I Tried 10 Sam's Club Bakery Desserts & the Winner Was a Chocolatey Classic
The bakery section at Sam's Club is arguably one of the most fun areas of the warehouse—and the busiest! Smart shoppers know there is always a huge selection of different desserts, and they are all well-priced. Whether you're throwing a birthday party for kids, hosting a social function, or just having friends over for dinner, a Sam's Club dessert is an easy option.
Sam's Club offers classic favorites and special, seasonal treats, so there's really something for every taste in store. While sometimes cakes look delicious, they can often be deceptive. I wanted to know—what are the best bakery desserts at Sam's Club and which ones would be better left on the shelf?
In order to find out, I purchased 10 of the best-looking treats at my local Sam's Club and systematically sampled each of them. The results were surprising in that some of the treats that looked delectable really weren't, while one dessert in particular made me go back for a second (and third) bite.
Here are 10 popular desserts at Sam's Club, ranked from worst to best. Check this list before you go shopping for your next party or get-together!
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cake Roll
If a pumpkin spice latte and a cinnamon roll had a baby, it would be this unfortunate dessert. This cake roll had an overly spongey taste and looked like someone had painted a kitchen sponge with icing and rolled it up. It made me wonder if Sam's Club has a vat of generic white icing that gets pumped into all of the store's desserts. This one certainly had an abundance of sugary icing and the PSL flavor was not up to par. Save your $8.98 and get a latte instead.
Cinnamon Roll with Cream Cheese Icing
Full disclosure: I love homemade cinnamon rolls and when I make them over the winter, it takes everything in my power to wait for my family to bite into these sweet and gooey treats when they come out of the oven. These cinnamon rolls from Sam's Club came eight in a package and looked like individual muffins. The box said "best served warm," so I microwaved one according to the instructions, for 10 seconds on high. Sadly, these tasted nothing like homemade and were barely edible—the dough tasted dry and the icing was thick and synthetic-tasting. The microwaving did it no favors, as part of the icing was melted and the other part stayed thick like toothpaste. Save your $8.98 and try making these at home instead.
Tiramisu
I'm not a fan of tiramisu to begin with, but I know the dessert has its devotees. This Italian dessert is usually made with ladyfingers dipped in coffee, and flavored with cocoa. Ideally, the bold coffee and chocolate flavors should contrast with the mascarpone and custard. Sam's Club's take on the dessert was spongey in texture with a nasty boozy aftertaste. It cost $14.98.
Danishes
Sam's Club gives you a variety pack of four danishes for $5.98, but I wouldn't waste calories on these greasy treats. The package contained cherry, apple, and some white substance that I assume was meant to be cheese? The cherry and apple varieties were preferable to the mystery white flavor, but overall, these were just too glazed and greasy.
Lemon Bundt Cake
This round cake, priced at $13.48, had a thick pool of icing in the center, which was odd and unnecessary. The cake itself was moist, but the icing was just too thick. I normally love anything lemon-flavored, but instead of a delicate, citrus flavor, this dessert tasted like a Pledge cleaning product.
Key Lime Pie
This pie, which sells for $9.98, was very heavy on the whipped cream but low on taste. The filling was overly sugary and gelatinous while the graham cracker crust was too crumbly. Although the filling had that signature tart taste, compared to real key lime pie from the Florida Keys, this pie was a bad imitation of what should be a fantastic dessert.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
This package contains 18 big chocolate chip cookies for $7.48. The cookies had a sooty appearance and tasted like shortening and sugar. While I liked that they were on the soft side, these cookies were not as good as some store-bought brands and certainly nowhere near as good as homemade. Even though they may look appealing, I advise you to take a pass.
Tuxedo Bar Cake
If you're a chocolate lover, this dessert is for you! With several layers of chocolate mousse, white ganache, and chocolate fudge, it's a decadent one to sink your teeth into. While adults might find the sugar overwhelming, kids and die-hard chocoholics will appreciate it. This cake cost $16.98.
Vanilla Chantilly Cream Bar Cake with Fruit and Whipped Cream
This pretty cake caught my eye because of the fresh berries on top. The light whipped cream melded perfectly with the fruit, and the cake, though a bit spongy, was nice and light. At $17.98, this was one of the more expensive cakes, but it did feel very fancy and like something you'd pick up from a good neighborhood bakery.
Gourmet Brownie Tray
This big tray of 24 brownies sells for $18.44 and would be the perfect thing to put out at parties. The brownies are dense and chewy, and topped with a thick layer of chocolate icing. While the white icing and caramel drizzles were excessive and didn't add to the taste, the plain brownies were a solid dessert. I was wary of buying such a big tray of brownies, but my entire family kept coming back for more. While I'd hesitate to call this dessert "gourmet," it was definitely yummy and the best of the bunch!
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