10 Supermarket-Brand Chocolate Brownies, Ranked Worst To Best

Is there some kind of an award for people who have made the world a tastier place? Like the first person to realize that salt is the most essential ingredient for pretty much everything, or to combine chocolate and peanut butter? If there is such an award, I'd like to nominate the inventors of the chocolate brownie — Chicago socialite Bertha Palmer, who requested a decadent but portable cake, and Joseph Sehl, the pastry chef at her husband's hotel, who created a rich, chocolatey, handheld brownie in response.

Brownies are the ideal snack for both good times and bad times. For many, making homemade brownies — and licking the bowl — is part of the fun (or part of the therapy). In those situations when you don't have time to stop and smell the brownies, there are store-bought brownies. Just don't assume that, because you find them in the bakery section, all store-brand brownies are going to satisfy your cravings for an indulgently rich treat.

Most supermarkets have an exclusive, store-brand brownie. In fact, some have multiple. But before you purchase brownies for a social event or as a therapeutic impulse buy, you should know that supermarket brand brownies can either make or break your day. Especially if you're in a fragile emotional state, you don't want to end up with lackluster brownies that will actually make you feel worse. Never fear. I sampled brownies from various stores and can confidently say I now have the answers on which supermarket brownies are the best (and which aren't worth your time).

These were the most expensive brownies on this list, but also tasted the worst. Sprouts Farmer's Market Brownie Squares were disappointing in both texture and taste. They were unpleasantly sticky, but ultimately, the flavor was the main sticking point.

The brownie square had a sweet chocolate flavor, but it was unfortunately tainted by an indescribable, unpleasant taste. It is not uncommon to add ingredients — such as a tasty retro malted milk powder, coffee, or even mustard –  to brownies to enhance or complement the chocolate flavor. However, a quick scan through the list of ingredients did not show any unexpected ingredients, and there was no mention of anything like stale nuts, dry pasta powder, or essence of cardboard, which are all flavors that came through during my tasting.

It's a shame because these were good-looking brownies — cakey and gooey with a crinkled top. But honestly, even if these brownies were the best-tasting, I still couldn't justify the steep price for eight bite-sized brownies. And because Sprouts' fudge brownies are, hands-down, the worst-tasting, any amount of money is too much to waste on two bites: the innocent first bite, and then the "What is that weird flavor!?" second bite, and maybe a third bite to confirm you're justified in tossing the remaining brownies and calling it a loss. Or you can just believe me and skip over this supermarket brownie altogether.

Let's start with the bad news: These Fresh Market Brownie Bites were terrible. The good news? You can easily avoid eating them, as Fresh Market only operates in limited locations.

You know those chocolatey, chewy, gooey, slightly underbaked brownies? This is not that kind of brownie. It is soft and fudgy, but not in a melt-in-your-mouth chocolate kind of way — more like a stick-to-your-teeth, tasteless Styrofoam way. Unpleasant, to say the least. While some of the brownies that placed higher on this list could be described as "chocolate-forward," these Fresh Market brownies are more "chocolate-backward." The chocolate flavor is very much an afterthought.

That's enough of the trash-talking — after all, these aren't the worst on this list, so these brownie bites must have some good qualities. They are not overpriced for the number of bites you get. And they are a deep brown color, so clearly rich in cocoa. Probably the best thing about them is that the brownies are sliced nicely into cute little cubes. Most brownie bites actually take two bites to polish off, but these really are bite-sized. Measuring about 1 inch, they are the smallest brownie bites I found. Being small means less to taste, and in this case, that is a good thing.

Some brownies are fudgy, some are chewy, and some have a cakey texture. Walmart Freshness Guaranteed Brownies are in the cakey camp. The key to making cakey brownies has to do with the amount of fat, flour, and eggs used. However, there is more at play in these brownies than fat-to-liquid ratios. The brownies are soft and moist, but once you start chewing, they develop waxy and gummy characteristics.

What ingredients could create such a sticky texture? Well, the product label reveals ingredients not typically found in your basic brownie, such as glycerin and modified food starch, as well as plenty of preservatives and stabilizers added to extend their shelf life. Sugar is the first ingredient in most brownie recipes, and while these Walmart brand brownies do begin with sugar, they also contain additional sweeteners, like corn syrup and invert syrup.

These brownies even look like cake. There's no crackled top layer, just a one-note consistency all the way through. It's almost like it's begging for some frosting, which can often serve as a quick fix for a lackluster dessert. You can even whip up a small batch of icing using coffee creamer. Notably, Walmart does sell a variety of Freshness Guaranteed brownies with fudge icing. There is a chance that would improve the taste and mouthfeel of this brand. Maybe next time.

Sprouts Fresh Baked Traditional Brownies Pan is baked in the store in a disposable container, which means it looks homemade. Once you dig into the pan, the giant brownie tastes somewhat homemade, too, with a rich, dark chocolate flavor that's not too sweet, and a moist and chewy texture.

At least, that's what I thought until the crunch heard around the world. No, it wasn't a broken filling or a nut — it was a hard pebble of chocolate, which distracted from the whole indulgent, carefree vibe you want from a brownie. Turns out a slice of this brownie must be chewed carefully in anticipation of the next jarring chocolate chip. Would the chips be soft and melty if you arrived at Sprouts Farmer's Market just as the brownies were coming out of the oven? I don't know. All I know is these brownies should come with a warning label.

The reason why these chips are so rock-hard turned out to be a tough nut to crack. At first, I suspected low-quality ingredients sat at the core of the problem. However, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more premium quality chocolate chip than the Barry Callebaut brand used by Sprouts. These chocolate chips have a rock-solid reputation among professional and home bakers. So, I don't know why they would cause such a problem. As hard as this decision is, I won't be purchasing these brownies again. They may have tasted good, but they were — quite literally — a hard pill to swallow.

Private Selection Extreme Chocolate Decadent Brownies get extra brownie points (pun intended) for being the prettiest brownies of the bunch. A dark chocolate interior contrasts with a thin, crackled skin topped with decorative chocolate elements. The "extreme chocolate" mentioned in its name must refer to the squiggle of chocolate and spattering of mini chocolate chips on top, because the actual taste of chocolate is more conservative than extreme.

These brownies contain both semi-sweet chocolate and cocoa powder, a typical combo for brownies. And like most brownie recipes, sugar is the first ingredient. Additional sweeteners are further down the list, such as a syrup containing molasses. This doesn't seem all that unusual if you know the history of brownies and their blonde counterparts as molasses was originally used as the primary sweetener.

However, in these brownie squares, the molasses may be the slightly pungent note that muddies the chocolate's flavor while enhancing its richness. The Extreme Chocolate Decadent Brownies are packaged with four 3x3-inch squares. The suggested serving size is half a bar, but they are rich enough that some people like to cut them into quarters.

Target's Favorite Day line features both brownie squares and brownie bites. I tried the bites — not just because they were what was in stock, but because many typically prefer bites due to their higher edge-to-middle ratio.

Baked in a metal mini muffin tin, each Favorite Day Brownie Bite has a crispy exterior while the middle remains soft, making each bite simultaneously crunchy and gooey. That makes them perfect for those chocoholics who always request a brownie edge piece or corner. Crusty edges are one of the characteristics that set brownies apart from cupcakes. Brownies have more sugar, which is what forms the coveted crust, but adding sugar to the pan will create a similar caramelized crust on a cake.

Speaking of edges, there was a bitter edge to the chocolate flavor of these brownies, which I initially thought was coffee. Substituting coffee for water is a common hack for a boxed brownie mix. However, there was nothing expressly espresso-related on the ingredients list. The mystery aftertaste is probably just the result of the type or amount of cocoa powder and chocolate used in the recipe.

Read the label on Trader Joe's Brownie Bites carefully so you don't get a shock. It will warn you that the beautifully crackled tops are sprinkled with salt. Salt develops superpowers when it is paired with chocolate. It amps up the sweetness and balances out the bitterness. Salt also creates more saliva in your mouth, which enhances your ability to notice all the flavors.

However, not everyone loves salted chocolate brownies. Saltiness can register at different intensities, depending on your palate and the size of the salt crystal. Trader Joe's sprinkles small grains of salt on the top of these brownies, and for me, it was too much. My taste buds were immediately overwhelmed, and all that registered was the taste of salt. Maybe the salt had grown in strength sitting on top of the brownie all day, but others in my group didn't have the same response.

Through the saline assault, I could detect a hint of deliciousness, so I tried again. This time, I cut off the salty top layer and ate only the bottom half of the brownie. My taste buds could finally recognize the decadently sweet, rich chocolate flavor. And that impressive flavor — the luscious, on-the-verge-of-underbaked fudginess — is what rescued these chocolate gems from being banished to a lower spot on this list. Final call: Trader Joe's Sea Salt Brownie Bites are one of the best store-brand brownies I tasted. They just won't be my go-to for a mindless sugar binge.

Just the name of Walmart Marketside Ultimate Chocoloate Brownie Bites sets a pretty high expectation. And after tasting them on several occasions, and reading over the ingredients, I believe the "ultimate" designation is justified. The brownies contain a complex combination of unsweetened chocolate, cane sugar, syrup, and sea salt (mixed inside the brownie this time instead of sitting on top), which creates a multi-dimensional chocolate experience. In other words, these brownies are yummy.

Because these brownie bites are dark and moist and come in a 3x4 grid of little squares, they could easily be mistaken for pieces of fudge. However, the texture isn't as fudgy as it is comparable to a very dense, very moist cake — or like a Cosmic Brownie. While these brownies don't have the iconic brightly-colored sprinkles that adorn Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies, they do have a decorative topping. The squares are dotted with chocolate chips and drizzled with chocolate, giving them an upscale appearance.

Compared to the previous brownies, the Bakery Fresh Mini Chocolate Brownie Bites don't look like they belong in the top three of a grocery store brownie ranking. In fact, they look somewhat unimpressive — misshapen brownie cups with strange blobs and dark rings around the noticeably uneven tops. However, if you just close your eyes and bite into these little flavor bombs, you'll agree that looks aren't everything, and you really shouldn't judge a brownie by its appearance.

Chocolate is the first flavor that greets you and is the final lingering sweet note – no aftertaste, no bitterness, no weird flavor. The rich, sweet chocolate is what kept me coming back to these brownie bites. I was tempted to eat the whole container in one sitting due to the satisfyingly contrasting textures of a slightly caramelized exterior and a moist, fudgy interior. Pure chewy, gooey harmony.

Kroger's private labels offer other brownie varieties, including brownies with brightly colored sprinkles and a brownie-cookie mashup. I don't know if they would have the same textural contrast I fell in love with, but I'm willing to taste them all to find out.

I know this looks unfair, like I brought a Wagyu steak to a hotdog cookout. Macey's Fudge Brownies are the only brownies on this list that are frosted, and obviously, a layer of silky, fudgy frosting is going to give them an advantage (although, as proven by a ranking of Publix bakery finds, frosting doesn't always give brownies a boost). Macey's doesn't sell unfrosted brownies, so to make things slightly more fair and objective, I scraped off the frosting to sample one brownie on its own — and they still came out on top.

These brownies are wonderfully sweet, devilishly fudgy, and incredibly rich and chocolatey. They are also oh so soft, to the point that if you cut yourself a large piece, you might just have to eat it with a fork, which is a huge violation among the most persnickety food police. Brownies are categorized as a bar cookie. Technically, if you have to use a fork to eat it, it's actually a cake. In my opinion, it doesn't matter whether you eat Macey's Fudge Brownie with your hands, a fork, or even a spoon — just find some way to eat them. It's worth it.

In an effort to level the field and whittle down the contenders, I defined supermarket-brand chocolate brownies as those found in the bakery section of a store, packaged in clear, plastic clamshells, and sold under the store name or one of its house brands. Most of the 10 brands can be found in nationwide grocery chains. However, I did include brownies from two local chains, Fresh Market and Macey's.

Brownies were sampled alongside a tall glass of milk and plenty of napkins. I tried every brownie on the list, but also took into account the opinion of those who joined me in taste-testing each product. Final ratings reflected their comments on overall flavor, quantity and quality of chocolate flavor, texture before and after chewing, moistness, and appearance.