The Hands Down Best Item From Our Top-Rated Grocery Store Bakery

Some folks might assume that grocery store bakeries are never as good as true standalone bakeries  — but that's simply not true. Many grocers have a department that cranks out fresh goods every day on-site. Plus, they offer the convenience of getting everything you need in one place and often at a more affordable price. Of course, some retailers are better in this area than others. In our ranking grocery chain bakeries, Publix claimed the top spot based on customer reviews. One item you absolutely must try from there are the apple fritters.

Not only is Publix competing with brick-and-mortar bakeries, but it's also taking on donut shops with its outstanding apple fritters. These hefty, yeasted donuts are studded with chopped apple and come finished with a sweet glaze. A single 3-ounce fritter costs $1.29, and a box of four costs $4.49. Maybe you didn't want to know this, but each donut contains between 380-470 calories.

To conclude which bakery item was number one, Mashed tried 13 of Publix's bakery items based on employee recommendations, online favorites, and bestseller status. Our taster (a professional pastry chef and writer) chose single-serving options from a variety of different categories, like cakes, pastries, donuts, and cookies. These were judged by such factors as price, portion size, and how good they were compared to items our taster had baked and eaten over the years. The myriad of items available at Publix makes it even more impressive that the apple fritters came out on top.

According to the company's website, the donuts are baked in-house every day (the bakery used to operate outside the store). That means customers can consistently look forward to fresh glazed, chocolate-covered, and raspberry-filled donuts as well as Bismarcks and twists. Making the donuts on-site is certainly a contributing factor to their greatness. A fresh fritter is always better than a day-old one, especially since this dessert is traditionally fried. It will have a crispier exterior.

Although Publix doesn't give away its secrets to what it does to produce the apple fritters, they boast a crisp exterior and a soft, fluffy inside. TonyTone Food Reviews confirmed this on YouTube and noted that there was a nice amount of cinnamon present as well as hearty chunks of apple. In one r/Publix Reddit thread, the original poster asked, "Does anyone love our apple fritters as much as I do? Dear Jesus, they're delicious." One user remarked, "They're my favorite thing to eat from the bakery!"

Some Reddit users felt that the fritters are best heated up slightly. So if you pick them up from the bakery, be sure to put them in the microwave for 10 seconds — this is what Mashed's taster did to make them perfect!