Desserts At Golden Corral, Ranked From Worst To Best

The best part of any buffet is arguably the dessert selection, and Golden Corral goes all out with its assortment. At Golden Corral, the desserts aren't just an afterthought or a small section. Here, they get their own display and bar under the name of The Brass Bell Bakery. This section includes cakes, pies, crisps, puddings, and basically any sweet treat you can think of. The restaurant has a selection a mile long, and while everything isn't always available, you are sure to find something up your alley.

Now, before you get overwhelmed with options, I took the opportunity to try everything to determine the best Golden Corral desserts. Although my all you can eat buffet location did not have every single option Golden Corral sells, I still tried a wide variety so you don't have to go by trial and error on your next visit. I tried each dessert, ranked them based on taste, and compared them to the other options available at the time. Find out more about my process below.

I cannot over-express how inedible these churros were. There was simply nothing redeeming about them — even the size was subpar. They should have been nice bite-sized additions to the dessert selection, however, I didn't even finish the one I took because it was so dry. A decent churro should be warm, crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside. Hints of cinnamon sugar should coat the fried dough for additional flavor and sweetness. The only thing this churro had was crunch; it was like eating a thick chip. 

This churro was so dry and flavorless that it was not only an insult to the dessert bar as a whole but to churros everywhere. I want to know how long those churros had been sitting on the bar because there was not a hint of moisture left in them. It felt like they had been fried and then left to go stale. There is no amount of chocolate or caramel for dipping that would make these worth your while. Save yourself and skip them.

Next to the churros, the pumpkin pie was the biggest disappointment. This may partially be because I really love pumpkin pie, and this was easily one of the worst I've had. First of all, the base was a boring, bland crust the restaurant uses for all of its pies. The crust wasn't great, but a good filling could have saved it. Sadly, that was not the case.

The filling was wet and instead of being silky and custardy, it had a curdled texture indicative of a bad bake. The ingredients simply didn't come together correctly. Next, there was the problem of flavor — there wasn't a lot going on. It was only mildly pumpkin-y, and the lack of flavor was disappointing for what was supposed to be pumpkin pie. What was even weirder was the lack of spices. Especially in this day and age when everyone seems hooked on pumpkin spice, the utter absence of it in this pie was very noticeable. There was a hint of cinnamon but not much else. Finally, the pie was topped with a Cool Whip-like product, not actual whipped cream. All in all, it was a mediocre finish to a mediocre pie.

Much like the pumpkin pie, the cherry pie was filled with disappointment more than anything else. When I think of cherry pie, I imagine a tangy tart and sweet filling bursting with flavor and a deep red color. This had none of those qualities. The cherry filling was shockingly bland with none of the zing you typically think of from cherries. Instead, there was more of a mild allusion to cherries. It wasn't terrible, but it simply fell flat when compared to its potential. The color was also much paler than what I typically expect of cherry baked goods.

Finally, the cherry filling was incredibly firm. I wouldn't be surprised if extra pectin or even gelatin was used in it. But because of this, the pie almost felt more like a Jell-O filling with some fruit rather than a true fruit filling for a pie. The combination of the firmly set center and the lattice top made for a cute slice of pie, but it was not a particularly good one.

Peach is just one of the rotating cobbler flavors the restaurant offers. The nice thing about the cobbler is it was served warm in a chafing tray. This added an extra quality to the dish, giving it a homey, comforting feel. Had the ice cream machine been working while I was there, I could see this pairing beautifully with a vanilla scoop.

The top crust of the cobbler left something to be desired, as it was bland and a little crumbly. It tasted just like the pie crust, and in fact, it probably was just the pie crust. I would have preferred a thicker topping, which is more traditional for a cobbler. Still, the peach flavor was definitely noticeable. There was a nice fruity burst, which was lacking in the cherry pie. However, there was a somewhat off-putting, tangy aftertaste that I could not quite put my finger on. Once again, the filling surrounding the fruit was on the gelatinous side, but perhaps because it was warm it hadn't yet solidified, which helped make this a slightly more enjoyable treat.

I appreciate that Golden Corral always has an option for no-sugar-added and sugar-free desserts. This is great for people who may have medical or dietary needs that require a low-sugar diet. That said, we can't pretend the low-sugar desserts taste the same compared to the full-sugar options.

The first thing I noticed was the tiny dollop of frosting on this cupcake. It looked a little sad and it didn't taste much better. Making no-sugar-added frosting is hard, I get it. So in order to avoid a lackluster buttercream, Golden Corral provided a chocolate whipped topping on the dessert, which tasted wholly artificial and was disconcertingly warm. Not only that, the bakers couldn't even give the poor cupcake a proper amount, instead skimping with the garnish.

The cake itself was mocha but, like some of the other desserts, incredibly bland. I don't generally enjoy coffee-flavored foods, but this was so mild it didn't bother me. This could be a positive, but if you were hoping for a bold coffee flavor, you would be sadly disappointed.

Before diving too far into my experience, it's worth noting that the cupcake labeling was unclear. While this was labeled as chocolate strawberry cake and there appeared to be strawberries in the frosting, it did not taste like strawberries at all. This cupcake got some points for overall taste and a deduction of points for not tasting like what it was supposed to be.

The cake base had a light chocolate flavor and the texture was a little gummy and dense, which made me think it was overmixed at some point. The frosting was bright pink and looked like it had strawberries in it; however, it tasted like cotton candy. Weirdly, this frosting tasted more like cotton candy than the frosting on the cotton candy cupcake. It was shockingly sweet and sugary, but once I got used to it, it wasn't bad. It was just hard to get past the surprising flavor profile

I have never seen such a shallow apple pie in my life. I was not expecting a deep dish, but I was expecting a little more pie than this. In some ways though, having a smaller piece at a buffet is good; it allows you to try more desserts if you want. 

The crust was the same as on the other pies, so nothing particularly exciting. While I didn't love this pie, it wasn't terrible. The apple pieces were cut into small chunks which made it easy to eat — plus, they were fully cooked. The gel around the apples felt very industrial, as you generally don't get quite that kind of hold from a homemade pie. But in the context of Golden Corral desserts, it was fine and to be expected. The flavor of the apples was alright too. I could not immediately tell what kind of apple was used, but it was moderately apple-flavored. It didn't blow me away but it sufficed.

Now, the most divisive thing about this pie was the spice level or lack thereof. The main flavor here is apple, not spice, and there was barely any seasoning. Some people like a heavily spiced apple pie, and some prefer a more apple-forward pie. This was definitely the latter. Do with that information what you will.

Once again, here's another Golden Corral cupcake with a confusing flavor. This was billed as a cotton candy cupcake, which makes sense since one of the draws of the chain buffet is its cotton candy machine (when it's working). Unfortunately, the frosting was not cotton candy flavored. While I could definitely see the influence of cotton candy, I did not taste it as much. It was thick, creamy, and a smidge tangy — perfectly acceptable — but it was vanilla, not cotton candy. As noted, the strawberry frosting tasted more like cotton candy than this did. 

That said, it was still sweet and pretty. The cupcake itself was a pale cotton candy pink. It was soft, fluffy, and had enough moisture, and it wasn't overly gummy like the chocolate cupcake. As a whole, this just tasted like a good, albeit excessively sweet cake. Cotton candy is just made of sugar and some flavoring, but this cake could have used some more flavoring.

Sometimes, you just want a classic, and these chocolate chip cookies delivered exactly that and nothing else. Golden Corral's cookies were small and very crunchy. It is important to note they weren't stale, just crunchy, which is a basic cookie style. Frankly, they were slightly overbaked and probably could have come out of the oven a few minutes earlier.

The cookie itself was tiny, which makes it suitable for pairing with other desserts if you want a selection of treats. The chocolate chips were proportionally small, which was a nice touch. You weren't stuck with a big chip in a small cookie. The cookie was a lovely golden brown color with a hint of molasses.

Let's be clear: These cookies were nothing to write home about, and they were not exceptional in any way. But they served their purpose and delivered exactly what you would expect from a small chocolate chip cookie.

Okay, this is one of those desserts that require you to look past the physical appearance and just try it. Bread pudding, in general, is not photogenic, and Golden Corral certainly didn't do anything to try to bump up its aesthetic. That said, it was a nice little treat.

Bread pudding is made with old bread soaked in a custard and baked. The gravest sin it can commit is being dry and, thankfully, that was not the case here. In fact, this was one of the gooiest bread puddings I've had in a while. It almost bordered on too gooey. There were swirls of cinnamon that gave it a little bit of additional flavor, and it was topped with a warm vanilla glaze, which added to the moisture of the dish as a whole.

As the taste goes, this dish was incredibly sweet. It would have been nice to have a sauce with a different flavor, such as a caramel, just to bring a little more nuance to the taste. Overall, though, this was a perfectly fine bread pudding that ticked most of the boxes.

Golden Corral's banana pudding was exactly what it said it was. There was a slightly thick banana-flavored pudding that could easily be the Jell-O brand. There were chunks of vanilla wafers and real banana mixed in and the dessert was garnished with whipped topping. The dessert was chilled on the bar, which made for a welcome change from most of the other options.

I'll be honest and say banana pudding is never my first choice for desserts, but this one was a blast from the past. Banana pudding seems to harken back to the early days of Golden Corral in the 1980s in the South. It tasted like childhood.

This ranked so highly because it was one of the only desserts that seemed to incorporate a fresh ingredient, in this case, banana. The burst of freshness, especially when compared to the other lackluster fruit-based desserts, really helped bolster it to the top end of the ranking.

I really wish Golden Corral used real whipped cream in the desserts, but with food safety concerns, I get why whipped topping is favored. The good news is this was the one dessert that it kind of worked with. The chocolate silk pie consisted of a crust and a creamy chocolate filling, garnished with whipped topping and chocolate syrup. The chocolate silk pie fixed some of the problems of the other pies; for example, the filling was smooth, unlike the pumpkin pie. The flavor delivered on the chocolatey promise and came together in a decadent bite.

The whipped topping almost worked, as it had a marshmallow-like flavor that blended well with the chocolate filling. The chocolate drizzle on top was a welcome finish. The main downside of this dessert was the doughy, flavorless crust. Once again, Golden Corral's pie crust just didn't hit. However, this was easily one of the better pies on offer when I was at the buffet, and it was enjoyable.

Frankly, there was no competition once the carrot cake entered the plate. This was not just the best dessert in the buffet, but it was a great example of carrot cake in general, boasting the substantial nature of the classic dessert. There were visibly noticeable threads of carrot throughout the cake, as well as raisins and walnuts. The cake was moist and delicious, and the whole thing was topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting. 

This was also the rare time I saw Golden Corral care about the aesthetics of a dessert by placing a piped carrot on top. Was it the best piping I've seen? No. But it showed effort, and it was clear what it was. Each bite of this cupcake was a delight. It was full of flavor, and the texture was moist and tender. While carrot cake may not be the most elegant of desserts, it blew every other option away. Any future Golden Corral trips will see me heading straight for the carrot cake.

To rank each of these desserts, I looked first and foremost at the overall taste. Was it good and was it well made? I have made and eaten a lot of desserts in my time, and even worked as a baker for awhile, so I felt fully qualified to be the judge.

Since all of these were available in the buffet, the price was not considered. I did consider the presentation to a certain extent. While buffets are not known for artful plating, I noticed which of the desserts Golden Corral put the effort in to make pretty.

In addition to judging each of the desserts against each other, I ranked them based on their quality compared to other versions. For example, did it taste like a cherry pie, and would I choose it over a cherry pie from another brand? Ultimately, these various characteristics helped me come up with the ranking.