Most regular shoppers know the ins and outs of Whole Foods. But if you're a casual Whole Foodie,
you might not know these store secrets that can make your life so much easier.
Browsing the Whole Foods bakery website, you'll see that it prides itself on the
whole ingredients used for goods made by the chain. Whole Foods has built
its reputation by selling organic and natural food products, so it's understandable to think
that all the bakery items are made fresh in-house. After all, bakeries bake things.
However, that's not always the case. One former bakery worker told Reader's Digest that many of
the items sold in the bakery are shipped in frozen and reheated to sell to customers.
"If you have to spend a lot of time in the freezer getting items out of the freezer, it's cold."
The worker said that some of the bread and the cake frosting were made in-house, but during her
time working for Whole Foods, most items were shipped to her Pennsylvania store location.
It's such a jarring secret that some consumers have attempted to take legal action against Whole
Foods for this. One lawsuit claimed that bread and other bakery items were unfairly marketed as baked
fresh in the store itself, not simply shipped and then reheated. However,
in 2015, a judge ruled in favor of Whole Foods, saying the lawsuit lacked the
specifics needed to move forward with a case. He dismissed the fraud claims.
Whole Foods has a general "try before you buy" policy that means
you can sample essentially anything in the store before making your purchase.
And we're not just talking about sneaking a couple of grapes before
filling your cart. This rule applies to a lot of things you wouldn't even think of.
"Don't be shy. Here, look. Free sample."
All you have to do is politely ask a Whole Foods employee if you can sample something. They'll
typically oblige, whether that means opening a container or cutting off a slice of cake for you
to nibble on. Sometimes, that score can be even bigger. Speaking to Glamour, one employee said,
"For something perishable like yogurt, team members may offer
shoppers a free product so they can take it home and try it."
This is great news when it comes to bakery items, where you might be on the fence about buying a
whole cake, a loaf of bread, or a box of cookies. Before you commit, try asking the employee at the
counter to let you sample whatever tempting baked goods you've been considering. If you're happy,
you can then purchase with confidence after sampling the goods. If you don't like the taste,
well, it's no money out of your pocket, and a whole pack of something didn't go to
waste. It's an especially great policy for anyone who struggles with decision making.
Baked fresh or not, the bread at Whole Foods is a major bakery draw,
but they also have you covered when you're looking for a dessert. Almond
croissants are a fairly popular bakery item with many Whole Foods shoppers. The
Instagram account WholeFoodsHype claims that the pastries are delicious, writing:
"The almond filling is great and they're so flaky and delish!"
Several Amazon reviewers have agreed, though some complained that their croissants were
too dry. It seems to be hit or miss if you love or hate these treats. Again,
if you're on the fence, you can always ask to sample one of them.
But for shoppers who already know that they love almond croissants, there's a big drawback:
its short shelf life. Any fans of French pastry know that this layered, buttery treat is best
enjoyed as fresh as possible. But if you get a whole box at Whole Foods, that may not be
an option. Fortunately, reviewers have found that these croissants fare well in the freezer.
Don't just chuck them in your grandpa's icebox. To freeze croissants, first closely
wrap individual pastries in plastic wrap. Then place them in a freezer bag, removing as much
air as possible to stave off freezer burn and keep other odors from reaching the pastries.
When you're ready to defrost the croissants, let them thaw in the bag at room temperature,
then reheat for a few minutes in a preheated oven. This works for a lot of bakery items, too.
Amidst the many tasty treats that are made from whole ingredients, the Whole Foods bakery boasts
an impressive selection of items that have been crafted to meet dietary restrictions,
including gluten-free and vegan baked goods. As vegan diets exclude milk, eggs, butter, and other
common baking ingredients, it can be ridiculously hard to come by pastries that meet this criteria.
"If you don't like it, go to that new place, Complete Food."
"It's called Whole Foods."
Some of Whole Foods' vegan selections include chocolate chip cookies, whole grain brownies,
croissants, scones, muffins, and more. But here's the secret – they aren't all worth
your money. While anyone following a vegan diet is sure to be excited by the wide selection,
some shoppers have complained about dry cake textures and crumbly cookies. On the other hand,
items like the vegan croissant get relatively high reviews.
As with any food, it seems that your enjoyment of Whole Foods bakery vegan options comes down
to personal preference. Fortunately, there's a lot to choose from at Whole Foods and samples
are abundant, making choices easier. At the end of the day, the grocery chain has proven itself
as a good store for anyone with dietary restrictions to get the food they need.
If you have a sweet tooth, the Whole Foods bakery is the perfect place to treat yourself
after getting all the necessities. But one dessert that's hard to come by is a good vegan version of
a classic chocolate cake. It's seriously difficult to replicate the rich, moist texture that you want
in the perfect slice of cake if you're working without any dairy products or eggs in the batter.
"No vegan diet, no vegan powers."
Believe it or not, Whole Foods actually has more
than one option for any vegan chocolate lovers out there.
First, you can pick up a box of Vegan Chocolate Midnight Cake
that's made with oat milk, cocoa powder, oat flour, and plant-based oils. This is
a great option for any dark chocolate fans to enjoy for a special occasion.
Another vegan option sold at Whole Foods is the bakery's ready-made chocolate mousse cake. This
6-inch cake is too small to share with more than a few people, but it's an excellent option for
a date night or a smaller group, especially if anyone is vegan or has other dietary restrictions.
One satisfied customer shared their experience
purchasing a small vegan cake for their birthday celebration, saying
"It was absolutely delicious,
scrumptious, perfectly moist with a delightful chocolate frosting."
Others had similar experiences with Whole Foods chocolate cakes
and were excited to get a decadent dessert while still sticking to their vegan diet.
A lot of people don't know that not only can you pick up pre-made cakes and other treats at
the Whole Foods bakery, but you can also order a special-made cake to go with any occasion.
Plenty of popular cakes are sold at Whole Foods, like the chain's Berry Chantilly cake,
its take on classic chocolate cake, or seasonal favorites like the lightly spiced carrot cake.
You could order any of these for your next party, but if you're planning a special event,
you might want to have an extra special cake custom-made to complete the occasion.
"One of the coolest new innovative things we have is the iCake,
which is an iPad in our bakery where you can custom order our cakes and cupcakes."
If your location doesn't have an automated system,
you'll have to put in a little old-school effort, but it's totally worth it. First,
call or go into the store to discuss your specific order preferences. The bakers in your
store naturally need to know a few essential details, such as the desired color, size,
and flavor of the cake, as well as any specific decorations you want to add to the pastry.
Just be sure to contact the bakery at least 48 hours in advance so that the
bakers have enough time to get your dessert ready.
Satisfied customers have raved about their custom cakes from Whole Foods,
so it sounds like you're in good hands if you go this route.
Whole Foods makes it super convenient to get the desserts you need for any event you plan.
Rather than running into the store on the day of a party to search frantically for what you need,
you can relax and reach for your phone instead. That's because you can order
Whole Foods dessert online in advance and make your party planning that much easier.
Now, this does come with some caveats. You can't currently order a custom cake online,
as you need to speak with a bakery employee either on the phone or in person to discuss
the specifics of what you want on a custom cake. However, if you want one of the standard cakes
that Whole Foods has ready to go, you can simplify your life by ordering with the click of a mouse.
Whole Foods' partnership with Amazon makes this process even more streamlined, as you can order
your dessert through your Amazon account and even schedule delivery straight to your front door.
"Thanks to our friends at Instacart, she can have her cake and eat it, too."
Some of the ready-made treats on offer through this service include Whole Foods' wildly popular
Berry Chantilly Cake, Chocolate Eruption Cake, strawberry shortcake, and tiramisu.
You can also find different size options for most
of the cakes and order according to how many people you need to serve,
without worrying too much about leftovers. Just keep in mind that the exact cake selection
can vary based on seasonal availability and the selection at your local store.
There's a lot more to the Whole Foods bakery than meets the eye. The grocery chain prides
itself on providing foods that have been made with organic, whole ingredients. Because of this,
the store has banned more than 260 ingredients from its products, including high fructose corn
syrup, hydrogenated fats, aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, several food dyes, and preservatives.
"Are all these ingredients really necessary?"
According to the chain, these quality standards are applied across the store, including everything
in the bakery section. Even those delicious and indulgent cakes, cupcakes, and macarons have to
meet Whole Foods' ingredient standards. This means that many health-conscious shoppers can feel more
confident in what's on offer at Whole Foods as compared to other grocery store baked goods.
Although shopping organic is great, Whole Foods has met some criticism over the hefty
price tag that comes with these ingredients. Joe Dickson, the quality standards coordinator
for Whole Foods Market, told CNBC that the prices are becoming more manageable.
"As the demand for organic foods rises,
the supply has become more plentiful and prices are becoming increasingly competitive."
Maybe the next secret you'll hear about is that Whole Foods is actually affordable.
Is an open secret still a secret? Among all the many offerings in the bakery section,
there are a few star attractions. And if you're mainly a bread-and-cake kind of person who doesn't
stray off the beaten path, do yourself a favor and give these unusual treats a try. First,
although it's hard to beat the flavors of a simple chocolate chip cookie,
the brown butter butterscotch pretzel cookie on offer at Whole Foods might do just that.
As the name makes clear, this treat is made with chocolate butterscotch chips,
semisweet chocolate chunks, and crisp pretzel pieces that have been mixed
into a brown butter cookie base. With a delicious balance of salty and sweet,
it's no wonder these brown butter cookies have become a favorite with Whole Foods shoppers.
Ask a dedicated Whole Foods shopper about those little meringue cookies in the store,
and you'll soon learn that this grocery carries an impressive array of macaron
flavors for Francophiles to enjoy. Some of the beloved varieties include chocolate,
salted caramel, lemon, and blueberry macarons.
One dedicated reviewer was pleasantly surprised by just how much she loved the macaron selection
at Whole Foods. Plus, they're gluten-free, like many other varieties of this treat, so
it's an excellent dessert option for anyone on a restricted diet.