San Francisco is famous for many foods: sourdough bread, dim sum, the best burritos in the country, and—wait, are edibles considered food? The City by the Bay has more to offer than savory delicacies, though. Check out these top picks for the best cookies in San Francisco. If you hit up all nine spots in one day, I won’t tell a soul.
1. Jane
A cornerstone of Fillmore Street, Jane is your number one destination for a very California brunch, a strong cup of coffee, a cozy space to work and, of course, an incredible cookie. Since opening their location on Fillmore in 2011, Jane has expanded to locations throughout SF, including a standalone bakery, though all of their locations feature their incredible baked goods.
I’d recommend the Chocolate Chip Toffee cookie, but every Jane cookie is incredible. From their Nutella Oatmeal to their gluten-free seasonal cookies, you won’t regret a single flavor. Since they have new flavors every day, you’ll just have to come back. Every day.
2. Miette
If you’re dreaming of Paris but you’re stuck in San Francisco, look no further than Miette. The French pastry shop had humble beginnings at the Berkeley Farmers Market in 2001 and has since expanded to three locations in the Bay Area. It was once named one of the top 10 pastry shops in the world by Condé Nast magazine.
You can’t go wrong with any of Miette’s treats, but the rose macaron is truly remarkable. Plus, the delicate pink cookie matches the very Instagrammable pink wall at their Hayes Valley location.
3. Tartine Bakery
No “best of” list in San Francisco is complete without a mention of Tartine Bakery. No matter the time of day, their flagship location on Guerrero Street (right next to Dolores Park in the Mission) has a line around the block, and with good reason.
While Tartine does boast some of the best cookies in the city (try their Chocolate Chunk, pictured above), it is equally, if not more, famous for its morning buns and bread made with locally milled flours. I recommend picking up one of each to make your wait in line worthwhile (which it absolutely will be).
4. Hot Cookie
Located in the heart of the Castro, Hot Cookie makes some hot, non-gender-discriminating cookies. These ~suckers~ are more than meets the Instagram though—they actually taste incredible. Beyond their shapely cookies, Hot Cookie also offers amazing sweets in traditional shapes, like their totally circular Sticky Nikki cookie (a chocolate chip cookie with caramel drizzle and pretzel sticks).
Better yet, pick up a pair of Hot Cookie underwear while you’re there. Did you really expect anything less from San Francisco?
5. Mr. Holmes Bakehouse
Just like their neon pink sign reads, Mr. Holmes Bakehouse is the place to “get baked in San Francisco.” While you probably ended up getting a cookie at Mr. Holmes because you didn’t come early enough to score a cruffin (a croissant-muffin hybrid that originated at Mr. Holmes), you’ll still leave more than satisfied.
Their Cornflake Cookie is the perfect combination of salty, sweet, and crunchy. In fact, it’s so good you won’t even miss the cruffin (plus, the only reason San Franciscans wake up early is to go on a hike).
6. B. Patisserie
Founded and run by pastry chef Belinda Leone, B. Patisserie is a French and Viennese pastry shop featuring an open kitchen. That’s right, you get to watch the magic happen. Better yet, their very American chocolate chip cookie was named the best in San Francisco by SF Magazine. I’d say the award was well-deserved.
7. Devil’s Teeth Baking Company
Devil’s Teeth Baking Company, an Outer Sunset staple, is frequently praised for having the best breakfast sandwiches in the city (*wink wink* to the college students returning home for break from the East Coast and missing BECs), but they also have some of the best cookies in San Francisco.
Devil’s Teeth is the perfect place to grab a warm cookie and hot cup of coffee before a chilly walk along Ocean Beach. If you’re really going for the whole beach theme, try their sugar cookie, shaped and iced like a Great White shark (hopefully the only shark you’ll see).
8. Arizmendi Bakery
It doesn’t get more San Francisco than a co-op bakery. Arizmendi Bakery, a worker-owned bakery with locations all over the Bay Area, was founded by the makers of Berkeley’s now-famous Cheeseboard Collective pizza co-op. In fact, Arizmendi also has a pizza-of-the-day made on their organic, thin sourdough crust (a good warm-up for a pastry binge).
Arizmendi’s cookies are particularly notable though. Their Oatmeal Raisin is insanely delicious and made with organic flour, so it’s basically a health food. Arizmendi is also my mom’s favorite. That counts for something, right?
9. Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory
San Franciscans are all about experiences, and the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory is definitely an SF experience. If you find yourself wandering around Chinatown looking for fireworks (hint: try asking the cashier at one of the shops that sell SF sweatshirts), take a break from your search and stop in this famous fortune cookie place for a tour.
You’ll get to watch the creation of the fortune cookie that might one day tell you your love life will pick up momentum soon (you hope). Better yet, you can buy bags of freshly made fortune cookies in all sorts of flavors and sizes.
Now that you know where to find the best cookies in San Francisco, you can cancel your Marina pub crawl (you know you’re going to end up at Tipsy Pig again, anyways) and take a cookie crawl instead.