5 Bakery Desserts To Always Buy At Costco, And 2 To Avoid

Costco is known for a lot of different things, and one of them is the wide selection of drool-worthy desserts. You can find sweet treats in the frozen section at Costco and its pantry aisles, and, of course, there are the legendary customizable cakes. However, if you want a fresh dessert and don't have time to pre-order a cake, the bakery section has everything you need and more. From cookies to smaller cakes to strudel and beyond, there's something to match anyone's tastes. So much so that it can make selecting a bakery dessert somewhat challenging. I mean, are they all as good as they look? If so, how will you ever choose? Well, I'm gonna make things easier for you.

In an effort to find out whether or not all of Costco's bakery desserts are worth your hard-earned cash, I tried some of the most popular offerings. While most of them were pretty yummy, a couple didn't meet my expectations regarding quality and overall taste. A deep dive into my methodology can be found at the end, but there will be time for that later. For now, let's find out what we all want to know ... Which Costco bakery desserts should you buy, and which ones should you avoid?

Costco's Twice Baked Chocolate Filled Croissants are a new product, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but let me tell you: You absolutely need to buy them! Before you get any ideas about croissants not being a dessert, one look at them and all your preconceived notions about them being a breakfast pastry will be dispelled. I mean, not only are they filled with chocolate to the point of overflowing, but they are also dusted with a nice coating of powdered sugar. One look at the package and I started salivating, so yeah. They are undoubtedly a dessert.

For about $10, you get six Twice Baked Chocolate Filled Croissants, and honestly, it feels like a steal. One taste and I knew they wouldn't be a passing trend. Buttery, flaky, and chock-full of chocolate, they are the stuff dreams are made of. Seriously, no notes. I do have one tip, though. Pop one of these babies into the air fryer for a couple of minutes before enjoying, and the chocolate gets a delectable, gooey texture that is sure to make you a die-hard fan for life. No joke. 

If you thought it couldn't get much better than Costco's regular butter croissants, you'd be sorely mistaken. These are beyond yummy. While there are many ways to use Costco's fan-favorite croissants, the Twice Baked Chocolate Filled Croissants are where it's at. Get 'em while the gettin' is hot.

Another dessert I knew would hit the mark based on appearance alone was Costco's Lemon Blueberry Loaf. Or, at least that's what I hoped, and thankfully, I wasn't wrong. With pops of blueberry dappled on the surface and a beautiful lattice of icing across the top of the loaf, it was a sight to behold. However, once I cut into it and got a taste, that's where the real fun began. Not only was it eye-catching, but it also had all the sweet flavors and delicious textures a girl like me could want.

After a single bite of Costco's Lemon Blueberry Loaf, I was blown away (and that's saying something, considering my unyielding devotion to chocolate). Starting with the cake itself, you can forget about dry. It was smooth, creamy, moist, and baked to perfection. After savoring several more bites, I started to revel in the bright lemon and the occasional burst of flavor from the blueberries as well. They also had a cooling effect that kept me coming back for more and more. The icing on top, well, it was the icing on the cake, and it hit the mark too. 

I wouldn't say the Lemon Blueberry Loaf was light, but if you seek a dessert that isn't as heavy or rich as, say, something laden with chocolate, it is my top recommendation. Plus, in addition to all the layered flavors and the ideal textures, it only costs about $9. Score!

Unfortunately for Costco, the bakery's Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies were a fairly big letdown. Without hesitation, I can tell you to avoid them. It's a shame too because I like a smaller dessert option. You know, one that you can get a couple bites of without going all in on something massive like a chocolate croissant. Oh well. Guess we will just have to practice making thinner slices of the Lemon Blueberry Loaf.

My main complaint about Costco's Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies was that they were kind of dry and hard. I don't know about you, but I like soft cookies. These were a far cry from that. Yes, they had a pleasing amount of chocolate chips, and they even had all the flavors on point, but the texture left a lot to be desired. Translation: It's clear Costco doesn't know the secret to making soft chocolate chip cookies. Bummer. There's a slight chance I got a bad batch, but I doubt it. They weren't stale, either; I checked the best-by date. The fact that I got so many cookies for the low price of $10 was its only saving grace. I'm sure some milk would help too, but c'mon, Costco, you can do better.

If you need a cookie fix, I'd go for Costco's full-sized ones. I didn't try them on this taste-testing adventure, but I can tell you from previous experience that they are much tastier and softer, too.

Pound cake isn't something I'm typically drawn to, but Costco's was drool-worthy enough that it might have just changed my mind for good. Instead of being bland, as so many are, it showed me what a truly rich rendition of the recipe could achieve. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised since it's labeled as an All Butter Pound Cake, and we all know butter makes everything better. Still, I wasn't prepared for the delectable taste and texture headed my way.

Costco's All Butter Pound Cake is a master class in simple, rich flavors and textures. The cake was thick and dense but in the best way possible. It clung to my mouth and made sure I was savoring every morsel. Yum! The buttery taste was also to die for. All by itself, it served mouthwatering goodness anyone could love. However, as a pound cake, it is also begging for tasty toppings, such as fruit, whipped cream, and more. I'm not saying it needs it, far from it in fact. The classic butter flavor is enough to make you swoon. Still, a little something extra won't hurt either.

Oh yeah, there's no doubt in my mind that it would blow all other store-bought pound cakes out of the water as well. And, to top it all off, it comes at the low price of about $7, making it the least expensive bakery dessert I sampled. Nice!

Not to bury the lead or anything, but Costco's Tuxedo Chocolate Mousse Cake is by far my favorite of the bakery desserts I tried. Like, it wasn't even close. Admittedly, I am a chocolate fanatic, so it had a bit of an advantage, but it was tasty enough to make anyone start salivating. It sure looked like a showstopper as well.

Costco's Tuxedo Chocolate Mousse Cake is everything a cake bearing that name should be and more. If I were served a slice at a high-end restaurant, I wouldn't even blink. It oozes professional quality inside and out. One bite and my palate was coated with rich, chocolatey goodness, and I audibly exclaimed for joy. The mousse, the cake, the frosting — it was all utter perfection. Seriously, I'm not sure what even happened after that first bite. I must have blacked out because the next thing I knew, I looked down at my plate, and the entire slice was gone. I may or may not have licked the plate as well. I'll never tell.

The only drawback to Costco's Tuxedo Chocolate Mousse Cake is that it costs just under $20, making it the most expensive of the desserts I tried by a long shot. You know what, though? I couldn't care less. It was worth every penny. Do yourself a favor and buy this freaking cake the next time you're at Costco. I don't care if a celebration is in order or not. You won't regret it.

I like apple desserts just fine. Actually, maybe a bit more than that. Still, when it comes to dessert flavors, they aren't my first, second, or third choice, for that matter. Even so, I'm happy to report that Costco's Caramel Apple Strudel is one bakery dessert you should buy, maybe even regularly. A dozen mini strudels only cost $8, and they taste even better than they look. I don't say that lightly, either, because they look pretty yummy and, well, they are adorable.

The balance of flavors and textures is what really makes Costco's Caramel Apple Strudel stand out from other desserts. The dough is crispy, light, and flaky, just as a quality pastry should be. It is also soft, buttery, and oh so delicious. The glaze and chunks of sugar sticking to the crust are nothing short of spectacular as well. Then there's the filling. It boasts lots of caramel, a touch of cinnamon, yummy chunks of apple, and a gooey consistency that complements the crust in expert fashion. Like, wow! Nicely done, Costco! I also really enjoyed that they were made into smaller pastries, so it made a nice afternoon sweet treat. I also ate one or maybe two for breakfast as well. Just saying. So, if you're looking for a bakery dessert with lots of complex flavors and the perfect combination of smooth and crispy textures, Caramel Apple Strudel has your back.

The final bakery dessert I tried from Costco was the Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing. As a chocolate-lover, I had high hopes, but they didn't exactly live up to them. They weren't a complete fail, but they weren't knock-your-socks-off good, either. In fact, saying you should avoid them may be a bit harsh, but unfortunately, they simply can't compete with the other spectacular bakery dessert options sold at Costco.

First things first. Costco nailed the silky texture of a top-notch buttercream frosting on the Chocolate Cupcakes, and the rainbow sprinkles were a nice touch as well. The consistency of the cake was darn good, too. Combined, the components gave me a mouthful of creamy icing and moist cake in every bite. Even so, the flavor was where Costco went wrong. They were sweet and chocolatey but only marginally so. Actually, they were a touch on the bland side. I'm not saying they were bad, but I've had much better store-bought chocolate cupcakes. Oh well. I guess they can't all be bangers.

A dozen of Costco's Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing cost around $9, so they come at a good price. If you need a quick batch of cupcakes to take to a party, you sure could do a lot worse. Still, I recommend going for one of the other desserts offered in Costco's bakery. They'll wow you and anyone you serve them to. The cupcakes are just meh.

Determining whether this selection of Costco bakery desserts are ones to always buy or ones to avoid was a challenge I was happy to take on. After all, it meant I got to taste a ton of fresh desserts – yes, please! After acquiring the goods, I brought them home and dove right in. There's no way I was going to resist them for long anyway. Why fight it?

After tasting all of my Costco bakery desserts, I had to decide whether or not they were worthy of my endorsement, so I considered their perceived quality, overall flavor, texture, and price. The ones that hit all the marks are the ones I recommend you buy. The ones that fell a bit flat in one area or another — the Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing and the Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies — are desserts I say are better left to other, less savvy shoppers. Although they can most likely be saved if you think about using Costco's bakery items in creative ways, why bother? I digress, though. Whatever you do, make sure you try the new Twice Baked Chocolate Filled Croissants and the Tuxedo Chocolate Mousse Cake. They are culinary masterpieces.