There’s a lot to love about Publix beyond its heartwarming holiday commercials and the famous subs. The supermarket’s bakery is, bar none, one of the best in the country (at least when it comes to grocery stores), presenting rows of freshly prepared pastries, cakes, pies, and cookies that would give Betty Crocker herself a run for her money.
While you really can’t go wrong with anything the Southern chain has to offer, there are sugary stand-outs worthy of a little extra love and publicity. Check out our list of eight must-try confections that we simply can’t get enough of.
From Our Shop
Whether you’re a Publix first-timer or a veteran who has somehow managed to avoid interaction with the bakery section altogether these are the ones to consider for a special occasion or a day that simply demands dessert.
Cheesecake Almond Cone
These are as elusive as they are delicious, which is why we are somewhat reluctant to share that they exist. An almond praline shell enrobes a sweet cream cheese filling to create what is, perhaps, our new favorite grocery store bakery item in existence. It’s the perfect balance between crunchy, sticky, and silky-smooth textures and, dare we say it, a treat that rivals an actual ice cream cone. But shhhh—these are rarely in stock. If you find them, alert the group text.
Carrot Bar Cake
We must have cream cheese on the brain because Publix’s carrot cake is also one of our all-time favorite bakery offerings. This decadent rectangle features one of the most scrumptious cream cheese frostings in existence: not too sweet, not too thin, and an ideal topper for the store’s moist and spicy carrot cake. You can also order a sleeve of the famous frosting to take home and use on your own baked goods (to pass off as your own recipe, of course).
Heath Bar Cookie
Kids always get a free cookie from Publix’s bakery counter and now is the time to teach them that Heath Bar is absolutely the best choice. This isn’t just a well-known candy bar chopped and haphazardly baked into subpar sugar cookie dough. Instead, the hard toffee is strategically placed throughout its surface to melt and create caramel rivers that weave through the treat’s crumbly center. The bakery sells them by the dozen—do yourself a favor and pick up 12 or 24.
From Our Shop
Vanilla Sheet Cake with Buttercream Frosting
If you’re on the hunt for the fluffiest, softest vanilla cake with a buttercream frosting that lives up to its name, look no further than Publix’s take on the classic. You can customize and decorate an entire cake to your liking, but the dessert is so beloved that the store now sells it by the slice so that you can have cake any time you want and without having to place a full order.
Original Key Lime Pie
Tart and surprisingly creamy, Publix celebrates one of Florida’s finest citrus exports with a graham cracker crust key lime pie. It’s a perfect finishing note to a large dinner and a wonderful dish to bring to any party. We’d tell you to pretend like you baked it yourself, but true Floridians will be more appreciative if you just say it’s from Publix.
Gourmet Cinnamon Buns
There aren't many things that can motivate us to get out of the bed in the morning, but these oversized cinnamon buns are an exception. They’re fluffy, flaky and chock-full of the cinnamon-sugar ribbons that make the brunch staple so coveted. They’re also topped with—you guessed it—Publix’s signature cream cheese frosting, so apologies, a.m. coffee, you’ve finally met your match.
Dutch Apple Pie
It’s all in the crumble with this apple pie that is heavy on streusel and light on anything that tastes remotely artificial. The Crispin and Greening apple combo provides a crisp, sweet, and tangy foundation accented by cinnamon sugar. And it’s light enough to be enjoyed beyond apple’s peak season of fall, so feel free to bring this to a summer picnic and pair it with your favorite ice-cold hard cider.
European Cream Triple Fruit Tart
A well-balanced diet includes servings of fruit and while this may not be the preparation that nutritionists recommend, we prefer to get our daily fiber, vitamin, and mineral intake with Publix’s European Cream Triple Fruit Tart. Of course nothing will compare to the fruit pastries you find in France that are practically edible works of art, but these will hit that spot if you have a sudden hankering for sugar-glazed berries, shortbread, and velvety-rich custard.
