The Costco Bakery Pumpkin Cheesecake Is Different This Year. Here's What Changed

Some people look forward to pumpkin spiced lattes every fall, but if you're a Costco shopper you may find yourself counting down the days until the warehouse giant releases its seasonal pumpkin cheesecake. Fans will be pleased to know the cakes are officially back on store shelves, making it one of the many hot Costco finds worth grabbing this fall. Nearly as iconic as the company's $5.99 pumpkin pie, fans find the pumpkin cheesecakes to be a great dessert to serve at Thanksgiving or during the days leading up to the holiday. If you purchase the cake every year, you may notice this year's version is slightly different than what you remember.

In previous years, Costco has made its pumpkin cheesecakes with a thin graham cracker-based crust, a pumpkin cheesecake filling, and a creamy, tangy top layer that people described as yogurt or sour-cream based. This year's pumpkin cheesecake is still served in a graham cracker crust, but the pumpkin cheesecake layer is noticeably thinner with a generous layer of pumpkin-flavored whipped cream on top, along with graham cracker crumbles. Some comments from reddit have not been favorable so far, saying things like, "I can barely detect any cheesecake, which is disappointing," and "It was okay. I've tasted better pumpkin cheesecake."

Still, others are enjoying the change, saying it's lighter than traditional cheesecake but not as heavy as pumpkin pie. The cake is generous in size at over four pounds and sells for $21.99.

Costco's pumpkin cheesecake is only available for a limited time, but it's unclear when the company will stop making the dessert. It's hard to imagine Costco would pull such a fall-inspired treat from the shelves before Thanksgiving, but if you want to take extra precaution you can buy one early and freeze it. Thaw it in the refrigerator rather than setting it on the counter.

Anyone who's ever cut a cheesecake knows how messy it can get. This is because as soon as you make the first slice, the cheesecake filling sticks to your knife and makes every other cut ragged and unattractive. For pristine slices every time (which is always a nice touch for a special occasion like Thanksgiving), consider using a long string of dental floss. Hold the ends firmly and press it straight through, all the way to the bottom of the cheesecake, pulling it out horizontally, not straight up the way you went in. This will give you even, chunk-free slices. 

You could also use a long, sharp knife and use the nifty method of cutting from the outside in. You'll want to wipe away any cheesecake that sticks to the knife after each cut. Either method should get you through the thick whipped cream, pumpkin cheesecake layer, and graham cracker crust of Costco's newest dessert with ease.