9 Underrated Publix Bakery Items To Add To Your Cart

The Florida-based supermarket chain Publix has nearly cultlike status in its home state, and a big reason for customers' devotion is its bakery. Kids who grow up in Florida (and a handful of other Southern states) look forward to trips to the bakery since they know they can score a free cookie. And these kids grow into loyal adult customers who keep returning to the Publix bakery for its key lime pies, pre-made pizza dough, and dependably tasty and skillfully decorated birthday cakes.

But besides these well-known favorites, the Publix bakery offers less-noticed surprises that too many shoppers miss. As a Floridian who regularly shops here, I've found some unexpectedly good stuff that, for whatever reason, doesn't attract the same hype that better-known products get and never makes an appearance on lists of the store's hit items. I've also tasted amazing little treats offered by friends and was surprised to learn they'd been purchased at Publix. Here are some great — but underrated — Publix bakery treats worth hunting for.

Like most major supermarkets, Publix carries a range of national brands and foods from around the world. But some of its best items, especially in its bakery, point squarely at the store's Florida roots. Its key lime pie, for instance, is a well-known favorite among bakery regulars. But a lesser-known, oh-so-Floridian treat worth seeking out is a box of guava cheese pastries.

A traditional specialty of Florida's huge Cuban population, these pastries look like regular puff-pastry fruit turnovers. But instead of the usual apple or berry inside, you'll find sweetened guava paste and a layer of cream cheese, a tropical take on a fruit and cheese danish. Like many Publix pastries, they come in both a standard hand-pie size and cute little minis, which are a great option for breakfast buffets. They're strangely absent from most lists of Publix favorites, but they have loyal fans. "When I worked in the bakery at Publix, I gained about 20 lbs eating the guava cheese puffs that were about to get thrown out ... My kingdom for a guava cheese puff," a Redditor said. Give one a try with a big cup of milky coffee for an easy breakfast or midmorning treat — they may become your new favorite.

Publix is justifiably famous for its oversized sandwiches, known affectionately as Pub Subs. Less famed, however, is the fundamental reason the sandwiches are so good: the store's house-made hoagie rolls. With thin, toasty crusts that turn wonderfully crisp when heated and fluffy but substantial interiors, they're sturdy enough to hold a load of filling but tender enough to bite through easily. In my house, they're the go-to pick when we find ourselves with a pile of leftover turkey or roast beef waiting to be made into sandwiches. They're versatile enough to make a great base for everything from Vietnamese banh mi to French dips to the perfect Cuban sandwich. They're also a great choice for homemade garlic bread.

Given their tastiness and usefulness, it's puzzling that they never seem to appear on any lists of Publix favorites. Maybe in the world of Publix, they're like air and water — such an essential part of the landscape everyone forgets they're there.

Need to bring a dessert to a fancy party but don't feel like baking or disappointing everyone with a run-of-the-mill supermarket sheet cake? Publix has you covered. If you order ahead, you can get an impressive-looking platter of assorted mini desserts, including classic cannolis, chocolate-covered strawberries, and an assortment of brownie and cheesecake bites. If you want a romantic dessert for two, you may be able to score a box of about six assorted little sweets from the refrigerated takeout section.

While many supermarket sweets are serviceable at best, these Publix treats look and taste so fancy that clever shoppers have served them at wedding receptions, where guests gobbled them down happily, likely assuming they came from an upscale caterer. In fact, the wedding-readiness of Publix baked goods is an open secret – the store even offers complimentary wedding cake samplers by appointment. And Publix mini desserts can be your secret weapon, too — oddly, they don't appear on that many lists of favorite items at the Publix bakery.

My husband is a donut nerd. His first job in college was a midnight shift at Dunkin', where he mastered the do's and don'ts of filling, icing, and selling the sweet treats, and never lost his taste for them. Today, his favorite special-treat donuts come from a local artisanal shop whose pastries melt in your mouth (and sell out well before noon) and Krispy Kreme (but only when the Hot Now light is on). Otherwise, when he wants a box around for weekday breakfasts, his top choice is a six-pack of glazed donuts from Publix — one of the store's underrated pleasures.

He's not the only connoisseur to make a straight comparison between Publix and Krispy Kreme's glazed donuts. "Something about the glazed in the [Publix b]akery are more hearty, doughy and filling. Where Krispy Kreme to me seem to have very thin and unsatisfying glazed doughnuts," a Redditor asserted in a post on this very debate. Still, Publix glazed donuts have not attracted much attention outside the small world of donut nerds; they are regularly ignored on Publix best-of lists. This is a shame, since not only do they taste better cold than Krispy Kremes, they keep their texture and flavor after a few days in the fridge, even without fancy frosting or filling to hide behind –- and that's nothing to sneeze at.

Imagine a crispy, toffee-like almond tuile rolled into a cute little cone. Now fill that little cone with creamy cheesecake filling. According to fans, these cheesecake almond cones are as tasty as they sound; a total package of creamy, toasty, and crunchy flavors and textures in every bite. On top of that, they're adorable to look at.

Despite their obvious charm, however, they're technically underrated for a simple reason: They're the unicorn of Publix bakery sweets. They're rarely in stock, and from an online search, it appears they may not be available in some locations at all. Because of this, few shoppers ever have the opportunity to try them and rate them, and those who know and love them sometimes have to drive to multiple stores to get their fix or go home empty-handed. So if you're a regular Publix shopper, keep your eyes open when you pass through the bakery — and if you see some, grab them.

Savory baked goods don't get enough love from American eaters. When we find ourselves in a supermarket bakery (or any bakery, for that matter), we tend to look for sweet treats for breakfast or dessert. But the Publix bakery may also be the place to find the perfect light lunch (besides the famed Pub Subs) or savory snack.

Among the unsung offerings worth checking out at Publix are its savory pastries — little spirals of crispy puff pastry filled with pesto, cheese, and other flavorful fillings. Surrounded by extravagantly decorated cakes and colorful cookies, these tasty bites tend to get lost in the mix, and don't show up in most write-ups of Publix favorites. But the intrepid shoppers who know about them sing their praises. A Redditor compared these savory pastries from Publix to a famously addictive substance (we'll let you assume which one). "Y'all tried them yet? Good god almighty someone up the chain of command is finally earning their paycheck," another person on Reddit shared. If you're lucky enough to find them, they're perfect as a pre-dinner cocktail hors d'oeuvres or with a salad as an elegant little lunch.

No one expects Michelin-star level baking from a supermarket bakery, and for the most part, Publix does exactly what it's supposed to do: offer consistently tasty everyday treats at a sustainable price point. But for a few items, Publix punches consistently above its weight class.

For instance, its fruit tarts -– which come as both jewel-like minis in the take-out section and full-sized tarts (which sometimes must be ordered ahead) –- look like they came straight from a Parisian bakery. Built on tender chocolate or plain crusts lined with a thin layer of chocolate, filled with vanilla pastry cream, and topped with a colorful jumble of glazed fresh fruit, they're tasty, not too heavy, and perfect for impressing guests who'd normally turn up their noses at supermarket sweets. While they've gotten good critical reviews, regular shoppers are sometimes surprised and delighted to discover them. "Picked this up at Publix tonight," a Facebook poster said. "It was AMAZING! Where has this been all my life and why have I never had one of these before?" If you haven't tried one yet, it's time to ask yourself the same question.

Among the fan favorites in the Publix bakery are packaged slices of its famed layer cakes. Generously sized, they're big enough to be a special dessert for two or a feast for a single hungry sweet tooth. Most fans gravitate towards perennial favorites such as chocolate fudge, carrot, or red velvet.

But for something special, keep your eyes peeled for single slices of Raspberry Elegance Cake. This Publix specialty with a cult following consists of vanilla cake layers, raspberry filling, and cream cheese icing. Whole cakes, with their signature lacy piping, are indeed elegant to look at and to eat, and this makes them a favorite pick for grown-up birthday parties and other celebrations. Because so many Raspberry Elegance fans associate the cake with special occasions, however, it may not occur to them that prepackaged slices even exist. But they are indeed out there if you look, and this is good news: You don't have to wait for your birthday or an invitation to someone's anniversary or retirement party when your next Raspberry Elegance craving hits.

If your first thought upon seeing any baked good is "You know what would make this even better? More icing! And maybe more chocolate!", then the Yo-Yo Chocolate Chip Cookies at Publix deserve a permanent place on your shopping list. Made with two chocolate chip cookies filled with buttercream and dipped halfway in chocolate, they're a treat for dessert maximalists and a fun confection to have on hand for afternoon coffee or tea parties.

While they have loyal fans, Yo-Yo Chocolate Chip Cookies remain somewhat under the radar, and thus don't get the attention they deserve. A big reason for this is their inconsistent availability, depending on the store location and customer demand, they may or may not be in stock. Compounding the problem is the fact that bakery staff find them a pain to make. Ideally, filled cookies should be chilled until the icing is firm before being dipped into chocolate, and budgeting in time for this multi-step production can be irksome, especially if customer demand is low. Even if you don't see them on display, however, you can order them at the counter to pick up later – and if you go at a quiet time, you may even get them made for you on the spot.