6 Costco Desserts To Buy And 6 To Avoid

When you think about it, Costco's bakery section is not dissimilar to a bustling movie theater. The membership club gives a spotlight to sweet stars and constantly debuts new main attractions. Not to mention, it attracts plenty of critics — but even more devoted fans. And, even though the warehouses' fluorescent lights aren't quite the same as a dazzling big screen, and guests have to trade out cushy seats for an oversized cart, it's still a place filled with wonder and awe.

Of course, as is the case at the cinema, not every new feature that shows up at Costco's doorstep is bound to be a success. Sure, some new desserts that emerge in the bakery and beyond will knock it out of the park and reach unprecedented gross sales numbers. But, others will flop and quickly fall from the store's marquee board. As you navigate this culinary showcase, the challenge lies in knowing which desserts are box-office hits worth your hard-earned cash — and which ones are plagued by artificial, cloying, or even just poor tastes, and are best left on the cutting room floor.

From pies and pastries to cakes, cookies, and ice cream, let's take a look at the Costco confections worthy of their ticket price and the others that you should plan to avoid during your next visit, all according to members. 

Costco's Kirkland Signature cheesecake is a big-time celebrity in the bakery aisle. Weighing in at over 4½ pounds and standing at an entire foot in diameter, it's a hard selection to miss. But, we promise that every square inch of the dessert is well worth the splurge.

Just looking at the ingredient list, Kirkland's rendition starts the way any cheesecake would — with a combination of cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and eggs. It appears standard and unassuming from the outside and is adorned with an edge of piped icing. However, once you dig in, the base layer is lightly sweet and rich with a subtle tang — mostly from the thin top coat — yet the consistency is what makes it stand out in a crowd of confections. Its oh-so-creamy and melt-in-your-mouth texture could never be described as "crumbly" or "mealy." The graham cracker crust packed on the bottom is equally as delicious and soft with welcomed notes of butter.

Other flavors of Kirkland Signature's cheesecake have spun up in the past, including the likes of strawberry, mixed berry, English toffee, and even orange dreamsicle. However, nothing compares to the indulgent simplicity of the original. Plus, the fact that this gourmet-style sweet is considered to be quite affordable is the icing on the (cheese)cake.

When you purchase any kind of banana-inspired treat from the store, you always run the risk of ending up with a product infused with that distinctly phony, banana Laffy Taffy-like flavor. Costco's banana cream pie, which is made from real bananas, is luckily not plagued by this unpleasant phenomenon. However, it is sliced up with a few other causes for concern.

First off, it deviates from a classic banana cream pie recipe, which is traditionally made with pie crust instead of graham crackers. This could have been overlooked, but the graham cracker crust on this pie is so grainy and unpleasant that you can't help but notice it. One Redditor compared it to getting sand in your mouth on the beach, and it's also nearly impossible to cut through with a fork. The three-layered creation also lacks real banana slices. This is an understandable omission, given packaging and preservation concerns, yet an unfavorable one — fresh slices are a major highlight of homemade recipes.

As for the filling, it is certainly thick and creamy — albeit more whipped than custard-like. But, Reddit users described the overall flavor as mild and lackluster. When the caramel drizzle on top stands out as the most flavorful piece of the pie, you know there's a major issue. So, you may want to skip this one to avoid ending up with three-plus pounds of not-so-flavorful disappointment.

The bakery garners a great deal of attention when it comes to Costco's desserts. It is teeming with fresh finds after all, and it never fails to lure members in with the aroma of hot-out-of-the-oven baked goods. But, that's not to say that sweet gems can't be found in other corners of the warehouse — if you know where to look. The icy tundra that is the freezer section, for example, offers up several tasty desserts — Johnny Pops, anyone? But, the one that Tasting Table deemed the best in a taste test of Costco's frozen desserts was Kirkland Signature vanilla ice cream.

Labeled as "super-premium," the ice cream has a higher butterfat content and lower overrun (the amount of air whipped into it) compared to other products on the shelf. This makeup is what gives the Kirkland Signature tub its noticeably dense and deeply creamy texture, as well as its ability to keep its shape for longer. This means a cone of it won't melt faster than you can lick it. With a light and not overly-saccharine flavor, it's great for eating on its own. But, one Redditor also shared that "the milkshakes you can make with this stuff are out of this world."

Not all Kirkland Signature freezer treats are showstoppers, though. In an evaluation of Costco's frozen desserts, the brand's box of ice cream bars slid into last place. It's not that they're inherently bad. But, when compared to other top picks — namely from Häagen-Dazs, which is also sold at the warehouse — they falter in nearly every category. The Kirkland bars were found to be less flavorful and rich than the name-brand bars. Plus, the outer shell of chocolate-flavored coating is much thinner and more fragile than more premium options. One Redditor even shared that the cocoa-based casing was "waxier" than what's covering the Häagen-Dazs bars.

Our testers eventually thawed out to the idea of these bars, noting that the crunch of the almond pieces was a high point. The price is additionally hard to beat. However, there are more noteworthy and higher-quality Costco desserts out there t.

In another review thread, one Reddit user shared that the Canadian version of the product is actually much better with an improved flavor and thicker chocolate. They venture to guess that it has to do with the lower amounts of chocolate and increased levels of sugar in the American rendition. Sounds like a trip up north may be in store, eh?

There are pastries galore in the Costco bakery, tantalizing shoppers as the goods rest in clear plastic containers. Of course, there are classics — like the store's infamous buttery croissants — but also sweet confections, like a slew of layered and filled Danishes. From cherry to almond, none of these picks are distasteful in the slightest. However, the one that is worthy of the most praise has to be the cream cheese Danish.

The cheese delicacy starts with a puff pastry crust that one Instagram reviewer described as flaky like a croissant, just with a little more crispiness. This entire base is glazed in white icing and then filled with a pool of rich, sweet, and slightly tangy cream cheese filling. The filling is applied liberally so that no bite has to do without. Altogether, the crunchy dough and cream cheese stuffing is a match made in membership club heaven.

As a Costco product, they are plenty big and shareable — although, we won't judge if you don't offer a piece to anyone else. They can also easily be eaten straight from the packaging. But, we'll let you in on a little secret: Throwing any of the Danish flavors in the oven or air fryer takes them to a whole new level.

Clearly, not all Costco desserts are created equal. But, for some, it's the actual way they were created that makes them inferior. While select bakery items at the membership club are made fresh in-house — like many cakes and muffins — others are said to be shipped frozen to the warehouse before being thawed and presented for purchase. According to a proclaimed ex-employee on Reddit, the braided apple strudel, unfortunately, falls into the "ships frozen" category.

This preparation method likely contributes to the treat's artificiality and stagnant demeanor — two details that sent it plummeting to second to last place in Tasting Table's ranking of Costco bakery items. In the taste test, the strudel was simultaneously found to be dangerously cloying, and at 28 grams of sugar per pastry, it's no wonder why. One Costco foodie added fuel to the fire on an Instagram post, admitting that the filling of the strudel is also lacking with "not nearly enough apples inside".

The silver lining (or crusty lining) is that the doughy exterior is satisfactory and flaky, with a caramelized sugar-coating. But, it's not enough to make up for the offenses of the rest. The damage is already done, and this is clearly one Costco pastry undeserving of a coveted spot in your cart.

"Warning! Do not buy the tuxedo cake!!" one Redditor jokingly wrote, "unless you're prepared to eat the whole d*** thing yourself in maybe two or three days. Because you will." This seems to be the sweeping sentiment when it comes to the Kirkland Signature tuxedo cake. And most shoppers even take things a step further by admitting to not even making it out of the store's parking lot before diving into the decadent dessert.

The cake always looks rather dapper; it's made up of distinct layers of chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, white chocolate mousse, rich chocolate ganache, and even brownie chunks. There's just something about a sharp-dressed cake that makes people go wild. And the fact that it's also as indulgent and delicious as it looks — on par with a high-end bakery — makes this selection a no-brainer.

You can also breathe easy knowing that it is one of the Costco bakery items typically available all year long. Plus, it even frequently goes on sale, usually following holidays. These are the best times to get your fix and even stock up since the cake happens to freeze well.

Costco's pumpkin pie is one of those break-the-internet, cult-following kind of confections. Each year, when it returns to the warehouse for the autumn season, shoppers flock to the bakery to get their hands on the 3½-plus pound creation. It's easy to be dazzled by the pie's sheer size and steal of a price. However, underneath all that fuss and feathers, it boils down to being rather mediocre.  

Tasting Table even ranked the Costco treat as the last dessert you should consider picking up from the bakery due to its boring nature. On Reddit, members are in agreement that the cinnamon and other spices are lacking in the pie filling, which leaves behind a lonely pumpkin flavor. One reviewer wrote, "I agree [the pies] are a little bland. And the crust always seems a little soggy like they are a bit underdone."

With a so-so crust and a lack of flavor diversity, pumpkin is already far from the best pie you can snag from Costco. Throw in the fact that it has also been described as "gritty" on more than one occasion, and this is one dessert we'll be happy to leave behind at the conclusion of fall.

Separately, simple white cake and standard cheesecake are both legendary desserts. But, marry the two together and you have pure bliss. Costco's white cake filled with cheesecake mousse does just that — quite obviously, might we add — by sandwiching a strip of vanilla cheesecake mousse filling in between two layers of white cake and covering the entire thing in a generous portion of white buttercream icing.

Costco tends to do bakery basics really well, and this cake is another prime example of that. The light cake stands on its own, yet also melds well with the cream cheese notes of the inner layer. Then, the buttercream pulls everything together with a buttery smooth finish. One Redditor even shared, "I'm not a huge fan of white cake, but this is perfectly moist and delicious."

The cake and cheesecake mashup is the perfect choice for a birthday party (don't forget to tack on a tub of Kirkland Signature vanilla ice cream) or even a wedding. You could also dress it up with berries, another fruit, or other garnish to further extract its rich flavors and showcase its versatility.

The mini cakes at Costco are something of a marvel. Each one is exactly what it sounds like: a mini version of a full-sized cake. But, if you're thinking they come in a standard petite cupcake size, you'd be wrong. In true Costco fashion, they are still colossal, weighing in at over a ½ pound each.

The not-so-single-serve desserts come in seasonal installments and also some year-round flavors, including standouts like cookies and cream and carrot cake. However, there are some bad apples in the bunch as well — one of which happens to be the autumn-inspired caramel apple mini cakes.

Customers on Reddit say that this specific fruity rendition doesn't hit the spot, and while the cake part is just "mediocre" or "bland," most of the problems revolve around the icing. Members note that the sugary topping is too strong and artificial, reminiscent of pure butter, and one even said the cakes tasted "how a campfire smells." A Costco food reviewer on Instagram gave the seasonal variation a failing score of five out of 10 for all of the same reasons. All in all, you would be better off finding the juicy flavors of fall elsewhere at the warehouse and leaving this rotten apple of a mini cake on the bakery shelf.

Cookies are a major draw of the Costco bakery. Soft, fresh, and chock full of mix-ins, it's hard to go wrong with any of the available flavors, though, chocolate chunk does tend to top the list. Or, at least it did, before a brand new seasonal flavor hit warehouse shelves. Just in time for summer 2023, Costco unveiled its s'mores-flavored cookies, complete with a graham cracker crumb base, chocolate chunks, and gooey marshmallows. And, customers say they are as delicious as they are dangerous.

A Redditor went so far as to say the s'mores cookies are "the best Costco cookie ever made!!!!" Another commenter wrote, "perfectly balanced, great texture, just all around greatness" and took the time to applaud the cookies for their moderate — rather than cloying — sweetness. But, that's just the beginning. Other members say that warming them up is a game changer that results in crisp-on-the-outside, gooey-on-the-inside perfection. All that's missing is the soft crackle and inviting scent of a late-night campfire.

Sadly, the s'mores packs have only popped up so far in the warmer months, indicating that they're not likely to be added to the year-round lineup. But hey, that's just the way the cookie crumbles; we'll just be here quietly dreaming of June.

There's nothing quite like a fresh strawberry pie, shortcake, or other berry-filled sweet treat in summertime. But, if it's that juicy-just-picked kind of taste you're after, we recommend skipping Costco's strawberries and cream cake bar. While some Costco consumers don't mind the fruity dessert, others have taken to Reddit to express their distaste. "[It's] like sweet white bread and strawberry preserves made from half strawberry and half additives," one commenter said of the blocky confection. Others chimed in to say that the flavor is more similar to strawberry candy rather than real strawberries, comparing the sensation more specifically to the strawberry Pocky sticks.

If you look closely at the cake, you can tell that it, in fact, doesn't incorporate real strawberry slices. Rather, it layers sponge cake with a type of strawberry puree — likely what gives it a more artificial and packaged flavor all around. Neither the white cream throughout nor the decorative white chocolate curls are enough to make up for this misstep.

No one's taste buds are exactly alike, so creating a definitive list of foods to buy or avoid can be challenging — especially when we're talking about desserts and factors like sweetness levels, overall taste, and texture are at play. To level the playing field, we gathered information on Costco's confections based on reviews and common opinions found on social media, Tasting Table's past taste tests, and online forums such as Reddit. 

What we ended up with is a list of sweets sold at the warehouse that have garnered chiefly positive feedback and others that have been met with a higher level of criticism. As a whole, many of the desserts that were classified as "avoids" had poor ingredients, artificial flavors, a bad consistency, blandness, and/or a too-cloying taste.