Shoppers Say These Are The 5 Best Grocery Store Bakeries, Hands Down

When we made our list of the best bakery in every state, we weren't covering grocery store chains. And yet, there are some real bangers amongst supermarket bakeries, particularly those that have an in-house bakery. When you narrow the field to chains that have bakery staff on hand, you realize that dry, tasteless baked goods are not a given. In fact, some grocery stores have bakeries that are complete hidden gems, serving up quality staples and treats that might just put even a bespoke boulangerie or patisserie to shame. 

We hit social media to get the goss on the best grocery store bakeries out there, along with words of customer wisdom on what makes them so special. Where applicable, we even included recommendations for what you should purchase when you shop. When you cruise the bakery section of these five grocers, you can rely on freshness, taste, and a great variety of wares ... all oftentimes for a lot cheaper than you'd expect at an independent establishment. If we're craving carbs, whether pies, bagels, or delicate goodies like eclairs, these are the supermarkets we're hitting up.

On a Reddit thread dedicated to favorite grocery store bakeries, it seemed like Publix accounted for half the answers. "[P]ublix for bread and sweets, especially their cookies and cupcakes," one reviewer stated emphatically. "I don't live where there is a Publix. But when I do get near one their cupcakes with cream cheese icing are glorious," remarked another Redditor. We covered the best days to shop at Publix, hands down, but any time we go is a great time for one of the chain's toothsome custom cakes, which are bedecked in some of the best buttercream some shoppers say they've ever eaten. 

Surprised to see a warehouse chain on this list? If you've eaten some of the goodies from Costco, you've realized that its bakery is a "IYKYK" situation. Not all Costco bakery items are made fresh, true, but many are — and, going by many customer reviews, the quality of these is superlative. Just listen to one fan on Reddit, who waxed rhapsodic about their favorite Costco baked fare, saying, "Their vanilla cake with cheesecake mouse [sic] filling is insanely good! We love it so much!" The title of another Reddit thread? "Costco's bakery is better than it has any right to be."

There's a reason that we had a hard time narrowing down our list of the best Wegmans bakery items. Both the range and quality of the baked goods here can't be overstated. A Reddit commenter called out one item they especially loved: "[It] was the best red velvet cake I ever had." Elsewhere on Reddit, a dinnertime staple got some love: "The 6 seed loaf is amazing and my family's favorite bread." We particularly love the expansive collection of dessert options, which ranges beyond mere cakes and encompasses all kinds of pastry delights like donuts and danishes.

The Albertsons bakery got buzz for its gluten-free strawberry shortcake, but that's not the whole picture. "I ordered a birthday cake here and it was [...] one of the best I've ever had," exclaimed one Yelp customer. Another customer of that same location gave more love to the cakes: "The cakes here are best deal for the price! We never go wrong with the chocolate cake [with] whipped cream and strawberry. So delicious!" It's notable that Albertsons owns a whole family of grocery stores, like Safeway, Acme, and Vons, several of which also get love for their baked goods. 

It's not for nothing that The Fresh Market was voted to have the best grocery store bakery (via a USA Today poll) for three years running! If you're looking for the quality of a standalone bakery, you might have just found your destination. "My favs are the almond poppy seed muffins and the black and white cookie," divulged one Redditor. "The crispy cookies and the almond pillow cookies are amazing too!" We love baking cookies ourselves — did you know there's a sheet pan hack to assure flat cookies? — but we're glad to have a source for great ready-made ones!