14 Best Grocery Store Chains For Fresh Baked Goods

Life would be great if everyone had a quaint local bakery they could walk to at a moment's notice to get bread, muffins, cakes, and a whole lot of other aromatic fresh baked goods. However, even if you don't live near an old-fashioned family-run shop, you may be surprised to discover that your nearest grocery store chain serves some incredible baked items and makes a lot of them right on the premises that same day to deliver the freshest possible goods to you.

That means you can make just one stop in your shopping routine to purchase all your produce, meats and cheeses, drinks, and household goods, in addition to freshly made cakes and muffins.

Many national and regional grocery stores have baked goods sections that can scratch your pastry craving, and some have things they are especially known for; one may be famous for making the most delicious birthday cakes, while another serves bread and croissants that look and smell like they would be served at a Parisian café. You may not have even heard of some of these chains if you don't live in the area they serve, but learn bout them anyway so you know exactly where to stop if you're ever passing through those states and have a hankering for a sugary cupcake or fresh-made bagel.

Read more: 25 Most Popular Snacks In America Ranked Worst To Best

Whole Foods

Whole Foods has a reputation for being slightly pricy, but you definitely get some bang for your buck, especially with its fresh baked goods. If you want a great cake that's not chock full of artificial sweeteners and ingredients or vegan and gluten-free options for your friends and family with dietary restrictions, then Whole Foods is definitely the store for you.

Part of the reason the cakes here are so delicious is because Whole Foods actually uses buttercream to make them instead of a cheaper, fake-tasting alternative. Perhaps that's the reason the berry chantilly is so beloved. You won't find any high-fructose corn syrup at Whole Foods, either. Even vegan cakes are tasty, which isn't always the case for those looking for a sweet treat without any animal products. Best of all, if you need to buy and customize a cake for a birthday party, the Whole Foods bakers will decorate it according to your requests.

Costco

Don't sleep on Costco's top-notch bakery. The inclusion of this big box store may surprise some of you; it's known best for low, low prices and selling products in bulk. That doesn't necessarily scream high craft. Likely, that surprise just means you haven't tried any of its freshly made baked goods yet.

The employees at Costco's bakery make everything on-site without added preservatives. From treats like cheesecake to breakfast goods and snacks like ham and cheese pastry, they offer a great variety of sweet and savory bakery snacks. Though most of the food here is delicious, some specialties are truly exceptional, like Costco's tuxedo cake, butter pound cake, and raspberry crumble cookies. Bear in mind some Costco customers have reported their goods as spoiling quicker than anticipated because of the lack of additives, so consider storing them in the fridge or freezer.

Best of all, the chain's low prices also apply to this section of its store, so you will likely pay a fraction of what you would pay elsewhere in order to satisfy your cravings for cakes, cookies, muffins, pastries, and so much more. Or just pick up a bagel to snack on (pay for it first, of course) while you finish up your morning shopping trip through the store's rambling, massive aisles.

Kroger

Swing by Kroger's to pick up a delicious birthday cake for your friend's surprise party or your child's birthday, and you won't be disappointed. Since this is one of the oldest and biggest grocery store chains in the country — established in the 1880s — perhaps it's not surprising that its employees have mastered the art of baking, and Kroger has perfected its recipes after all this time.

Call the Kroger's store nearest you or go online to order a cake ahead of time and customize it however you'd like in terms of flavor and decoration. If you have a sweet tooth but feel that a sheet cake might be too indulgent, you can also order cupcakes, cheesecakes, angel food, and pound cakes, among many other options available at the bakery here. Occasionally, Kroger's stores will make and sell creative and playful cupcakes you can also get for big events, like the Hello Kitty selection.

If you're preparing for a nice Sunday meal at home, pick one of Kroger's good old-fashioned pies to serve; some of the many flavors include apple, pumpkin, pecan, and blueberry. There's also a Private Selection of pies offering things taste of apple streusel and butter toffee, for example.

Publix

If you live in the southeastern U.S., chances are that you've done some of your grocery shopping at Publix. You may or may not know that Publix cakes with buttercream frosting are so delicious that they have their own fanbase throughout the area. Customers love these moist and fluffy cakes, and that's partly because of the way Publix makes them, focusing on real ingredients and good in-store baking techniques.

According to Publix, the recipe for the buttercream icing dates all the way back to 1957. It uses real butter instead of the alternatives most commercial bakeries use, which results in a more balanced and less overly sweet flavor for the cakes. This butter is then mixed on-site with some other ingredients, including palm oil, to produce a delicious buttercream frosting.

As with most grocery store bakery sections, you can customize the cake you order unless you're in a rush and want to purchase one of the premade options. However, unlike other grocery baked goods, Publix offers a truly unique selection of fillings, which include cannoli, raspberry custard, chocolate eclair, guava, and dulce de leche — you can make a cake unlike any other you've had from a big chain before.

Wegman's

A family-owned enterprise dating back to 1916, Wegman's offers an enticing selection of baked goods, the most famous of which is arguably its chocolate chip cookies. If you want to skip the desserts, try some of the fresh-baked artisan bread varieties instead, which include rosemary sourdough, ciabatta, and garlic Tuscan bread, along with marble rye and challah.

Families looking to adhere to a gluten-free or kosher diet will love all the available products that keep their dietary preferences in mind, such as gluten-free bagels, cookies, and brownies. For those in the area Wegman's serves, which includes New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, Virginia, North Carolina, Delaware, and Washington D.C., these alternative options allow people to indulge without risking any negative health reactions.

Lastly, many parents who want to send cupcakes or brownies to school for the whole class to share also usually run up against educational institutions' food restrictions regarding nut and dairy allergies in order to keep other students safe. A quick stop at Wegman's solves this problem immediately, as the bakery makes or sells school-safe cupcakes, brownies, and muffin bars that cover a wide range of dietary needs and considerations.

Trader Joe's

Founded in Pasadena, California, we all know Trader Joe's for having boutique brands, private labels, and a variety of more nutritious options on sale than most grocery stores, as opposed to mass-produced, unhealthy, big-brand foods. When you're walking through the aisles, you will also likely spot some of the very underrated and delicious baked goods that Trader Joe's sells. However, in addition to the classic bread, cakes, and muffins, TJ's also offers baked goods from a whole swathe of different cuisines, such as the Danish kringle, challah, and the Chocolate Brooklyn Babka.

If you buy something made under Trader Joe's own label, you are also guaranteed a higher standard of quality when it comes to what goes into the goods. The grocery store chain states that all of its private-label products contain no artificial ingredients, artificial flavorings, GMOs, or partially hydrogenated oils.

For those who are looking to incorporate more natural ingredients into their diet, even into their occasional baked treat, Trader Joe's is an excellent place to shop, especially now that it has opened locations in 42 states, with new stores opening all the time.

Lowes Foods

Though Lowes Foods may be small, with relatively few regional locations scattered among Virginia and the Carolinas, the demand for its delicious baked goods in local communities is big. Drop by one of the stores to taste some of the best muffins of your life, locally referred to as Monster Muffins, thanks to their huge size. Though you can't go wrong with any flavor, the blueberry muffin is one of the most in-demand.

For a classic cake, the whimsical Cakery section of Lowes is where you should order one of many varieties, all made in-store. Classic red velvet, carrot, or coconut cakes go with something a little more creative, such as the store's confectionary. There are also the famous Tiffany box cakes; the latter made in the actual shape and coloring of a box from the famous jewelry store.

Lowes prides itself on using real cream and butter for its icing. Bakery employees whip it up by hand in order to achieve the best flavor and texture possible, and Lowes grocery stores have baked goods that are all the better for it.

Albertsons

Sometimes, you have a party, game night, or big family get-together around the corner, and the thought of making treats and snacks for everyone is just too exhausting. For those occasions, Albertsons is here to help. One of the best items this grocery store chain offers is a bakery catering tray you can order 24 hours in advance, as well as a cookie platter that serves a range of styles.

In addition, locals rave about the store's breads, bagels, and cookies. You can buy standard bagels by the dozen or get special flavors, like jalapeno cheese bagels. Being able to walk into an Albertsons and get freshly baked French baguettes or Tuscan loaves is enough to feel like you just walked into a cozy European bakery.

One of the best bulk items to purchase at the Albertsons bakery and have on hand at home has to be the assorted dozen donuts. Thanks to the different flavors available, everyone in your house can find a donut to enjoy. The sugary snacks last a fair amount of time on your counter, so you can keep picking at them throughout the week.

The Fresh Market

Perhaps it's not surprising that a grocery store consistently ranked "the best in America" is known both for its bakery and its deli. Currently operating in 22 states across the country, The Fresh Market was founded on the idea that some consumers wanted to have a more personalized experience when they went grocery shopping instead of entering the rambling big chain warehouses usually found in the U.S.

Based on this idea, The Fresh Market created stores that were more intimate in terms of their design and also put a premium focus on fresh ingredients and produce to encourage healthy eating and shopping habits rather than adding a ton of preservatives to its products.

However, that doesn't mean that The Fresh Market doesn't provide any delicious, sweet treats. It just makes them fresher and with an excellent technique, from pound cakes to alpine-style breads. Try the homemade fudge and hand-rolled cake rolls, which come in pumpkin, cranberry-orange walnut, and red velvet flavors, among many others. The rum and bourbon cakes are other great options to try here as well.

Harris Teeter

Another southern grocery store chain known for its fresh baked goods, Harris Teeter is famous in the area for its cakes, with the Sinfully Chocolate Ganache Triple Layer Cake taking the ... well, cake. If you're in the states of Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, or Washington D.C., stop by and pick up one of the stacked multi-layer cakes Harris Teeter offers, layered on flavor and often exploding with color. The four-layer celebration cake is a great example, crafted with sponge layers in shades of yellow, blue, pink, and green.

However, cakes are not the only items the bakery at Harris Teeter offers. You can brown through an assortment of mini cinnamon rolls, apple fritters, muffins, pies, and angel food cakes. The one slight drawback is that Harris Teeter does tend to be more expensive than other regional supermarkets and grocery stores, but you will definitely get higher quality ingredients and products for your dollar here. Keep an eye out for Harris Teeter's "Free From" label, which promises your baked goods are made free from 101 different additives. If you're not willing to splurge a bit at the bakery, wait for one of the relatively frequent sales Harris Teeter holds to go shop around.

Stew Leonard's

Within the locations of this Tri-State area chain, you will find Bethy's Bakery, started by founder Stew Leonard's daughter. This grocery store is truly a family-built enterprise, and the level of care and attention to detail shows in its delicious, freshly baked breads, New York bagels, croissants, and an array of other items. Thanks to the long-time traditions passed down from father to daughter, the sourdough bread made at Stew Leonard's today comes from the same starter that has been used for 32 years.

Bethy Leonard Hollis started her own work in her father's store after she returned from her education in France and was inspired by the artfully and freshly made baked goods there. So she started making fresh butter croissants and then eventually created a whole bakery. The family believed in freshly made food and baked goods so much that even today, the entire team of bakers at Stew Leonard's starts working at 3 a.m. every morning in order to prepare baked goods for its customers that day. Store regulars absolutely love the apple cider donuts, so make sure to pick one up on your next grocery trip.

Aldi

This European import features a big selection of baked goods that are geared towards specific dietary preferences, like low-carb and keto-friendly diets. For our money, some of the tastiest items from the bake shop include croissants, strip Danish, apple cider donuts, and cinnamon sweet rolls.

The best thing about Aldi is that it provides high-quality produce and delicious baked goods at relatively low prices, so you can indulge your dessert cravings without putting a big hole in your wallet. This lower price doesn't come at the cost of quality, as is evident in the fact that Aldi's $4.99 wine received international acclaim; Aldi simply employs a lot of cost-cutting and efficient measures in its stores.

For one, Aldi grocery stores carry a lower number but more carefully curated variety of items, also offering a lot of competitive private brands instead of the big name brands. While most traditional grocery stores carry around 40,000 items, an average Aldi location may carry around 1,700, but almost all of them will be checked for quality and matched to consumer wants. This same philosophy applies to the Aldi bakery sections, which have high-quality, carefully curated items that they know customers will love.

Safeway

Safeway promises that it bakes most of its goods, including its signature French bread, in-store. Get to the grocery store first thing in the morning to get the breads right as they come out after the bakers make their goods overnight.

If you love Albertsons, you will probably enjoy the selection at Safeway, as this grocery store operates as a banner of Albertsons across 35 states. The chocolate chip cookies, brownie cookies, sugar cookies, and Snickerdoodle cookies are incredibly popular among Safeway bakery customers, and if you really like them, you can even get some jumbo sized. If you're looking to serve a delectable dessert after dinner, opt for one of the many flavorful cheesecakes or the tiramisu cake.

Shoppers who want something a little less decadent and slightly healthier may want to take a look at the artisan fresh fruit tart; just make sure to order in 24 hours in advance so the bakers can make it, and you will have a freshly prepared dessert to take home.

Walmart

One of the reasons people prefer Walmart is because of the absolutely massive selection of baked goods available here - you can find almost anything you like, and most of it tastes pretty great. That's because the company actually mandates extensive taste testing for all of its bakery items before they go on sale, so the recipes are fine-tuned to make the most delicious desserts, breads, and baked snacks possible.

From French bread to pumpkin pie and customized event cakes, there are a lot of fan favorites in the bakery sections of Walmart. If you're running low on cash and want some great baked items, some store locations mark down day-old bagels, breads, and pastries by 40%, so as long as you're OK with your items being a little less than fresh — but still tasty — you can get quite a bargain at your nearest Walmart.

Of the many products here, we recommend the classic, all-American, mouthwatering apple pie, filled to the brim with delicious apple slices and an absolute delight to eat.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.