Justine Sterling
Gwynedd Stuart
We hit peak muffin in the ‘90s. That was before we really understood that eating muffins for breakfast (even the best muffins) was essentially like eating cake for breakfast. People responded by pushing bran muffins on people and, logically, because bran muffins suck, everyone just gave up on eating muffins altogether.
But here’s the thing: Muffins are delicious. And sometimes it’s okay to eat cake for breakfast. If you feel the same way, then allow us to introduce you to the best muffins you can buy at the grocery store. Because, just like other ‘90s trends, like butterfly clips, pale wood finishes, and Dunkaroos, muffins are back, baby.
What we were looking for in the best store bought muffins
- The right texture. The best grocery store muffins are typically extremely cakey and a little bit slick on the top. Ideally, they should resemble fresh baked goods from a bakery, not preservative-packed junk from the convenience store or a vending machine (although we let that slide when it came to mini muffins).
- Size. The best grocery store muffins don’t HAVE to be enormous—especially if we’re talking about the best mini muffins—but it’s pretty cool if they are!
- Flavor. Besides freshness, we were looking for accurate flavors. Banana nut muffins should have a little bit of that authentic fruity tang; blueberry muffins shouldn’t overwhelm your palate with phony baloney artificial berry flavoring.
We tried 26 different muffins in one very filling sitting in search of the best blueberry muffins, the best banana muffins, the best chocolate muffins, and the best coffee cake muffins. We also tried to find the best chocolate chip muffins, but every single one we tried was a major let down. Our takeaway: If you want chocolate in your muffin, just go for the full chocolate muffin. The chocolate chip muffins simply will not satisfy you. In a recent follow-up, we also munched our way through a bunch of mini muffins.
Get ready for breakfast cake, because here are the best muffins you can buy at the supermarket.
The following article contains affiliate links that may generate a small commission to us when you make a purchase through the link. Learn more about how we work with affiliates here.
- Entenmann’s Little Bites Blueberry Muffins
-
Entenmann’s mini muffins (we tried several flavors) are a little weird. They’re so soft and moist. Suspiciously soft and moist. I know those don’t sound like bad things, but they BARELY seem like baked goods—they’re like little preservatives pellets, but we all kind of loved them. The blueberry flavor is the best of the bunch—bright, fresh, and fantastic—and I found something REALLY FUN to do with these muffins. Smash these suckers between your palms and voila! Blueberry mini pancakes. Please tell children to do this—they’ll love it! —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Favorite Day Bakery Cinnamon Coffee Cake
-
Target’s Favorite Day brand makes the best coffee cake muffins we tasted. The cake itself is warming and spiced. It’s topped with cinnamon sugar and some streusel—but not enough for my tastes. Coffee cake is just an excuse to eat streusel, in my mind, so give me a disgusting amount of streusel. Still, it’s a satisfying, cinnamon-spiced muffin that would be very satisfying with an afternoon latte. —Justine Sterling
Credit: Merc / Target
- Sprouts Banana Nut Muffins
-
There are no nuts on top of these banana nut muffins from Sprouts, but there are plenty inside. And the big chunks of walnuts inside are good—crunchy, buttery, fresh. The muffin has good, real banana flavor. These are a little on the drier side, but some people don’t want their muffins to be super moist. For me, Sprouts makes the best banana muffins to eat on the go. They’re not crazy big and they won’t make too much of a mess. —Justine Sterling
Credit: Merc / Sprouts
- Member’s Mark Banana Nut
-
If you just want your banana nut muffins to taste like banana bread, then Sam’s Club makes the best banana muffins for you. Topped with lots of crushed up walnuts, it’s a big ol’ muffin that tastes more homemade than any other grocery store muffin on this list. It really is giant, though, so go ahead and share it with a pal or take your time eating it or just go wild, my dude. This is your morning. If you want to eat a banana muffin the size of a large cat’s head, then you do you. —Justine Sterling
Credit: Merc / Sam’s Club
- Costco Blueberry Muffins
-
These Costco-sized Costco blueberry muffins came in at the top of our ranking of all the Costco bakery items, and they’re coming in pretty near the top of the pile in this tasting of the best store bought muffins. This is the best blueberry muffin to pick if you’re extremely hungry—each one is massive. But they have more than size going for them. The blueberries are big and really well distributed throughout the muffin. Cut one of these blueberry muffins in half, griddle it in some butter, and have yourself one heck of a morning. —Justine Sterling
Credit: Merc / Costco
- Bakery Fresh Goodness Double Chocolate
-
If you want a chocolate muffin, don’t hold back. These muffins, which you’ll find in the bakery section at Kroger-owned grocery stores, are the best chocolate muffins you can buy because they are pure decadence. They’re topped with gooey fudge and filled with lots of tiny chocolate chips that are actually good quality chocolate (tiny chips are often flavorless and hard). And the muffin itself is dark and chocolatey—it actually tastes like chocolate. Incredible. The only thing separating these chocolate muffins from cupcakes is frosting. They are the best breakfast muffins to bring into an office—you’ll be carried off on your coworkers’ shoulders as the hero that you are. —Justine Sterling
Credit: Merc / Ralphs
- Sprouts Blueberry Muffins
-
The best blueberry muffins are also the best muffins, overall. These Sprouts brand muffins are filled with lots and lots of blueberries that actually taste like something. They’re tart and fruity and vibrant. And the muffin has flavor too—it’s not just a sweet cake, it’s a little spiced, perhaps with cinnamon? Someone put effort and care into making these blueberry muffins, and it paid off. These are the best breakfast muffins you can buy, for sure. —Justine Sterling
Credit: Merc / Sprouts
Best Mini Muffins
Best Coffee Cake
Best Nuts Inside
Best Nuts Outside
Best Giant Blueberry
Best Chocolate
Best of the Best
Other store bought muffins we tried
Marketside Banana Nut, Market Fresh Goodness Banana Nut Muffins, Vons Banana Nut, Marketside Chocolate Chip Muffins, Vons Chocolate Chip Muffins, First Street Chocolate Chip Muffins, Sprouts Pistachio Muffins, Sprouts Double Chocolate Chip Muffins, Marketside Triple Chocolate Muffins, Vons Double Chocolate Muffins, Member’s Mark Chocolate Muffins, Costco Chocolate, Vons Cinnamon Chip, First Street Coffee Cake Muffins, First Street Blueberry Muffins, Favorite Day Blueberry Muffins, Vons Blueberry Muffins, Bakery Fresh Goodness Blueberry Muffins, Member’s Mark Blueberry Muffins, Marketside Blueberry Muffins, Great Value Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins, Entenmann’s Little Bites Birthday Cake, Entenmann’s Little Bites Chocolate Chip, Entenmann’s Little Bites Banana Nut
Ariana Losch
Danny Palumbo
Jordan Myrick
Jessica Block
