7 Sweet Seattle-Area Bakeries to Try With Kids

Global bakery destinations

Some people are born with a sweet tooth — but a lucky few are born with an entire set of sweet teeth. No matter where you fall on that spectrum, we’ve got a delish bakery for you and your little ones to visit. It’s an indulgence that won’t break the bank, and, to sweeten the deal, we’ve paired each bakery with a nearby fun spot for the kids. And since these bakeries specialize in sweets from around the world, kids get a bit of a global experience in their snacks.

First stop: Fuji Bakery

Fuji Bakery

Fuji Bakery: Japanese and French fusion bakery

Find it: 1030 Elliott Ave. W., Seattle; 526 S. King St., Seattle.

Who knew Japanese and French flavors complemented each other so well? Known for its savory curry buns, fluffy shokupan and croissants, Fuji isn’t afraid to introduce some new flavors from around the world, including Portugal and Hawaii.

It also makes for a great lunch spot since it offers delicious chicken katsu and egg salad sandwiches. But, if there’s anything you absolutely need to try at Fujis, it’s the crunchy cream malasada. It’s a yeasted brioche doughnut coated with cornflakes and filled with a house-made vanilla custard cream filling.

Pair it with: Coe Play Park, though a very small park, still offers a lot of fun. Be sure to pack a basketball to play on the courts. 

Next stop:  Hello, Robin!

Hello Robin Bakery

Hello Robin Bakery: cookie bakery and ice cream shop

Find it: 522 19th Ave. E., Seattle, 206-735-7970 on Capitol Hill; and 2570 N.E. University Village St., Seattle, 206-397-3634, in University Village

The first day Robin Wehl Martin opened her bakery, her kids had a two-hour early dismissal from school, an unscheduled two-hour delay for snow and she forgot to pick up her 4-year-old from preschool. Since that hectic start in 2013, Robin’s eponymous cookie bakery has steadied the course and built a sizable following. When we first visited, she was wrapping a heap of “Mackles’mores” for an event where Macklemore was appearing.

Hello Robin offers a dozen kinds of cookies daily, rotating some 14 or so regular flavors and seasonal specials and leaving room for a “baker’s whim.” Her three kids love the classic chocolate chip, the flourless Mexican chocolate and that Mackles’more made with Theo chocolate.

Robin opened the bakery with a nudge from her friend, Molly Moon Neitzel, and now offers ice cream sammies made with a scoop of Molly Moon’s ice cream. This can also be ordered as a single open-faced sammie. Robin offers a special treat to those who prefer cookies to cakes: full-size cookie cakes. You can get a special message written on them, too.

We lucked out on timing during our visit and tasted a chocolate chip cookie right out of the oven. Gooey, melty, perfect.

Also try: Nuflours (518 15th Ave. E., Seattle) is a gluten- and peanut-free bakery (and products with eggs and dairy are clearly labeled). Nuflours puts brownies, tiramisu and chocolate éclairs back on the table for people avoiding gluten. The bakery offers a selection of products for online ordering. Orders must be picked up at the store (some items available at other locations), no shipping.  

Pair it with: Just a short walk down from the Capitol Hill location of Hello Robin Bakery is the Miller Community Center and Playfield (330 19th Ave. E.), a hub of the neighborhood. The popular toddler gym for ages 5 and younger is open Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. When the weather cooperates, head to the playfield for some space to run, kick a soccer ball or enjoy the play area. If you visit the U Village shop, steer your tots toward the cute covered play area, or venture across the cut to blast the wiggles at the Montlake Playfield playground.

Next treat: Despi Delite Bakery

Despi Delite Bakery

Despi Delite Bakery: Filipino bakery on Beacon Hill and in Everett

Find it: 2701 15th Ave. S., Seattle, 206-325-2114; 3713 Broadway, Everett, 425-249-2295

You might be wondering, Why are those pastries purple? It’s the purple ube yam and its eye-catching color makes it the star of many Filipino desserts. At Despi Delite Bakery, you’ll find it marbled in a loaf, sprinkled with shredded cheese and sugar in the ensaïmada, and — our favorite — tucked inside sweet rolls. The mini ube rolls are the bakery’s best-selling treat and they’re just the right size for little hands. Another irresistible pick is the pan de coco, which is a hamburger-sized sweet bun stuffed with coconut.

The Seattle location of the bakery doesn’t look like much from the outside: a gray box, with baking operations in the back and a retail store up front. It’s not fancy, just delicious.

Pair it with: Seattle’s Despi Delite Bakery is located one block from the Beacon Hill light rail station, which makes getting there just as fun as eating the goodies. One mile away is fantastic Jefferson Park, with a skate park, spray park, play equipment and beautiful views.

If you visit the Everett bakery, just a 5-minute drive away you’ll find the fan-tabulous playground at Emma Yule Park. It’s the perfect spot to spend some ube roll-fueled energy.

Next treat: Yummy House Bakery

Yummy House Bakery

Yummy House: Hong Kong–style bakery in the International District

Find it: 522 6th Ave. S., Seattle, 206-340-8838

If you’re unfamiliar with Hong Kong–style desserts, know that you won’t find that decadent, hurts-your-teeth-it’s-so-sweet kind of cake here. Hong Kong–style pastries and cakes are light and not too sweet. Think angel food cake, not fudge. My go-to celebratory cake is the fresh mango. If an entire cake is too much of a commitment, Yummy House sells cake by the slice so you can sample all the flavors.

Yummy House also makes buns that are big and bready, the size of a saucer and with a decent amount of filling. Some crowd-pleasers to try are the red bean bun, lotus seed bun and taro bun. Yummy House is on a busy street kitty-corner from Uwajimaya, where there’s always something interesting to see.

Where to play: The Donnie Chin International Children’s Park (700 S. Lane St.) is a beautiful pocket park in the middle of the I.D. Kids can climb on the installation art: a bronze dragon in the sand pit, colorful drums and a big bronze ball. Tip: Find even more fun spots to explore in our insider’s guide to Chinatown-International District.

Next treat: Larsen’s Bakery

Larsen’s Bakery

Larsen’s Bakery: Scandinavian bakery in Ballard

Find it: 8000 24th Ave. N.W., Seattle, 206-782-8285

Scandinavian cuisine gets a bad rap, but the pastries at Larsen’s Bakery can turn all the nonbelievers into devout fans. For 50 years, Larsen’s Bakery has been baking authentic kringle, smorkage, kransekage and more. New to Scandinavian fare? We recommend getting one of the massive kringles and splitting it with the whole family.

Also try: Tall Grass Bakery for amazing sticky buns and other tasty treats (9 a.m.–6 p.m., Wednesday–Sunday). 

Pair it with: Visit Webster Park (3025 N.W. 68th St., Seattle) which was renovated a few years ago — but retains a rainbow slide by popular demand! It shares a block with Licton Springs K–8 School, the former site of the Nordic Heritage Museum. The play equipment at Loyal Heights Community Center (2101 N.W. 77th St., Seattle) was updated in 2021. 

Next treat: The Salvadorean Bakery

The Salvadorean Bakery

The Salvadorean Bakery in White Center

Find it: 1719 S.W. Roxbury St., Seattle, 206-762-4064

Where to start? Try the empanada de guayaba, which is like a (much better) Pop Tart filled with guava jam, minus the frosting. Or the cinnamon crispi, which resembles dinner-plate-sized Cinnamon Toast Crunch. But enough with the gringo analogies, Salvadoran pastries are delicious! The quesadilla, not to be confused with the Mexican quesadilla, is a hearty muffin made of flour, cream, cheese and butter. The budín de banana, a bread pudding with rum, raisins and banana, was too rich for my kids, but I enjoyed the dense and moist slice.

The bakery/restaurant/grocery store carries an impressive array of goods from Latin American countries. We’ll go back to try the pupusas.

Pair it with: Dick Thurnau Memorial Park, the state’s only bicycle playground, is a short drive away, at 11050 10th Ave. S.W., so bring along the bikes and scooters. 

Next stop: Kiki Bakery

Kiki Bakery

Kiki Bakery: Taiwanese bakery in North Seattle

Find it: 13200 Aurora Ave. N., Suite E, Seattle, 206-617-7688

There are a lot of fun and unusual flavors to taste at Kiki Bakery, such as a polo pineapple raisin bun, a green tea red bean bun and a macha red bean bun. Some of the smaller pastries are displayed in a plexiglass-covered counter island that resembles a display case in a jewelry store. The hard-to-find pineapple cakes are worth searching for. Kiki’s prices are a tad higher than other Asian bakeries, but still affordable. 

Don’t let the name of the pork floss bun scare you. It’s savory bread topped with dried, shredded pork. Pork floss, or rou song, is a staple for Chinese kids, just as mac and cheese is for kids in the United States. Kiki also made me nostalgic for my childhood cartoons, with special-order cakes depicting Doraemon, Hello Kitty and Totoro.

Pair it with: Kiki Bakery’s North Seattle shop is located in a shopping plaza on Aurora Avenue that includes the Asian Family Market. This is a great spot for picking up tropical produce, such as dragon fruit and longan. A 5-minute drive away, find Northacres Park, a woodsy park with fun play equipment and a fab spray park open in summer.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published a few years ago and updated most recently for 2024.