Costco's Not-So-Fresh Bakery Items You've Probably Bought

Costco is known for selling a wide variety of items, including a range of delectable baked goods. The desserts, pastries, and breads are bound to grab the attention of shoppers walking through the bakery section, whether they're items that you frequently purchase, or ones that you just had to put in your cart to take home because you mouth watered at the mere sight of them. The real question, though, is does Costco make its bakery items from scratch? And therefore, just how fresh are they?

The fact of the matter is, there are some Costco bakery items that are made from-scratch on-site and others that are not. So, we decided to compile a list of Costco's not-so-fresh bakery items to let you know which baked goods you've been buying that are not as fresh as you think they are. The key way that we determined which Costco bakery items weren't the freshest was by researching what Costco bakers and workers on Reddit had to say about the preparation of certain bakery items.

The Kirkland Signature Butter Croissants are one of Costco's most popular bakery items, and understandably so. Even after Costco croissants saw a price increase in early 2025, they still hold their spots as one of the tasty Costco foods you should add to your cart for under $10, and one of the must-buy Costco items for first-time customers.

However, something you might not know is that despite the fact the croissants are deliciously buttery and flaky, they are not quite as they seem. Multiple Costco workers on Reddit have explained that rather than being made in-store, the dough for the croissants is delivered raw. The pastries are then baked before being packaged in a box of 12 and put out for members. 

It seems that this preparation process doesn't bother shoppers, however, as fans have described on social media how they will go through the dozen pastries within a few days, thanks to their versatility. If you don't go through them so quickly, they can also be placed in ziplock bags and frozen.  

The Kirkland Signature Gourmet Chocolate Chunk Cookies have been a staple of the Costco bakery section for years. They come in a generous 24-pack, which makes them ideal as a dessert option for get-togethers or as a treat for shoppers who have a sweet tooth. Soft and chewy, they have an appetizing vanilla flavor and loads of big chunks of chocolate.

The chocolate chunk cookies are another sweet treat that Costco bakery workers on Reddit said come in frozen. They just simply need to be baked before being packaged and put out for customers. 

There are also a few hidden secrets of the Costco bakery, and one of them happens to be that you can request wholesale boxes of your favorite bakery items, frozen, at a reduced price — including the chocolate chunk cookies. The cookies, and other items, are just packaged before their final baking step. According to TikTok, one member got 120 frozen cookies from Costco's bakery for just $32.99.

Although the Kirkland Signature Tuxedo Chocolate Mousse Cake may be considered one of the unhealthy foods at the Costco bakery, members still seem to enjoy it, with one Redditor even dubbing it "one of the best cakes I have ever tasted." Others enjoy the range of delicious textures and tastes in this crowd-pleasing favorite.

However, according to Costco workers on Reddit, the chocolate-filled cake is another dessert that is not made from-scratch in-store. The Tuxedo Chocolate Mousse Cake comes frozen and uncut, then simply needs to be sliced and decorated before it hits shelves. 

One Costco worker noted that one frozen uncut Tuxedo cake typically makes three to four of the ones that are packaged and put out for customers. Another admitted that it can be tempting to eat the excess pieces that are left after slicing and decorating the cake — and after reading what members had to say about the cake, we don't blame them.

Apple pie is a popular dessert in the United States, making up 27% of all pie sales in 2023, according to the American Pie Council. For a tasty apple pie option, Costco has its Kirkland Signature Double Crust Apple Pie. Fans like that the pie is generously sized, with a rich and flavorful filling as well as a flaky crust. It's ideal for serving cold, or warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You can even transform Costco apple pie with a streusel topping to make a whole new dessert.

According to bakery workers on Reddit, the way that this pie is prepared has changed slightly over the years. One poster stated that Costco used to use a pre-made apple pie filling for the apple pies, but that is no longer the case. Now, like many other desserts, they come in frozen and need to be baked. Although, the apple pies do require a little bit more work than some of the other baked goods because the workers need to add the top crust, mist on water and sprinkle on some sugar before it can be baked.

In addition to the plethora of sweet pastries and desserts that the Costco bakery section has for members to choose from, it also offers a variety of bread products, including a few different types of bagels. The warehouse club sells its bagels in a 12-count, with the option to mix and match flavors.

The bagels are another product that Costco bakery workers on Reddit said are delivered to the warehouse par baked and frozen rather than being made on-site. They simply need to be baked before being packaged for customers. 

Now, it is important to note that bread products are one of the Costco food items that customers return the most due to them molding quickly, so do with that information what you will. One Redditor complained about the bagels they bought from Costco growing mold after a couple of days — the member noted that they did try freezing a sleeve, but said it molded a day after being taken out of the freezer. However, another poster recommended freezing the entire sleeve and only thawing the bagels one at a time when needed so they don't mold so quickly.

Danishes are a Costco bakery staple that have been around for a while. There are usually a few different flavors for members to choose from including the classic cream cheese, cherry, and almond. These are another food item where you can mix and match flavors when buying them.

According to bakery workers who took to Reddit, the danishes are sent to stores raw and frozen. They need to be proofed, and then can be baked and packaged for customers to take home and devour. One worker stated that they do make the cheese for the cream cheese danishes. 

As for how to serve them, fans recommend toasting the danishes in a toaster oven or air fryer, as well as adding a scoop of jam to the cream cheese ones to enhance and give them more flavor. One Redditor was concerned that freezing the danishes would change the texture of the filling, but other posters assured them that they freeze well and that they have never had an issue with it — the only issue might be that the pastry isn't as crunchy.

Throughout the year, members can almost always find a number of decadent dessert options in the warehouse club's bakery section. One of those choices is the Kirkland Signature 9" White Chocolate Raspberry Round Cake, which features layers of cake, fruity jam, white chocolate ganache, and creamy mascarpone mousse. One Redditor noted that the cake has a generous amount of raspberry, while another said it is "100% worth the money," noting that they personally went back for another slice several times and their family couldn't get enough of it (per Reddit). 

A bakery worker on Reddit explained that the preparation process for the cake is simple. It comes in frozen rather than being made in-store, and just needs to be decorated before being put out for members. But not everyone is a fan of the dessert. Complaints include the raspberry's texture being too firm or lacking in fruit flavor, while one Redditor said that there is "really no white chocolate flavor."

One of the savory baked goods that Costco offers is the Onion and Cheese Pinwheels. Fans enjoy the generous size, buttery pastry, and robust flavor, although others feel there is a little too much everything bagel seasoning on top, which you may need to scrape off. One bakery worker on Reddit said that they made ham and cheese sandwiches with them, while another Redditor declared the pinwheels a new favorite and explained that they love to toast them and then fill them with "scrambled peppers and eggs for breakfast or tuna fish for lunch."

According to bakery workers on Reddit, the pinwheels come in frozen, rather than being baked in-store. They need to defrost overnight in a cooler then be seasoned, proofed, and baked before being ready to be put out on shelves. There have been some complaints from customers regarding the fact that you only get six pinwheels for the price — but others highlighted how large the pinwheels are.

In addition to the popular bagels, another classic bread that the warehouse club sells is a traditional Kirkland Signature Baguette, which comes in a two-pack. It does appear that the baguettes used to be bigger, as a couple years ago members on Reddit pointed out that the baked good had shrunk by at least a couple of inches. Customers on Reddit also noticed a change to the texture and flavor of the bread in 2024. This was confirmed by a Costco bakery worker, who explained that the baguettes being delivered had indeed changed, and were now thicker. 

It doesn't seem as though that the new baguettes have a different preparation process, however, as bakery workers in a Reddit thread in early 2025 stated that the baguettes still come in frozen and par baked. Some shoppers have complained that the baguette crust is tough and difficult to tear apart — but one solution to revive stale bread is to run the baguette under water (or spray it) before putting it into the oven, or wrap it in a wet paper towel and put it in the microwave.

One of Costco's popular dessert options are the pretty bar cakes. The cakes typically rotate throughout the year, although there are some that are available pretty consistently — so they might come in a variety of flavors including maple butter pecan, caramel tres leches, strawberry shortcake, carrot cake, peaches and cream, and tiramisu.

According to bakery workers who took to Reddit, the bar cakes — no matter the flavor — come in frozen. They then just need to be decorated before being put out for members to purchase. 

Although they're not freshly made in-store, it seems that for the most part members enjoy the bar cakes, with some praising the light texture. However, there are a few complaints about some of the varieties. Some find the strawberry and maple flavors to taste artificial rather than natural. Others find the flavor overly sweet, and find there's an overabundance of cream in some versions like the strawberry, or a less generous portion of icing in others, such as the carrot.

Another bread item found in Costco's vast bakery section is its Kirkland Signature Artisan Rolls, which come in a 12-count. Based on reviews from members on Reddit, it seems like these rolls are well-liked and fairly popular. Customers stated that they like to toast the rolls and use them for sandwiches, or they can also be drizzled with olive oil and grilled.

However, a member who has been buying the rolls for close to a decade complained on Reddit about a year ago that their texture had become "rubbery". A Costco bakery worker in the thread verified that they had noticed the quality of the rolls drop off in recent months. Shoppers also recommended freezing some of the rolls, as they have a tendency to mold quickly.

Perhaps the textural issues are because the rolls come in to the bakery frozen, rather than being baked fresh. Then they are put on trays and baked for nine minutes at 380 degrees Fahrenheit. After that, they are bagged and put out for customers to buy.

Another bread-based treat in the Costco bakery is the Kirkland Signature Rustic Italian Bread, which is 32 ounces. Fans of the huge loaf praise its nice crust and pleasantly salty flavor, while others like the soft center.

On Reddit, there has been some disagreement about this particular loaf. One Redditor pointed out that the loaf stays soft and edible for five or more days, adding that must mean that there are a lot of additives in it as "real bread" is inedible after about two days. A different poster described the taste of the bread as okay but noted it was too dense, and said the loaves at supermarkets were better. 

Rather than being made on-site, a bakery worker on Reddit said this artisan loaf is delivered frozen and par baked. The conflicting reviews could suggest that the bread's preparation affects the quality of the loaf — however, it could also just be that it's not everyone's taste.

Another savory bread option at Costco's bakery is the Kirkland Signature Rosemary Parmesan Bread. It is also a bakery item that a worker on Reddit said is delivered frozen and par baked, just needing to be baked again and then packaged before it hits the shelves.

According to a member on Reddit, the rosemary parmesan bread used to come in a two-pack but around a year ago Costco began selling it as only a single loaf. One Redditor stated that the rosemary parmesan bread was "amazing," adding that they ended up finishing a whole loaf on the way home. Others appreciate the aromatic rosemary and light, savory parmesan flavor. The only complaint members on Reddit seem to have involves the price of the loaf.

In terms of serving, this bread works well just sliced, drizzled with olive oil, and baked in foil. One Redditor recommended further amping up the taste by slicing the loaf in half and putting melted butter with basil, oregano, chile flakes, onion powder, and fresh garlic on it, before adding cheese and toasting it in the oven for a few minutes. 

We know we've talked about a lot of savory breads, but there is also a sweet bread that members can find in the bakery section. The Kirkland Signature Cranberry Walnut Round is another baked good that a bakery worker on Reddit explained comes frozen and par baked, simply needing to be baked again before it's ready for members.

Despite not being made fresh in-store, the cranberry walnut bread seems to be well-liked by shoppers, with one Redditor begging Costco to not stop making the bread. In a different Reddit thread, members emphasized how good the bread was, also noting the different ways it could be consumed — such as in a sandwich, as French toast, or with brie cheese and butter. 

One Costco customer shared a picture to Reddit of slices from the loaf after it had been in the freezer for two weeks, highlighting that the bread was just like it had been the day they bought it. Another Redditor simply referred to the Cranberry Walnut Round as "pure crack."