12 Store-Bought Bakery Items That Use High Quality Ingredients

Bread might taste better from a dedicated bakery, but most of us buy the majority of our bakery items in grocery stores, due to the convenience, lower cost, or both. That doesn't mean we have to put up with food that's packed full of preservatives or nutritionally void ingredients, however. There are plenty of store-bought bakery items that use high quality ingredients, meaning you don't have to go out of your way or spend much money to buy items that are closer to homemade.

I scoured the shelves for bakery items, including bread, cookies, and cakes, that contain real ingredients and no nonsense. None of them are filled with long lists of ingredients you've never heard of, instead favoring the kinds of ingredients you might keep in your pantry. I also looked for products that contain organic ingredients and other signifiers of overall quality. Once I'd come up with a long list, I looked through customer reviews to make sure these goods are as tasty as they are high quality.

Below, you'll find a list of 12 store-bought bakery items with good ingredients, meaning you can shop safe in the knowledge that you're not going to be putting anything weird in your body. Whether you're looking for items available in mainstream grocery stores or you're happy heading to a local health food store, you'll be able to pick these up without having to order online.

If you're looking for bread that's more nutritious than your average loaf of sliced white, we've got you covered. Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Bread skips flour entirely. Instead, it's made from six sprouted grains and legumes (wheat, barley, millet, spelt, lentils, and soybeans) that combine to form a complete plant protein.

The reason Ezekiel bread is so good for you is that sprouting unlocks more nutrients than the grains would offer whole. The sprouted grains also give the loaf a dense, hearty texture with a nutty flavor and some sweetness to it. This bread is vegan, non-GMO, and free of added sugar, so it's popular with health-conscious shoppers. Although it's flourless, note that it's not gluten-free, since wheat, barley, and spelt all contain gluten.

Although it sounds pretty niche, you can actually pick this bread up in mainstream supermarkets, including Walmart and Whole Foods. Reviewers talk about how much they like the dense texture when toasted. It might not be your everyday squishy sandwich loaf, but if you're looking for a nutrient-packed bread that you're happy to eat toasted, and you enjoy the nutty whole grain flavor, this one should do the trick.

If you want a bread with minimal quality ingredients, avoiding any long lists of additives, you couldn't get much simpler than Mighty Manna Whole Rye Sprouted Bread. It strips things back even further than most sprouted loaves, containing just two ingredients: sprouted organic rye kernels and filtered water. For anyone worried about the kinds of ingredients you can't decipher, you won't find any of those here.

If you're used to buying grocery store rye bread, this one is a bit different from the usual. It contains no rye flour (just sprouted kernels), nor any yeast, salt, oil, or sugar. The act of sprouting the whole rye berries makes it more nutritionally available than bread made from milled rye flour, and it packs in a good amount of fiber. It's organic, kosher, vegan, and wheat-free, though not gluten-free, as rye contains gluten.

The resulting loaf is dense, moist, and earthy. Don't expect anything soft or bouncy. But that doesn't make it unpleasant to eat. Reviewers appreciate the nutty flavor and the complexity of the rye taste. While you might not find Manna bread in your average supermarket, it's common in health food stores, including chains like Natural Grocers, and Mom's Organic Market. You can also find it in Midwest supermarket Hy-Vee.

Some bagels have long lists of ingredients filled with preservatives you can barely pronounce. But Alvarado Street Bakery Cinnamon Raisin Bagels are a different story. These have nothing artificial in them and are organic and non-GMO. The ingredients are simple and high quality, and they have flavor to match. You can find them in a number of chains across the country, including Wegmans, Grocery Outlet, and Natural Grocers.

These bagels start with organic sprouted wheat berries, and include organic cinnamon and raisins packed with flavor. They're free from refined sugar, using honey and barley malt for sweetness instead. These bagels include some unbleached and whole wheat flour alongside the sprouted wheat berries, unlike the flour-free loaves you'll find elsewhere in the sprouted-grain world, so they have more of a classic bagel texture rather than the density of some of the sprouted breads on this list.

Fans appreciate the flavor, as well as the 10 grams of protein per bagel. So, if you want something that's nutritious and tastes good, but is also similar to its conventional counterpart, this is a good pick.

Many store-bought cookies have the kind of ingredient list you'd prefer not to look at in too much detail. But, it's a different story with Jovial's Checkerboard Cookies. They're made with organic einkorn, which is an ancient form of wheat, valued for having a much gentler gluten structure than modern varieties. And, that aside, the ingredients are fairly simple and there aren't too many of them.

These checkerboard cookies pair up squares of vanilla and chocolate shortbread. Reviewers talk about their great flavor and pleasantly crunchy texture that pairs well with coffee or a glass of milk. You can find them in chains like Whole Foods and Wegmans, as well as independent stores.

The ingredient list is nice and short. They contain einkorn flour, cane sugar, palm fruit oil, eggs, cocoa, leavening agents, and salt. All ingredients, aside from the salt and raising agents, are organic and the palm oil, while not usually the best of ingredients, is sourced sustainably, in a both environmentally and socially responsible way. Plus, the ingredients are certified fair trade. If you're looking for packaged cookies that have ingredients as simple as homemade ones, these are pretty much there (palm oil aside), with the responsible and fair trade sourcing tipping them into the high quality zone.

While anyone who's celiac or gluten intolerant needs gluten-free bread, these kinds of products can have long lists of ingredients. This includes a lot of emulsifiers, stabilizers, and preservatives that are needed to make gluten-free flours behave more like wheat. But Against The Grain Original Baguettes are proof that you don't have to have tons of unfamiliar ingredients to make gluten-free bread. These have just seven ingredients and do the trick nicely.

Against The Grain baguettes contain tapioca starch, water, eggs, oil (olive or avocado), mozzarella cheese, milk, and salt. That's straightforward stuff. Fans note that they're crisp on the outside and light and chewy inside. Some liken them more to Brazilian cheese bread, or pao de queijo, than regular baguettes, due to the mozzarella, but that's no bad thing. If you're looking for a very traditional baguette, done gluten-free, you might be disappointed, but if you just want good gluten-free bread with good ingredients, this could be the stuff of dreams.

You can buy Against The Grain products at a wide range of stores, including mainstream supermarkets like Walmart, Kroger, Publix, and Safeway, so finding these baguettes in store shouldn't be an issue. This is some of the best store-bought gluten-free bread you can hope to find, and with great ingredients too.

There are a lot of myths surrounding sourdough that it can be hard to decipher. If you've ever heard that grocery store sourdough is just regular yeasted bread with an acidic ingredient to add tang, that sadly can be true. But, Base Culture Classic Sourdough Bread is one of the store-bought exceptions. This is real sourdough made with a starter, but available in grocery stores rather than going to a bakery.

All it contains is organic wheat flour, water, a sourdough starter (made from flour and water), salt, and enzymes. It goes through a 12-hour proofing to develop flavor rather than adding vinegar or citric acid for tang, and it doesn't have any added sugar or oil. It basically contains the same ingredients that homemade sourdough does, but without the hassle of making it yourself.

It's available at stores such as Whole Foods, Fresh Thyme Markets, and Publix, where it's a hit with customers. Some folks consider it among the best breads to buy from the grocery store, based on the simplicity of the ingredients. So, if you want to buy a real sourdough loaf in a store, this is an ideal choice.

Cookies aren't always known for their high quality ingredients. But, you don't have to reach for Oreos or Nutter Butters. There are some cookies with surprisingly wholesome ingredients, such as Emmy's Organics Vanilla Bean Coconut Cookies. These contain a small list of ingredients, and organic ones at that.

They have just seven ingredients: coconut, agave syrup, almond flour, coconut oil, vanilla extract, Himalayan salt, and vanilla bean powder. There's no grains or gluten, not that those are inherently bad ingredients, but they are ones that many of us eat regularly and balanced diets need diversity.

They use shredded coconut and almond flour instead of grain flour, making them soft and chewy. They're organic, vegan, kosher, and non-GMO, and the vanilla flavor is genuinely rich thanks to real vanilla bean. Reviewers note that the vanilla flavor works particularly well with the coconut, and that they're an especially great pick for coconut lovers.

If you're looking to buy them in a store, they're stocked in Wegmans, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Whole Foods, alongside smaller stores and independents. They're among the most wholesome store-bought cookies and are ideal if you want a sweet treat that's heavier on the whole food ingredients, like fruits and nuts.

If you're in the market for crackers with high quality ingredients, look no further than Jovial Organic Einkorn Sourdough Everything Crackers. They're made using a short list of quality, non-GMO and predominantly organic ingredients. While they come in a range of flavors, the everything version has a pleasant garlic note to it that means it's especially good for savory toppings or crumbling over soup. You can pick them up at Wegmans, Whole Foods, and a wide range of health food stores.

These crackers get a good tang to them from sourdough starter instead of commercial yeast or chemical leavening, plus a 24-hour process that develops loads of flavor. Einkorn itself is an ancient unhybridized wheat that's said to be naturally easier to digest than modern varieties.

The ingredients are einkorn flour, sourdough starter, sustainably sourced palm oil, black and white sesame seeds, onion, garlic, and sea salt. They contain no added sugar or artificial flavors. It's a short list of basic ingredients, and while palm oil isn't ideal, it is sustainably sourced, and since the other ingredients are organic and fairly traded, this creates some balance.

Dave's Killer Bread is an ubiquitous choice, available in many supermarkets, with Powerseed a firm favorite among many shoppers. But, just because it's readily available, that doesn't mean it has lower quality ingredients. Although the ingredient list might be longer than some of our other recommendations, what's inside the loaf is nutritious and going to fuel your body more effectively than your average loaf of supermarket white bread.

Dave's Killer Bread Powerseed is built around a mix of organic whole wheat and a hearty grain-and-seed blend of flax, rolled oats, sunflower seeds, tri-color quinoa, and pumpkin seeds. Its sweetness comes from organic fruit juices rather than refined sugar, keeping it to just 1 gram per slice, while the seed mix packs in 5 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and a solid dose of omega-3s.

Buyers say that it's surprisingly soft for such a seedy loaf, working well for both sandwiches and toast. It's a good pick if you want something more filling and nutrient-packed than a standard whole wheat loaf without sacrificing the softness of everyday bread. It's a good midway between the extremely virtuous sprouted grain loaves and a standard supermarket offering.

You might not imagine chocolate chip cookies to contain particularly high quality ingredients, but there are exceptions. Simple Mills Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies are made with simple, plant-forward ingredients that makes them more wholesome than your average cookie, but equally delicious in their own way. In fact, some reviewers refer to them as a healthier Chips Ahoy. And you won't have to go out of your way to find them. They're available in a wide range of stores, including Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, and Costco.

These crunchy chocolate chip cookies don't contain regular wheat flour, but rather a nut and seed flour blend of almonds, coconut, and flaxseeds. Tapioca starch and arrowroot give them structure, while coconut sugar and chocolate chips bring the sweetness. They're grain-free, gluten-free, corn-free, gum-free, non-GMO, and vegan, with no artificial ingredients anywhere on the label.

The texture is crisp and crunchy, while the flavor is much like a standard chocolate chip cookie, but with a pleasant coconut note. These are a solid pick for anyone avoiding grains or gluten who still wants a cookie fix. Or for those who want a more simple, wholesome list of ingredients on their sweet treats.

La Brea Bakery's Country White Sourdough Loaf made it to the top of our list of the best grocery store sourdough bread. Although it has mixed reviews with some deeming it not sour enough, we love this bread's crisp crust and chewy texture. And, in terms of ingredient quality, this is among the best store-bought sourdough loaves, containing nothing but a handful of simple, natural ingredients.

All you'll find in La Brea Bakery Country White Sourdough is unbleached flour, water, sourdough starter, salt, and a small amount of wheat germ and semolina, which may be used for dusting the loaf. Unlike a lot of supermarket bread, it comes unsliced, so you can choose how thickly you like to slice it. This can also help it to stay fresh for longer, without the preservatives and dough conditioners often found in conventional sliced loaves.

If you're looking for a simple white sourdough loaf without having to go out of your way to a bakery, this is a perfect choice. It's the next best thing to baking bread yourself, only containing a few simple ingredients that you can trust.

Anyone looking for a sweet treat with quality ingredients should consider Berlin Natural Bakery's Pumpkin Streusel Spelt Bread. This isn't bread you'd make a sandwich from, but more of a sweet loaf cake, like banana bread or zucchini bread. While availability varies depending on location, it's available in some Whole Foods stores, and chains like Hy-Vee and Natural Grocers, as well as independent groceries and health food stores around the country.

You might expect it to contain your standard supermarket cake ingredients, including plenty you've never heard of before, but this is much more natural. It's made with spelt flour, real pumpkin, raw sugar, organic eggs, and non-GMO oil. Its ingredient list is no different from what you'd put in a cake if baking at home. In fact, the brand probably puts more thought and care into sourcing quality ingredients than many home cooks do.

Reviews state that this pumpkin bread is tasty and moist, with good amounts of streusel topping. Some even say it's the best pumpkin bread they've ever eaten. So, if you're looking to pick up something tasty and wholesome, this might be the ticket.

To write this article, I researched bakery items, looking out for those with the most simple, natural ingredients. I also took into consideration factors like organic certification and fair trade status. I then narrowed this down to include store-bought bakery items only, cross-checking them against online customer reviews to make sure these were items worth buying.