The 11 Most Prized Publix Baked Goods

This fan-favorite grocery chain doubles as an irresistible bakery.

There’s more than one reason why Southerners love Publix, but their assortment of breads and baked goods ranks near the top of that list. If you’ve ever stepped inside the Lakeland, Florida-based grocery store chain, then you understand why the experience is so pleasant. We love shopping at our beloved Piggly Wiggly for local goods, but it’s hard to beat Publix’s expansive baked goods selection. It’s nearly impossible to leave the store without at least one of these treats in our buggy. Here are our Southern Living editors all-time favorite Publix baked goods. And yes, we’ve basically named everything in the bakery section, and we think you’ll understand why.

Key Lime Pie

The original key lime pie is an overwhelming crowd favorite. The graham-cracker crust and custard-like filling is topped with whipped cream which makes for the ideal light, but sweet end to any meal—especially summertime cookouts. Even better, there’s a mini key lime pie, and sometimes you might come across the mini key lime tartlets.

Pizza Dough

Forgo the hassle of homemade pizza dough, because the Publix bakery ready-made dough is just as good, if not better. “We make pizza with their pre-made pizza dough once a week,” says Deputy Editor Lisa Cericola. It’s made from scratch daily and comes in a flattened ball ready for rolling. Sometimes you’ll even find a variety of flavor-enhanced dough options if you’re up for a twist to your pizza night.

Single Layer Cake Slices

Chances are you don’t have a layer cake lying around the kitchen anytime the craving strikes. And since no one should have to wait for the next celebration for a cake to make an appearance: Enter the Publix bakery single slices. You can buy an individual slice of over 40 different cake flavors including Vanilla Buttercream, Chocolate Fudge, Red Velvet, Superfetti, and more. (Though you’ll likely not see them all at once.) And apparently, according to TikTok, we’ve all been sleeping on the Carrot Cake Cream Cheese slice.

Brioche Hamburger and Hotdog Buns 

If it’s burger night, skip the bread aisle and snag a four pack bag of these buttery, soft rolls that dare I say it—are the perfect bun. Cericola says they’re hands-down the best.

Ice Cream Cake

Forget the other shops, Publix is your one-stop-shop even when it comes to ice cream cakes. Request a specialized creation or select from their standard offerings. “I get an ice cream cake that’s one layer white cake, one layer chocolate cake with cookies and cream ice cream in the middle every year for my birthday,” says Travel and Culture Editor Tara Massouleh McCay. “It’s the best and has whipped topping rather than icing,” she added.

Cookies!

While there's a wide variety of cookies ripe for the picking, there are a few that you should be on the lookout for above all others. Everyone loves a good sprinkle cookie and Publix’s are no different. Baked fresh daily, these traditional sugar cookies topped with colorful sprinkles are a crowd-favorite. The Heath Bar cookies are also top notch—salty, sweet, and chewy to perfection.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Slices

Take a trip down memory lane to childhood birthday parties and chances are there was a large red cardboard box containing a cookie cake with mounds of brightly colored icing. Ever get a craving for that goodness? If so, you’re in luck. You can find Digital Editor Jenna Sims’s absolute go-to: a two-pack of cookie cake slices.

Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Many editors strongly chimed in on this make-it-or-break-it secret to the best cake. “If you’re ordering a cake from the bakery, be sure to get it with cream cheese frosting,” says Senior Lifestyle Editor Ivy Odom. Publix can do no wrong, except when it comes to buttercream.

Cranberry Orange Scones

Hosting guests for the weekend? The bakery has you covered. You’ll find a plethora of scones with flavors like Blueberry, Chocolate Chunk, Caramel Apple, or Lemon Raspberry, but McCay says the Cranberry Orange scones are the best.

Unfrosted Cake Layers

Want to decorate your own cake but skip baking the layers? The Publix bakery keeps unfrosted baked vanilla cake layers in the freezer available for purchase. The layers come in 8-inch rounds and half or full sheet cakes. "The unfrosted cake layers have saved me on multiple occasions," says Senior Lifestyle Editor Ivy Odom. "When my husband's birthday cake turned out to be a flop, I ran to the bakery for an unfrosted sheet cake. I used my homemade frosting to decorate it quickly when I got home. No one knew the difference!"

Carrot Cake

The Publix Carrot Cake is the closest thing to our Best Carrot Cake you'll get, without any of the work. Frosted with cream cheese frosting and decorated with cute carrots, it's a favorite of many Southerners come springtime. You can order it in any size, but the bakery usually keeps a few of their Carrot Bar Cakes in stock among their other baked goods.

Related: 12 Things Our Editors Always Buy at Publix

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