Okay Nomsters, if there’s one thing I’ve learned eating my way across the state for my 100 Asian Restaurants in Maryland series, it’s that our Asian bakeries are on a whole other level. We’re talking cream puffs and Japanese cheesecake in Rockville, red bean pastries and fish-shaped bungeoppang out in Ellicott City, from-scratch cakes in Columbia, and Hong Kong egg tarts in Gaithersburg.
So I finally pulled all my favorites into one place. This is my running list of the best Asian bakeries in Maryland, spanning Montgomery County, Howard County, and Baltimore, and it’s a mix of Korean, Filipino, Taiwanese, Japanese, Thai, and Hong Kong-style spots.
The thing I love about an Asian bakery is that the pastries lean softer, lighter, and way less sweet. Whether you’re a longtime ube head or you’re trying your first cream-ppang, there’s a spot on here for you. These are in no particular order, so grab a box and start planning your crawl.
1. Japong Bakery (Rockville)
First up is Japong Bakery, one of my go-to Asian bakeries in Rockville and a Taiwanese-and-Japanese-style spot where almost everything’s just a couple bucks. The runaway favorite is the Japong puffs ($2.75), which come in original, matcha, and chocolate, and they’re the reason I keep coming back.
Right behind them is the Japanese cheesecake ($5 a slice), which is light, jiggly, and not overly sweet, so it doesn’t sit heavy the way a dense New York style can. I used to trek all the way to NY for that, so having it on Rockville Pike is a win! The case runs deep too, from pillowy pineapple buns and black sesame buns to taro donuts, and they do custom cakes if you’re celebrating. It’s affordable, it’s quick, and everyone in your crew walks out happy. If cream puffs or a good Japanese cheesecake are your love language, this Rockville gem needs to be on your radar.
2. Gwenie’s Pastries (Rockville)
Gwenie’s Pastries is a Filipino bakery that’s been at it for 20 years, and it’s my pick when I want Filipino sweets done right. The one to beat is the ube cheesecake, gorgeous purple, smooth and creamy, with the ube coming through clearly without being too sweet (it’s the exact thing I’d hand a skeptic to win them over on ube).
The brioche donuts are soft and pillowy, and the chocolate bun is the one I kept thinking about on the drive home. They even treated us to puto, a soft, lightly sweet Filipino steamed rice cake, and it was super yum! My move here is to grab a mixed box and share so you can taste a bunch of things at once. It sits in the moderate range and it’s well worth it for hand-crafted pastries you won’t find at a regular grocery store. There are also locations in Frederick and Arlington if those are closer to you.
3. Teamania Bakery Cafe (Rockville)
Rounding out the Rockville stretch is Teamania, a health-conscious bakery-cafe on Rollins Avenue doing Asian-European breads and pastries alongside specialty teas and Illy coffee. The thing you gotta get here is the souffle pancakes. It was my first time trying them and they were absolutely amazing, with an unbelievable jiggly texture, and they come with ice cream and a side of cream and berries. I’m already excited to go back for round two.
Beyond the pancakes, the case runs to a matcha mascarpone cake, mango mousse, and cheese tarts, plus savory options if you want more than sweets, and the milk-cap fresh brews and the Shanghai Fog are the drinks people rave about. It’s a little different from the grab-and-go spots on this list thanks to that sit-down, tea-house-meets-bakery vibe. Such a gem if you’re building a Rockville bakery run.
4. EDSTUDIO (Gaithersburg)
If you asked me for the best asian bakery in Maryland, EDSTUDIO in Gaithersburg would be right at the top of the list. Tucked into the walkable Kentlands off Main Street, it’s a Hong Kong-style bakery and dessert studio run by a baker named Ed, turning out small-batch cakes and pastries almost too pretty to eat.
The headliners are the light, not-too-sweet cream cakes in flavors like pistachio and matcha, and there’s a warm chocolate lava bun stuffed with rich Valrhona chocolate that’s best eaten right there in the shop. You’ve also got flaky Portuguese-style egg tarts and Hong Kong milk tea, including a black milk tea topped with panna cotta. One real pro tip, a lot of the fresh stuff isn’t out until early-to-mid afternoon and the best items sell out, so aim for mid-afternoon. It’s a genuine hidden gem, and easily one of the more exciting bakeries I’ve come across lately.
5. Morning My Day (Silver Spring)
Morning My Day is a tiny Japanese bakery in downtown Silver Spring and one of my absolute faves. It’s family-run by Wendy and Alan, who bake everything from scratch daily, Wendy on the cakes and Alan on the breads, and you can taste the care.
The number-one seller is the purple yam flower bun, a soft, flower-shaped bun filled with ube that’s as pretty as it is good, and it’s what I’d tell any first-timer to grab. The black sesame mochi bread is another must, with that springy, stretchy mochi pull and a toasty flavor you won’t find at a regular bakery.
Whatever you do, don’t leave without a drink, because the boba here is phenomenal! One pro tip straight from me, ask them to heat your breads up if you’re eating soon, it genuinely makes them better. If you love an Asian bakery in Silver Spring with real heart behind it, this is the one.
6. La Boulangerie (Ellicott City)
Over in Ellicott City, La Boulangerie is the Korean bakery I’ve been loyal to for years. It sits across from Lotte Plaza Market on Route 40, a stretch locals call Korean Way, and it’s part of Howard County’s Koreatown.
My lane is the filled ones, especially the red bean pastries and the custard cream bread (cream-ppang). The twist glazed donuts (kkwabaegi) are chewier and less sweet than an American donut, and they do light Korean fresh cream cakes for birthdays. Everything’s budget-friendly enough that you can grab a whole variety, which is the whole appeal, and they’re open 8am to 9pm every day, so it covers an early coffee run or a late dessert emergency.
7. Delimanjoo at Lotte (Ellicott City)
Right across that same parking lot, tucked inside the Lotte Plaza Market food court, is Delimanjoo, my absolute favorite for bungeoppang in Maryland. These are the crisp-outside, chewy-inside fish-shaped pastries stuffed with silky-sweet red bean, and at $2.50 each, made fresh right in front of you, they’re such good bang for your buck that “just one” turns into a half-dozen real quick.
The owners have been at it for nearly nine years and use premium ingredients imported from Korea, and it shows in the red-bean-to-pastry ratio, which is spot on, so you get that danpat in every bite instead of a dry shell with a smear of filling. My parents literally send me on Delimanjoo runs, that’s how good these are. Pro tip, if you don’t inhale them all in the car, pop them in the oven or air fryer for a few minutes and they taste just-baked again. If you’ve never had Korean fish bread, consider this your sign!
8. CakeOut MD (Columbia)
CakeOut MD is a home-based Filipino bakery in Columbia run by Sade and her sister, and it’s one of the most special spots I featured in this whole series. Sade works night shifts as a nurse, then comes home and bakes, and it’s genuinely her dream to open a brick-and-mortar one day.
These are some of the fluffiest, most delicately flavored cakes I’ve ever tasted, nothing overly sweet. The chocolate dreamcake is my personal must-order, so light and fluffy it’s nothing like what you’d expect from a chocolate cake. The ube flan is her bestseller, and one bite tells you why.
It layers silky leche flan over a soft ube cake, two iconic Filipino sweets in one! If the caramel cake happens to be on the menu, grab that too. There’s no storefront, so you order through Bakesy and follow @cake.outmd on Instagram to catch when orders open. These cakes go fast, so plan ahead.
9. KANOM Cafe (Baltimore)
KANOM Cafe is a tiny Thai-and-Japanese-inspired bakery in the Tuscany-Canterbury neighborhood near Johns Hopkins, Asian-owned and woman-owned, with everything made from scratch daily. The one you gotta order is the caramel chocolate tart ($9.50).
I was worried the caramel and chocolate would be too sweet, but the shell’s buttery and crisp and the filling’s a proper balance instead of a sugar bomb, 100/10, no notes. The matcha basque cheesecake ($7) is a very close second, creamy and light with the matcha actually coming through.
The almond croissant ($6) is flaky, buttery, and stuffed with almond filling, and the Yuzu Black ($6.50), an espresso soda with 100% yuzu juice and sparkling water, is so delish and refreshing (just mix it well or the first sip is all fizz). It’s easily one of my favorite bakery finds in the city!
10. Cafe Dear Leon (Baltimore)
Last but not least, over in Canton, Cafe Dear Leon is the Baltimore bakery behind that viral crab dip bagel you’ve probably seen all over local foodie IG. It’s an Asian-French-inspired spot with creative pastries (think matcha coffee cake and lychee croissants), but the internet lost it over this one, loaded with Cajun butter, Old Bay, corn, and cheddar for $10.50.
After multiple sold-out attempts I finally got mine, and yep, it’s rich, cheesy, and packed with that iconic Maryland flavor. Real talk though, if I had to choose between it and their crab and egg sando, I’d go with the sando every time, so order that if the bagels have sold out. They go fast, there’s almost always a line, and there’s a limit of two per customer, so plan accordingly. Set your alarm, because once they’re gone, they’re gone.
So there you have it, my running list of the best Asian bakeries in Maryland, from Rockville cream puffs to Baltimore tarts and everything in between. The beautiful thing is how easy it is to make a whole day of it, since so many of these sit within a few minutes of each other, especially the Rockville and Ellicott City clusters.
Half the fun is grabbing a mixed box and sharing, so bring a friend and taste your way through. Have you guys been to any of these yet, Nomsters? Drop your favorite in the comments, and if there’s an Asian bakery I need to add to the list, tell me below. Save this and send it to your favorite pastry buddy for your next crawl.