Done wolfing down a plate of char kway teow or fishball noodles at a hawker centre and looking for a post-lunch snack?
You could just find it at that unassuming bakery stall nearby. We’ve rounded up a list of popular hawker bakeries that have made their homes in food centres across the island, doling out everything from old-school buns to French pastries and luscious lava bakes. Great for a post-meal treat or to takeaway for teatime, they’re often priced lower than your average cafe-bakery, too.
Within Beauty World Food Centre is Syiok, which opened its doors in late 2021. Here, you can sink your teeth into old-school treats like Peranakan kueh, ang ku kueh, and egg tarts as well as classics with a newfangled spin. Go there for its signature mochi puffs — crisp flaky pastry shells that encase a generous portion of stretchy mochi. Flavours include Bubur Cha Cha, Red Bean, Peanut and chocolate. For now, the mochi puffs (around $2) are only available on weekends.
Other highlights are the cookie crust egg tarts with options such as Taro, Taro Egg, Apple, and Strawberry, as well as the buttery Coffee Bun.
Syiok is at #04-59 Beauty World Food Centre, 144 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 588177. Closed on Mondays.
As its name suggests, this stall located on level two of Toa Payoh West Market and Food Centre is best known for its imperfect but spongy and buttery muffins.
With mildly charred tops and irregular shapes (you’ll like this one if you aren’t a fan of muffin stumps), the stall serves up different flavours daily from Orange Peel with Chocolate Chip to Banana Walnut, Chocolate and ones studded with Oreo chunks. Individual muffins are priced from $1.40 or get a box of 12 for $14.
Uggli Muffins is at #02-34 Toa Payoh West Market and Food Centre, 127 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, Singapore 310127.
Caneles, petite cakes, brownies, croissants and financiers. That’s what you can feast your eyes on when you come by The Headless Baker, a popular bakery nestled within Ghim Moh Food Centre.
It’s helmed by a couple, who have worked in a French patisserie as well as a speciality coffee roaster in Melbourne, together with their half-retired father. Each day, you’ll find up to 20 types of confections that aren’t just picture-worthy, but also priced affordably too — from $3 for the crowd-pleasing lemon rose pistachio cake to $4 for mini bundt cakes and financiers.
It has also opened a sister cafe, The Headless Baker & Sons, at Star Vista.
The Headless Baker is at 01-64 Ghim Moh Food Centre, 20 Ghim Moh Road, Singapore 270020.
Most mornings, you’ll find a line at Serangoon Garden Bakery & Confectionery, which doles out freshly baked old-school buns and cakes.
The bestseller is undoubtedly the luncheon meat bun, with a square of luncheon meat tucked inside a soft fluffy bun. Simple yet satisfying. Up for something sweet? Another favourite is the grated coconut bun, alongside red bean and yam paste buns, custard puffs and a moist spongy banana cake that’ll leave you satisfied.
Serangoon Garden Bakery & Confectionery is at #01-45 Serangoon Garden Market & Food Centre, 49A Serangoon Garden Way, Singapore 555945.
A play on the word ‘atas’ (meaning ‘above’ or ‘sophisticated’), Ah Tas Muffins opened in January 2021 at Old Airport Road Food Centre. It’s helmed by a young hawker who quit his corporate job to open the stall.
Its halal-friendly confections, priced around $2 to $3, are baked fresh on the daily, with crowd favourites including Chocolate Chip, Dark Choc Banana, Lava Chocolate and Blueberry Granola. And you can expect quality ingredients that include butter from Denmark and couverture chocolate from Italy.
Apart from muffins, it also sells various cookies like dark chocolate and walnut cookies.
Ah Tas Muffins is at #01-49 Old Airport Road Food Centre, 51 Old Airport Rd, S390051.
Also within Golden Mile Food Centre is Cat In The Hat. This hawker patisseries woos patrons with a monthly rotation of tarts, financiers, scones and cakes, which it updates on its Instagram page.
For June, there’s Roasted Pecan Tart($2.80) and Lemon Meringue Tart ($3) on the menu, alongside financiers (from $2.50), madeleines ($1.50) and Salted Egg Black Sesame Bundt Cake ($4). For walk-ins at the stall, follow the instructions here. Pre-orders are available, find out more here.
Closed on Mon and Tues. Opens 11am till sold out. Cat In The Hat is at #01-106 Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Road, Singapore 199583.
Swing by for the signature Lava Baguettes that you can bite into or break apart to reveal a delectable molten centre. And you’ll be spoilt for choice with its slew of tempting flavours – think Apple (with apple custard and chunks) Cookies and Cream, Chocolate, Adzuki, Red Velvet and Salted Caramel, which boasts white chocolate and salted caramel bites. If you have a taste for savoury bakes, go for the Cheese Lava that houses four types of cheese.
Tucked inside Golden Mile Food Centre as well as at Hougang Ave One, lava baguettes are priced at $5 for a box of two, and $12.50 for a box of six. Delivery is available too.
Mr Baguette is at #B1-51 Golden Mile Food Centre Singapore, 505 Beach Road, Singapore 199583, as well as 102 Hougang Ave 1, #01-1195, Singapore 530102.
This Halal-certified muffin bakery, named after its owners Amy and Jerry, has some pretty good-looking muffins, with rounded crusty tops and interesting toppings. And you’ll get to choose from over 20 flavours.
What’s best perhaps are its streusel muffins boasting generous, crumbly tops. Think options like Walnut Streusel Double Chocolate, Apple Streusel with juicy apple chunks and the Green Tea Monster, crafted with fragrant Japanese green tea. Prices start from $2.10 for a chocolate muffin.
It’s slated to open a second outlet at #B1-22 Connexis Tower, 1 Fusionopolis Way.
Temporarily closed till July 31, 2023. Pre-orders for delivery and collection available via this link or via WhatsApp at 88212157.
AJ Delights is at #01-82, Alexandra Village Food Centre is at 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, Singapore 150120.
The six-month-old Muffin Homme (it opened in Dec 2022) is run by a couple in their thirties and sits within the newly opened Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre.
To make their offerings healthier, the duo makes their muffins with a low-sugar formula and natural yoghurt, sans artificial colouring or preservatives. Take your pick from the likes of Apple Crumble, Matcha White Chocolate, Walnut Raisin, Blueberry Streusel muffins, and various egg tarts.
Muffin Homme is at #01-48 Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre, 21 Canberra Link, Singapore 756973. Closed on Wednesdays.
Here, it dishes out no-frills muffins, scones, and cakes that are perfect before starting a day at the office (if you work around the Amoy Street region) or for tea time. The muffins are fluffy and moist, and absolutely a steal too — a Blueberry, Apple Cinnamon or Oreo muffin is at $1.50, while flavours like Matcha Cream Cheese and Salted Caramel are at $1.80.
Baked_of is at #02-111, Amoy Street Food Centre, 7 Maxwell Rd, Singapore 069111.
This article was originally published on Aug 27, 2021, and updated on June 15, 2023.
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