These are the best pan de muertos in Los Angeles.
Every year, we get a full day to celebrate and honor our loved ones who have passed on, but for many, the month leading up to Dia de Muertos is also pan de muerto season.
In Los Angeles, many have started baking, eating, and filling their ofrendas (altars) with family portraits, aromatic cempasúchil, personal items, and of course, pan de muerto.
It’s a tradition to provide your ancestors with specific offerings, usually things they enjoyed when they were alive. For example, a cold Modelo, mole, and traditional pan de muerto, the sweet and tender bread covered in sugar or sesame seeds.
It’s called pan de muerto (bread of the dead) because of the skeleton-like shape of the pieces of dough that get gently draped over the bread. The original pan de muerto goes back to pre-Hispanic times (before the 1500s), when the earliest forms were made from native amaranth grains, masa, and maguey syrup.
The bread was believed to be in the shape of a butterfly, so it was originally called papalotlaxcalli, originally offered to Cihuapipiltin, a goddess known for looking after the souls of women who died at childbirth. The symbolic, yeast-leavened, corpse-shaped form of the bread that we know now didn't come until after the conquest in 1521.
Bakeries around Los Angeles and Mexico make different variations, flavors, and sizes. Some come shaped in perfect circles, and others are more oval in shape, and they are decorated with fun colors and sugar. Others have created their own versions by turning them into cookies or cupcakes.
While many bakeries are already starting to sell pan de muerto, something just hits differently when you taste a recipe that, in many cases, has been passed down from generation to generation. We’re talking about your local, family-owned panaderías, the ones your mom would take you to that you're now taking your family to. Those bakeries that have been open for so long that the warm smell of their baking pan stays engraved in your memory.
Here are 15 family-owned panaderías that serve some of the best pan de muerto in Los Angeles. Made by the community for the community.
Venice Bakery
This family-owned bakery in Venice doubles as a restaurant, serving both freshly baked pan and delicious Mexican, Cuban, and Salvadoran food. Although it may be best known for its super chilaquiles divorciados, in the month of October people flock for their freshly baked pan de muerto.
As people try and find the best panecito to eat and enjoy, they are also looking for the best bread to adorn their altars with. Here you will find a variety of pan de muerto, from traditional, sugar-coated buns to another favorite, pan de muerto sprinkled with sesame seeds.
At Venice Bakery, you will also find sugar skulls, dia de los muertos cookies, and colorful loaves of bread decorated with icing. They are the perfect offerings for your loved ones.
10943 Venice Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90034
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 33 - "Venice/Midvale (westbound)" or "Venice/Girard (eastbound)."
La Yalaltequita
As more Dia de Muertos fans begin to learn how to build their altars this year, establishments like La Yalaltequita, which still makes pan de muerto the painstaking, hand-drawn way, are as crucial as ever. 48-year-old owner Sinecio Mecinas specializes in the art of baking these traditional loaves of bread.
Every week leading up to Dia de Muertos, Mecinas will sell dozens of his traditional pan de muerto that many Oaxaqueños use in their altars.
The bread is decorated with hand-painted art, or masa caritas, and are unlike most of the circular pan de muerto found in every other bakery, which are covered in sugar and topped with a symbolic “skull and bones” X-formation.
The dough is similar, lightly perfumed with crushed anise and cinnamon, but Mecinas's style is more like the pan de muerto you'll find in Oaxaca. He also makes medium-sized breads and an jumbo pan de muerto that's about the size of a two-year-old child.
1531 Crenshaw Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90019.
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 33 - "Venice/Crenshaw"
Gusto Bread
The pan de muerto at Gusto in Long Beach is a three-day process. The dough is made, then fermented with a sourdough culture of Valle de Guadalupe grape yeast, and finally baked before being dusted with a crunchy sugar mixture formed of vanilla beans and burnt corn husks. To add to its true artisan allure, the egg yolk-enriched dough is crafted from local fresh eggs, sourced from the La Bahn ranch egg stand at Torrance's Tuesday farmers market.
Arturo Enciso, Gusto's self-taught panadero, also omits cinnamon from his dough, opting instead for orange zest and fennel. It sells out every day because it's so uniquely delicious. Make sure to get there early to avoid pan de muerto heartbreak.
2710 E 4th St. Long Beach, CA 90814.
Closest transit lines: Long Beach Transit Line 151 - "4th/Temple", Long Beach Transit Lines 91, 92, 93, and 94 - "7th/Temple."
La Chapala
Walking into Panadería La Chapala in East Los Angeles, you are automatically welcomed by the smell of its warm, sweet, and savory bread. This community staple is family-run and has been baking bread since 1996. Daniela de La Torre, daughter of La Chapala’s owner, told us she was just four years old when her father opened it in East Los.
Their recipes go back three generations. Her grandfather started the first bakery in Mexico, then brought the recipes with him to Los Angeles, and now it’s her turn.
Inside, you’ll find both sides of the bakery filled with different types of pan dulce. It’s pan heaven. To the left of the bakery is their seasonal pan de muerto, which comes in many different sizes.
For reference, the pan de muerto pictured here is considered their small-sized variety, and if you can’t tell... there is nothing small about them. As for their flavor, it's as big as the bread.
They offer two options: the traditional sugar ones and the version with ajonjoli (sesame) on top.
According to De La Torre, what sets their bread apart from others is the hint of citrus that they add.
“Our bread is definitely one of a kind because our recipes go all the way back to my grandpa,” she says.
2472 W Whittier Blvd. Montebello, CA 90640
Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 18 - "Whittier/Garfield" or Bus Line 66 - "Olympic/Garfield."
Los Angelitos Bakery
Los Angelitos Bakery in Huntington Park has grabbed the hearts and antojos (cravings) of their community with its warm and sweet pan dulce. The pan de muerto is no exception.
Like many on this list, the bakery is family-owned, beginning with a father and son who migrated from Cuba to Los Angeles seeking refuge. Opening its doors in 1992, Los Angelitos has done an incredible job creating some of the best pan dulce around.
They offer traditional sugar-dusted and sesame-coated breads in three different sizes. You can also customize your pan. Maybe you had a family member who loved a certain color? At Los Angelitos, they can adjust the color of the sugar to your liking. Honoring our loved ones who have passed means making sure every detail is just as they would have liked it.
The Angelitos family takes Dia De Los Muertos seriously, from their bread to their altars. Walking in, you will see an ofrenda (altar) already set up. Family portraits are adorned with some of their favorite things, like a cold Modelo and some pan de muerto. The altar also includes a past employee who became family during her time at the bakery.
If you’ve had your fill of pan de muerto and are still in the mood to celebrate, Los Angelitos also offers pan de muerto cookies.
“It’s an honor when people choose our bread as an offering to their ancestors and loved ones,” says bakery president Deanna Ductoc.
2881 E. Florence Ave. Huntington Park, CA 90255
Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Lines 111 and 251 - "Florence/Mountain View", Bus Lines 102 and 611 - "Florence/Seville", Bus Line 60 - "Pacific/Florence."
La Monarca Bakery
Looking for the right pan de muerto to eat and honor your loved ones is not an easy task. You don’t just grab any ol’ bread. You will find some of the freshest pan de muerto in Los Angeles at La Monarca's multiple locations.
While many other Mexican bakeries made a habit of using vegetable shortenings and margarine, this local panadería chain, started by two Regios from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, use the best ingredients for all of its bread, with no preservatives, artificial colors, or flavors added.
Although they pride themselves in serving the community, you may see some celebrities like Jessica Alba indulging in pan and a cafecito. Enjoy some of Monarca's pan de muerto with any of their drinks, be it their iced horchata de olla or their chocolatito.
For more information on the closest Monarca near you, follow them on Instagram @lamonarcabakery.
El Aguila Bakery
We can’t talk about iconic, family-owned panaderías in Los Angeles without mentioning this community gem, Panadería El Aguila. The bakery has been in the Casillas/Flores family since 1973 and oversees 51 years of tradition and decades-old recipes.
Trust us, you can taste the love in just one bite of their bread. Like many panaderías, their owners go back three generations, so you know the dedication and pride that goes into each recipe and loaf, including their seasonal pan de muerto, is 100% pure.
5028 Huntington Dr. S Los Angeles, CA 90032
Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Lines 78 and 179 - "Huntington/Portola (eastbound)" or "Huntington/Tampico (westbound)", Bus Line 665 - "Huntington/Eastern."
La Flor De Yucatán Bakery
La Flor De Yucatán Bakery has been around for 60 years, offering Mayan food and pastries. Here you will find recipes specializing in Yucatán-style dishes, including tamales, cochinita pibil, and breads. Of course, during Dia de los Muertos festivities, you will find the Burgo family baking pan de muerto, both the traditional sesame bread and the sugar-coated pan.
If you want to try something unique, they also create different shapes of pan de muerto and offer perfectly moist pan de muerto cupcakes.
1800 Hoover St. Los Angeles, CA 90006
Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Lines 2 and 603 - "Hoover/18th", Bus Line 33 - "Venice/Hoover", Bus Line 35 - "Washington/Hoover (eastbound)" or "Washington/Bonnie Brae (westbound)."
Sugar Butter Bread
If you are looking for a fun way to honor your loved ones this season as they rise and make their journey to visit us, you will want to visit baker Evelyn Ramirez. The baker, who has made cakes for the beloved Mexican band Bronco, first started baking in 2013. At the time, she did it just for her family and friends and for fun.
Eventually, Ramirez launched her at-home bakery, where customers can place orders via phone or a message on Instagram. Her pan de muerto is unique because she offers the traditional sugar-coated circular bread made with orange zest, anise, and cinnamon. But she also bakes what she calls a concha muerta, which is a concha with the traditional bones of a pan de muerto draped over the pan dulce.
The Day of the Dead brings memories back to her from her childhood, when she used to eat this bread every year with her family, some of whom have since passed. When she decided to start selling the pan de muerto, she said the process was special. She said her way of honoring her loved ones is by baking the very bread they once shared.
DM @_sugarbutterbread on Instagram to place your order.
La Joya Poblana
La Joya Poblana's delicious pan dulce embodies the flavors of Puebla, Mexico. The family-owned bakery sells a little of everything, from produce to tantalizing breads and pastries. One of its specialties is sesame pan de muerto, a simple, straightforward recipe that has captivated the hearts and taste buds of its community.
4425 Avalon Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90011
Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Lines 51 and 105 - "Avalon/Vernon."
La Favorita Bakery
You know a panadería will have great bread when its recipes have survived in East Los Angeles since 1971. At La Favorita Bakery, the secret to success has been family recipes originating in Mexico City and being passed down for the past three generations.
It started with the family's grandfather, Jesus Beltran, a.k.a. "Don Chuy,” who passed the business on to his son Don Jorge. The family tradition continues with the Beltran grandchildren.
They guarantee freshly baked bread throughout the day and when it comes to their pan de muerto, you can’t go wrong with any options. Expect a soft, fluffy, and light pan de muerto with just the right sweetness. A perfect bread that’s good enough for you and for the altar.
4149 Tweedy Blvd # C. South Gate, CA 90280
Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 117 - "Tweedy/San Vincente" or Bus Line 251 - "California/Tweedy."
Pacific French Bakery
Pacific French Bakery is known for many things. But long lines and delicious pastries are the key components to locating its excellent pan de muerto.
The bakery was established in 1986 and started as a small, family-owned French bakery specializing only in French bread, rolls, and baguettes. But like many small businesses, it evolved. Eighteen years later, the business expanded and started catering more to what their community prefers.
The owners pride themselves in allowing the public to enjoy fine quality bread without high prices. Its pan de muerto is a must-try, not just for yourself to enjoy with coffee or hot chocolate but as an offering for your departed loved ones.
4462 E Olympic Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90023
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 66 - "Olympic/Augusta (westbound)" or "Olympic/Marianna (eastbound)."
Delicias Bakery & Some ~ Vegan
This family-owned bakery in Highland Park is a must when craving pan dulce with a twist, including pan de muerto. The bakery, opened in 1990 by Ramon and Maria Sanchez, serves both regular and vegan pan dulce options.
The Sanchez family offers all kinds of pastries from buttery, decadent conchas (including strawberry-flavored ones made with beet-derived food coloring), elotitos, cuernitos, cochinitos, and bizcochos — all without an ounce of dairy or a single egg.
Come October, the bakery begins offering vegan pan de muerto in sesame-coated or sugar-coated styles. The same panadero, Jose Casimiro Bran Ramirez (originally from Romita, Guanajuato, Mexico), has made this traditional bread for over a decade, continuing to this day. Delicias was one of the first panaderías in Los Angeles to offer vegan pan dulce.
5567 N. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, California 90042
Closest Metro line and stop: Metro A Line- "Highland Park Station" or Bus Line 81- "Figueroa/Avenue 57th."
Carniceria La Flama
On Día de los Muertos, bakeries in México make over 400 types of styles of the famous traditional sweet bread. In Los Angeles, La Flama is baking a distinct loaf of bread made for that special day. Unless you’ve visited La Flama before, the name might fool you into thinking all they sell is meat, but that is not the case. This Oaxacan mini-market, which has three locations, was opened by a family from the town of Tlacolula and offers all kinds of Oaxacan products, including Hupil shirts, fresh products like quesillo, tlayudas, housemade chorizo, and sal de gusano.
Within the market are freshly baked goods, including a $30 pan de muerto. Unlike the more familiar, circular forms of the bread, they create a loaf. At the top, they place a carita (little face) made out of dough that’s then painted with vegetable-based paint. Some depict saints and calavaeras (skulls), but according to a report by National Geographic, the bread's earlier form only used the face of Christ, with the bread symbolizing the grave he rose from.
Now, many bakeries, like La Flama, use a variety of faces, with the bread decorated with drawn-on flowers and other shapes. While this bread is an excellent offering for your loved one's journey, you can also enjoy a piece. We recommend this one with a hot drink like champurrado or coffee to dunk it in.
10717 Venice Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90034. For more locations, visit @carnicaerialaflama .
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 33 - "Venice/Overland.”
Toluca Vegan Bakery
Los Angeles definitely has its fair share of bakers who offer traditional pan de muerto in a plant-based version free of eggs or dairy. If you’re looking for more vegan options for your ofrenda, you will want to order at Toluca Bakery, which offers traditional pan dulce and other savory menu items like this season's favorite tamales in plant-based varities. The type of bread the bakery offers is the sugar-coated pan de muerto, meaning no one will have to miss out on a customary pan de muerto this year.
11365 Riverside Dr. Toluca Lake, CA 91602
Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 33 - "Venice/Midvale (westbound)" or "Venice/Girard (eastbound)."
