Visit the Oldest Bakery in Texas: Naegelin’s

If you live in Texas, or driving through the New Braunfels area, you need to make a stop at Naegelin’s Bakery.  I have lived in San Antonio for over ten years, and had yet to visit the oldest bakery, since 1868, in Texas.  This blog will highlight all the wonderful treats we discovered at Naegelin’s.

My family woke up early on a Saturday and headed to New Braunfels.  New Braunfels is a charming town to take the family and spend a day there.  My kids love to visit Landa Park in the summer when they have paddle boats available and a wading pool area open.  This Saturday we were in New Braunfels with one agenda…. finding cinnamon rolls!

From San Antonio to New Braunfels, the drive is only 25 minutes.  We arrived at Naegelin’s (129 S. Seguin Ave) and found plenty of parking in the parking lot next to the bakery.  You will notice a giant mural of Ferdinand Lindheimer, a German native and father of Texas Botany.  The mural was painted by San Antonio artist Alex Brockon and celebrates Lindheimer’s botanical accomplishments.

We parked the car and headed inside.  I read online that if you don’t get there early on a Saturday, it can get busy and the wait can be long.  When I walked inside, the smell of fresh bread and pastries right out of the oven hits me.  There’s nothing better than the smell of fresh baked bread, am I right?  I took a number from the counter and made my way to the glass counters to make a mental list of what I wanted to order.  This was the hardest thing to do, because everything looks delicious!

They have something for everyone: Doughnuts, cinnamon rolls, kolaches, fudge, cookies, tarts, cupcakes, and more.  A few of the pastries I had never heard of but looked equally delectable.  The original owner Edouard Naegelin came to America from Alsace- Lorraine in 1846.  The bakery was sold in the 1980’s, but the new owners use the original recipes.

They called my number and we got a little bit of everything.  I added a cup of coffee to go with my Pecan Snail.  This pastry is a hybrid between a cinnamon roll and twisty donut.  The icing is light on top and the layers are stuffed with pecans.  I never knew something this delicious existed until today.

After we paid for our treats, we went outside to sit at one of the bistro tables outside.  I paid less than $20 for 11 pastries.  I thought the prices are low considering the size of the sweets.  On our way to the car, I noticed the side of the building had a drive through service.

Everyone in my family loved Naegelin’s Bakery.  We will be visiting again, since it’s a short drive from San Antonio.  Have you visited Naegelin’s Bakery before?  Leave a comment below.