The 9 Best Bakery Items At Walmart, According To Reviews

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When you're looking for gourmet baked goods, the bakery section at Walmart probably isn't the first place that comes to mind. However, it's chock full of surprisingly solid options — that is, if you know what to shop for. Between the wide array of choices and the budget-friendly prices, don't be too quick to write off Walmart as the place to go for your next sweet treat.

Walmart sells a fairly large selection of baked goods including cookies, cheesecake, brownies, and even custom cakes made to order for any occasion. Don't believe us? Ask the hundreds of Walmart shoppers who regularly post on the internet about their finds, letting newbies know what to grab and what to skip when shopping for something sweet. I consulted their expertise — as well as a little personal experience — to figure out which of the chain's bakery items are the very best. If you're looking to skip the guesswork when you shop at Walmart, these are cookies, cakes, and breads that receive the most praise.

For the event planner on a budget, Walmart's custom cakes have built quite the positive reputation for being tasty and well-decorated. Whether you're planning a birthday, graduation, or even a wedding, these cakes are praised for delivering high quality without the high-end bakery price tag. Beyond just the price, ordering a custom cake from Walmart is quite easy. There's a simple order form to fill out, and then the bakery department will often put their most skilled employees to the task of decorating your cake. The turnaround is quick as well, with some customers proclaiming it's far faster than a more mainstream bakery. Just show up to the bakery counter, pick up your freshly made cake, and serve (perhaps with some freshly made ice cream?).

Thrifty planners have mentioned ordering a smaller cake from a bakery (or even a dummy Styrofoam cake) before heading to Walmart to order a larger layer cake or sheet cake to feed the masses at their event. Bakeries costs can add up quickly, especially if you're feeding a large number of people, and this corner-cutting hack is a clever way to help save some money. In online forums, particularly from those who have planned weddings, there are many comments about wedding guests not being able to tell the cake was from a retail store.

There are more and more Americans eating gluten free, and finding gluten-free food that retains its flavor can be difficult. This is especially true for sweet treats. Gluten-free goodies often face the issue of being dry or overly dense due to the use of different kinds of flour. Antonia's Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes, however, are lauded thanks to their moist cake and decadent frosting. These cupcakes are excellent for people with celiac or are avoiding gluten for any number of reasons. 

Several online reviews state that these cupcakes are just as good, if not better, than their gluten-filled alternative. Antonia's Gluten-Free Bakery line offers not just cupcakes, but also cakes, muffins, and brownies, all promising an indulgent flavor without the gluten. Having a trustworthy gluten-free brand can really come in handy if your family or friend group has mixed dietary needs. Desserts like these help people not feel like an afterthought, and since they're so tasty, it's hard to tell that they're different from a regular cupcake. If you're looking for GF treats that taste like the real thing, Walmart has some great options from this brand.

Marketside Iced Lemon Cake is a must for citrusy sweet lovers. This bakery item is one that tends to stay in the rotation week after week after you buy it once. One of the most consistent endorsements this item receives is that the cake is lemony but not too sweet, so the icing complements it perfectly. The texture is another big seller for this cake. It's light, moist, and doesn't dry out quickly. It's not too rich, which is good for those looking for something less dense than chocolate, and it makes the ideal spring or summer dessert.

Lemon cake is also fairly versatile — it works as the featured dessert at a large gathering, but it also makes a tasty treat to have around the house. It's no wonder Walmart shoppers can't get enough of it. If you're looking for something really unique, you can even turn that lemon cake into a zesty French Toast. This is one of the bakery items that feels a bit more luxurious than the Walmart price tag suggests.

Cinnamon rolls are one of the most classic breakfast pastries on the market, and while everyone loves a roll fresh from the bakery, the price can be prohibitive. Walmart's Marketside Cinnamon Rolls offer that fresh-from-the-bakery taste with a sweeter price. These cinnamon rolls are soft and fluffy as well as generously iced, pairing well with your morning tea or coffee.

Marketside Cinnamon rolls offer the additional perk of being dairy-free. Walmart carries a couple of brands of cinnamon rolls, not all of which are dairy-free, but the Marketside brand is safe for lactose-free folks. Reviews state that the rolls taste just as good, if not better than any others customers have had, with the extra perk that those with dietary restrictions can enjoy. Convenience is a strong theme within the Walmart bakery, so if you're craving something that tastes homemade without having to actually make it at home, the bakery section should be your first stop.

Everyone loves a good muffin, and it turns out Walmart shoppers agree — they can't stop buying its Marketside Blueberry Muffins. Not only are they bakery quality, with fresh-tasting blueberries and a fluffy texture, but they're larger than the standard muffin. They're a great value at their size and price point, which feels like it definitely beats the numbers you'd see at a typical standalone bakery.

These blueberry muffins are perhaps the most discussed Walmart bakery item, constantly lighting up Reddit threads and online review boards. People scour the internet looking for copycat recipes and discuss that they can't go a week without purchasing them. One blueberry muffin connoisseur recommends pan-frying them with some butter and letting a golden-brown crust form on the fried side of the muffin to level it up even more (this is actually how I eat them as well, and have to strongly encourage you try this muffin method). If you're basing shopping decisions on the opinions of the masses, these blueberry muffins seem to be a pretty safe bet.

While not one of the more widely-known bakery items at Walmart, Marketside Vanilla Brioche is an up-and-comer that more and more shoppers are adding to their cart on a regular basis. Customers love its soft, buttery texture, and the mildly sweet vanilla flavor that isn't overpowering. Walmart also offers its brioche in chocolate, but the vanilla seems to be the more popular of the two.

This bread is perfect for French toast and pairing with other breakfast foods. The texture is thicker than other types of bread, so it holds the batter and cooks up well without falling apart. If you want to go beyond brioche French toast, you can use it for grilled cheeses and other sandwiches — brioche BLTs, anyone? Brioche feels a bit more decadent than standard bread, and this loaf is tasty enough to make you feel as though you've just made a purchase from a French bakery rather than your local Walmart.

If there's one item on this list that most feels like it comes from a brick-and-mortar bakery, it's Walmart's assorted cheesecakes. This treat features several different types of cheesecake so that you can take a full sampling of the store's offerings. Flavors include caramel turtle, chocolate marble, raspberry swirl, brownie, New York style, and strawberry swirl. It's basically like getting six different desserts in one. Even skeptical shoppers have ended up impressed with the creamy texture and full, rich flavors of these cheesecakes. It's true that you can make cheesecake fairly easily at home, but you won't end up with this assortment of flavors without quite a bit of effort. 

You can also buy a standard cheesecake or individual slices of any of the flavors mentioned, but the assorted pack is great for parties or gatherings where people can select the one that best suits their tastes. I am a huge cheesecake fan, and I love being able to try a handful of different flavors. Doing so at a normal bakery would produce quite the bill, but at Walmart, this cheesecake sampler costs about $15 depending on location.

Walmart's Marketside Mini Chocolate Croissants have had a cult following for years. The cafe classic is known for flaky layers of pastry dough filled with a semi-sweet chocolate ganache that is rich without being too cloying. If you're looking for something tried-and-true that everyone in your family will love, these are the way to go. They're a simple classic that feels like a luxury every time you pick them up.

Croissants feel a bit more special than other breakfast pastries you might sample, adding a touch of novelty to your morning. Who doesn't love breakfast that feels like dessert? The packaging — and several Walmart shoppers — recommend warming the pastry, which is most easily done with an air fryer or straight in a frying pan. While they are certainly not made in a French patisserie, they can at least hold a candle to their bakery counterparts in taste and value.

If you're looking for a baked good to get you out of a funk, Marketside's Mini Lemon Blackberry Bundt Cakes are worth a try. They come in a pack of four and feature soft, bouncy lemon cake in the traditional bundt shape, piped with fluffy blackberry mousse in the center. These cakes balance sweet and tart flavors, with zesty lemon and sugary, rich blackberry. Customers who have tried the newer dessert love them because they aren't too sweet, but still feel bright and fun.

BUt what makes these cakes really stand out is the texture. Many store-bought cakes are dry or become stale very quickly after purchasing. There are consistent comments on Walmart's website about how moist many of the baked goods are, an especially important selling point since these are pre-packaged. A springy, light cake is very welcome among crowds of over baked, dried-out pastries in the grocery world.

For this article, I scanned the reviews on the Walmart website, as well as Reddit threads and other relevant online review boards. I paired these reviews with my own personal experience with the Walmart bakery (which is not insubstantial) and came up with the list of items above. It's tough to go wrong at the Walmart bakery, especially at this price point, and it turns out my fellow shoppers agree.