5 Shopper Complaints About Costco's Pumpkin Pie

Every year, Costco releases a slew of seasonal products aimed at fulfilling everyone's festive needs. From spooky Halloween treats and Thanksgiving table trimmings to whimsical Christmas decorations and fall-inspired sundaes, the retailer becomes a one-stop-shop whenever the holidays roll around. But there is perhaps no singular item that creates quite as much chatter as the Kirkland Signature Pumpkin Pie.

The gigantic dessert, which weighs more than three pounds and costs less than $6, has become a Costco staple over the years. Made from scratch with aged puree that's purchased almost a year in advance, the pies tend to fly off the shelves towards the end of November. Around 9 million were sold in 2024, nearly a third of which were picked up in the three days before Thanksgiving.

But while the pies remain popular and plenty of shoppers were excited when they returned in 2026, that doesn't mean everyone is a fan. Some complaints come up among shoppers again and again. In fact, Tasting Table ranked the pie last on its list of the best Costco bakery treats.

Our expert had two big gripes with Costco's pumpkin pie. The first was the texture: The filling was so soft it was almost liquid. The biggest issue, however, was the one dimensional flavor. One Reddit user who felt similarly even went so far as to completely rejig the dessert. They said, "It was too bland for me so I scooped out the filling, added spices, and mixed it all up to make a kind of custard ... Never buying the pie again. I just dislike wasting food so had to take extreme measures."

On the same thread, another Redditor said they threw their pie away. "Yes, it's huge and that's always a plus. But the taste is total trash," they wrote. Another person simply called the pie "mediocre" with a "soft mushy crust" and "bland filling". Others voiced the same complaints elsewhere online, with many saying they just don't understand the hype.

Another Tasting Table expert was left disappointed by Costco when they ranked five grocery store pumpkin pies. They thought the crust was good, but the pudding-like filling was just too hard to get past, which seems to be a common complaint. People who like a softer pie might enjoy the texture, but some social media users have even questioned if their pies were fully baked.

One TikTok user said, "It was mushy. The texture was totally wrong...Did they not bake it long enough?" Others have complained about the crust, with one shopper describing it as "thin, flimsy, a bit moist and looked undercooked."

Another common complaint is that the filling feels sandy. "I just bought one a few days ago and the filling part tasted gritty," one Reddit user said. "It tastes like they didn't wash the pumpkins thoroughly enough. I had to throw the whole thing out because I cannot handle that texture."

Some shoppers feel like these issues haven't always been present. Many are convinced that the recipe has changed and the quality has dropped over the years. Tasting Table previously dug into the history of Costco's pumpkin pie and apparently the recipe has been the same since 1987. Someone who claims to have worked at a Costco bakery for more than two decades backed this on Facebook, writing, "It's the same. I [worked] in the bakery for 26 years. We have not changed the recipe."

But people do question this. A Reddit user who thought the 2024 version tasted different felt there was "less spice and more pumpkin" while another described it as "lacking" that year. That person wrote, "I've had it in years past and have really enjoyed it but this year was just blah. The crust was thin, flimsy, a bit moist and looked undercooked." In 2026 another user wrote on Facebook, "The pumpkin pie tastes like the filling isn't set. Going to try to bake it for another half an hour to see if that helps. Definitely not as good as last year."

No matter what, most people can agree that for under $7, the Kirkland Signature Pumpkin Pie offers some pretty good value. Though the retailer has never officially confirmed any changes to the pie, the size seemed to increase from 10-inches in diameter to a whopping 12-inches in 2016. That's a lot of dessert, enough to feed at least 12 people, which is why some fans swear by it for holiday celebrations. But not everyone needs a pie that size, and it can be frustrating for shoppers who just want a slice or two.

One such person who posted a picture of the pies at their local Costco on Facebook wrote, "I stood there contemplating buying one of these for way too long. But I live alone. Not sure I can be trusted with this much pumpkin pie." A Reddit user said, "I love pumpkin pie, but I'd make myself sick eating that whole thing before it went bad. I don't think it freezes well." 

However, a lot of people have had success with freezing the pie. Apparently, the trick is to cut it into slices, blot any moisture off the top, and then wrap it tightly. Tasting Table broke it down further when rounding up seven Costco pumpkin pie tips.

The Costco pumpkin pie contains milk, enriched flour, eggs, soybean oil, and cornstarch – which means it's off limits for a lot of people with allergies. To be fair, most pies contain gluten and eggs, but this one also rules out those with an aversion to corn or soy. Some shoppers also don't love the ingredient list in general. 

A TikTok user said in a video, "Not only do we have corn syrup, solid soybean oil, and canola oil, it also has TBHQ." Also known as tertiary butylhydroquinone, TBHQ is a synthetic antioxidant that is used to extend the shelf life of food. It's common in processed foods but it has a controversial reputation, and the FDA does limit how much can be added to products.  Another Redditor feels the ingredients make the pies taste artificial. "Each one is like a lab experiment trying to replicate the taste of pumpkin gone horribly wrong," they said.

It should be noted that there are also plenty of fans of the Costco pumpkin pie, which is evidenced not only by social media but also by how quickly it flies off shelves. If you get your hands on one and don't have any dietary restrictions that prevent you from eating it, you'll be able to decide for yourself if it warrants the hype. If not, there is always this classic pumpkin pie recipe.