Introduction to Pan de Muerto
Every year, as the last days of October arrive, bakeries throughout Mexico and many cities in the United States are filled with the sweet aroma of pan de muerto, a round bread covered with sugar and decorated with strips that represents much more than a dessert. It is rather a symbol of love to remember those who are no longer with us.
In the tradition of the Day of the Dead, celebrated on November 1 and 2, families in Mexico set up altars filled with flowers, candles, photos, papel picado, sugar skulls and the favorite foods of their deceased loved ones. Pan de muerto has a special place in this offering, as it represents the cycle of life and death and is a way to connect with those who are no longer with us.
“Pan de muerto is very classic, full of symbolism,” said María Becerra, chef and owner of Lubellas Patisserie in Dallas. “The strips represent the bones, the ball represents the skull of the deceased, the orange blossom water is aromatic, the flowers have those aromas, and it is to remember those who have passed away.”
Pan de muerto, the staple bread for Dia de Muertos, and cafe de olla at Lubellas Patisserie in Dallas on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
The Tradition of Pan de Muerto
Lubellas Patisserie is one of the businesses that makes pan de muerto in D-FW. Becerra and her husband, Ismael Trejo, started the business in 2021, but they had been baking pan de muerto at home for some time to teach their daughters about the traditions of Día de los Muertos.
“We don’t celebrate Halloween at home, and I always told them that we celebrate the Day of the Dead,” Becerra said. “So I started making the bread for them so they could learn our traditions.”
Full of Symbolism
Each element of pan de muerto has a meaning, from its round shape, which alludes to the circle of life, to the crossed strips that represent the bones and tears of the deceased. In the center, the small sphere represents the skull.
The origin of pan de muerto dates back to pre-Hispanic times, when indigenous people offered bread made with amaranth and human blood to the gods of death.
Maria Becerra prepares the “huesos” for the pan de muerto, the staple bread for Dia de Muertos, at Lubellas Patisserie in Dallas on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
The Evolution of Pan de Muerto
With the Spanish conquest, the bread was transformed. Wheat replaced amaranth, sugar replaced blood, and, thus, the bread we know today was born.
In Mexico, each region has developed its own version of pan de muerto. In Puebla, it is baked with sesame seeds. In Oaxaca, it is decorated with sugar faces. In Michoacán, anise is added. In Mexico City, the version with butter, sugar, and orange blossom dominates.
In the United States, this tradition has gained momentum in recent decades, especially in states with a large Mexican community, such as California, Texas and Illinois. Family bakeries have been making these loaves since mid-October and have introduced them to the American public’s taste.
