Store-Bought Desserts That Are Worth Every Penny

We're not ones to be picky about food, but when it comes to selecting the best dessert from the grocery store, things can get pretty serious. What may seem like a quick fix to stock up your freezer with can actually be a life-changing dessert if you pick the right product — well, maybe we're overstating things, but it can become your go-to sweet treat for years to come. The frozen section of your local store is a potential jackpot for finding your next favorite dessert, as a little moving things around will reveal products you've potentially never tried before that are restaurant-quality good. It could also reintroduce you to some classics that never stopped being the most valuable players of your kitchen.

Take Pepperidge Farms, for example, which makes two incredible layer cakes that can certainly step up to your grandma's version, or Costco's cheesecake. To save you the trouble of rummaging around in your local grocery, we put together a list of the best store-bought desserts that are arguably worth their weight in bucks, and will have you stocking up on them in no time. We consulted product reviews thoroughly for our compilation, so you're getting some tried and tested goods here that will surely get you hooked and introduce you to the next best sweet thing.

There's an almost homely affiliation apple pies share with your grandma, which is why every time they bake you're transported to a bygone kitchen. To many, that's the same feeling Marie Callender's pies recreate, especially when the Dutch apple pie version hits the oven. It's not your conventional pie with two crusts, as it instead sports a brown sugar and sweet spice streusel topping and a flaky crust at the bottom with an almost homemade quality. The brand claims to make its crusts from scratch which adds that extra flaky touch.

It terms of preparation, it's similar to other grocery store pies, where you bake it for an hour first, then remove from the oven to sprinkle on the streusel and bake again for 10 minutes. The package directions tell you to let it cool for two hours before slicing, but who can wait that long when it smells so heavenly? 

Each mouthful delivers a sufficient amount of crisp apple, crunch from the browned topping, and an even sweetness throughout which isn't overpowering. Overall, all the elements work together well and give it a hearty quality that few other grocery store pies can match. Consumers also laud the pie as it comes pretty close to homemade ones. For $7.32 per 38-ounce pie at our location, and with nine servings per box, not only is it worth every penny but also deserves to be stocked in your freezer.

If you'd rather have pies cold than one that's fresh out of the oven, then surely a dessert pie is the right pick for you. The Edwards Key Lime Pie is the perfect choice if you need a quick treat to serve after a dinner party or to take over to a potluck. That's in part because you can slice it while frozen, and it's thawed and ready to serve with only 30 to 40 minutes spent defrosting in the refrigerator. On the flavor front, the filling is rich and creamy with a natural lime flavor from the genuine Key West lime juice used in each pie. The base is a baked cookie crumb crust that gives the pie great texture, and it's finished with a piped whipped cream topping.

Taken together, the pie has a balanced tart-sweet flavor. It's also presentable straight out of the box, as it comes with bakery-like aesthetics and is ready to serve without any touch-ups. Regular purchasers of the pie will also want to try its individual slice servings, as one fan admits on Quora that they'd eat the whole box if it weren't for the individually-portioned variety. You'll get a good deal for this at $7.32 for a 30-ounce pie (as priced at our local store) which serves eight and can be kept frozen even after slicing.

Not everyone can make their way to streets of Italy to sample authentic gelato, but for those of us restricted by miles, Talenti can come to the rescue with its light and fresh-tasting gelato. The brand's line of delicious flavors are a first-choice for many while browsing the frozen section, and although it's debatable which one is the best, the Sea Salt Caramel is hard to beat. As one of the brand's first and most-loved flavors, it consistently delivers great taste with a rich, homemade dulce de leche, chocolate caramel truffle pieces mixed in for a sweet surprise, and the prized sea salt flavor to bind it all together.

This flavor is loved by even those that don't favor a salty dessert, as it balances the sweetness. Although there's a notable difference between ice cream and gelato that might not suit everyone's palates, this Talenti flavor will have even ice cream purists hooked. All in all, you get a smooth gelato with sufficient flavor packed into each pint and is easily devoured in one sitting. The gelato retails at about $5.48 for one pint, and although it's costlier than other brands, the flavor and quality are well worth the price.

Frozen grocery store cakes are a good quick fix that you can pop in the freezer and eat almost whenever, but they typically taste as artificial as you'd expect a packaged dessert to be. However, going by customer reactions, cakes like the Pepperidge Farms Coconut Layer Cake are an exception that delivers on flavor and quality, coming pretty darn close to homemade varieties. The dessert has three layers of moist and fluffy cake, stacked with a light vanilla frosting and shredded coconut on top. Each bite gives a sufficient mouthful of cake balanced with a not-too-sweet frosting that leans into the creamy side, as well as a hint of coconut flavor.

The cake is easy to thaw and serve, be that three hours in the refrigerator, an hour at room temperature, or for only 20 minutes after you cut it into slices. It's simple and delicious, making it a great choice for those who need a break from overly sweet and decadent desserts. This layer cake comes down to $4.24 for a 19-ounce box with eight servings, which is a bang for your buck; however, the price can vary across locations and platforms.

Surely every novice baker has attempted to conquer the lava cake at some point, but it's easier to underbake or overbake the treat than it is to get that perfectly molten center. So if you're a fan of this oozing chocolate dessert, the store-bought kind, such as the Belgian Boys Dark Chocolate Lava Cake, is a must-try. These cakes have a restaurant-level of flavor, as they're made from premium ingredients and more complex dark chocolate as opposed to sweeter milk chocolate. With two lava cakes per pack served in individual glass ramekins, these bake easily in 10 to 12 minutes straight from frozen, and 6 to 8 minutes if they've been thawed first.

Once the cakes are done cooking, simply pop your spoon into one and experience a mouthful of moist chocolate cake crumb with an indulgent center of rich dark chocolate that feels like it came straight off a dessert menu. For all the time and money this lava cake saves you from experimenting with your own versions at home, we'd say the $6 price tag for two isn't too bad, especially for an occasional indulgence.

Products that come from grocery store brands like Target's Good & Gather or Walmart's Great Value can be a hit or a miss, but one brand that routinely delivers is Costco's signature Kirkland line.When it comes to the Costco cheesecake, the quality goes well beyond the grocery store mark, hitting an almost pastry chef level of perfection with its creamy decadence. This cheesecake's appeal is in its simplicity, which features a crispy brown sugar and graham cracker crust and an evenly-sweetened cream cheese filling.

Unlike most frozen cheesecakes, the crust on this one stays together and stands out in every bite to offer a contrasting texture with the creamy topping. What's even better is the serving size, as each box serves 16 people and, at $23.62 for a 12" cheesecake, it surely doesn't get more bang-for-your-buck than this. So plan a quick Costco run before your next party because, to many, there's no point splurging on ingredients to make a cheesecake at home when Costco's perfected one for you.

Ice cream sandwiches have gone from being an ice cream truck treat to a staple in grocery store freezers, oftentimes available in various delicious flavors sandwiched between two rich cookies. When making your pick among the many brands, we suggest going for the Trader Joe's Sublime Ice Cream sandwiches, which to many satisfied customers are more than a touch above the rest. It featurs two large chocolate chip cookies encompassing a thick slab of creamy ice cream (which is rolled in even more chocolate chips for an incredibly indulgent treat). Although our ranking of Trader Joe's frozen desserts notes that these treats are often changing, these ice cream sandwiches have stood the test of time and are a constant in the store's freezers.

The great thing about these sandwiches is that the cookies don't break apart while eating, offering a chewy and crunchy bite as well as the ideal cookie to ice cream ratio. Fans of this treat share on Reddit that they'll often stock these in the freezer and enjoy one every day during the summer, as they're deemed to be the ideal sweet snack. Priced at $4.99 for a box of four, this ice cream sandwich deserves a definite spot in your freezer as they're well worth the cost.

Now, we don't mean to start any food discourse, but to us there's nothing quite like chocolate ice cream to bring back childhood memories and satisfy your sweet tooth. And when it comes to Tillamook's range of delicious flavors, picking just one was incredibly hard — but we persevered. Its Mudslide flavor is our top pick and like nothing you've had before, laced with strips of fudge in a rich and creamy chocolate ice cream, with chocolate chips added to the mix.

Consumers love this flavor for its all-natural ingredients, creamy and smooth ice cream texture, and the slight bite from the fudge strips. There are also a hearty helping of chocolate chips and not just a light smattering like you'd get in grocery store ice cream, plus a chocolate flavor that doesn't taste artificial. If you're tired of your usual chocolate ice cream or want to try a new flavor, then go for the Tillamook Mudslide without a second thought. A 48-ounce tub retails for $5.78 at our location, which is the same price some brands offer for a pint, making it a pretty affordable option. You can also get this flavor in a pack of four ice cream sandwiches.

If you're not one for the citrusy tang of many cheesecakes, then the Trader Joe's deli-style version is a great alternative. As a New York-style cheesecake with a fluffy texture, it is heavier on cream cheese than the non-baked kind, which gives it a more rich taste and dense mouthfeel. The cake has a sweet vanilla flavor that pairs well with the crumbly graham cracker crust. As-is, it lacks any toppings, so consumers are free to add their own or to enjoy it unadorned.

You can easily thaw it at room temperature for an hour or two before it's ready to serve, and it then cuts easily into seven delicious slices. Since it's a plain cheesecake, consumers like pairing it with fruit compote or another topping of choice to enhance the flavor, and consider it pretty authentic in taste to a New York-style cheesecake. It's also smaller in size than the Costco cheesecake, as it serves seven, making it darn near perfect for a quick dessert or to satisfy a late night craving. For the reasonable price of $7.99 (at the time of writing) for a 30-ounce cheesecake, picking one up on your next run to Trader Joe's should be a no-brainer.

Making a layer cake from scratch is no small feat, but most of us don't have the time or energy to make such a showstopper as often as we might like. For chocolate lovers who want to experience the taste of a decadent chocolate cake without having to put in the elbow grease or go out to eat one, the Pepperidge Farms Chocolate Fudge cake is sure to be a lifesaver. Boasting three layers of moist and rich chocolate cake layered with and between a thick and creamy chocolate frosting that's then dressed with chocolate curls on top, you wouldn't believe this cake from a box at the first bite.

Fans of the cake love it for its light sponge which is dense enough to deliver that fudgy mouthfeel without overdoing things, as well as a chocolate pudding-like frosting that ties the whole treat together. Pair it with berries or fresh cream and your guests may not even be able to tell it's store-bought! 

Simply defrost it in the fridge whole or cut it into eight slices, as it thaws evenly and is ready to serve pretty quickly. For $4.24 at the time of writing, this square-shaped chocolate maestro is worth every penny and will surely be stocked in your freezer after the first box.

If you're not a fan of dark chocolate on your ice cream, then this could well be the bar that will change your mind. Ice cream lovers are no strangers to the allure of a Dovebar, considered one of the best store-bought ice cream bars. It's widely recognized for its classic circular shape and thick chocolate coating that encases a rich ice cream interior, so picking the best one wasn't easy. We settled on the vanilla with dark chocolate bar as it delivers a more intense chocolate flavor, which pairs well with the sweetness of the vanilla ice cream and results in a well-balanced experience.

We're all for extra-sweet treats, but if you want to help your taste buds mature and learn to enjoy the many flavor notes of chocolate, then start with this ice cream bar and you won't be disappointed. And of course, experiencing the snap and crackle of the chocolate casing cracking as you bite into the bar is worth returning to this ice cream over and over. Currently available at $3.99 for a box of three bars at our location, we'd say it's a solid deal for a high-quality ice cream, and is well worth the indulgence.

Grocery store desserts deserve all the love and attention for the amount of time, effort, and money they save us when it comes to preparing delicious treats for impromptu guests or late-night cravings. With so many varieties, brands, and flavors of desserts available in the freezer sections of grocery stores, it's not easy to know which frozen desserts you should and shouldn't buy ... and also when to justify their sometimes eyebrow-raising price tags. However, some desserts are worth the extra few bucks.

After scouring the internet for product reviews, checking out dessert rankings and discussion forums, and keeping our own experience in mind, we compiled a list of the top desserts you shouldn't miss out on during your next grocery store visit. We also mention the price and serving size and compare it to other products in the same category. Whether you have as intense a sweet tooth as we do, or are just trying out desserts from your local store, this should serve as a pretty comprehensive guide on which products to try and why.