12 English Muffin Brands, Ranked
English muffins are ideal vessels for all kinds of deliciousness. Whether you're topping them with some fried eggs, smearing them with jam and cream cheese, or even turning them into miniature pizza bites, there's no doubt that English muffins are tasty, convenient, and highly versatile. That said, not all English muffin brands are created equal.
There can be noticeable differences in taste and texture between companies. Is the bread fluffy or dense? Does the surface have a bunch of nooks and crannies, or is it mostly flat? How easily does it crisp up in the toaster? And does the taste of the English muffin lean more towards the salty or sweet side? These are just a few of the variables that can affect the overall quality of an English muffin.
Another aspect to take into consideration is how many other English muffin products each brand offers. While some companies only produce one or two types of English muffins (like original and whole wheat), others offer a much wider range of flavor choices, such as sourdough, cinnamon raisin, and blueberry.
Better yet, other brands offer healthier options that are organic or gluten-free. Rest assured, when it comes to different types of English muffins on the market, there are several options out there. While some brands have their tragedies, others have their triumphs, so it's best to know which ones are the best.
12. Thomas'
Take a stroll down any grocery store's bread aisle, and you're likely to encounter Thomas' English muffins. The company's English muffins seem to practically dominate the market, which might help explain their popularity among consumers. Don't get us wrong: It's not that this brand is terrible. We've eaten countless Thomas' English muffins on many a morning, and it always gets the job done.
But getting the job done doesn't necessarily qualify these as being the best in the business. And once we began our journey exploring the greener pastures of other brands, it became crystal clear that there are better options out there. There are a couple of reasons why Thomas' English muffins are not that great.
First, we'll just get this out of the way: Nooks and crannies are overhyped. Yes, having some texture on an English muffin is desirable. And yes, we love those little creamy pools of melted butter that collect in those craggy crevices. But these English muffins have an abundance of nooks and crannies. A few holes here and there is one thing, but these English muffins are so riddled with craters that it almost feels like we're being duped.
Because at the end of the day, "nooks and crannies" are nothing more than a series of holes. And we'd rather have more bread on the surface than a swirl of deepened voids. Nooks and crannies aside, these English muffins can also have a gummy texture that's less than desirable (via Reddit).
11. 365
Whole Foods brand 365 offers everything from vitamins and juice to marinades and nut butter (via Whole Foods). 365's English muffins are among the company's impressively extensive lineup of products. These muffins are made with a blend of ingredients that include wheat and barley flour, water, and yeast. Cane sugar is the fourth ingredient listed on a packet of these English muffins. The main issue with these English muffins is that they lean a little too much toward the sweet side.
Other customers tend to agree that these English muffins veer a little too far into sugariness (via Amazon). This is an issue because part of the beauty of English muffins is that they can be used in so many different contexts. When an English muffin is too sugary, there's no feasible way to use it as a vessel for more savory dishes, like buns for burgers or bread for a tuna melt.
Do cheesy pastrami sliders on sugary English muffins sound particularly delicious to you? We didn't think so. And that's the problem here. English muffins should have a more neutral flavor to maximize their versatility, and this brand fails to deliver on that front.
What's truly tragic about this English muffin is that its inherent sweetness also makes it hard to enjoy common toppings like a spread of jam. Because jam already tends to be fairly sweetened, when it's paired with a sweeter English muffin like this, the sugariness is just too overwhelming.
10. Bays
Bays is another popular English muffin brand that you've probably seen at grocery stores. But unlike many other English muffin brands found in the bread aisle, you can only find Bays English muffins in the refrigerated section. Honestly, there's a lot to love about these English muffins, but we'll start with one of their most noticeable advantages first.
And that's the packaging. They come in a sealed bag with a unique door that easily peels open for convenient access. The flap has a gentle adhesive that makes it easy to reclose for a tight seal, which helps keep the English muffins nice and fresh. We think this design is far superior to the other kinds of English muffin bags that tend to stay loosely closed with a plastic twist tie.
But even beyond the bag's design, these English muffins have a great taste and an amazing texture. The edges of these English muffins are nice and crisp, while the interior has just enough cushiness to provide a soft, satisfying chew. In this case, the nooks and crannies are more mindfully dispersed, providing some tasty craters for butter and jam to collect without overdoing it.
In fact, some customers have gone so far as to say that Bays English muffins "blow Thomas' away," a sentiment that we'd have to agree with (via Reddit). All things considered, Bays English muffins are affordable, easy to find, and absolutely delicious. But the truth is that there are even better options out there.
9. Food for Life
If you're looking for a tasty English muffin that's also healthy, Food for Life English muffins are a great option. Food for Life offers eight different types of English muffins. Some of these include cinnamon raisin made from sprouted whole grain, low sodium, and gluten-free options made with brown rice and other nutritious ingredients like flax seeds, sunflower seeds, and chia seeds.
What's remarkable about these English muffins is how they manage to stay so tasty while also being so healthy. Usually, when bread products lean towards the healthier side, there's a lot of flavor that's sacrificed along the way, but that's not really the case here. According to some customers, the only downfall here is that these English muffins can be a little on the dry side, but that's a small price to pay for such a healthy baked good (via Amazon).
In fact, a little dryness can actually work in your favor since English muffins are typically smothered with creamier ingredients like jam, cream cheese, honey, or peanut butter. Once these are toasted and topped with other ingredients, they have a lovely balance of texture.
The short list of simple, organic ingredients is another thing to really appreciate: You won't find any weird additives or strange-sounding ingredients that are difficult to pronounce. When you want a delicious, healthy English muffin, Food for Life has got you covered.
8. New Grains
New Grains is another company that offers top-notch English muffins with a healthier twist. The company offers one type: Artisan English muffins that are sold in a pack of four. After hundreds of reviews on Amazon, these English muffins have earned four out of five stars for their impressive taste and texture (via Amazon).
These gluten-free English muffins are made with a blend of ingredients that includes tapioca flour, rice milk, sea salt, and golden flax seed. The interior of these English muffins is mostly flat, with a light swirl of small holes. They also have enough girth and structural integrity to be used as buns for a proper sandwich.
Since these English muffins are on the healthier side, we'd recommend staying on that path and making a lighter sandwich with them. Try toasting these up and adding a few pieces of roasted chicken breast, some avocado, and a few slices of fresh tomato for a healthy yet filling lunch.
Because New Grains offers English muffins that are simple and healthy while also being hearty and flavorful, they easily surpass some of the other bigger brands in the market. If you haven't given these a shot yet and you're looking for a healthier alternative to a traditional English muffin, try these and see what you've been missing out on.
7. Rudi's
Rudi's has been in business since 1976, and the brand has been whipping up high-quality baked goods for decades (via Rudi's). The company specializes in organic products like pre-sliced bagels, seeded multi-grain bread, potato-based hot dogs, and hamburger buns, Rudi's also offers three different types of English muffins. Its offerings in the English muffin department include plain white English muffins, multi-grain flax, and whole-grain wheat.
While some customers tend to prefer the plain white muffins, we also love that the company has some healthier options on deck too (via Amazon). If you happen to be a fan of English muffins dusted in corn meal, you're in luck. All three flavors of these English muffins have a sprinkle of organic corn meal, which adds a lovely coarse texture to the surface.
Rudi's English muffins have a fluffy interior that pairs perfectly with honey and bananas or whipped cream cheese along with some fresh sliced strawberries. If you want to expand your English muffin horizons, Rudi's is a good place to start
6. Organic Bread of Heaven
Organic Bread of Heaven's English muffins are gloriously delicious. Unlike some other brands that make English muffins that are nearly flat, these English muffins are puffy and bulbous. This creates an airy center that's highly delectable, perfect for everything from cheesy scrambled eggs to a generous smear of creamy hummus topped with sliced cucumbers. Organic Bread of Heaven's English muffins are made with sourdough, which infuses the bread with a rich taste that elevates it above some of the company's competitors.
What's truly incredible is that Organic Bread of Heaven muffins only use six ingredients: Organic wheat flour, sourdough starter, water, apple cider vinegar, baking soda, and sea salt. This is refreshing news, considering that so many other brands rely on additives and a whole slew of complicated ingredients to make such a simple product. Organic Bread of Heaven understands that all you need are a handful of high-quality ingredients and the right technique to pull off a delicious English muffin.
The addition of apple cider vinegar adds a subtle touch of fruitiness to the taste of these English muffins and really deepens the flavor. Customers tend to comment on how fresh these English muffins taste, with some even saying toasting these up makes them taste like they just came out of the oven (via Amazon). When a company manages to make a packaged English muffin taste like it's homemade, that's about the best achievement the company could hope for.
5. Franz
Franz has been baking some of the best bread around for well over a century (via Franz). Some of its well-known products include dozens of different sandwich bread varieties, nine different types of hamburger buns, and several varieties of cookies like snickerdoodles, raspberry oatmeal, and classic chocolate chip. Of course, no bakery is truly complete without some English muffins, and Franz makes seven different varieties.
Franz covers a lot of ground with its English muffins, style-wise. There's original whole grain, buttermilk, cinnamon raisin, sourdough, and extra crisp, just to name a few. If you ask us, the extra crisp English muffins are perfect for jams since they have enough firmness to hold fruity spreads without tragically succumbing to sogginess. Franz' buttermilk English muffins are ideal for fried chicken sliders since they have a tangy fluffiness that works wonders with crispy farm foul.
There's a reason these English muffins have earned perfect five-star ratings from so many consumers (via Amazon). These English muffins are everything you dream of: Crispy on the outside with a cushy interior. They're strong enough and big enough to hold an impressive amount of toppings but also compact enough to be easily handled. And because Franz offers so many different flavors, you're bound to find a style that's suited to your preferences. If you haven't had any of Franz's English muffins yet, then you're definitely long overdue.
4. Katz
There are a few things about Katz's English muffins that make them special. For starters, there's the unconventional packaging that helps ensure they stay intact. Most English muffins tend to come in minimalistic plastic sleeves, which is great for visibility, but also bad for damage control.
It doesn't really take much pressure for those fragile sleeves to get accidentally pulverized, and then you're left with gnarled English muffins that are falling apart before you even take them out. In a simple yet clever move, Katz sidesteps that potential for catastrophe by containing its bags of English muffins inside of a box for an extra layer of protection.
Convenient packaging aside, these gluten-free English muffins also happen to be quite tasty. Some customers have even described these English muffins as "perfect," praising their soft texture and excellent toastability (via Amazon). Katz offers two different types of English muffins: Plain and cinnamon raisin. The company deserves high marks for churning out such great-tasting products and also for being so cautious with its precious cargo.
3. Wolferman's
Wolferman's Bakery launched as a small operation in Kansas City, Missouri back in the late 19th century (via Wolferman's). Today, the company offers a wide range of baked goods, including croissants, blueberry coffee cake, and sundried tomato and feta quiche (via Wolferman's). The long-operating company makes three different types of English muffins, including thick-sliced, traditional, and mini.
The addition of mini English muffins is a unique touch that gives Wolferman's more of a competitive edge. While it's true that most English muffins aren't really all that sizable to begin with, it's still nice to have a smaller option when you just want to nibble.
Of course, you won't be able to make a sandwich out of mini English muffins, but these are great when you want a little taste of sweeter spreads like different types of jams or various kinds of honey. The thick-sliced goes the opposite route, providing ample space for heartier, more filling applications.
Customers tend to rave about the traditional English muffins for their ability to absorb butter without getting soggy while maintaining a perfectly crispy texture (via Amazon). That may seem somewhat unimpressive on the surface, but there's a delicate balance between being able to soak up spreads without becoming mushy and Wolferman's pulls it off in spades.
2. Dave's Killer Bread
Dave's Killer Bread is known for making high-quality, organic baked goods. The company makes two varieties of English muffins: Classic and whole wheat. Customers often praise Dave's whole wheat English muffins for their firmness, asserting that they have the perfect amount of nooks and crannies via (Dave's Killer Bread).
These English muffins are tasty but also packed full of nutritious ingredients like organic whole flax seeds, sunflower seeds, and quinoa, which is phenomenal. Just one whole wheat English muffin contains 11 percent of your recommended daily fiber intake. While these classic English muffins contain a little less fiber, they more than make up for that with their incredible taste.
In fact, some customers have straight up said that Dave's classic English muffins are the best they've ever had (via Dave's Killer Bread). When it comes to customer feedback, that's about as good as it gets. If you haven't tried any of Dave's products yet, its English muffins are a wise place to start. but don't sleep on the rest of its lineup, either. Everything the company makes is truly top-notch.
1. GreenWise
GreenWise is a specialty grocery brand that's owned and operated by Publix (via GreenWise). Anyone who's been to Publix knows that its deli and bakery sections are practically legendary, with amazing subs that are made to order along with fresh apple pies and all kinds of other goodies. But there's no doubt that one of the best items that the store carries is its own brand of sourdough English muffins.
These English muffins embody absolutely everything you could possibly want out of an English muffin. They toast up like a dream, perfectly browning to a delicious crisp along the edges. At the same time, the center of these English muffins has a soft sponginess that's luxuriously fluffy. Despite their fluffiness, these English muffins still maintain an impressive amount of sturdiness that makes them ideal for a wide range of toppings.
They have a light sprinkle of cornmeal, which adds some subtle texture. And let's not forget that these English muffins are made from sourdough, which lends a hint of complex tanginess to its taste. GreenWise truly makes some of the best English muffins our there.