9 Overpriced Items At Walmart's Bakery, According To Customers

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Walmart is rarely accused of overcharging for its products. The superstore chain has long obliterated competition by undercutting prices, offering items at costs that smaller mom and pop stores just can't match. Whether you consider this predatory or just smart business, this retailer's competitive pricing has long made it a viable choice for shoppers looking for inexpensive and budget items. In this ever expanding age of grocery inflation, we're not ones to pass up solid $1 deals.

This low-cost strategy also applies to Walmart's bakery department, where the in-house brands of Freshness Guaranteed and Marketside litter the aisles with frosted cakes, iced buns, and golden bread. Freshness Guaranteed is like Walmart's Great Value brand in price point but specifically centered around basic, freshly prepared products, like deli items and baked goods. Marketside works in the same realm of deli and bakery foods, but with slightly more specific and elevated recipes. Even with this perceived uptick in sophistication, Marketside is still a bargain brand option. 

However, even a store that dominates on discounts can have baked goods that underdeliver on an eye-watering cost. These products aren't necessarily bad — though there's definitely some inedible clunkers on this list — but they always leave the buyers feeling that their high price wasn't earned. So, we scoured customer reviews on Reddit, Yelp, and the Walmart website to find which Walmart bakery items don't justify the inflated price point. Here's what we found.

When done right, a lemon bar can taste like a slice of edible sunshine. Unfortunately for those who shopped at the Walmart bakery, these lemon bars delivered more doom and gloom than bright sunshine. With nearly 21 percent of ratings earning just one star on Walmart's website, these bars definitely don't have a beloved reputation. Negative reviews single out the raw and mushy crust paired with a lackluster lemon flavor, not to mention an inflated price. But let's break down its cost effectiveness. 

The Marketside Lemon Bars are sold in my area of Florida for $5.97 for a 16-ounce package. Compare this with the price of Walmart's iced lemon cake, one of the best and tastiest items you can buy in the bakery section. At $4.98 for a 14-ounce pack, the lemon bars are nearly two cents higher per ounce but with a dismal flavor and quality. A customer summed up the issue on the Walmart website succinctly: "Far from worth its somewhat pricey cost. Buy the lemon frosted poundcake, instead!"

Walmart normally has a good reputation for its cheesecake, with customers on Reddit singling out the French-style cheesecake mousse in particular. Prices are reasonable as well; you can snag a 40-ounce variety pack for around $15. But not every cheesecake item from the Walmart bakery gets love for its price point or quality. Enter the Marketside New York style cheesecake bites, a frozen treat you can get for $11. 

One customer sums up the problem as follows, "I expected way more with them costing more than $10 a box. Honestly, probably one of my biggest regret purchases when it comes to food." The cost is already a steep price hike from the regular cheesecakes on offer, more than doubling the cost per ounce. 

Of course, these numbers can be forgiven if the product delivers a luxurious treat. But the comments on the Walmart website are scathing. Reviewers claimed that it tasted nothing like cheesecake and that its caulky and dry texture hardly improved matters. In particular, the unhappy masses noted that the 16 pieces on offer is nowhere near enough for the inflated price tag. 

It's hard to mess up a classic baked good like chocolate cake, but rich ingredients can't always trick the consumer into thinking they're getting enough bang for their buck. Such is the case with triple layer chocolate turtle brownie cake (available for $8.97). While it enjoys a 4.3-star rating on the Walmart website for its rich taste and moist texture, even positive reviews are quick to point out that the size of the cake is completely underwhelming and at least two customers admitted that the size was laughable. 

In a more negative one-star review on the Walmart website, a shopper noted it was, "Ridiculously overpriced for how tiny and very basic it is." Indeed, the words "tiny," "mini," and "small" pop again and again in reviews. Someone even compared its size to a jumbo cupcake. 

It also gets flack for delivering less than the regular Freshness Guaranteed 5-inch chocolate cake (only $5.98) offers at a significantly elevated price. A customer received the turtle cake as a substitution for the other and noted, "it is dryer, less flavorful nowhere near worth the additional dollars." You seem to be paying a good bit more for the addition of a couple of brownie pieces perched on top. Finally, several reviewers note that the turtle title is misleading, as no nuts and very little caramel can be found in the cake, excepting the dulce drizzle on top. For a bigger, better deal, shoot for the Freshness Guaranteed 5-inch chocolate cake.  

Unless you've been abstaining from chocolate for the past couple of years, you're probably familiar with Dubai-style chocolate, a delicacy that swept the internet in 2024 with its delicious blend of cocoa, pistachio cream, tahini, and toasted kataifi pastry bits. Inevitably, Walmart got in on the trend with its Marketside cake interpretation. 

This two-layered, 5-inch chocolate cake comes complete with a pistachio and kataifi filling. A pistachio mousse and chocolate garnish finish it off. Made with premium ingredients like pistachios, it commands a higher price than typical Walmart cakes, clocking in at $13 for 14 ounces.  

Unfortunately, this attractive, diminutive cake does not deliver on its steep price. Most of the one-star reviews single out a dry cake texture and overwhelming chocolate flavor. Even when a review praised aspects of the flavor, the execution was called into question. As one reviewer wrote, "The cake doesn't really taste good or bad it's just there. The frosting is whipped not too sweet which I appreciated. The Dubai 'filling' is very disappointing. There's barely any on the cake." Still, the greatest sin seems to be the size of the item with terms like "too small" and "tiny" featuring in most 1 and 2-star reviews. 

Instead, if you're a member of Sam's Club, you may want to spend your precious money on the Dubai cupcakes there. Or, if you want to give the source of inspiration a try, make this dead-simple recipe for an at-home Dubai Chocolate Bar.

Knock-off cruffins filled with cream cheese from Walmart don't necessarily sound like a bad idea. After all, with enough butter, sugar, and cream cheese, anything can become a decadent treat. But according to Walmart customers, these decadent pastries leave much to be desired. Quite a few comments on the website mention a distinct lack of cream cheese filling, while others note a borderline inedible dryness. This isn't the first time a Walmart Danish-like pastry has disappointed us either, as the strawberry danish ranked dead last on our own Walmart bakery item ranking. Still, we have to view this item through the lens of value. 

Alas, this pastry doesn't stack up to tastier, more cost-effective options. As one reviewer wrote, "Please look to Costco on cheese danishes priced at almost $7 for 4 danishes. The amount of cream cheese filling in your croissant muffin is disappointing to say the least." At the time of the writing of this article, you can snag eight cream cheese danishes for roughly $11.99 at Costco, a savings of nearly 26 cents per pastry. And that doesn't even get into the superior quality of the Costco cream cheese Danishes, which we listed as one of our top Costco Bakery items to buy. However, if you want to stick to Walmart for a better cream cheese-filled pastry, just snag the Marketside Cream Cheese Danish pack for $4.86, a savings of nearly 14 cents per ounce with a 4.4-star rating to boot.

As far as Walmart cakes go, this carrot cake isn't a bad dessert to end up with as it has a mid-range 3.9-star rating from over 500 hundred people. So why single this one out? This comes down to a case of a baked good underdelivering on what a true carrot cake should taste like. Likened to a spice cake rather than the Southern original loaded with nuts, pineapple, or raisins, many wouldn't be able to place the flavor without the label. The small size takes a hit as well, but the quality issues remain rooted in the cake's bland sweetness. As one reviewer commented, "Too much frosting and not enough cake to equal it. Cake would be good but frosting overpowers it." 

Plus, there are better, cheaper options nearby on the shelf. For instance, the Freshness Guaranteed 5-inch carrot cake enjoys a 4.3-star rating from roughly 6,500 reviews and is close to 3 bucks cheaper. Another review states, "This isn't the same flavour as your carrot cake slices from a sheet cake...It's ok, I just prefer the sheet cake slices." Though less elaborately decorated, the sheet cake slice is twenty cents cheaper per ounce. If you want an authentic slice of carrot cake or just a cheaper, tastier option, skip this cake.  

A batch of Italian cookies are often bright and flavorful, featuring sprinkles, jammy centers, piped designs, and a touch of chocolate coating. In theory, this box of Freshness Guaranteed Italian Assorted Cookies ($6.47 for a 16-ounce package) should offer a host the perfect dessert spread with very little effort. Let's look at the pros first: These do look appetizing. As long as they weren't crushed during shipping or delivery, reviews noted that the cookies certainly looked pretty and elegant. 

But this attractive exterior did not save a truly lackluster flavor. One customer claimed, "Taste like you stuck a spoon full of lard in your mouth. These were horrible and expensive." Another con hidden by the cookies' exterior? Though there looks to be a delicious variety, the flavor of each was identical, belying its diverse appearance. According to a reviewer, "The cookies all tasted the same. There was nothing special about them at all."

Instead of grabbing a box of these disappointing cookies, consider snagging the highly underrated oreja cookies. Visually impressive and delicious, these will make a much better impression when served on a cookie spread. 

The issue with this item is not necessarily the flavor or texture. With a 4.3-star rating from nearly three thousand reviews, these certainly can claim to have plenty of happy customers. But even those that highlight the good flavor of these rolls have a bone to pick with the rising price tag.

One customer review notes, "I love these, but they're expensive." Another former fan claimed that the size of the cinnamon rolls have noticeably shrunk while the cost has only risen, stating, "I raved to my guests how good these are and public should be warned about shrinkage." Whether the shrinkage is real or not, many people can agree that there are better, more cost effective cinnamon roll options at the Walmart bakery. 

Some reviewers suggest buyers reach for the Marketside fresh cinnamon rolls, a 22.9-ounce package of six rolls that costs the exact same as this 16-ounce package of four cinnamon rolls. The main difference between these rolls (besides cost and portion size) lies in the individual icings used. The 4-pack uses a thick coating of frosting with Neufchatel, a cream cheese-like dairy product that has tang, while the 6-pack uses a modest drizzle of a mild, simple sugar-glaze. It seems the difference in price really revolves around the use of the Neufchatel frosting. The 6-count also enjoys a 4.3-star rating on Walmart's website, so you're getting equal quality yet more rolls at the same price. 

Ornately decorated sugar cookies are a welcome addition to showers and tea parties that benefit from a bit of edible beauty. As these artful cookies require a bit more craft and technique from the baker, they often fetch a higher price. This 6-pack of seasonal decorated sugar cookies from the Freshness Guaranteed brand is an example of a less-costly option for those looking to save a few bucks. However, shaving a few dollars off the price doesn't make them any less expensive for what you receive. 

As one reviewer put it succinctly: "Wouldn't buy for $1 ... Unfortunately $10 for a few hard cookies." Several other reviewers praised the look of the cookies, but still rated it as a waste of money due to its inedible hardness. 

This isn't to say that Walmart can't deliver a budget-friendly decorative treat. If you want to grab a sweet item that is both visually stunning and delicious, try Walmart's Cupcake Bouquet. Frosted and arranged like fresh cut flowers, this cupcake order offers way more beautiful bang for your buck.

For much of this article, we scoured the Walmart website for reviews with a few takeaway comments from Reddit and Facebook to help round out the research. Each item is either a part of the Marketside or Freshness Guaranteed lines, the two main Walmart bakery brands. As cost remained an important facet, this list features more expensive items. Because of this, many of the baked goods that get called out for being overpriced are from the Marketside line, a brand considered more premium than the Freshness Guaranteed brand. 

In assessing which products were considered overpriced, we didn't look for items that had purely bad reviews for taste and texture. Instead, we looked for a larger amount of reviews that called out small sizes, skimpy toppings, and low servings, even if they liked the overall dish. We also looked at items that were more expensive and got unfavorably compared to tastier, cheaper items in the bakery and at other grocery stores, making them a bad deal all around.