4 Fall Desserts From Costco To Buy And 4 To Avoid

What's your favorite season at Costco? The warehouse goes all out no matter what time of year it is, so it's hard to pick. It's pretty great when we start to thaw out in the spring, with the return of grills and gardening supplies. The winter holidays are also a magical time to be at Costco, surrounded by Christmas trees, Advent calendars, and all kinds of festive finds. But don't count out autumn.

You may have to dodge some spooky skeletons and giant animatronic monsters during the start of the "-ber" months, but you'll also be treated to plenty of cozy finds and comfort foods. And one of the places where you'll see the largest (and best) seasonal shift is in the bakery section. The colors of the bakery begin to change right as the leaves do, as flavors of pumpkin, apple, and cinnamon are all reintroduced.

Of course, the reappearance of some items is a bit more newsworthy than others. People seem to get particularly hype when that giant pumpkin pie makes its triumphant return for the first time each year. But this year, I wanted to share my own two cents on what's actually scream-worthy. So, I grabbed eight different fall-inspired treats from the Costco bakery to try for myself. Here are my top picks that you should absolutely consider buying, and conversely, the desserts you should avoid, just like a vampire avoids garlic.

It's large. It's viral. It's the most expensive fall dessert you'll find in Costco's bakery, ringing up at $21.99. But I'm here to tell you the colossal pumpkin cheesecake is 100% worth it.

It's the perfect compromise between a pumpkin pie and a classic cheesecake. It comes in multiple layers, all built on a graham cracker crust. First, you have a cream cheese and pumpkin blended base. Then, there's an equally thick layer of pumpkin mousse sprinkled with even more graham cracker crumbles on top — presumably for some added texture but also to give the appearance a little razzle-dazzle. I'm a fan of the build because it gives you a mix of dense and creamy, but also light and fluffy. On top of that, you get the tangy flavor of cheesecake coupled with the mildly sweet taste of pumpkin. You can tell fall spices were used in the recipe, but it doesn't feel overly spiced or overly sugary.

My only complaint is that it does get a little gritty in spots, rather than being completely smooth. I also couldn't help but compare it to the pie my family used to get from Bob Evans every Thanksgiving called the Pumpkin Supreme. It followed the same cheesecake-meets-pumpkin-pie idea, and I think it married the two just a bit better. But since that pie is no longer around, I'll gladly accept Costco's version as a replacement.

Look out, here comes the big orange monster that creeps its way into Costco each fall. Before you ask, yes, the pumpkin pie is still priced at just $5.99 — a price that's been going strong for decades. It's also still an absolute behemoth. Mine weighed in at 3 pounds 10 ounces, which is about a pound less than both the cheesecake and apple pie. But for just $6, it's still an impressive size.

I could sit here and argue all day that this is a good deal. I don't think anyone is denying that. However, I do think it leaves something to be desired in terms of taste. When I think pumpkin pie, I think sugar, spice, and everything nice. This one was more like extra sugar and just a little spice, while the light taste of pumpkin stood alone on the nice list. It's extra sweet, but the flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice are much more subdued than I would have liked. My second thought was that it was a bit sloshy. I found it to be runny rather than creamy or custardy. That left the bottom crust soggy as well, which didn't help its case.

When the Costco receipt checker saw the pumpkin pie, she asked, "No whipped cream?" It was a harmless comment, but in hindsight, it should've been my first clue that this pie needed a little help in the flavor department.

If I could tell you to buy them twice, I would. At first, I wasn't sold on all the hype around these muffins. I mean, could they really be that good? As someone who could usually take or leave a morning muffin, I thought to myself, no; I highly doubt it. But here I am, happily admitting I was wrong.

My error in judgment became obvious as soon as I opened the container. The aroma that hit me was like a fresh batch of pumpkin bread, and the taste was somehow even better. The texture made it seem as though each streusel-topped muffin was made just minutes before I dug in. It was extremely dense but also incredibly moist. There was even an undercooked flavor to it, reminding me of batter licked right from the mixer. The taste of pumpkin was light yet pleasant, while the warm spices were in full effect. The ingredient label lists pumpkin spice as the main add-in, and those hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves definitely found their way to my taste buds.

Of course, all eight muffins are then topped off with streusel crumbles of cinnamon sugar. It's another hit of sweetness that they don't even really need, but I was happy it was there. If nothing else, it gives the fall treat a bakery feel, and that aesthetic continues thanks to the elegant tulip-shaped liner.

Kicking off Costco's lineup of apple-inspired treats, we have the apple pie. It doesn't come at the same insanely low price as the pumpkin pie (whomp whomp). But I'd say $12.99 for this oversized confection is still pretty reasonable. Now, if only I had liked it a little bit more.

The problems started as soon as I tried cutting into it — if you want picture-perfect slices, this is not the pie for you. While I appreciate the lattice top crust that's crystallized with sugar granules, it's exceptionally thick and crumbles into bits on contact. It's this heavy-handed crust that also upsets the apple cart when it comes to taste. There's simply too much of it, and simultaneously not enough apple filling to create an ideal apple pie ratio. That makes for very dry and brittle, albeit sugary bites. I do think it's possible that this particular pie was overcooked. Did you notice the extra browning all around the edges? But I wasn't all that impressed with what was on the inside either. There were mostly intact, tender apple slices, which were a little too tart for my liking. And with a minimal amount of spiced pie goop to even it out, it feels like it's missing something.

It's not necessarily bad, but I'm not in love with it either. If you do choose to buy it, I'd definitely recommend serving it à la mode. The Kirkland Signature brand churns out a great vanilla ice cream you can snag.

If you're a Costco newbie, don't make the same mistake I did my first time buying the Danishes. Apparently, they're all sold as a mix-and-match two-pack bundle, kind of like a BOGO — a fact I learned at the register right before waiting five minutes for a poor employee to run back to the bakery section to fetch me another. Just humiliating. But in my defense, they should really be taped together or something. Luckily, I know better now. And on my most recent warehouse trip, I doubled down on the fall Danish installment, which happens to be apple-filled.

There is some crossover between this and Costco's apple pie, mostly when it comes to the size and softness of the apple slices. In all other respects, though, I think the Danish is the superior treat. For starters, there's a bit more spiced flavor and more sweet gel in the center to balance everything out. Not to mention, the swap of a traditional pie crust for a croissant is a genius one. The buttery layers create a nice base that helps level out the sweetness. Then, of course, there's the icing on top — just like the kind you'd find on a cinnamon roll — that makes the entire thing even more indulgent.

Costco's cheese Danish may still be my favorite. It's the kind of dessert that goes with every season and every occasion. But the apple version makes a strong case for itself.

Opening this box of donuts was like being hit in the face with a flannel shirt. Costco really didn't hold back with the apple cider aroma. And when it comes to the taste, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

I'm not sure how they do it, but the donuts do have that distinctly apple cider vibe to them. It's not just generic apple or even apple cinnamon. They really capture those sharper, earthier notes of cider. But it's not all sunshine and fall foliage. While the flavor is accurate, that doesn't necessarily mean it's good. There's an artificial edge to these donuts that made me feel more like I was eating an autumn candle than anything else. I could see it now as the next big Bath & Body Works scent: Apple Cider Donut (it could saddle up next to Cider Lane and Honeycrisp Hayride). But despite its potential as a fragrance, all eating it did was leave me with an unpleasant perfume-like aftertaste.

On top of the wonky flavoring, the donuts were additionally lacking some much-needed moisture on the inside. The cinnamon sugar coating did help a bit. But it was very unevenly applied from donut to donut, so it was hard to count on. Ultimately, these left me wishing for the homemade donuts I get every year at a friend's nearby pumpkin farm. Costco's version can't compete with that kind of fresh-baked seasonal goodness.

If we're comparing apples to apples, I think I like the earlier apple Danishes just a smidge more than these strudel bites. But that in no way means these desserts are unworthy of a pick-up. They follow a similar idea of sweet apple filling surrounded by some kind of carb and have their own unique charm baked in.

They did surprise me at first because the apple mixture isn't what I was expecting. This is not your grandma's apple pie filling. Instead, it's made up of much smaller bits of the fruit surrounded by a richer, stickier caramel sauce. It smelled and tasted a bit like pecan pie to me. Then, I realized the better comparison is to Taco Bell's Caramel Apple Empanadas — a shining star of the chain's Y2K menu. Of course, the shell here is much different from T-Bell's deep-fried dealio. It consists of flaky pastry dough layers and creates a cave with the apple blend at the center. Finally, a thick layer of crystal sugar on top gives it more of a crunch. I thought some kind of icing would have been better, but I digress.

All in all, they're less apple-y than the Danishes. Each one could definitely use another dose of filling. But they're still a tasty little treat — emphasis on little. It's one of the few Costco desserts that comes at a manageable size. You get all the goodness without bringing home a four-pound commitment.

If you venture past the bakery section, you just might find a few more fall desserts lurking about. Case in point: As I whizzed by the freezer aisle, I spotted these apple pie squares that are studded with cranberries and fit perfectly into the autumnal theme.

As a frozen product, they do come with a bit of prep. These squares require about 14 minutes in an air fryer or a minute or two in the microwave before you can dig in. It doesn't seem like much. But still, it's more effort than simply plopping something on a plate, which is what all the other Costco desserts required. And let me tell you, the juice is not worth the squeeze.

Instead of turning out like a famous McDonald's pie, it's more like a dried-out Hot Pocket. Fresh from my air fryer, the squares turned out crackly, chewy, and nearly flavorless on the outside. On the inside, the fruit filling was scanty, and the flavor? Subpar at best. The tartness of the cranberries compounded the sourness of the diced apples, and there wasn't enough of a sweet, sugary element to balance it out. It almost feels like this was meant to be a healthy dessert alternative. But that's not really the story the nutrition facts tell. And even if they did, at that point, I'd rather just reach for an apple and call it a day.

It's not always easy to find Costco's bakery inventory online or in the app. So, I went straight to the source to see what the warehouse is cooking up for fall. I perused not only the bakery section (although most treats did come from there), but also the freezer section and other aisles to scrounge up all the autumn-inspired desserts I could find. I focused on the two titans of fall: pumpkin and apple, and wound up with eight different treats in my giant Costco cart.

At home, I tried most straight from the container as intended and baked the frozen apple squares based on the instructions on the box. Tasting each one turned into a fun game of this or that, and while I didn't completely turn my nose up at any treat, there are definitely a few that were better than others.

The better ones had very obvious fall flavors, from the fruit of choice to the warm spices. They had pleasing textures, were never dry, and were neither too bland nor overly sweet. These were the options I would highly recommend buying before the season is up. As for the others, I won't be as sad to see them go as we switch over into winter.