13 Target Favorite Day Spring Treats, Ranked Worst To Best

There's nothing quite like springtime at Target. It doesn't happen all at once, but slowly you begin to feel the seasons shifting at the store. At first, you may notice changes to Bullseye's Playground, like artificial flowers, and then you'll see the coat section swapped out for warm-weather clothes and swimsuits. Then, the entire store is splashed in pastel colors and a light springtime glow.

Of course, the food department is no exception to this seasonal transformation. It's hard to miss the dedicated Easter section that pops up every year, teeming with candy, sweets, and other festive finds. The themed offerings also continue into the grocery aisles, especially in the bakery, where colorful desserts and pastries are plentiful. But one of the best brands to look for when it comes to spring treats is Target's own Favorite Day.

This year's selection is particularly well-rounded, and today we're giving a few of the brand's seasonal items a try. From cakes and cookies to trail mix and madeleines, I sampled a collection of 13 Favorite Day spring confections. I ranked them based on ingredients, overall taste, and how well they fit the springtime motif. Here's what's worth picking up, whether you're building an Easter basket or simply looking to celebrate the season with something sweet.

I've never been so excited to try a collection of trail mixes in my life. Target knew what it was doing when it planted these pastel-colored bags in its Easter section. Each of the four options boasts a fitting springtime name. They are a blend of sweet and salty, and also offer some refuge from the surrounding bags of pure sugar.

Naturally, I scooped up all four flavor options. Most of them are blooming with a wonderful combination of ingredients, but this carrot cake mix doesn't come together quite right. It feels like a stochastic hodgepodge. The sweet glazed walnuts and cinnamon and nutmeg-flavored square carrot cake-inspired cookies fit the theme. Pretzel sticks doused in an orange confectionery coating — (to look like carrots) was another welcome touch, but the yogurt-covered raisins felt out of place. Then, throw in the dried pineapple chunks covered in a milk coconut glaze, and we're no longer hopping down the bunny trail but taking a new path towards a tropical paradise. There are simply too many opposing flavors happening in this bag, making me think it would be better used as a decoration than a snack — like springtime potpourri.

Lemons are synonymous with spring. Their sunny color and inherent freshness give us a renewed sense of energy as the weather starts to thaw out. Typically, I'm all for leaning into this seasonal trend, but I didn't quite warm up to these Favorite Day Meyer lemon wafers.

The Meyer lemon-flavored cream inside creates a problem for me. It tastes far more like lemon oil than fresh lemon (not surprising, considering lemon oil is the main ingredient), so it has that kitchen cleaner edge paired with an ultra-sugary base. It's extra sweet and not that satisfying, so it hardly mattered that the outer wafer roll offered the perfect amount of delicately flaky crunch — just as the name brand Pepperidge Farm Pirouettes do.

If I'm going to finish off the remainder of the metal tin, I would definitely consider the "sharing suggestion" on the back of dipping each wafer in white chocolate and sprinkles. Sure, it would stifle the tea party-like sophistication of the cookies, but it would make them more enjoyable.

Strawberry season came a bit early this year. Oftentimes, the red fruit begins to pop up everywhere in late spring to early summer. But someone in the Favorite Day bakery couldn't stand to wait any longer and already unleashed a rosy burst of strawberry products in 2026. No confection is safe from the craze, from donuts to cookies to cake. Even mini muffins are being strawberry-washed.

If it were all about texture, these would stand as really good small-scale muffins (or let's call them what they are: cupcakes). They're moist as could be and not too dense or, conversely, not too soft. That first bite automatically brought them above both the carrot cake trail mix and lemon wafers in my eyes. The flavoring, on the other hand, could use some work. I would venture to guess that unripe strawberries are to blame for the tartness throughout, and I could have done without the real fruit bits, similar to the ones you would find in a tub of strawberry yogurt. Perhaps the worst part, though, is that there is hardly any streusel at all. If I could give Favorite Day one bakery tip, it would be to not tease customers with empty promises of streusel. It's just mean.

These are a box full of Simpsons donut lookalikes, but in mini form. I obviously went for the rainbow sprinkle variety first. But, whether it was covered in various colored sprinkles or a drizzle of red or white icing, each of these Favorite Day donuts tastes about the same. They also paint strawberries in a better light than the previous strawberry muffins. The fruity flavor is confined to the icing, and it showcases the brightly sweet side of strawberries rather than the sour one.

Aside from that, I had a few textural issues with this Favorite Day baked good. It was strange to bite into the donut for the first time. It tastes like a classic yeast donut, but its consistency was both airy and chewy at the same time, like angel food cake that's gone a bit stale. At the same time, the strawberry icing was chalky in spots, rather than smooth and glossy as it ought to be.

Every Easter basket needs a chocolate bunny. The holiday simply wouldn't be the same without that cocoa-infused set of eyes and ears staring back at you. It's a staple, and Favorite Day's chocolate critter is one that I can certainly get on board with.

As soon as I bit into it, ears first of course (the correct way to eat a chocolate bunny), I was reminded of Dove chocolates. It shares that same mellow milk chocolate flavor and silky-smooth texture. It's a great in-the-middle chocolate that's not overly rich or complex but still tastes quality. The price is also right. I picked up one of the bunnies for $1. Sure, it's smaller at 2 ounces, but I prefer that anyway, seeing as I've never been able to finish one of the larger bunny monstrosities before it starts to lose its luster.

It's a quality pick-up, and I fully endorse it. But even in all its cuteness and quality, it is a pure lump of chocolate at the end of the day. And there are more elaborate and delicious Favorite Day treats on the shelves.

The Easter bunny wasn't the only one to pay Target a visit. A leprechaun stopped by earlier this season as well to bring us pale green bags of Spring Clover trail mix. As soon as I saw the color and the word clover, I automatically assumed mint was going to be involved — it must be the McDonald's Shamrock Shake effect. But this mix leans into the entirely different flavor direction of peanut butter and chocolate.

Chocolate and peanut-flavored cereal squares (what we Midwesterners refer to as "puppy chow") make up a good portion of the bag, accompanied by salty roasted peanuts and peanuts covered in a white crème. Personally, I think the sprinkle-dotted green nonpareils are more for show than anything else. What I did like, though, were the mini peanut butter cups and the ring-shaped cereal bits (essentially knock-off Cheerios) coated in green-colored white chocolate.

The jumble leans rich and fairly salty in handfuls together. You'll need some water or milk to wash it down, but it's a good snack bag, and I'd take this kind of flavor diversity over a plain slab of chocolate — even if it is shaped like a rabbit.

This treat stands alone on the Favorite Day spring lineup with no other blueberry confections to back it up. I'm surprised any other berries made the list at all, to be honest, given this year's strawberry obsession. As soon as I opened the bag of pretzels, I was hit with a powerful blueberry aroma — it was as though someone had lit a fruity candle. The smell is so strong that it borders on artificial, and that translates ever so slightly into the taste. 

At the same time, though, these pretzels have a good deal of redeeming qualities as well. The coating is listed as yogurt-based, but it still has that white chocolate essence to it. It's also applied well, so there's a steady balance between its sweetness and the saltiness of the crunchy pretzels underneath. It makes for a really nice light treat that feels like spring. It's not as heavy as something like the Clover mix, so I could easily have more in one sitting.

This Bunny Bait moniker makes me smile. All I can picture is someone dropping nuts and pastel candy pieces on the ground, Hansel and Gretel style, in an attempt to trap the elusive Easter bunny. In all honesty, it's not a bad plan. This blend is good enough that it might work on me as well.

This feels more like a classic trail mix than the other bags in the Favorite Day spring lineup. Honey-roasted peanuts meet real pink and purple M&M's and white crème-colored raisins — the ultimate trail mix trifecta. Then you get bonus pieces on top of it, like square confetti cookie pieces that have a Chips Ahoy-like taste and texture, and crunchy pretzel balls blanketed in a smooth white chocolate-like crème. 

Then, there's my personal favorite ingredient: the marshmallows. They're dehydrated, so they have a texture like the ones found in Lucky Charms cereal, and are just as magically delicious. Eating this bag quickly turned into an Easter egg hunt for these tiny bits, but really, every handful has something to offer. A treat like blueberry yogurt pretzels simply can't compete with this happy medley.

Lemon makes a significant comeback in these cookies. If you have a hankering for the citrus fruit this spring, I would highly suggest picking them up over the Favorite Day rolled wafers. I think their remarkably better taste can be tied to the use of real lemon zest rather than only lemon oil. It gives the entire cookie more of a natural and vibrant flavor. There are also surprise lemon confectionery chips hiding throughout, giving you a supplemental splash of lemony sweetness. 

It may sound like a lemon overload, but don't worry. It's all expertly balanced by the cookie's other key ingredients. A hint of vanilla gives the cookie sugar cookie undertones that counteract some of the citrus. Plus, the meringue part of the equation is satisfied by frequent pockets of marshmallows that are melted into a sweet fluff. With a slightly underbaked center, it becomes a lemon cream-like delight that feels more gourmet than many of the other Favorite Day treats.

I had a madeleine for the first time in a high school French class, and it was an instantaneous obsession. Between the spongy texture and buttery flavor, ooh la la, it's a delicious kind of petite douceur.

Favorite Day puts a springtime twist on the tea cakes, but still manages to do the classic recipe justice. The recognizable shell shape remains, and the texture inside is just as soft and airy as you would hope. At its core, the flavor lands somewhere between a butter cake and sugar cookies, giving it that familiar sweetness. The subtle strawberry notes also add a unique element to the confection, quickly turning it into one of my favorites. 

The only thing that held these madeleines back was the lack of an obvious cheesecake tang. I think that could have brought them to the next level. Visually, I have no notes. These would look perfectly at home on a spring dessert board, nestled next to a spread of colorful macarons and perhaps some decadent bonbons.

Caramel Bunny Kisses is the best trail mix of the bunch. It has everything you could possibly want. There are glimpses of a more standard trail mix, but then the entire thing gets an indulgent twist. This bag actually doubles down on both peanuts and pretzels. You have your classic roasted peanuts and plain pretzel twists, which help to make up the salty portion of the mix. But on top of that, you have peanuts and pretzel sticks that are both coated in a white crème. 

Favorite Day could have stopped there, but it sweetens the deal even more. Caramel-flavored coated drops join in on the fun — essentially caramel morsels, like the ones you would find melted into a gooey cookie. And finally, there are the white cups filled with rich caramel. I think these cups are the highlight of the bag, like the marshmallows in the Bunny Bait trail mix.

Together, all of these pieces create the most cohesive handfuls. I don't know if I would actually hit the trail with a bagful of Bunny Kisses in tow, but I still love the taste and its versatility compared to something like lemon cookies or strawberry madeleines.

I was surprised by how much I liked these cookies. I typically gravitate towards something like chocolate chip or sugar cookies in a variety pack, for fear that something like this would be too cloying or too unfamiliar to my taste buds. But the delightful combo of strawberries and cream won me over.

These are an important step up from standard grocery store cookies. They have a firmer bite compared to others (even the Favorite Day lemon meringue cookies), but I tend to enjoy that kind of texture. And I liked the light chewiness of the strawberry pockets. They're actually made from a strawberry powder but have an authentic taste to them. Vanilla flavoring is also a key part of this recipe, both in the cookie dough itself and in the vanilla cream confectionery chips that are generously applied and present in nearly every bite.

This particular treat would have landed near the top of my rankings regardless, thanks to its taste. But I also give it props for its uniqueness. I don't think I've seen another cookie quite like it at a grocery store. It trumps many other picks, including the Caramel Bunny Kisses trail mix, for feeling decidedly spring.

Strawberry and vanilla meet one last time in this sliced loaf cake, and it's easily the best version of the pairing. Even based on the looks alone, I could have guessed this confection was going to be good. One could get lost in those beautifully hypnotizing swirls of yellow and pink. Then, the taste proves to be every bit as good as the appearance — that doesn't happen all too often, so I consider it a big win.

What I noticed first wasn't actually the taste but the texture. Each slice is made up of dense vanilla cake, but it's extra soft and moist. It also has just enough flavor without feeling overly sugary or artificial. The subtle taste of strawberry puree mixes with notes of vanilla and butter, making it feel rich yet light at the same time. I'm not big on icing, so I probably could have done without. But I imagine frosting lovers would be happy with the thick layer and the extra dash of sweetness it brings to the table. The loaf cake checks all my boxes. It's spring-y. It's fresh. And, most importantly, it's scrumptious.

My trip to Target started in the bakery section — or bakery table, more like. It's small, often tucked right by the minimal produce, and there are no over-the-counter cakes or desserts like what you would find at a supermarket like Kroger or even Walmart. But even so, it offered a wide selection of delights from Favorite Day. I picked up everything I could find, from donuts to cookies, in spring flavors like strawberry and lemon. Then, I ventured to the Easter section and found even more treats from the brand, like trail mix, yogurt-covered pretzels, and chocolate bunnies. I ended up with 13 total picks in my basket (the kind at the store, not the Easter kind) and took them home to sample.

As I ranked them, I looked for quality in the flavors — for instance, strawberry desserts that didn't taste artificial, moist cakes, and sweets that weren't overly sugary. Overall balance was key, along with bites that felt cohesive rather than disjointed — especially in the various trail mixes. Of course, I also looked for treats that truly embodied the spirit of spring, not just in name but in flavor. That ultimately determined the top spots.