztec style with added chile pasilla for a little spicy kick. Their dipping chocolate goes perfectly with their Madrid style churros.

In the Playhouse Village, Artisanal Goods by CAR has a hipster coffee shop feel. Decked in modern furnishings and urban decor, the location is a great place to bring work and snack on chocolate from around the world. Car's cocoa is ethically sourced and sprinkled with unique flavors to spark curiosity and dazzle the tastebuds.

Mignon Chocolate combines the art of design with the craft of chocolate making. Build-your-own-box of chocolates to try all the flavors to your heart's content. Each piece is colorfully decorated with a unique design that makes it just as delicious as it is eye-catching. Best of all, they also offer vegan options.

Dot's Cupcakes is nothing short of adorable. Not only do they use cute designs to decorate their cupcakes, but the iconic bakery is also decorated with floral designs and cute pastel colors. Their cupcakes are topped with a generous swirl of icing and baked fresh daily. Dots has two locations in Pasadena, and both offer single or boxed cupcakes.

The charming Little Flower cafe is both intimate and homey. Their cakes and pastries are topped with colorful fruits and delicate flowers. In addition to the delightful decor and meals, Little Flower also offers shelves full of artisan jams, nut mixes, toffee, candies, cookies, and more.

For those interested in a small treat, Pillow Talk's mini cakes are ideal for a quick snack. Pair it with a coffee or sandwich to get you through the day. Inspired by traditional Japanese kissaten cafes, Kissa by Motto's soft chiffon cakes with fresh handcrafted cream and fruit purees are perfect with a specialty coffee.

On the corner of Arroyo Parkway and Del Mar Boulevard is the Inglewood-founded bakery Sweet Red Peach is named after its three best sellers: red velvet cupcakes, sweet potato pie, and peach cobbler. Grab those fan favorites or other tasty treats like banana pudding, thick slices of cake or cheesecake, and gooey cookies. Open until 10:00 pm on Friday and Saturday nights, Sweet Red Peach has that late-night sugar craving covered.

Vegan cakes and cupcakes can be found at Yvonne's Vegan Kitchen, just a short walk away from Pasadena's Central Park. Yvonne, is a French-trained chef who is passionate about reinventing the classics with vegan and gluten-free twists. Fill up a box with a fauxstess cupcake, cake balls, cookies, and specialty cookies.

The family-owned and operated specialty cafe, Hello, You're Welcome cares about community, ethical sourcing and serving delicious gluten-free cookies and doughnuts. Grab the cute passion fruit doughnut designed with a daisy on top or the classic brown butter chocolate chip cookie.

Stop by the BadAsh Bakery to order a dozen or half dozen of their viral cookies. The flavors range from cornbread to toffee chocolate chip and special seasonal innovations. While visiting, shop for more of their freshly baked pastries like cinnamon rolls, brownies, and cake slices.

For fresh doughnuts, head to Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee where small batches are made every hour to ensure a warm treat each time. All glazes, compotes, custards, creams and even toppings are made in house from real ingredients. Sidecar also offers a gluten-free flavor each week and a monthly vegan doughnut.

Motto Tea prides itself in using genuine, natural ingredients. They use real taro in their boba, rather than taro powder, and organic, natural milk and tea leaves. Their specialty drink, the Motto Original Matcha Mousse Tea is not one to miss out on.

The embodiment of Pasadena's little secret, "hole-in-the-wall," Jin Tea puts the "tea" in quali-tea. Jin Tea uses BP Specialty's organic tea from Taiwan. They also offer more sophisticated flavors including flavors like butterfly pea flower tea and toppings like tofu pudding and winter melon. Of course, that's not all. We have a whole list of boba shops that we love!

Carmela Ice Cream has been serving handmade ice cream in Pasadena for over a decade. Not only is their ice cream creamy and the perfect consistency, but they also offer ice cream classes. No secret recipes here. Carmela's unique classes share the methods on how to create their popular flavors at home.

After strolling around Old Pasadena stop by Hello Gelato for traditional, creamy gelato with vegan and sugar-free flavors available. For an elevated Italian gelato experience, Bacio di Latte adds new flavors to the menu every three weeks. Add a scoop to a customized cone, enjoy it as an affogato, or sandwich it between two warm cookies.

Customize a cup of frozen yogurt at 21 Choices to the preferred level of sweetness. Simply choose a base flavor like vanilla, chocolate or seasonal specials then select any toppings from fruit, candy, cereal, nuts, and sauces or mix in the toppings as they get folded in the fro-yo on a frozen slab.

With Middle Eastern roots, Kinrose Creamery is a small artisan scoop shop tucked into one of the Old Pasadena alleys. Rich, indulgent flavors are made in limited batches with seasonal ingredients. Try the pistachio ice cream topped with crunchy kadayif (shredded pastry dough) and a crisp chocolate shell.

Take a visit to the number one matcha cafe brand from Tokyo, Japan at nana's green tea for silky soft serve and creamy parfaits. Choose between black sesame, hojicha, or matcha parfaits layered with traditional Japanese ingredients or a cone of matcha vanilla swirl to taste the blend of milkiness and umami. There's more to discover in Pasadena's ice cream scene! Get the scoop.