8 Changes I Would Make To Costco's Bakery

Whether you're new to shopping at Costco or just looking for some must-try finds, no Costco haul is complete without picking up at least one thing from the in-club bakery. Between all the cookies, breads, muffins, cakes, cupcakes, croissants, pies, and other sweet treats, there's something for nearly everyone. The hard part, though, is deciding what to buy and which products you can skip. As a long-time Costco shopper and an avid baker myself, there aren't many negative things I can say about Costco's bakery, but I always think there's room to dream bigger and keep improving,

After giving the idea some serious thought, I came up with eight changes I'd make to Costco's bakery department to enhance members' overall shopping experience. Between new product types, tweaks to existing items, a proposed policy, and even drawing on a couple of points of inspiration from international Costco locations, I'd love to see one or more of these changes implemented. Keep reading to see if you agree.

When Costco reformulated its muffin recipe in late 2024/early 2025, it wasn't long before I heard people talking about the change. Friends, family, coworkers, people on the internet — I even heard Costco shoppers express their feelings about the new muffin recipe as I strolled through the wholesale club. While I'm sure some Costco shoppers enjoy (and perhaps even prefer) the new recipes, it feels like many more miss the original bakery muffins. The flavor and quality difference is undeniably noticeable. Besides the fact that the recipes themselves have changed, the new muffins are a fraction of the size, and some long-time favorites have been removed from the lineup.

Before this most recent change, Costco muffins were jumbo-sized, fluffier, and sold in six-packs. Shoppers could mix and match two packs of muffins (for a total of a dozen) and pay just $9.99. The new, smaller muffins are sold in eight-packs of individual flavors for $6.99. So now, shoppers are essentially paying more for less, and the muffins are often returned.

While we're on the topic of muffins, here's a potentially hot take: Costco should also consider bringing back the plastic-wrapped cardboard flats instead of using the plastic clamshells the bakery switched to a while back. While there's nothing wrong with the clamshells themselves, the shrink wrap kept the baked goods moist, so they stayed fresher longer. Most people aren't going to eat an entire pack of muffins — whether eight or a dozen — immediately.

For as long as I can remember, apple pie has been one of my favorite desserts, so years ago, when I learned that Costco has an accidentally vegan apple pie, I was immediately sold. It quickly became my family's go-to holiday dessert. And even though I'm gluten-free now and can no longer eat it, everyone else in my family still loves it.

But here's the thing: Costco also makes a non-vegan version of its apple pie, and while the two are sometimes available simultaneously, shoppers often find only one or the other. Besides the fact that the non-vegan version contains nonfat dry milk and whey, the two pies don't appear very different; at first glance, some people may not even notice. The main differentiator is the crust. The vegan version is topped with a lattice crust, whereas the non-vegan pie has a full crust.

Personally, I don't see the need for stocking two nearly identical pies. People have told me they taste essentially the same, and most people wouldn't even realize that the lattice crust version is accidentally vegan, so why not drop the dairy-based version and keep the other? Narrowing down to one apple pie would also arguably make room for Costco to introduce a new product, so it feels like a smart decision all around. 

In early 2026, Costco introduced its filled mini beignets, available in chocolate-hazelnut or caramel flavors. While they're not quite like a traditional beignet (they're honestly more like a filled donut), they still look and smell delicious, and everyone I know who actually tried them was obsessed — my husband still mentions them nearly weekly! This seasonal product quickly went viral on social media, and some stores struggled to keep up with demand.

These little pastries were soft, pillowy, and an easy crowd pleaser. Unfortunately, shortly after the product's launch, Costco recalled the caramel version after reports that the product was accidentally mislabeled and that some actually contained the chocolate-hazelnut filling. Not long after this serious allergen risk, the hazelnut version also disappeared from the bakery tables. It's possible this was just a seasonal product launch from the start, and perhaps the beignets will be back next year, but it's hard to determine for now, since we haven't seen or heard any official updates.

For a while, Costco sold braided apple turnovers. Personally, I think they were more like a strudel than a turnover, but no matter what you called them, they were delicious. They came in a pack of six, were topped with crystal sugar, and looked impressive — perfect for weekend brunch with friends, holiday mornings, or events like baby or bridal showers. But even without an occasion, they were an all-around great grab-and-go sweet treat.

I've heard people say they're apparently still available in some markets, but I haven't seen them at any of my local stores in quite some time. What I have seen, perhaps in its place, is the caramel apple strudel bites. Like the braided apple turnovers, the strudel bites are also braided and topped with crystal sugar. However, in addition to the added caramel, these bites are less than half the size of the braided turnovers. I haven't tried the caramel version, but the original was such a classic, and I'd love to see it return.

This one might be a hot take, especially since Costco already gives out samples daily, but I think it would be great if the Costco bakery gave kids a free cookie. So many major grocery retailers did this when I was growing up, and some stores, like Publix, still offer kids free cookies. It feels nostalgic for adults, and kids still love getting the cookie. Similarly to how Costco isn't making money on its food court hot dogs, free cookies would likely be another loss leader. However, if it's a way for parents to help keep their young children happy during busy Costco runs, that small action can lead to more time spent in the store (and larger purchases).

If free cookies for kids still seems a little out of reach, I've got suggestions. Costco could limit its free cookie deal to weekends only or to a specific time each day. Alternatively, to cut down on overhead, bakers could offer kids a Kirkland Signature mini cookie instead of the full-sized version.

One area Costco hasn't seemed to explore much yet is donuts. Costco bakeries in Canada have mini-filled donut variety packs that don't seem terribly different from the American chocolate-hazelnut mini beignets. But otherwise, I haven't seen any Kirkland Signature donuts hit the shelves. Costco has had more than a few viral products in recent years, and I feel like a Costco bakery glazed yeast donut has the potential to be the next big hit — it doesn't have to be anything fancy, just something simple that makes shoppers come back wanting more.

When it comes to the wholesale club's competition, Sam's Club currently has Member's Mark mini cinnamon-sugar donuts, and, according to Reddit, there's a new donut variety pack that's starting to hit bakery shelves as well. Additionally, BJ's Wholesale Club sells glazed donuts through its Wellsley Farms store brand. All three stores often offer similar competing items, so perhaps we may see Kirkland Signature donuts in the near future after all.

Costco's new in-app cake ordering system has the potential to be a great upgrade for the wholesale club, but a major downside is the limited options available when placing a custom cake order. Currently, shoppers can only choose from two cake flavors in the app: chocolate or vanilla. Having one or two more base cake flavors, like marble or funfetti, and allowing members to order custom versions of existing seasonal cake flavors, like carrot and red velvet, could really take the bakery's cake options from good to great.

Additionally, for some reason, shoppers can no longer place an order for a full sheet cake through the app. While full-sheet cakes may not be as in demand as some smaller sizes, I think it's important to still offer them for larger events. Plus, adding that capability to the app would make ordering much more convenient.

Costco is known for its high-quality, affordable cookies. No matter the flavor, they're always a big hit among both kids and adults. While the three main Kirkland Signature cookie flavors are chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and white chocolate macadamia nut (in the United States, at least), the wholesale club has also debuted a few other options over the years, including mini chocolate chip cookies and limited edition monster cookies.

One thing I've always found interesting about Costco is how the products it carries vary by location. When it comes to the bakery, I recently learned that Costco locations in Canada have sold a triple-chocolate cookie — and I'd imagine it's pretty good, considering the flavor is available to buy by the case. So, naturally, I'd want to see it come stateside, because what's not to love about more chocolate? I think it would be a popular flavor among kids, especially, and among chocolate-lovers of any age. The bakery could even offer it for a limited-time test run, like the monster cookies, to gauge the initial popularity before adding it to the regular menu.