8 Sam's Club Bakery Treats, Ranked Worst To Best

When it comes to store-bought bakery treats, quality can vary massively across different brands. And when it's your turn to bring snacks for the morning meeting, stock up on nibbles for book club, or you just want to grab a quick breakfast on the go, pastries from the store are a classic, convenient option. For many, Sam's Club is the go-to bakery of choice, but not all Sam's Club pastries are created equal.

To help you avoid disappointment and take the guesswork out of choosing your next Sam's Club sweet treat, I tried eight of the Member's Mark pastries and shared my thoughts about each snack's flavor, texture, and how moist they were (that last point is incredibly important to me). I based my final assessment on other versions of the dessert that I've tried elsewhere. So, whether it's your first time shopping at Sam's Club bakery and you're looking for some tips or you're a seasoned shopper on the hunt for a new favorite snack, read on to find out which pastries are worth snagging and which you can leave on the shelf.

These Sam's Club pastries are sold in a pack that contains three different flavors. For the purposes of this article, I ranked them as a group overall, rather than ranking the individual flavors. This turned out to be important when choosing where to place the trio, as there was a huge disparity between the best and the worst flavor, ultimately landing it in last place. 

The lemon loaf cake was the star of the show. It was soft, dense, and not overly lemony or overly sweet. It had a rich, cakey texture that made it moist and satisfying. But the chocolate loaf was below average: I was underwhelmed by the dryness of the sponge and the thin, sugary layer of icing on top. The icing also had a grittiness that I could feel between my teeth while I chewed. The strawberry swirl loaf cake was cute, and I liked how it looked on the plate, but the flavor was powerfully artificial. It reminded me of those strawberry candies with the gooey middle and the wrapper that looks like a strawberry (everyone has seen them before, but no one seems to know where these old-fashioned candies come from). And don't get me wrong, I like those strawberry-flavored treats, but I don't necessarily want them in cake form. 

I'll start by saying I am a lover of all things apple-flavored and most things pastry-related. And while the Tart & Sweet Apple Turnover had some pros, sadly, there were also some cons, which landed it lower in the ranking. For a packaged turnover, the texture and flakiness of the crust were better than I would have expected, though still far from the consistency of a homemade turnover. The slightly dense crust allowed the turnover to retain some moisture throughout (always preferable to a dried-out crust). I also enjoyed the prominent sweetness of the dough.

My big hold up with this pastry was the apple filling inside. The flavor and texture differences between a homemade apple filling and a store-bought processed-for-shelf-life filling are usually quite noticeable, and this dessert suffered from the use of the latter. If you're looking for a quick and satisfying apple pastry, I'd honestly recommend this three-ingredient at-home apple pie puff for a better result with similar levels of effort. 

This Danish variety pack includes three flavors: cheese, cherry, and apple. I tried all three so I could judge the pack as a whole (as with the loaf trio), and I'm glad I did. Normally, when choosing a Danish, I go straight for apple flavor, so I was surprised to find that the cherry was actually my favorite here. The tartness of the filling and the quantity of cherry pieces were the highlights of this selection. The slightly sharp cherries complemented the pastry, which was very sugary and brushed with simple syrup. 

However, the apple Danish's filling was a bit too sweet when paired with the saccharine pastry. The cheese Danish was more on the savory side than the apple, but still ended up being a bit too sweet. Overall, despite how much I enjoyed the cherry Dnaish, the overly sugary flavor of the other two meant that I ranked this bakery option firmly in the middle of the pack. 

If I reach for a cinnamon crunch-flavored anything, I know I'm in for a sugar rush, and I certainly got one with the Member's Mark Cinnamon Crunch muffin. These muffins are absolutely on the sweet side, so factor that in if you don't like things too sugary. Beyond this, the cinnamon flavor was very noticeable and added a nice spice to the muffin that made me think of autumn days and some of my other favorite fall breakfasts. I also think this muffin would be delicious paired with a black coffee on a chilly morning. 

However, despite enjoying the muffin itself, I was a bit underwhelmed by the crunch of the topping, as it was more like a soft cinnamon sugar layer with the occasional crumble. I love a crunch, so I was definitely missing that textural element. Overall, this muffin pretty much hit the mark for what I expect in a cinnamon-flavored baked good, but the lack of crunch lost it some points in the ranking.

This blueberry muffin did not disappoint, but it didn't necessarily blow me away, either. The texture was soft and moist, and tasted fresh for a muffin from the grocery store, which I was definitely impressed (and surprised) by. The blueberries were smaller than average and evenly distributed throughout the muffin, so every bite had at least a few flavorful little berries. I was a fan of that, since I'm always disappointed when I get a muffin that only has two or three massive blueberries in it. 

Overall, the flavor was straightforward with a satisfying, cakey texture. If you like a classic, straight-up blueberry muffin with none of that crumble business going on, this is a great pick. The top was sweet and the tiniest bit gooey, as if it had been brushed lightly with simple syrup. It's certainly on the more sugary side, but that's what I'm expecting when I buy a grocery store muffin. At the end of the day, though, it just wasn't anything super special, earning itself a spot in the middle of the ranking. 

The Member's Mark cookie dough brownies did an excellent job of fusing the textures of both cookie dough and brownie batter. The combination, however, ended up slightly less rich than a traditional brownie and a little bit softer than regular cookie dough. It was also missing the satisfying crunch that cookies usually have on the edges, and the flavor of the cookie dough got a bit lost in the bold brownie flavor. 

Compared to other versions of this brookie treat I've had elsewhere, the Member's Mark version was pleasant, but average. Compared to other items in this taste test, however, it was ahead of the curve, with a nice balance of sweet and savory flavors. If there had been some fudge in the brownie batter or a meltier chocolate chip in the cookie batter, I think the added moisture could have put this treat closer to the top spot. You can also try making this dish at home with boxed brownies and a swirl of cookie butter. 

As far as tiramisu from the store goes, the Member's Mark tiramisu cake does not disappoint. Tiramisu is my favorite type of Italian dessert (I've eaten it countless times), and this hit the mark in terms of sweetness and flavor. The mascarpone was smooth and creamy while maintaining that classic lightness that tiramisu is famous for. This Sam's Club dessert also didn't have any graininess or strange lumpiness that store-bought tiramisu sometimes has.

The dusting of cocoa powder on top offered the tiniest hint of bitterness, which was appreciated, as I could have done with a touch more espresso flavor to fully balance things out. Luckily, the sweetness wasn't out of control. Overall, if the ratio between the fluffy mascarpone topping and the espresso-soaked ladyfingers had been slightly higher on the ladyfinger side, this would have been a first-place winner and knocked my final choice off the top of the ranking.

This French vanilla pound cake is dangerous. After taking one bite, I was quickly poking my fork back in for another taste. It's rich, heavy, and buttery without being too dense. The sweetness is light and mixes perfectly with the vanilla flavor; it's a cake that's totally craveable with or without toppings. The sponge would also make an excellent swap for angel food cake if you wanted to make homemade strawberry shortcake.

If you like a rich sponge that's not loaded with exaggerated flavor, this might be the Sam's Club bakery treat for you. It was certainly my favorite of the bunch and stood out for its simple yet balanced taste. The brush of syrup across the top gave it a nice glaze and an extra moisture boost. It would be delicious plain with a cup of coffee or dressed up with frosting as part of a dessert.

To rank these bakery treats, I paid attention to three main factors: moisture, sweetness, and how much I enjoyed eating them overall. If it was something I've had before, I also took into consideration (just a bit) how the Sam's Club Member's Mark version shaped up compared to others I've tried. But again, this was a minor factor. Moisture is a big deal for me when it comes to desserts, so that played a big role in how I ranked each one. If I was having a hard time deciding based on my other metrics, I thought about which one I would choose if they were all set out in front of me.