This Fan-Favorite Costco Cake Is Back Just In Time For Spring

Costco has a habit of making customers fall in love with new bakery items, only to quietly discontinue them. So it's always a treat when a dessert you loved comes back for a second year _ and now, one of Costco's most popular cakes might finally be back in the bakery just in time for spring. Costco's Kirkland Signature Carrot Bar Cake, which was first introduced in March of 2025, has just been spotted by some lucky shoppers in certain warehouse bakery cases. 

Laura Jayne Lamb of @costcohotfinds noted its return in a March 1, 2026, Instagram post, calling it "the best carrot cake." This decadent, rich, and perfectly moist carrot cake is three layers tall, with smooth, tangy cream cheese frosting in between each layer and on top — plus it's garnished with toasted walnuts. The cake itself includes raisins, carrots, and pineapple along with a delicate blend of warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and is around $18.99 for a generous 12 servings.

In our ranking of six popular cakes at Costco, this carrot bar cake placed firmly in the middle. However, most Costco shoppers loved this dessert last year and are eager to find it at their local warehouses again. The comments under Lamb's Instagram post are overwhelmingly positive. Nadia Christensen of @costcoshares commented, "it's so good!!" Many others also chimed in to call the cake "the best," with one commenter ranking it "10/10 best carrot cake I've had."

Costco's carrot bar cake may seem a little pricey at $18.99 to $22.22, depending on your location. However, it is meant to serve at least 12 guests, making it the perfect, simple dessert to share after Easter dinner or any other family meal this spring. If you don't think you can finish it before it goes bad, the good news is that you can freeze many of Costco's popular bar cakes, including this one.

The best way to freeze a Costco cake is to cut it into slices and put squares of parchment paper or wax paper in between each one. Then place it in a freezer-safe, airtight container or a large freezer bag. The wax or parchment paper will prevent the frosting from sticking to the bag or container. You can also slice up the cake and put the slices in a single layer on an aluminum sheet pan, then pop the pan in the freezer for an hour or two. When the slices are frozen, wrap them in plastic wrap or parchment paper and put them in a freezer bag or airtight container and stick them in.

If you don't plan on freezing the cake, remember that it's one of the many popular Costco bakery goods that should be stored in the refrigerator. Because it has cream cheese frosting, it may go bad, start to grow mold, or decline in taste and quality if it's left out on the counter for days, especially in a warm climate. To keep the cake fresh and extend its shelf life, only leave it out for up to two hours, then pop it in the fridge to store it.