LOS ALAMITOS, CALIF. — Los Alamitos High School is near many local businesses that students know and love. One of the community favorites, Sweet Jill’s Bakery, is one of the Griffin Gazette favorites, so we reviewed their sweets. 

“Homestyle baking: Nothing looks the same, no factory-made. Customers love the smell and the joy of eating sweets,” Jill Kinney Pharis, founder of Sweet Jill’s Bakery, said.

What the business is about

Gallery • 4 Photos

Alyssa Mathews

Sweet Jill's Seal Beach location overlooks Main St. and makes for a perfect view for sunsets.

Sweet Jill’s Bakery began in 1987. In 1994, Pharis began to cater her baked goods to corporate events and local businesses. Over time, Sweet Jill’s expanded into shipping nationally, wholesale and coffeehouses. Sweet Jill’s currently has two locations, one in Seal Beach and one in Long Beach. The bakery opens at 5:30 a.m. and closes at 10 p.m. 

“When I first opened, I had a lot (fewer) products and over the years expanded with new and innovative products. In 1987, I didn’t even think about failing. I worked and still work every day to provide support and knowledge about business,” Pharis said.  

Pharis was raised on a farm in Nebraska and grew up baking with her grandmother and sister. She credits this experience to teaching her how to craft the famous cinnamon rolls, one of her bakery’s most popular items, along with a variety of other sweet treats!

Pharis continued to bake after she moved from Nebraska to California, a decision she made for college. In California, she dedicated hours of hard work to start the beloved Sweet Jill’s Bakery. 

“I’ve been coming here for years,” Anitta Summers, a regular at Sweet Jill’s, said. “My favorite is the red velvet cupcake.” 

Reese

Sweet Jill’s has always been one of my favorite dessert shops! Since I was little, I greatly enjoyed my weekly walks with my family to Sweet Jill’s. My favorite treat is the butterfly cookie they serve, but I recently tried their cinnamon roll for the first time. I fell in love! Their cinnamon roll has an equal amount of frosting and pastry, which mix perfectly. Although their cinnamon roll has been their most popular item, they have a vast amount of delicious treats.

Sweet Jill’s carrot cake is by far my favorite cake in the shop. It has a great cake and frosting ratio, which balance each other to create an amazing dessert. The bakery carries memories of so many people’s childhoods, including my own. Sweet Jill’s continues to be my favorite Seal Beach and Long Beach dessert shop.

Isabella

I had the pleasure of tasting one of the decorated cookies! The cookie was adorned with a beautiful butterfly design as well as a sour gummy worm in the middle. The cookie was very flavorful, and the unique taste stuck with me as different from other cookies I’ve tried. The design itself was creative, with the wings made from sprinkles. I would enjoy going back and trying different delicacies and recommend Sweet Jill’s to everyone.

‎Esme

As a dessert lover, I often find myself seeking the best treats in town. Recently, I tried the carrot cake from Sweet Jill’s Bakery, and it did not disappoint! The cream cheese frosting was not too sweet, and the cake had a sweet and savory taste that complemented each other, making for the perfect dessert.

I am also a huge fan of Sweet Jill’s cinnamon rolls and carrot cake. I would love to go back soon!

Brooklynn

I have been going to Sweet Jill’s since I was little, and my favorite bakery item has to be the cinnamon roll. The dough is perfectly fluffy and soft in every bite. Each roll is topped with generous amounts of frosting and is always fresh. A lot of love is put into every item. Coming from someone who doesn’t normally like cinnamon rolls, I am always blown away by how tasty Sweet Jill’s are.

Recently, I tried their chocolate chip cookie, which was amazing. It was crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. The center was soft and melty, giving off the perfect taste. These are just my favorites, but all of Sweet Jill’s desserts will make you want to come back!

Seren

As a brownie enthusiast, I had high expectations for Sweet Jill’s cookie dough brownie. I was pleasantly surprised by the presentation and was excited to try the treat. The brownie was incredibly sweet and moist. The bite of cookie dough on top perfectly complemented the brownie and was a fun addition to the already perfect treat! The second dessert I tried was the cinnamon roll. The cinnamon roll was delectable and not overly sweet. It was drenched in sugary icing and perfectly warm. I highly recommend trying Sweet Jill’s desserts!

Alyssa

As someone who is a cinnamon roll skeptic, l tried the Sweet Jill’s cinnamon roll with low expectations. However, I am happy to say this surprised me. The icing wasn’t too sweet, and the cinnamon roll was warm. It wasn’t soggy or soaked in an overly sweet icing like most cinnamon rolls and unexpectedly became my favorite item. Sweet Jill’s has two different cinnamon rolls, a regular cinnamon one and a walnut one. If you’re like me and tend to avoid cinnamon rolls, you should give Sweet Jill’s a try! 

Next time you find yourself near Main St., make sure to stop by and try a new dessert from Sweet Jill’s — we promise you’ll love it!