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 me 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.
The best store bought muffins should not be confused with the best breakfast muffins you can make at home. They are two very different treats. The best grocery store muffins are typically extremely cakey, a little bit slick on the top, and massive. They’re also much more decadent than anything you will allow yourself to bake. 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.
Get ready for breakfast cake, because here are the best muffins you can buy at the supermarket.
- Favorite Day Bakery Cinnamon Coffee Cake
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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.
Credit: Merc / Target
- Sprouts Banana Nut Muffins
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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. It’s 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.
Credit: Merc / Sprouts
- Member’s Mark Banana Nut
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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.
Credit: Merc / Sam’s Club
- Costco Blueberry Muffins
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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.
Credit: Merc / Costco
- Bakery Fresh Goodness Double Chocolate
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If you want a chocolate muffin, don’t hold back. These Kroger brand muffins 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.
Credit: Merc / Ralphs
- Sprouts Blueberry Muffins
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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.
Credit: Merc / Sprouts
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
