Your Ultimate Guide To Costco's Best Shareable Desserts

Everything is bigger at Costco. At this magical land of warehouse shopping, you can buy about 4 pounds of Nutella, a 93-inch stuffed bear, and more than 6 pounds worth of laundry detergent. Most importantly, Costco offers its card-carrying members some seriously massive desserts. You know what we're talking about: 12-inch pumpkin pies and holiday cookie trays packed with 44 servings of Christmas-themed treats. If you're looking to host a party, Costco's dessert section really is the hostess with the mostest. But foodies, if you walk into the retailer's glorious treat aisle unarmed, you will be overwhelmed by all the party snack opportunities. And, as horrible a fate as it is to imagine, you may find yourself bringing back a less-than-shareable-worthy snack for your dinner party. You need the know-how. We here at Mashed have got you covered.

After careful research, we have compiled a list of the best, at least semi-permanent (you never know with Costco), Texas-size-level desserts you can find at everyone's favorite wholesale retailer. We note the price points (which vary by region and are accurate as of September 2023), size, flavor, and the best ways to serve them to your hungry guests. And all you have to do to gain our Costco larger-than-life dessert knowledge is read on. Ready? Here we go.

There are those who prefer cake, and those who prefer pie, but cookies — cookies! — are a dessert that could unite mankind. And Costco's in-house cookies are some of the best (and biggest) around. In fact, the hardest part about buying Kirkland Signature cookies is having to choose which flavor to put in your cart ... unless you buy the variety pack.

These sizable containers come with eight chocolate chunk, eight white chocolate chip macadamia nut, and eight oatmeal raisin cookies. And no matter which variety your guests take a chomp out of, these desserts are sure to please them. Every one of these treats not only tastes fresh but also has a texture that's the perfect balance of crunchy and chewy. However, if you're looking for a flavor-by-flavor breakdown, Costco fans boast that the chocolate chunk cookies are full of chocolate, the white chocolate is brimming with macadamia nuts, and the oatmeal variety is wonderfully moist with a great oatmeal mouthfeel.

Whether you're having a small party and 24 cookies will be more than enough to go around or you opt for bringing home two packs of this shareable snack, at $11.96 a pop, you get a lot of taste for your buck. Seriously. In comparison, a pack of 12 full-sized Insomnia Cookies will set you back about $20. With a lot of variety and a great flavor, Kirkland Signature variety cookies are the perfect building blocks for a delicious dessert tray.

A 130-year-old bakery located in the heart of New York City's Little Italy, Ferrara offers the real deal with its Italian sweets. And with an online order from Costco, four pounds — yes, four pounds — of the famed cafe's most beloved cookies can be yours.

Okay, but what cookie flavors are we talking about here? Give us a second as we take in a preparatory breath. This pack of delights includes rainbow tricolori, fudge swirled, pignoli, coconut, plain sandwich, half-moon, and torroncino cookies. Whew!

With one reviewer on the grocer's website claiming these cookies were among some of the best they've ever tasted, it's safe to say this 4-pound tray — with 90 or so cookies — will keep all of your party guests happily fed. Oh, and while this pack of gourmet fare would usually cost you almost $100 from vendors like Goldbelly, Costco sells this huge dessert tray for $72.99. One of the store's most underappreciated products? We certainly think so.

Sure, if you're looking to throw a bridal party or post-sleepover breakfast time bash, mini cinnamon rolls are a must for your spread. But trust us, even if it's well past 8 p.m., no one can turn down a cinnamon roll. If you want to feed a crowd one of the best things to ever happen to dough, don't look at Target's pitiful $4.99 12-pack. Instead, head into Costco for a tray (or two) of 28 mini cinnamon rolls. Costing $9.11 per container, these Upper Crust Bakery mini cinnamon rolls are a delicious Costco must-have.

Described by one Amazon reviewer as "for sure best mini cinnamon rolls on the market" and "CINNA MON BLISS" by another, these pastries are a flavorful treat. While you can just transfer the little baked goods from the package to a snack board to get these bites party-ready, you can also warm them up in the oven for just a few minutes before putting them out on your dessert tray. But whether you eat them cold or warm, once again, Costco is giving its members a deal here. A measly 16-count pack of the Upper Crust Bakery mini cinnamon rolls will cost you around $28 on Amazon. So at Costco, you'll get more of the same product for less than half the price.

Although Jessica's Brick Oven Bakery is known in its independent store life for its fresh and hot bread loaves, Costco shoppers are most familiar with our friend Jessica's ready-to-eat desserts. This is the company that not only brought the store its famed 3-pound banana bread — which is beloved by many Costco regulars — but those limited edition cream-cheese filled gingerbread sandwich cookies that everyone was frothing at the mouth to try. And Jessica's Brick Oven Bakery has done dessert fans a service yet again by honoring the tradition of putting the whole "which is better, brownies or cookies?" debate to rest with its very own recipe for a brownie-cookie hybrid.

We at Mashed do not believe in pulling punches. So we're just going to be straight with you: This tray of cookies is not for those with a weak tolerance for chocolate. One Jessica's brownie cookie container offers 24 chocolate-on-chocolate desserts. And while $4.98 will get you a 13.5-ounce pack of similar brownie-cookie treats at Walmart, at Costco you get 22 ounces of better-tasting chocolatey goodness from Jessica's for $9.95. In the same vein as the cinnamon rolls, we suggest heating them up in the oven before your guests arrive to truly bring out the best ooey-gooey parts of them.

If you're wondering what the heck is in an Aussie bite, the better question is what the heck isn't in an Aussie bite? Universal Bakery Organic Aussie Bites are granola-bar-esque treats made with rolled oats, dried apricots, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, honey, coconut, quinoa, and chia seeds. So basically all the good-tasting Earthy stuff. One container of these sweets offers a very generous 32 servings — which is apparently a good thing. According to shoppers, while these treats may not sound particularly appealing for a snack charcuterie board, Costco's Organic Aussie Bites, are like chips. It's impossible to eat just one.

Described by one Reddit user as a moist and "perfect balance of sweet," these cookies have reportedly prompted some to single-handedly eat an entire Costco-sized box of Aussie bites in one day. So with an absolutely addictive taste and a texture comparable to a muffin, these snacks just might act as an unsuspecting new favorite dessert at your next dinner party.

Of course, Costoco's gigantic tray of Aussie bites is on the pricier side — on account of these cookies being organic and gluten-free. But, while Costco does sell a 30-ounce pack of these snacks for $13.44, vendors like Walmart sell the same product for something like $32. So you're still making off like a savvy budgeting thief here.

When these beautiful, almost-heart shaped Sugar Bowl Bakery palmiers entered the Costco chat in 2021, shoppers nearly lost their minds. French-born treats composed of upwards of 2,500 flaky dough layers, palmiers are essentially, in the words of Costco shoppers, croissants reborn into a second life as vanilla cookies. Even now, two years after the novelty item dust has settled, if you're looking for a sizable party-ready dessert, Sugar Bowl Bakery palmiers have their dancing shoes ready to go.

While you can buy a 32-ounce package of 35 servings of these crispy, subtly sweet cookies for nearly $20 on Amazon, they are available  in the same size package at Costco for $10.17. Although you serve these palmiers as-is in all their toasty, vanilla-wafer-like glory, you, dear host, can also dress them up with a number of delicious toppings. The company behind the product reports that serving these cookies with brie cheese and honey will make them into the perfect party entrée. However, you can also urge your guests to use Costco's pretty palmiers for dipping with chocolate or Funfetti dip.

Costco's notoriously humongous cheesecake could go toe-to-toe with the brand's famous rotisserie chicken in terms of popularity. And we don't use the word "humongous" lightly. We did the math, so trust us when we say, you're going to do some lifting to get this puppy into your cart. Here's the deal: One serving of this cake is the equivalent of 128 grams. There are 16 massive slices per pop. So, according to our calculations, one of these cheesecakes weighs in at about 4.5 pounds. And every bit of it is delicious. Costco fans report that the cake's graham cracker crust is wonderfully crunchy and flavorful. In the words of one Reddit user, ​​"The first (and second and third and ...) bite is like meeting God."

Costing $20.99 per omnipotent dessert, Costco's 12-inch cheesecake tastes delicious while also saving you money — a typical cheesecake of the same size can cost you upwards to $70. And perhaps the best part is that you can make its serving size can go even further if you get creative by cutting your cake into thin slices. Or, if you whip out some cupcake liners, you can even slice this Godzilla dessert into squares to transform into a large wedding party-accommodating amount of cheesecake bites.

Yeah, Costco has a real thing for supersized French food. The second, but not last, French favorite to say "oui" in our huge dessert guide is the Superior On Main mini drizzled eclairs. We know you read that title and raised your eyebrows, so let's unpack it together, shall we? First of all, these snacks are different from your run-of-the-mill eclairs due to being dressed with a magic serving of vanilla icing. Second, though they are called mini eclairs and come in a more modest (by Costco standards anyway) 15 servings of sweets, these treats are large enough to make the package weigh in at nearly 2 pounds. Do you see where we're going with this?

If you buy (or let's be real here — when you buy) Superior On Main mini drizzled eclairs, you can totally cut one pastry into two mini desserts and feed 30 people. Don't worry about the filling peeking through. By arranging your sliced and diced pastries in a meticulous pattern on a serving plate, your eclairs will still look visually appealing to your guests. And your dairy and nut-averse friends and family will also be grateful that these eclairs are milk-free and nut-allergy-friendly. To make things even better — and prove you're getting your membership's worth — Costco sells these pastries for $8.18 whereas most stores have them at a price point of $10.99.

Cake-like snacks that transform this Latin American candy favorite into party-ready finger food, these treats are a butter pastry brimming with dulce de leche-flavored filling. Sound delicious? Compared to alfajores cookies by some Costco buyers (which are a type of sandwich cookie with dulce de leche stuffed between two wafers), these "incredible" treats (a Reddit user's words, not ours) can be hard to find due to how popular they are. But aside from taste, we suspect the sheer size of these Costco snacks has a lot to do with how quickly they fly off the shelves.

At $10.52 for a 30-ounce pack, the El Camino Real Bakery dulce de leche delights offer 35 servings of sweet gooey goodness. Each of these individual bite-sized treats is also pretty sizable— sizable enough, we would say, to cut in half and serve to nearly 70 guests. Or to top off a cake ... perhaps even Costco's Kirkland Signature cheesecake.

We at Mashed are firm believers that the only way to cut chocolate cake is with even more chocolate. And Costco, God bless the brand, is of the same mindset. A treat that sandwiches chocolate mousse between two thick layers of chocolate cake, the Kirkland Signature chocolate mousse cake is every chocolate lover's dream. "So fluffy and creamy, so decadent," as one TikToker beautifully described it, this Costco cake is sold in Costco sizing. 

Here are the stats. The chocolate mousse cake is 10 inches in diameter, weighs in at almost 4 pounds, and will cost you $18.71. As is the case with many of the treats on this list, this cake advertises that it can feed up to 16 people. However, by cutting the slices thinner, you can make this chocolate-on-chocolate treat go a long way.

On the off chance you aren't a big believer in the power of all things chocolate — we are giving you a side eye for that — we also acknowledge it's our duty to let you know Costco offers shoppers a chocolate and vanilla tuxedo mousse cake for $19.88. While it's a bit smaller (12 servings) despite being more expensive, it may suit your guests' taste buds if you're not chocolate heavyweights like us.

Another French dessert? You bet. And Costco's beautifully colored Tipiak French macarons are designed to be admired before you eat them. These treats come in different flavor combinations. The box from Costco has six unique flavors: salted caramel, chocolate hazelnut, pistachio, almond white chocolate, red velvet and crème brûlée. And there's plenty of each flavor to go around.

Each box of macarons comes with 36 bite-sized desserts and costs $18.71 per pack. There is a huge price gap between what these snacks go for at Costco versus pretty much everywhere else. Tipiak French macarons (a brand known for having a fresh taste and a soft consistency) may sell for nearly $65 from some other vendors. Aside from Costco, the second most reasonably priced option is Amazon for around $34, however, customers who've bought these macarons with online shipping have complained that the product, which needs to be refrigerated, typically arrives warm and moldy. So yeah, it's best to stick with the wholesale retailer.

Perhaps the best thing about these colorful macarons, however, is that they come in a beautiful box that makes serving them a breeze. You only need to remove the cover, allow them to thaw, then, voila, your friends and family can enjoy tasty macarons all the while being impressed by your hosting skills.

All right, everyone. It's time to bring out the big guns. Bring on the apple pie. And no, we are not talking about Costco's beloved in-store bakery dessert. We are referring to the grocer's online-order-only apple pie beast. Why do we call it a beast, you ask? Because while Costco's recently famous chocolate peanut butter pie weighed in at 4.75 pounds, this sugary apple confection is 6 pounds, 6 inches high, and 11 inches wide. In the world of Costco treats, this baby is a line backer. That is probably why each pie costs $59.99, though, honestly, we vote that Costco's Tootie Pie brand original apple pie is worth the price.

A 35-year-old tradition (which is a rarity since many Costco treats don't even get to celebrate a one-year anniversary), Costco reports this Goliath of a dessert is "mixed with the perfect blend of spices" using Tootie Pie's original recipe and features "our famous handcrafted, golden-brown flaky crust." The brand does not say these things in jest. According to one reviewer, this apple pie is so delicious that the person they gifted it to refused to let the rest of the family have a slice.

This pie serves about 12 people, according to the label, but that's only if you're committed to serving Costco-sized slices. If you slice this pie Walmart-style, it should delight many of your guests.

We are not kidding when we say Costco loves French pastries almost as much as it loves selling supersized goods. And according to die-hard Costco enthusiasts, the store's madeleines are to die for. As one Reddit user noted, these treats (which are made by Superior Cake Products, the same company behind the aforementioned drizzled eclairs) only have one major downfall: "These things are never in our home ... because every time we buy them (basically every time we go to Costco) they disappear."

Subtly sweet and a perfect snack for your guests to dunk in their coffee, Costco sells almost 2 pounds worth of these tiny cakes for $9.93 a pop. Meanwhile, at Walmart, you'd be buying fewer of these pastries for a far less agreeable $18.99. Offering 33 servings per container, like its cousin the palmiers, Superior Cake Products madeleines can be served in a number of different ways. You can dress them up with powdered sugar, dip them in chocolate, or drizzle them in caramel. Of course, if you want to simply stack your madeleines on a plate for serving, don't forget to serve them with their smooth side facing up so they don't get flattened.