Zen Bakery

WOW. I could go on and on about my love for the Zen bakery products. Unfortunately I have never been to their actual location and only have boughten their products from health stores such as Whole Foods and Mothers but I make sure to pick up a case of muffins or scones every time I’m in the OC area. I LOVE these products. They are so fresh and delicious and make for the perfect breakfast before a long shift at work. So far I have tried the blueberry bran, the pumpkin and the banana bran muffins and they all have been better than the last. I wish I had this bakery down near me in San Diego because I would be buying them every single day. All of the muffins are HUGE and for around 250 calories for one it’s not bad at all. Not to mention they use all natural ingredients and don’t add too much to the muffins. Keeping them very close to nature. There is no added sugars or artificial flavors and they are packed with fiber to keep me full well into the afternoon.
As you can tell I’m pretty much obsessed and will continue to buy these products every time I’m in the area to bring back down to San Diego with me. I can’t to try their signature cranberry, blueberry oat muffins and many more as well. Such a great bakery!

Zen Bakery® since 1975!
Best bran– fruit combo muffins ever, really.
If you’ve only bought Zen’s at a grocery store, get to the source, SO fresh, plus there’s a heavenly, slightly cinnamony scent in the air from the on site bakery in back along with a hum of light, pleasant banter that wafts retail.
Grab a meter, Zen doesn’t have a lot! Don’t park in Jack ‘n Box’s, they tow in a heartbeat!
Once in the door, it won’t be long before an all smiles staffer greets you, takes your order. I couldn’t resist a blueberry bran muffin with a shot of espresso.
Take a seat at one of three, two-​top bistro tables. Get ready to taste the pureness of each ingredient, substantial, tart, just slightly sweet. Must return to try their scones.
Espresso was both the strongest and the mildest (nearly zero acid), I’ve enjoyed in quite some time, so much so I ordered another $ 2 shot.
Zen moment I left my technology in my briefcase, thumbed through a magazine instead, what a concept!
Sit, sup, sip, savor…
P. S. No wifi, cash only!

Their bran muffins will clean you out. ‘Nuff said.

This is one of my favorite muffin places. i have been coming here for years. The service is great and the muffins are wholesome and healthy. It gets expensive if you buy a 4 pack but the quality is worth it. Our favorites are the 1.75 muffins with the berries, the scones and the cinnamon rolls. You can find it cheaper at Trader Joes but then they are at least 1 day old. You can get them fresh here.

Appetizers (Ambiance):
The outside always looks inviting, like I am going to some magical Chinese bakery where I will meet a master sifu in the culinary arts, but alas, I walk in and there’s not an Asian person in site haha. That’s okay. It smelled great inside and had a SIMPLE menu.
Main Course (Food):
I asked for their best thing that they are known for and got recommended with a Blueberry Raspberry Oat Muffin. I must say, these are healthy but delicious muffins. It was moist all the way through and generally not as much sugar as regular store bought muffins come with. Lots of flavor from the fruits and the oats are a nice touch.
Dessert (Extra Comments):
It’s a nice little quiet shop with hours that make it almost impossible to go to if you work regularly. These are a nice treat and definitely different than what’s offered around West LA.

Their customer service is terrible.

For my first time here, I asked the friendly cashier for a recommendation and he immediately pointed out the Raspberry-​Blueberry Oat Bran muffins, so I gave one a try. It came in at $ 1.75, which isn’t too bad for a fresh-​baked muffin of that size. It was moist and had a great nuttiness from the oats. And it was PACKED with fresh berries… yum! Lots of their muffin options are wheat-​free, vegan and contain no refined suger. You can tell they’re interested in making healthier alternatives with quality ingredients. And getting it straight from the source when their moist and fresh is remarkably better than the packages at TJs.
I was a bit disappointed they didn’t have more options besides muffins and ‘scones’ (that looked like muffin tops) at the bakery location, but if you have a specialty you should stick with it! And they sure do muffins VERY well. Now I know what to expect from Zen and will come there when the muffin craving hits.
They also serve drip coffee and simple espresso beverages, but the machine was broken so I can’t attest to their quality.
The shop itself is just a very small room with a display case in front of the bakery in back. The cashier was very friendly and service was fast.
There is a small parking lot next to the building, but the signs say it’s only for Jack in the Box customers. But, I was in and out of the bakery very quickly, so no one gave me a problem for parking there.

I like the blueberry raspberry oat bran muffin here but all the baked goods and muffins look good. I like the fact that it is sweetened with fruit juice and not sugar. Very healthy muffins that are moist with a good flavor. Service was excellent. Reasonable prices. Small location with only a few tables.

I am doing a health cleanse right now and it calls for NO SUGAR… Not easy to do in this day and age, and all the junk out there… But, while shopping at «Sprouts» the other day, in the bakery section (where I had no right being), I came across a glorious looking package of Cinnamon Raisin rolls made by the Zen Bakery — These yummy rolls have NO SUGAR in them, they are made with wonderful, «real» ingredients and «white grape juice» for sweetness — and, they taste heavenly! Thank you to Zen Bakery for getting back to the basics and creating wonderful things to eat that are good for your body!

I’ve been meaning to write a review of Zen for a long time. The place itself is more like a factory with a store front… but the product is worthy of five stars. It takes muffins and makes the super healthy, hi in fiber, low in sugar, and overall delicious.
The banana nut, Blueberry Oat Bran, and Carrot muffins are just wonderful. You can also buy them at Trader Joes and Whole Foods, but they are much fresher if you just go to the bakery and buy directly.
Also — a little tip… You can ask the workers to indivudually wrap them for you which makes for easy freezing.
Don’t know if they do baskets, but they should — would make a wonderful and healthy gift.
Yea Zen!!! Well done!!!

I have a secret love affair with the Raspberry-​Blueberry Oat Bran muffins. They have a crisp exterior, are nicely dense and grainy on the inside, and the abundant raspberries and blueberries keep the interior awesomely moist. To me it is the optimal muffin.
Service is always nice and friendly, and the price is right. Zen, your muffins make my mornings! Thanks!

What can I say? I LOVE this place. Yes, they are small. Yes, their hours are not as plentiful as a soulless Starbucks, but the muffins are crazy good (and good for you), the staff is delightful, and the owner, Jack, is hilarious. I used to live in New York and this place has the personality and unique quality of my «home bakery» back in the East Village — except Zen is cheaper. What is not to love?

I haven’t been to their bakery in West LA, but I’ve had their products over the years from Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. Their baked goods are great for those who love bakery items but hate the high sugar, fat, and refined ingredients in most of them. Zen items always have lots of fiber and are sweetened only with fruit juice. I think they are all vegan and whole-​grain as well. About as wholesome as you can get with muffins and cookies!

Muffins are not the healthiest breakfast choice cuz they’re usually made with loads of sugar, butter and white flour. A muffin from Zen Bakery, however, is another story. It’s sweetened with fruit juice instead of sugar, and it contains enough fiber to move a truck. While people addicted to oreos and twinkies may not think that these are the most delicious things ever, any health conscious eater would appreciate the work that Zen Bakery puts into making a wholesome tasty product.
P. S. you don’t have to come here to get a Zen muffin – they sell their products at Trader Joes!

I always get their stuff from Trader Joe’s, so I was excited to be able to visit the bakery/​factory. The hours are short, and they’re closed by 3pm on weekdays (they locked the door behind us as we stepped out at 3pm).
The scones are more like muffin tops, and I wouldn’t really call them scones. The mini brownie muffins taste like mini brownies made from a box, and they were disappointing.
I was attracted by the health factor of their fiber cakes and muffins, though the calorie content is still kind of high. I like to bake healthy stuff at home, so maybe I’m more critical than I should be.
The prices are a bit high at the actual bakery, and there are only 2 little tables for seating. The space is limited, since the bulk of the building is the factory in the back. I was expecting more variety or lower prices, since we were at the source, but I think I’ll stick to buying them from Trader Joe’s.

Zen bakery does the nearly impossible: make muffins and other baked goods that taste great and are not loaded with sugar! Hooray.
Trader Joe’s sells the muffins, cookies and fiber cakes, but recently I noticed that the Zen label is gone and now it’s a Trader Joe’s label? The product looks and tastes the same, but the calorie count did go up.
If you like Zen Bakery products go to Trader Joe’s cause Whole Foods charges more. Check this blog post for details:

the blueberry rasberry oat bran muffin is just perfect. if you like your muffins moist and fiber-​filled, look no further. I’ve been eyeing the 4 packs in groceries for some time and just recently jumped the gun.
can’t think of anything better for breakfast, really. yes, you have to watch the portions, but we’re dealing with muffins, people, not celery sticks. you sort of have to resign yourself to ingesting calories, ya know? And the delicious blueberry rasberry oat bran is worth every one of its 270 ones. Eat one, then go run it off. Case closed.

I like their bran muffins (fiber cakes) because they’re moist and don’t taste like horse food. They don’t use artificial flavors or preservatives, and they opt for fruit juices instead of sugar. They should come up with a better name for the fiber cakes though, because if I hadn’t read the reviews, I would’ve been like, «Ugh, fiber! Let’s NOT get that because it has the word fiber in it.» But the blueberry fiber cakes are really tasty, and the apple cranberry ones aren’t too bad either.

The fiber cakes are *awesome*. Like Cynthia C., I’ve never made a visit to the Pico location. I purchased my goods at Whole Foods in Santa Monica. I’ll tell you: one muffin later, I was hooked. The fiber cakes are vegan and taste so good, I’d eat them even if I weren’t vegan-​ish. (I like cheese. Shoot me!) The best part is that the fiber cakes are only 80 calories.
I’ve never tried the muffins, but they look really good. I was deterred by the amount of calories (1 muffin = 220 calories for most types). If you don’t care about calories, they look really good.

Haven’t visited this distribution warehouse, but I adore their bran muffins! I am currently noshing on their ‘Blueberry Mango Cranberry Bran’. They are low in fat, but still maintain a wonderfully moist texture, and no greasy fingers! With only 10 ingredients, and only one the Welch’s kids would have a field day with, it’s natural, healthy and oh so yummy.
Trader Joe’s gets a daily shipment, and it seems to be consistent at all the locations. I like to cut them in half and pop them in the toaster oven! So satisfying!