If your stomach is grumbling at maximum volume when you're walking around the Walmart bakery,
what do you do? We're here to ensure you make the right decisions.
Even if you absolutely love sweet rolls, you should think twice before you buy the
Freshness Guaranteed assorted sweet rolls at Walmart. They have an average rating of just
1.5 out of 5 stars on the store's website. One reviewer thought that the doughiness was too
dense while others complained that there wasn't enough filling and that the rolls were too dry.
One thing to keep in mind is that some of the reviews are about poor curbside
experiences than the rolls themselves so the 1.5 stars may be slightly misleading. Luckily,
one of the advantages that Walmart offers is affordability, so if you want to try these
sweet rolls anyway, your wallet isn’t going to be crying if they don’t meet your standards.
The Freshness Guaranteed old-fashioned donut holes are at the bottom of the heap particularly due
to complaints that they're soggy. They've got an average rating of 1.7 on Walmart's website, with
the majority of reviews focusing on a terrible texture and a bland taste. The few positive
reviewers recommend having the donut holes with coffee or tea, which may mask texture issues.
One possible reason why these pastries are soggy could have something to do with the
packaging. Fresh donuts that are packed for storage without cooling first can
become soggy from all the steam released into the container. Walmart doesn't say
that its donut holes are packed immediately after baking, but it does sound plausible.
It's a testament to how popular chocolate cake is that this next entry has very low
ratings yet still manages to be a bestseller on Walmart's website. The Marketside triple
chocolate cake has an average of 1.8 stars, with most reviewers calling it too dry. At
least one customer notes that the light amount of frosting is a positive though.
Baked goods can dry out as they get older, but relatively fresh cakes shouldn't be so arid as
this one apparently is. Potential culprits for dryness include the wrong amounts of
ingredients, overbaking, and making inappropriate substitutions for different liquid ingredients.
For example, using a dark cake pan requires reducing the oven's heat, and if the recipe
calls for something specific like buttermilk, you can't use plain milk in its place.
"Milk was a bad choice."
Pumpkin pie has long been a divisive dessert, and Walmart's Freshness Guaranteed 8-inch
version isn't helping. People who bought the pie complained on the store's website about broken
crusts, artificial taste, blandness, gross filling, and raw crusts. At the same time,
this pie has fans who appreciate the firmness of the pumpkin filling, the blend of spices,
and the moderate level of sweetness that doesn't overpower the flavor.
Since pumpkin pie’s debut in North America by the 1790s, its basic form hasn't developed much
since then. The methods for making it have changed drastically, though, from long stewing techniques
using fresh pumpkin and fresh milk to canned pumpkin puree and evaporated milk nowadays.
Whatever prep method Walmart uses, it's not likely to win any pumpkin pie awards. Someone
will have to let Charlie Brown know he won't find what he's looking for here on Halloween.
The Freshness Guaranteed fresh oatmeal raisin cookies bring the ratings up a bit,
with an average of 3.3 out of 5 stars on Walmart's website. The comments tend to be all over the
place. Some customers found these cookies to be too hard, while others thought they were overly
soft. Others complained of an excessively strong taste. Positive reviews mentioned they have just
the right amount of chewiness, a nice level of cinnamon, and a consistently fresh taste.
Be aware that if you order these cookies for curbside pickup, a few of the reviews
mentioned some delivery issues. So if you want oatmeal cookies specifically,
you should probably drive over to Walmart and pick them out yourself to ensure you get what you
really want. Otherwise, you might find yourself turning into the wrong type of cookie monster.
"Ahhh! Num num um um!"
Walmart offers sliced loaf cakes in a few flavors, and the iced cinnamon variety from
the Marketside brand is enjoying a 3.9 out of 5 rating on the store's website. Some customers
considered this cake to be nice and moist and perfect to have with coffee or ice cream. Many
positive reviews felt that the namesake cinnamon taste was balanced just right.
Both the positive and negative reviews had something in common: the controversial icing.
Some wanted less icing, others wished for more, while at least one wanted none at all.
Meanwhile, some shoppers found the icing to be bland, yet others loved its cinnamon flavor.
So make sure you know your own feelings about icing and cinnamon ahead of time!
The Freshness Guaranteed 8-inch no sugar added apple pie has a respectable 3.8 rating on
Walmart's website. A lot of people appreciate that it exists for diabetic customers. One
reviewer loved that you can taste the fruit instead of just sugar, and quite a few others
mentioned that they didn't even realize this treat had no added sugars, as it tasted so good.
This isn't an entirely sugar-free pie, as the fruit contains its own natural sugar.
What's more, there are artificial sweeteners. Some negative comments
noted how the apple filling seemed less bountiful compared to previous
versions and that the pie appeared to be lacking enough filling in general.
If you walk into any Walmart, you'll see at least one rack with several small boxes with one mini
cake or mini pie in each container. These mini desserts from the Freshness Guaranteed brand
come in so many different flavors that basically anyone should be able to find
at least one that they love. The ratings in this line range from low to pretty good. The
mini chocolate cake averages 2.5 stars, while the mini pecan pie is on the higher end at 4.1 stars.
Negative comments focused on issues like the mini chocolate cake having a texture similar
to paste and the Louisiana crunch cake having no crunch. Even the lower-rated varieties have
some dedicated fans. It's also worth noting that these mini desserts are calorie-packed,
but at less than a dollar, they're at least convenient and cheap.
"I'd buy that for a dollar!"
According to Walmart customers, the Marketside Sliced Brioche Loaf is a great option for French
toast, as it's perfectly soft and fluffy, not to mention reasonably priced. It's also quite
versatile, with one review noting that their family loves to use it for turkey sandwiches.
"Turkey. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
On the negative side, some complained that the bread was dry and rough.
Others noted delivery issues, like the bread being crushed, or odd substitutes,
such as receiving the brioche in place of sub rolls, or even a pineapple instead of
brioche. Problems with Walmart's pickup service are nothing new, so you may want to head to the
bakery section yourself instead of relying on employees to do the selecting for you.
Red velvet is one of those flavors that you either love or hate. Customers who
have bought the Marketside red velvet cupcakes are clearly on the "Love" side,
as these treats enjoy an average rating of 4.1 stars on Walmart's website. There are
some complaints about dryness and an overly sweet taste. But in general, these treats are
customer favorites, thanks to their moistness and tasty cream cheese frosting filling.
However, the frosting might go a little overboard. These cupcakes have a pile of sugary stuff that
looks like it's almost as tall as the cake itself. But even if you go absolutely wild
for maximum amounts of frosting, remember that it's mainly butter plus sugar and flavoring,
which will add a big amount of calories to something so small.
The Marketside Sock It To Me cake stands tall with an average rating of 4.1 stars on Walmart's
website. The positive reviews overwhelmingly compliment the delicious taste and moist texture.
If you're not familiar with the concept of a "sock it to me," it's a yellow box mix cake
that got its start in the 1970s. First promoted by Duncan Hines, it contains a
cinnamon-pecan ribbon and a vanilla glaze. The reason it's called "Sock It To Me" isn't clear,
but it may have something to do with how the phrase was popularized on the sketch
comedy show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and on the Aretha Franklin song "Respect."
"Sock it to me?"
If you want something that isn't cake or bread, Walmart has plenty of creamy desserts,
and the Marketside French style cheesecake mousse earns high marks. The reviews on the
store's website praise its moderate sweetness and cold, creamy texture.
However, there are some negative comments. Some are standard complaints,
such as one that mentioned how fatty the mousse seemed. Others are a bit more eyebrow-raising,
such as one customer who found a piece of sharp plastic in the mousse cup. If this happens to you,
contact the store and consider reporting it to the company's corporate office.
But if you're lucky enough to avoid any manufacturing snafus,
and you're in a creamy mood, you can't go wrong with this cheesecake mousse.
The next sliced loaf on our list cake cracks the top three! Customers love
the Marketside Iced Lemon Sliced Loaf Cake's intense flavor on both
the cake and the icing. One reviewer appreciated the well-portioned slices,
and another went so far as to say they prefer this over Starbucks' famous iced lemon loaf.
"That's high praise."
As with the cinnamon loaf cake, the icing was a focal point for both compliments and
complaints. Some liked it, while others hated it. Some would have preferred a lemon glaze,
while at least one was glad it wasn't a glaze. If you decide that you don't like the icing, never
fear, as you should easily be able to peel it off. Negative reviews focused on the intense sweetness
of the cake and the icing, but that should be a selling point if you're into this sort of thing.
The four-pack of Freshness Guaranteed banana nut muffins may look rather plain and unassuming,
but it's hard to argue with their average 4.3-star rating on Walmart's
website. According to several reviewers, this is a perfect treat for breakfast.
More than one review mentioned that the muffins are pleasantly soft and
that they don't crumble into nothing the way that muffins from other stores do.
The few low ratings reveal two significant issues related to delivery. Some customers
received smashed muffins, while several others mentioned that the muffins they received were
way past their best-by date, and a few even claimed they were moldy. But assuming you can
get your hands on some fresh, or at least fresh enough, muffins, then you should be good to go!
And now we come to the top of the Walmart bakery heap,
in the form of the Fresh Guaranteed no sugar added blueberry muffins. According to many customers,
these taste much better than their sugar-filled counterparts.
One thing to be concerned about, though, is that these muffins contain maltitol,
a sugar alcohol that's often used in baked goods because of its lack of an aftertaste.
Too much maltitol can lead to digestive issues. There's still plenty going for these pastries,
though, like the fact that they actually contain real blueberries,
as opposed to the fake berry bits that so many blueberry-flavored foods have.
The online listing for these muffins contains two ingredient lists. One is in a picture of
the packaging, and the other is included in the text on Walmart's website. That second
ingredient list mentions sugar, though it's highly unlikely that Walmart has
discovered a way to include sugar without actually increasing the sugar content,
so that could very well be an error. If you want to confirm what the actual ingredients are,
be sure to go into the store and double-check what's on the packaging before you buy.