The Best Target Bakery Items To Buy, According To Reviews

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If you're in the habit of doing the grocery shopping, there's probably been a shopping trip when you found yourself in need of a little treat. After all, shopping is a hungry business. If you're a shopper at Target, then you know there's plenty of sweet things that can capture your attention (and your appetite). While Target may not be famed for its bakery the way other grocery store chains might be, there's still some yummy products stocked on the shelves.

We looked to Target's website for our initial data collection of the best bakery items. We excluded anything seasonal that might not be in stock at the time you're reading this, and for the fairest assessment of overall quality. The label we came across most in our findings was Favorite Day, Target's exclusive in-store brand. Under this label, we discovered muffins, croissants, cookies, donuts, and many more. However, only a few select items managed to win a spot on this list, because, according to multiple reviews from customers who visited a variety of Target store locations, these are the ones you don't want to miss. So, good ahead, treat yourself — just make sure you're getting the best treat, as voted by the masses.

Bite-sized and adorable, these Mini Lemon Poppy Seed Scones are full of bright lemony flavor and scattered poppy seeds for a bit of crunch. For when you want a little treat that's not too sweet or too heavy, consider picking these up on your next Target run.

Sold under the store's Favorite Day label, each pack contains 12 mini scones and retails for about $4.99, which is a pretty decent value. Unlike some scones, which can be dry and crumbly, these lemon poppy seed ones are soft and moist, closer to a biscuit texture than your traditional British scone. "Don't buy these unless you're okay with eating a whole container in a day," writes one customer. A bright pick-me-up, these citrusy treats would go great with a morning cup of coffee or afternoon cup of tea for an upgraded spin on the classic English duo.

Carrot cake can get a bad rap (unless it's the Kirkland Signature Carrot Cake Bar, one of the best Costco desserts). After all, it's a cake that's made with vegetables, which can be a hard sell for a lot of people. That being said, these sandwich cookies do carrot cake justice. The Carrot Cake Soft Sandwich Cookies from Target's Favorite Day label take the best that carrot cake has to offer — namely, a moist, slightly earthy sweetness — and sandwiches it between a thick layer of cream cheese frosting.

Sold in packs of six, the cookies are slightly smaller than one might think by looking at the picture. They're closer to mini as opposed to full size, but it's still two cookies in one, so we think it works out about the same. One TikTok review of the treats warns customers to eat them at their own risk, since their small size and sweet taste renders them quite un-put-down-able. Even for those who don't love carrot cake, some customers say they taste more like an upscale version of Little Debbie's famed oatmeal creme pies.

Target loves to make things mini, and that includes these Banana Mini Muffins. Sold in packs of 12, they're notable for their absence of nuts, which is a common ingredient in many store-produced banana baked goods and can crowd out the banana flavor (and is also a deterrent for those who may be allergic or simply dislike the ingredient). As such, these banana mini muffins are mild, soft, and tender, with the occupational hazard of perhaps eating a third of the package in one sitting.

Are these the most exciting Target bakery item to buy? No, but that doesn't mean they're not good. Reviews say their small size makes them the perfect snack, and customers appreciate the special touch of sprinkling sugar crystals on top for a little bit of crunch. Moist and the ideal size for little hands, these mini muffins are a hit among adults and kids alike. And, for only $4.49 a package, they're a pretty good deal.

This list would not be complete without the Favorite Day-branded Mini Orange Cranberry Scones. A popular bakery item for the retail giant, this flavor of scone is similar to the lemon poppy seed version in that they're moister and sweeter in flavor than a traditional English scone.

Made with an orange purée and real cranberries, these scones are a delicious addition to a brunch spread, snack, dessert, or even an easy breakfast. Like the other mini scones, they come in plastic tubs of 12 and have a bright, citrus-forward flavor. Not too sweet, these orange cranberry scones are just sugary enough to pair with a cup of coffee or tea, or satisfy a sweet tooth without totally going overboard. They don't seem to be a seasonal item, either, which is great news for fans of this citrus-berry flavor combo.

Finally, a full-sized dessert! We know; the Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies weren't explicitly advertised as being miniature, but, according to multiple customers, they may as well be. These are Target's Favorite Day Chocolate Chip Muffins, a quintessential store bakery treat if there ever was one.

Sold in packs of four for $4.49, they're studded throughout with chocolate chips and have a crumbly topping on their muffin dome (although we couldn't accurately call it a streusel). While these are advertised as muffins, let's get real: These are cupcakes without the frosting. But people aren't mad about it. Unlike Aldi, whose chocolate chip muffins were one of that store's worst baked goods, Target's are moist, flavorful, and soft. They're cake for breakfast but, when you want something sweet and satisfying that gives you a little sugar bump before you begin your day, these muffins are certainly not a bad choice. Pro tip: Warm them up just a bit to get the chocolate nice and melty. Dig in.

Grocery store cookies — you know the ones, with the swath of frosting, slightly soft sprinkles, and almost cake-y texture — can be a polarizing treat. They're iconic, sure, but not everyone is a fan. Lofthouse is the most notable name in these grocery store cookies, but Target's Favorite Day has actually impressed people more than the namesake brand.

Available in a few colors, depending on the season, the classic White Frosted Sprinkles Sugar Cookies are the ones that have won over the most hearts (and taste buds). Soft, very sweet, with a pillowy bite, even our friends at Tasting Table couldn't get enough of these cookies.

Look, if you're a crunchy cookie connoisseur, these cookies will not be your jam. The same idea applies if you don't have much of a sweet tooth, or prefer your cookies to be less saccharine. We said these cookies are polarizing for a reason, but those who love this distinct style, flavor, and texture will certainly be more than happy to tuck into a few of them. For the rest of you, try this hack for crinkly cookies and thank us later.

These White Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies level things up by using Ghirardelli chocolate in the recipe, bringing a touch of luxury to the Favorite Day brand. Sold in packages of six for $6.19, the price reflects the increase in quality, but it's also size that comes into play. These cookies are slightly larger than the ones Target usually sells, which means you can really enjoy those pricey macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips.

With a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture, slightly chewy bite, and a delicious flavor, these cookies are even worthy of ones found at real bakeries, according to reviews. Unlike dark chocolate or milk chocolate (and other types of chocolate), white chocolate contains no chocolate liquor, which means it doesn't have that bitter quality. As a result, white chocolate often gets criticized for either not being "real chocolate" or being way too sweet. Paired with buttery, rich macadamia nuts, though, and we have a much more level playing field. Are these cookies sweet? Sure, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

Target's Favorite Day Banana Nut Sliced Cake isn't the only grocery store banana cake to win raves — it was also one of Walmart's bakery MVPs under its Marketside label. While the previous banana entrant on this list was the mini muffins that contained no nuts at all, that's not the case with this sliced cake, which is speckled with walnuts throughout as well as on top.

Each package contains eight slices of moist, tender banana nut cake for a reasonable price of $5.49. While not everyone is partial to nuts in their banana cake (or banana bread), it's clearly the key ingredient that takes this Target bakery item to the next level. "This is even better then the one at Starbuck's!" writes one happy customer (and, truly, Starbucks' banana bread was one of our worst-rated treats from the coffee chain). Soft, fresh, and just banana-y enough without tasting artificial, we suggest warming a slice up in the toaster oven to get a bit of crisp on it and melting a touch of butter for a truly revelatory experience.

The last must-buy item from the Target bakery comes in the form of another muffin, this time the popular Blueberry Streusel Muffins. Made with real blueberries (the key ingredient to upgrading any boxed muffin mix) and a crumbly streusel topping, these moist muffins earn raves from plenty of happy customers.

Sold in packs of four for $4.49, there's enough muffin to make for a convenient grab-and-go breakfast or a sweet snack or dessert. Some store-bought muffins face criticism for not having enough of the flavor the label promises. Fortunately, that's not the case for these baked treats. Reviewers adore that each muffin is chock full of blueberries, both on the muffin dome and throughout the pastry itself.

"They made me fall in love with blueberry muffins again," wrote one reviewer. For the best experience, however, customers advise eating them ASAP. That moisture that makes them so delectable can lead to premature molding, and that's a shade of blue you do not want in your blueberry muffins. You can always freeze the muffins if you don't want to scarf them down all at once, too.

When determining what Target bakery items are worthy of a spot in your shopping cart, we looked to the people — that is to say, the internet. Reviews posted on Target's own website were our starting point and from there we looked to social media to determine if a high rating was genuine.

Determining the flavor and quality of a baked good can be subjective, which is why we didn't rely on a single person's palate. Multiple reviews were consulted and all items had to have at least a 4.5 star rating on the Target website across a minimum of 10 reviews to even be considered for this article. We looked only at items that were exclusive to Target, like those from the Favorite Day label, versus items that could be purchased at other stores.

Static Media owns and operates Foodie and Tasting Table.