13 Costco Bakery Desserts, Ranked
Let's talk about Costco. Long beheld as a beacon of inexpensive bulk finds, the membership-only warehouse is one-stop shopping for just about anything you can think of. Need a new couch? Thinking about installing a greenhouse in the backyard? How about a smart TV? They're all steps away from daily needs like socks, toilet paper, and perhaps the most critical of all, groceries.
Every Costco shopper has their own list of essentials (even famed chef Julia Child shopped at Costco), and the bakery department in particular holds many favorites. From humble cookies and Danishes to more elaborate and decorated desserts like the Tuxedo Mousse Cake, it's an easy and affordable avenue to treat yourself and others to something sweet. Even seasonal picks like pumpkin pie have developed a following of sweet-toothed Costco shoppers who keep an eye out every year for their chance to snag a slice. But if you're new to the bakery section, or even if you're looking to break from routine and check out a few options you haven't tried yet, where to begin? With the help of some devoted shoppers and tasters, we've ranked 13 Costco desserts that everyone simply must try.
13. Chocolate Cake
For just $16, any chocolate-obsessed shopper would be hard-pressed to find a better dessert at a more eye-catching value, and this rich, mousse-filled cake more than delivers. It's not too dense or cocoa heavy with a super velvety texture and a fine enough crumb to almost trick you into thinking this dessert is light. Spoiler alert: It's definitely not! The frosting is a fudge-forward layer of heaven while the filling is a light and whipped layer of chocolate mousse that cuts through the richer, darker, and heavier layers of cake that sandwich it.
This cake, while chocolatey and delicious, falls toward the bottom of this list, not because it isn't tasty, but because there are other Costco dessert offerings that are simply better. Many Costco lovers mourn the loss of the grocery chain's now discontinued "All American" chocolate cake that had more fudge layers and, as one Redditor says, "put you in a chocolate coma."
In a pinch for a birthday party and need a quick cake solution? Grab this. Looking for a more elegant dessert that looks straight out of a magazine and tastes like a Michelin-worthy restaurant's pride and joy? Keep scrolling for pick number one.
12. Chocolate Chunk Cookies
A favorite of Instagram's @costcofoodreviews, these cookies are, "a classic, soft chocolate chip cookie" with "a slight chew to them," ideal for divided households that can't quite decide which are better: crispy and dunkable or still doughy and soft. Two dozen large cookies for just $10 are easily found on what is lovingly referred to as "the cookie table," and the Chocolate Chunk Cookies in particular are an easy shareable sweet to snag for any birthday party or other gathering. All of Costco's bakery cookies are worth a try, but there's something truly singular and comforting about their take on a classic chocolate chip cookie.
Pro tip from a household of tried and true dessert eaters: A scoop of vanilla ice cream between two of these makes for the perfect home-assembled chipwich if you're looking to elevate your Costco finds on occasion. The softness of the cookies provides an excellent texture while remaining sturdy enough to handle any ice cream drips without crumbling or cracking.
11. Braided Apple Strudel
"Sweet, doughy, and SO good!!" says Instagram's @costcohotfinds of the oh-so-delicious Braided Apple Strudel. "You must air fry and add ice cream." And doesn't that sound excellent? So much so that the find caught online attention as the grocery store bakery's stand out, and these mini hand pies quickly developed an internet following for their small, convenient size and their attractive price point at $8 for eight generous servings.
Even if you don't happen to own an air fryer (some of us still don't), these are great desserts to pass around as an after-dinner treat that will make any night of the week extra special. Or if you're feeling generous, pop these onto a brunch tray with some Danishes and go all in on a pastry-rich platter to share. Baking these on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for just a quick 10 minutes gets them toasted with a deliciously melted center and just the right amount of outer crunch.
10. Pecan Pie
A seasonal favorite that folks wait months to buy and are eager to sell out quickly is Costco's eye-poppingly large pecan pie. At 5 pounds, this is one of the heavier and richer picks on our list and boasts an incredible number of pecans per slice. With a flaky crust and a unique apricot glaze that offers a touch of tanginess to an otherwise molasses-heavy flavor profile, it's a $17 find that can serve up to 16 slices, making it perfect for picking up on your way to a holiday party. These pop up every November and typically stick around through the holiday season with many shoppers storing up and freezing them to eat throughout the year.
Even better, there is nothing fake to be found here. All of these pies are made by the Costco bakers themselves. As one Reddit commenter can attest, "Having worked many holidays in the bakery, the pecan and pumpkin pies are made from scratch, in store." We love to see it.
9. Sour Cream Butter Pound Cake
A new addition to the Costco dessert rotation as of summer 2023, the Sour Cream Butter Pound Cake is just as rich and delicious as it sounds. The addition of sour cream balances out the heavier ingredients while keeping the cake moist. With a sugary sour cream glaze that pairs with the homey, classic flavors of the pound cake itself, this serves as the perfect base for berries and whipped cream or even a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Or, you can sandwich a layer of your favorite raspberry jam between two slices of this tasty pound cake and top the whole thing with a generous spoonful of Cool Whip. Divine.
A quick and simple dessert at just $8, this is perfect to dish out by itself or dress up with other tasty confections. Overall, it's a great pick for sugar fiends and Costco dessert newbies alike.
8. Rainbow Cookies
If you're unfamiliar with the absolute magnificence of a rainbow cookie, allow us to introduce you to a cookie that's also a tiny cake that's also a chocolate. Yes, really. Almond cake layers dyed to resemble the colors of the Italian flag (or at least as close as food coloring can get) are sandwiched with jam and compressed for a dense, chewy texture, and the whole thing is covered in a layer of chocolate.
The Costco version of these classic Italian cookies is acceptably tasty, and fellow Costco shoppers agree. One Costco reviewer went as far as to call them "hauntingly deliciously memorable." Costo's rainbow cookies are only available to be purchased online as they are shipped out of Ferrara's Bakery in Little Italy, New York City. But the wait (and the $35 price tag) is well worth it to get a taste of these little Italian-American treats.
7. Tiramisu Cake
Available from mid-October through Christmas, Costco's Tiramisu cake takes a coffee-rich layer dessert and puts it into a super shareable cake form. Literally meaning "pick-me-up", the original version of tiramisu is stacked with rows of ladyfingers soaked in espresso between layers of a mixture of mascarpone cheese, cream, and eggs. The whole thing is typically topped with a generous dusting of cocoa powder for a yummy and beautiful finish. As a cake, it's just a little more stable than the original adding layers of coffee-soaked vanilla sponge cake between each row of ladyfingers. Despite some small changes, @costcobuys on Instagram says it's "like a little slice of Italy right in Costco!"
Of all the Costco hits and misses, especially those trying a new spin on a classic treat, this is a definite hit that does the real thing proud with its dependable structure that doesn't compromise on taste. Affordable at $16, large enough to feed a crowd, comparable to the flavors of an authentic tiramisu, and sturdy enough to serve up slices of cake all evening without the whole dessert collapsing into a mess? Sounds like a major winner!
6. Pumpkin Pie
Another seasonal dessert Costco lovers are always eager to pick up during the holidays is a Thanksgiving must: pumpkin pie. These enormous pies weigh in at nearly 4 pounds for just $6 and contain about 12 servings of just-thick-enough, not-too-gooey, and perfectly spiced pumpkin purée on a lovely and crumbly crust. While the value is certainly clear at $0.50 a slice, the quality is absolutely worth reiterating. In a CNBC taste test that put this tasty treat against four other grocery store chain pumpkin pies, Costco stood out as the clear winner. One pie lover on Reddit wrote, "My bday is Wednesday and my fam asked me what kind of cake I want. I said I don't, let's just start our Costco pumpkin pie season early."
Costco's pumpkin pie can usually be found abundantly displayed throughout the bakery section as early as mid-August and stays in stores through December. This is a great find to help accommodate all manner of holiday hosting when you're in too big of a hurry to make a classic pumpkin pie from scratch.
5. Cinnamon Pull-a-Part
There may perhaps be a touch of controversy surrounding whether cinnamon pull-apart-anything is a dessert or an incredibly rich breakfast food, but we tend to fall into the camp that thinks it can easily serve as both. "These are made with sweet dough, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a cream cheese icing!" says Costco superfan @costcobuys on Instagram. "If you haven't tried this yet, you HAVE TO!"
We happen to very much agree. This delicious treat tends to pop into Costco stores in the spring, usually around mid to late March, just in time for Easter brunch gatherings. If you're not afraid to get a little messy, go ahead and reach in to literally "pull apart" a cinnamon roll stuffed with flavor and topped with a thick layer of melt-in-your-mouth frosting. Or if you'd prefer something a little more civilized, this is easily sliced like a cake and eaten with a fork. There's no wrong way to enjoy this 28-ounce treasure, and at $7, this is a must-try.
4. Carrot Mini Cake
"Absolutely my favorite cake. Nutty, moist, and not too sweet, with the best cream cheese frosting I've ever had," writes a Redditor of Costco's miniature carrot cakes. The variations on Costco's carrot cake (not to mention the mini cakes) are boundless. Full-size round cakes and even bar cake versions can be found at varying points throughout the year (though most typically around springtime), but nothing inspires the delighted glee of the carrot mini cakes. "These things are addicting!" says one Instagram commenter.
With their moist and perfectly spiced cake base packed with shredded carrot, raisins, walnuts, and (surprisingly but deliciously) pineapple, these $11 mini cakes boast a phenomenal texture and a very unselfish dose of cream cheese frosting that is nicely flavored and isn't overly sweet. While mini cakes are generally found in the unrefrigerated displays of the bakery section at Costco, customers agree that they freeze well if you're looking to stock up in advance of hosting — or just hoping to keep them around once they rotate out of seasonal stock!
3. Almond Danish
The art of the Danish is not to be overlooked, and although such a treat easily falls under the breakfast category, it's hard not to think of something coated in this much powdered sugar as anything but a dessert. While Costco's cherry Danishes most certainly have their value, the store's almond danishes might as well be miniature frangipane tarts.
This flaky pastry ranks high on the list for its buttery texture, its rich and creamy almond filling, and its cult following across the internet. While some Costco lovers retain an abiding affection for the cherry Danish (also absolutely worth a buy and a try), the effusive praise for the almond Danish is clear. "These are the best pastries we've ever had, hands down," one Redditor writes. "If you like marzipan, you will adore these." Even better, many Costco stores offer a mix-and-match Danish table — grab two containers of any container of four Danishes each at $10 total. Score!
2. New York Cheesecake
The Costo dessert silver medal goes to none other than its astounding New York-style cheesecake. Often found plain, the cheesecake is frequently offered with decorative finishes depending on the season and also serves as the base for their strawberry cheesecake and lemon meringue cheesecake. This year-round favorite is just $19, can serve up to 16 slices, and is hailed by many on the internet as one of the best grocery store cheesecakes around.
We can't help but agree. This is a simple, uncomplicated take on a favorite sweet treat that delivers every single time we've had it. The just-buttery-enough graham cracker crust supports a decadent mixture that's thick, creamy, and not too sweet to be sickly. At a whopping 4.5 pounds, it's nice and heavy as any good cheesecake should be, but the mixture itself melts on the tongue. On top of all that, the whipped ganache decorations aren't too sweet to distract from the vanilla and custard notes of the cheesecake, and many Costco stores' displays will feature variations on this favorite throughout the year: from pumpkin cheesecake to chocolate cheesecake.
1. Tuxedo Chocolate Mousse Cake
A stand-out that is so chocolatey and so pretty it's nearly impossible to ignore, Costco's tuxedo chocolate mousse cake starts off with a bottom layer of dense, rich chocolate cake and then a creamy chocolate mousse sprinkled with brownie bits, followed by a layer of white chocolate mousse, then more cake. The whole thing is finished off with a generous layer of smooth chocolate ganache. This cake is available in stores year-round, and the decorations on top can go from elegant swirls of chocolate to bright green icing shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day. The aim is to suit any occasion, because truly, what event doesn't suit a decadent dessert like this one?
"The best cake in the building. Not too sweet. Rich, dark chocolate. Amazing. My birthday cake every year," one Costco sweets aficionado writes on Reddit. Many across social media and beyond agree that this cake does not adhere to the standard grocery store level of dessert goodness — it excels far beyond, easily mistaken for a restaurant-worthy treat. And at $17, we truly can't think of a Costco sweet treat that offers more bang for your buck.