We Tried 7 Grocery Store Cinnamon Rolls And This Popular Brand Was The Worst

Steven Luna/Mashed

Starting your day with sweet, richly-flavored cinnamon rolls is a treat many people enjoy. What's less enjoyable, however, is the sometimes lengthy and involved process required to make them. Fortunately, most grocery stores offer a seemingly ideal solution: premade cinnamon rolls, ready to grab from the bakery or shelf. Still, not every variety is worth bringing home to your kitchen. We tried and ranked seven different store-bought cinnamon rolls, and the popular Bake Shop brand came in last place.

Our reviewer had nothing positive to say about the Aldi product, noting problems throughout the baked goods. Even a simple glance revealed an unappealing glaze, described by our reviewer as looking "more like skin than sugar." The rolls were also difficult to separate, requiring plenty of effort to cut through a bottom layer of dough described as "super tough."

Unfortunately, all that effort wasn't well rewarded. Bake Shop cinnamon rolls offer only bland flavor and an unappealing, difficult-to-chew texture. Overall, it's hard to see any reason to toss these in your cart, instead of picking another dessert or buying your cinnamon rolls elsewhere.

Steven Luna/Mashed

Although Aldi has many fans, criticism of its bakery is nothing new. A combination of food safety concerns and undesirable flavors and textures landed it on our list of worst grocery store bakeries. Those looking for superior store-bought cinnamon rolls should head to Sprouts or Albertsons instead, with those chains scoring first and second place, respectively, in our ranking.

Of course, taste is subjective; these cinnamon rolls actually scored relatively highly on our ranking of Aldi bakery items. Other sweet Aldi treats that provide alternatives for those still skeptical of the cinnamon rolls include the Specially Selected chocolate chip brioche, Bake Shop sour crème donuts, and Bake Shop lemon loaf cake.

To be sure, though, it's hard to beat the freshness of homemade baked goods, like those from our easy cinnamon roll recipe. However, even if you need to grab a store-bought version, you might want to stay clear of Aldi's Bake Shop offering.