Costco's 12-inch cheesecake is a staple in the warehouse's cakes and pies section.

Although $19 is a good price for such a big cheesecake, it's one of the most expensive items I purchased.

I liked that this cheesecake wasn't dense. Instead, it was incredibly fluffy with a texture that reminded me of a soufflé.

It was so light that it started to fall apart when I pulled a slice onto my plate. The taste made up for the messy slice — this cheesecake was super creamy and not overly sweet, with a slight tanginess to balance its flavors.

I can't wait to try it again with fresh fruit.

During one shopping trip, I looked at desserts just a few weeks before the Easter holiday.

I found a pretty bar cake with layers of carrot cake and cream-cheese frosting, plus a smattering of toasted walnuts on top.

At $19 for a cake that's almost 3 pounds, it seemed like an affordable option to bring to a holiday gathering.

I love carrot cake, but I wished this one had more flavor and moisture in the cake layers.

In my opinion, they were quite dry and tasted a bit bland. I wished the cake had a more spiced flavor.

For the most part, I could only taste the sweet, tangy frosting, which was nice but a little too much for the cake.

The banana cream pie was about as big as the other cakes in this section, which are 10 inches, and cost $16.

The pie had a good balance of flavors and textures. The crunchy graham-cracker crust held together well and added a contrast to all the creamy layers.

I liked that the banana pudding had a natural taste, not an artificial one. The caramel on top added some depth in flavor, but it was subtle.

I wish there had been more caramel, and I think I'd slice some fresh banana on top for serving next time, but overall this was one of my favorite Costco desserts.

The chocolate-covered strawberries were in their own little cooler toward the front of the bakery section, and they were marked down from $13 to $6.

On this trip, I went to Costco one day after Mother's Day, so I assumed these were leftovers from the holiday.

Some of the strawberries looked a little worse for wear, but I managed to find some that didn't look past their prime.

The strawberries selected for this dessert were impressively big, yet they were no match for all of the chocolate they were dipped and drizzled in.

With each bite, I only tasted the rich, hardened chocolate, despite how ripe and juicy the berries were. I'd probably skip these in the future.

Although this dessert was among the most expensive desserts I tried at $19, it was well worth that price based on presentation alone.

It has really pretty layers of strawberries, cream, and vanilla cake, plus striped white-chocolate decorations on top.

This cake seems to be a seasonal one that Costco sometimes brings back in the summer months.

I wished this one tasted as good as it looked. I expected it to be sweet — it is dessert, after all — but this cake was too overly sweet to me.

I think it would've had more balanced flavors if it had a little less strawberry filling and thicker layers of cream.

Like the strawberries-and-cream cake, the tuxedo cake is a long, rectangular layer cake with a pretty design and white-chocolate decorations on top.

I loved the look of this $18 cake and thought it was the most attractive dessert I purchased.

This dessert is extremely rich and dense, with chocolate in mousse, ganache, and cake forms.

There were fudgy, brownie-like pieces between the layers of mousse and they ended up being my favorite part of the dessert.

I'd like more of the vanilla mousse filling to balance out all of the chocolate, and I'd probably serve this with some strawberries for a fresh element, but this is a tasty and impressive dessert I would buy again.

The chocolate-chunk cookies are a staple in the bakery section of Costco. I got 24 cookies for just $10, and I thought they'd be perfect to pick up for a potluck or other gathering.

They looked great, too — they seemed soft with some crispness on the edges.

Although I prefer baking my own cookies when my sweet tooth strikes, these were a fine alternative.

The cookie was soft without falling apart, and I liked that the chocolate had a strong, sharp flavor to cut through the sweetness of the cookie.

However, these cookies were a little dry, so if I bought them again, I'd also get milk to serve them with.

In the bakery section, I saw a pack of what looked like six cupcakes, but once I got closer, I realized they were pretty large cupcakes or "mini cakes."

The Mini All-American Cakes are seasonal, and a few packs were available during my shopping trip to Costco.

One cake in each pack had a red frosting heart. Most of the packs had the red frosting stuck to the container, but I did find one package with an unblemished frosting heart.

Every mini cake included a generous portion of super fudgy frosting on top, and the pack of six cost $9.

I thought the tuxedo chocolate-mousse cake was chocolaty, but these mini cakes put that dessert to shame in terms of chocolate flavor.

It was so intense and rich I could only take one bite, and the chocolate flavor lingered for a long time in my mouth.

These mini cakes are best shared, and I'd need a lot of milk to finish even half of one. In the future, I'd skip these and instead grab a full-size chocolate cake.

The 10-inch chocolate cake with chocolate mousse was available in a few different designs — no personalization needed.

There was a plain option, a birthday option, and a really cute springtime design with floral frosting decorations, which is what I ended up selecting.

This massive cake, which had light cutting guidelines for 16 slices in the frosting, was $16.

Although the chocolate cake and the mini cakes are similar, the chocolate mousse layer in the full-size cake added a much-needed lighter, creamy element to balance out the fudgy icing and rich cake.

Because of the added mousse, I'd be more likely to buy this cake again, even though I wasn't a huge fan of the mini cakes.

I picked up Costco's 2-pound lemon-blueberry loaf in the spring.

The loaves looked incredible, with heaps of crumble topping and an icing drizzle all over. It also seemed like a good deal at $9.

I cut out a slice and was happy to see blueberries toward the top and middle of the loaf — they hadn't all sunk to the bottom.

The loaf itself was light and spongy with a good lemon flavor, which paired well with the chewy blueberries and crunchy crumble topping. I'd happily buy this dessert again, and I'd love to try it warmed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.

I love vanilla cake and cheesecake, so I was particularly intrigued by Costco's 10-inch white cake filled with vanilla-cheesecake mousse.

The entire cake seemed like a great deal, too, at $16. It had a wavy frosting design that could easily be personalized with a message.

This was an instant favorite of mine, and I knew right away I'd buy it again for any celebrations I have coming up.

The cake was so light it reminded me of angel-food cake, and the cheesecake was rich, a little dense, and creamy. The thin frosting layer on top was just the right amount to keep the cake from being overly sweet.

It would be even better with fresh fruit on top.

I was intrigued by this springtime pie, which is filled with apples, strawberries, and raspberries. It had a lattice crust that looked perfectly golden along the edges, but it was a bit pale in the center.

At $16, the pie was one of the more affordable desserts, especially considering how large it was at nearly 5 pounds.

The Kirkland Signature apple-berry pie will certainly satisfy a sweet tooth.

I found the filling, which was very thick, gooey, and sticky, to be extremely sweet. Even just a couple of bites of this pie felt overwhelming to me.

The outer parts of the crust were perfectly crisp and buttery and melted in my mouth. However, the paler center pieces were soft and slightly soggy.

I could see pieces of strawberry and apple in the filling, but the raspberries seemed to have broken down entirely. I also noticed a lot of seeds in the filling; I didn't taste or feel them in my bites, but they didn't look the most appetizing.

Still, the pie was good, at least in small quantities.

Costco's classic cheesecake was a hit for me, so I had high hopes for a tiramisu version of it.

This variety had a simple, but pretty, design with piped whipped cream around the top and a light dusting of cocoa powder to mimic tiramisu.

This was the most expensive dessert I tried at $24, but it seems like it could serve a pretty big crowd, given it's 4 ½ pounds.

Costco's tiramisu cheesecake was certainly worth the price.

The cheesecake had a crunchy, chocolaty base with a thick layer of coffee-flavored cheesecake and a top layer of whipped cream.

Its combination of fluffy whipped cream, rich and tangy cheesecake, and crunchy chocolate worked both texturally and flavor-wise.

The only things that would improve this cheesecake would be a side of sliced strawberries and a mug of piping hot coffee.

Overall, this was one of my favorite desserts from Costco.

All in all, I'd buy nine of these 13 desserts again.

There's a tie for my favorite between the banana cream pie and the white cake with vanilla-cheesecake mousse. Both the classic and tiramisu cheesecakes are also high on my list.

I'd skip the chocolate-covered strawberries, strawberries-and-cream bar cake, the carrot bar cake, and the Mini All-American Cakes.

Of course, regardless of which desserts I'd buy again, I'd make sure to get them when I plan to be with friends or family because most of them were massive.

This story was originally published on June 3, 2024, and most recently updated on April 11, 2025.

The first problem with this seasonal Blizzard was the texture. It had these chewy, colorful bits of sugar that felt a bit off — like they weren't supposed to be in there, and a child added them in at the last minute. 

However, the unbearable sweetness of this Blizzard is what earned it a spot at the bottom of my list. This dessert just tasted like pure sugar and my teeth still hurt thinking about it.

I could picture younger kids absolutely loving this, but I can't see myself ordering this one again.

Many people picture M&Ms when they think of a classic ice-cream mix-in. That symphony of crunchy, chocolaty bits with smooth, creamy ice cream is a kid's kryptonite on a summer afternoon.

My M&M Blizzard came exactly as expected — with the bite-sized candies slightly crushed and evenly dispersed throughout the vanilla. It was a simple yet satisfying option.

Even so, this Blizzard was pretty underwhelming, especially when compared to the other ones on the menu. I think it could've benefited from the addition of a brownie to make the chocolate flavor of the candies stand out more. 

Full disclosure: I don't care much for rocky-road ice cream, so I knew I wasn't going to be wild about this one from the start. 

Like rocky-road ice cream, this Blizzard contains all of the essential flavors: chocolate, peanuts, and marshmallow. This dessert has a single marshmallow core in the center of the cup with the ice cream around it and it comes with brownie chunks to offset the strong vanilla flavors.

I can see this being a dream for anyone who loves marshmallows, but I felt that the core overpowered the rest of the Blizzard.

At one point, I thought the peanuts were missing, but they'd really just collected at the very bottom of the cup, which made every bite pretty inconsistent.

This Blizzard absolutely lives up to its name. To me, it tasted exactly like a cherry slushie.

It's very, very sweet, but I didn't find that totally offputting. The bits of cherry in this offered a nice pop of tart flavor that made my lips pucker. My order also contained plenty of tasty chocolate chunks, which cut through some of that intense fruity sweetness.

I believe this Blizzard will appeal to a lot of people (Shirley Temple fans, looking at you), but it was too sweet for me to find it enjoyable beyond a few bites.

If I wanted a fruit-forward Blizzard, I'd go with the Raspberry Fudge Bliss.

I'm still confused about what the Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Party was supposed to be.

I thought it would have chunks of peanut-butter cookie dough, but it actually contained chocolate-chip cookie dough.

Peanut-butter topping was swirled into DQ's signature vanilla soft serve and — even more confusing — it had a crunchy peanut-brittle topping and sprinkles, which, for me, just added an awkward crunchiness.

Still, it wasn't bad. The sauce was blended so seamlessly into the vanilla soft serve that it tasted like peanut-butter ice cream. However, DQ would have more luck pairing peanut butter with something that would contrast its nutty flavor, like dark-chocolate brownies.

The one-note quality of this makes it seem like it was made for kids

With such a fun name, I had high hopes for this limited-edition Blizzard. Unfortunately, it underwhelmed me. 

Essentially, It's a hodgepodge of chocolatey flavors, but instead of using brownies as the dessert mix-in of choice, it's chocolate chip and chocolate-chocolate cookie dough, which are pretty much indistinguishable from each other.

This had potential, but the similar toppings didn't add much in terms of flavor. I have a difficult time distinguishing between this one and the regular cookie-dough Blizzard, which is disappointing.

I was eager to try the Blizzard because I think Heath is an excellent, underrated candy bar.

The Heath candy bits were finely chopped and distributed well throughout the ice cream. This gave the entire Blizzard a strong toffee taste, which I personally loved.

However, the biggest issue with this one was the texture. Toffee is notoriously sticky and hard, especially when paired with a cold substance like ice cream.

As I ate my Blizzard, I noticed the small bits of the candy were getting stuck to parts of my teeth, which made me unwilling to finish it.

Although I personally never attended summer camp myself, I have many fond childhood memories of eating Oreo dirt pies at birthday parties.

Normally, the dessert is made using pudding as a base, but here, DQ is putting its own spin on this with its soft serve.

I appreciate the sentiment DQ was trying to convey here, and I'm sure kids will go nuts for this, but I'm not sold on the gummy worms being mixed into the ice cream.

As a topping? Fine. But I didn't care for getting random bites of chewy candy in my ice cream. There's already enough texture going on with the cookie pieces and fudge. Plus, it's not like they add that much flavor.

On a more positive note, I loved how the added extra fudge crumbles really doubled down on the chocolate flavor.

This costs the same as the regular Oreo Blizzard, so you're not necessarily out any extra money if you order this over the other. But for my money, I'd much rather get the regular Oreo Blizzard.

This Blizzard brought me back to childhood days at my grandma's house.

I'd often dig in the back of the freezer looking for chocolaty Drumstick treats, only to devour an entire cone within a couple of minutes. And every time, my fingers (and the floor) would end up covered in a melted mess.

Years later, I'm still a fan of Drumsticks, but I rarely eat them to avoid dealing with that mess. Thankfully, DQ has solved that problem by creating a Blizzard with Drumstick bits blended right in that I can enjoy with the convenience of a spoon.

And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. As is the case with most of its Blizzards, the vanilla ice cream made for the perfect base, accentuating the peanut-waffle-cone-Nestlé chocolate flavor in the mix-ins. Peanut was definitely the predominant flavor, but it wasn't so overpowering that I didn't taste the chocolate.

I wish the peanut bits were larger, though, since they kept getting stuck in my teeth. I understand the peanuts on a drumstick are tiny as is, so there was no changing this.

Still, if you're looking for a peanut-butter dessert that's not too chocolaty or sweet, try this Blizzard. 

In my mind, peach cobbler brings to mind a dessert served warm, and topped with ice cream, so I was curious about this deconstructed Blizzard version.

Overall, this was so-so. The tiny chunks of cold cobbler were easily the star of the show, offering a buttery flavor that was delicious against DQ's basic vanilla soft serve and a shortbread-like texture that was pleasantly crumbly.

That said, I don't know if the peach-topping swirls worked for me. It could have been how my Blizzard was mixed, but I found the distribution of flavor wildly inconsistent — I had to dig around before I got any peach flavor. 

Although I enjoyed this Blizzard, it was essentially the same thing as cookies-and-cream ice cream.

On a positive note, DQ's signature vanilla soft serve tasted mellower and had a more delicate finish than what you'd find at the grocery store. I also liked that I could taste the icing bits in the Oreos. 

However, I probably wouldn't order this one again unless I was on the go and craving something familiar. For the price, I would rather purchase a pint of high-quality cookies-and-cream ice cream from the grocery store.

Given its name, I expected this would contain a mix of brownie and cookie-dough chunks, but sadly, it's just the latter.

The dough provided more texture than flavor under the blend of vanilla and chocolaty brownie-batter ice cream.

More than anything, this tasted like a Wendy's Frosty to me — not bad, just underwhelming.

Introduced in 2024 as June's Blizzard of the Month, this Ultimate Cookie Blizzard is made for people who appreciate lots of texture.

Featuring a blend of vanilla soft serve and Nabisco's finest — Chips Ahoy, Oreos, and Nutter Butters — every spoonful from start to finish contained some bit of cookie chunk. Yum!

Sadly, The Chips Ahoy cookies were barely detectable under the flavor from the Nutter Butter and rich cocoa notes coming from the Oreos.

I'm not complaining because it's all tasty, but I wouldn't call this as memorable or impressive as the Oreo brookie Blizzard.

As a chocolate lover, I was surprised that I didn't like this one as much as I'd hoped. This Blizzard is proof that there can be too much of a good thing.

This comes with brownie pieces, chocolate fudge, and chocolate chunks. I enjoy all those things individually, but it's almost too much when they're all packed together in an 8-ounce cup.

It was clear to me that the chewy brownie chunks were the star of the show, and the other two chocolaty components didn't add much. The brownies were so fudgy that they blended together with the fudge chunks, too. Part of me feels like the fudge chunks were thrown in just to give this Blizzard its "extreme" name. 

The kicker of this dessert is that it came with vanilla ice cream — not chocolate — but I honestly couldn't taste it underneath all of the toppings. 

This Blizzard consists of vanilla soft serve and a generous amount of nutty, scrumptious Butterfinger bits. I immediately noticed the little orange bits sticking out from the creamy soft serve, so everything looked like it had been mixed well. 

Taste-wise, this blizzard was good but not incredible. The candy bar (or bars?). was ground incredibly fine, which allowed the nutty flavor to blend seamlessly into the soft serve.

However, I felt the candy's chocolate coating got completely lost in the mixing process.

The symphony of textures makes Snickers one of the US's most beloved candy bars, and the same holds true when it's paired with delicious vanilla soft serve.

Yummy chocolate, smooth caramel, and crunchy peanuts gave this one a pleasant blend of different flavors without overpowering the ice cream itself.

Of the candy-themed Blizzards I tried, this was one of the better ones.

Don't ever try to tell me that brownie flavor and brownie-batter flavor are the same thing — they're not.

This Blizzard is evidence of that, as it had an almost malted flavor to it, which made it slightly sweeter than other chocolate ones. I absolutely loved it.

This tasted like someone froze a bowl of brownie batter. Even better, DQ was not skimpy about the brownie chunks. I got a bit of chewy, fudgy brownie in every single bite down to the bottom of the cup.

As advertised, this Blizzard came with vanilla soft serve and noticeable chunks of Reese's peanut-butter cups.

As expected, everything tasted great. The Reese's chunks had that familiar melt-in-your-mouth flavor that I know and love. However, the further I got into my Blizzard, the fewer peanut-butter cups there were, and the less enjoyable it became.

Still, if I had to choose a candy-themed Blizzard, I'd probably order this one again over some of the others.

Puppy chow — or "muddy buddies" depending on where you grew up — is a common snack at many a childhood sleepover, movie night, holiday party, or school event. It's a treat made using basic cereal like Chex, melted chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar.

I'm not surprised Dairy Queen turned it into a mix-in. Still, I wasn't blown away by this flavor. 

It was tasty, and the peanut-butter flavor came through nicely on each bite. However, in my order, the few squares of puppy chow in the mix were clumped toward the bottom. Luckily, when I did eat a piece, it was delicious and nicely softened under the weight of the ice cream while still retaining a slight crispiness.

The pieces also added a subtle bit of salt that's missing with the Reese's Blizzard.

Like the chain's traditional Oreo Blizzard, this comes with vanilla soft serve and chewy bits of Oreo cookies. The only difference is that this takes it to the next level by adding globs of yummy, fudgy brownies to the mixture.

This was good but it wasn't much of a standout to me because it seemed like the Oreos were reduced to the background.

The brownies dominated the dessert, which wasn't a problem for me as a chocolate lover, but it made me question whether the Oreos needed to be there. 

The blend of buttery pecans, caramel, and vanilla on this Blizzard was absolutely divine. I also liked that my order contained pieces of whole pecans. 

However, I found the chocolate fudge shavings to be unnecessary because they weren't noticeable at all. That said, this Blizzard earns high marks for its uniqueness and great taste. 

You may be thinking, "Wait a second, Dairy Queen has always had a Drumstick Blizzard with peanuts." Correct. This one is different — it has all that and caramel.  

The addition is very subtle. Visually, it looks no different from the other Drumstick Blizzard. However, as soon as I took that first bite, it was clear this was a huge step above the original.

The caramel topping was blended seamlessly into the ice cream, offering a touch of yummy sweetness that paired incredibly well with the peanuts and chocolaty drumstick pieces.

In all, it's a wonderful combination of slightly salty, sweet, and nutty flavors.

People who are hoping to get huge globs of gooey caramel might be disappointed. But if you want something that's delicious and sweet but not quite as intense as some of the candy-flavored Blizzards, this will hit the spot.

Just when you think DQ hasn't done enough with Oreo, the chain adds tiny, dime-sized chunks of brownie-and-chocolate-chip-cookie hybrids. The more cookies, the better. 

Upon the first spoonful, I thought this Blizzard tasted like a typical cookies-and-cream one. But once I got a piece of the brookie, I understood why this was so special. The brookie pieces brought a yummy, fudgy chewiness that was absolutely delightful in contrast to the slightly crunchy Oreos.

The chocolate-chip-cookie component brought in a buttery sweetness that popped against the vanilla ice cream. It was kind of like eating chocolate-chip-cookie dough and cookies-and-cream ice cream with brownie chunks all at once. It was delicious.

Even though the chocolate was the standout flavor here, I didn't find it as intensely cocoa-flavored as the Oreo brownie Blizzard. Since the chunks of brookie are smaller than a coin, they didn't really overpower the Oreo flavor.

Much like the cheesecake Blizzard, this came with a decent amount of cheesecake chunks. The only difference is that this one's also mixed with Oreo cookies.

I accidentally ordered this with chocolate ice cream instead of vanilla, but, even so, it tasted the same as the chain's vanilla soft serve but with a hint of chocolate syrup. 

In my opinion, this is a great option for the cheesecake lover who also wants a little bit of chocolate.

The ratio between the two ingredients was fairly even, which meant no one taste dominated the other. In fact, they enhanced each other. The cocoa in the Oreos popped each time I got a bite of them with the creamy cheesecake.

Cookie dough is one of the most popular ice-cream flavors in the US, and I get why. 

The dough bits in this Blizzard were just the right size — and, best of all, there were so many of them. This Blizzard was heaven with a great ratio of ice cream to cookie dough. 

The chocolate fudge really made this Blizzard stand out from standard, store-bought cookie-dough ice cream from the grocery store.

The fudge made the ice cream chocolaty, which brought out the sweetness of the doughy bits.

Frozen Thin Mints are a thing for a reason, and I'm glad DQ found a way to harness that perfectly cool, chocolaty deliciousness into a Blizzard.

Here, the ice cream had a delicate minty flavor that tasted like a dead ringer for the iconic cookie. The use of vanilla soft serve with mint swirled into it lends to a pleasant, refreshing sweetness that prevents this from tasting like toothpaste.

The bits of Thin Mint cookies were basically the cherry on top here: perfectly chewy, with their smooth chocolate flavor dancing on the creamy, cool vanilla-mint swirl.

This ended up being one of my favorite Blizzards. The addition of a fudgy chocolate swirl is the only thing that could make this even better. 

My initial thought on seeing this Blizzard was that it seemed the most "adult" to me because it's the only one with actual fruit in it. 

By far, the best part of this Blizzard was the fresh raspberries. They added a layer of tartness that counteracted the intensity of the chocolate-fudge chunks.

I just wish there were more of them in the Blizzard because once I got a quarter of the way in, all that I tasted was vanilla and chocolate.

This Blizzard has the perfect level of sweetness. The small amount of frosting on the animal cookies gave it just a hint of that sugary taste without being too much. 

The cookies also had a nice chewiness to them and they stood up well to the ice cream without getting soggy. 

Best of all, after a few bites, the colorful icing and sprinkles on the cookies melted into the soft serve, which made the entire thing taste like a delicious confetti cake.

I'm always a fan of a good dessert within a dessert when it's executed well — fortunately, this Blizzard was a hit. 

The creamy cheesecake chunks made for a superb mix-in for Dairy Queen's soft serve: They had a slightly chewy yet smooth texture that stood up well to the ice cream. I also found that they had a pleasant, sweet flavor that didn't taste artificial or overly sugary.

However, it was the strawberry mixture in the center that seriously elevated this Blizzard. As soon as I got to the core, strawberry flavor began to seep into every corner of the cup, giving every subsequent bite a burst of berry flavor.

Bright, fruity, and delicious. This Blizzard tasted something you'd pay big bucks for at a creamery.

The cheesecake chunks are plentiful and melt-in-your-mouth soft, and the fresh strawberry is blended so fine that it permeates through every corner of the ultra-smooth vanilla.

Give me 10 more.

When two classics come together, you're bound to end up with something delicious. That's exactly what happened with the s'mores Blizzard, which is why it was my absolute favorite.

Unlike the Royal Rocky Road, which was overpowered by marshmallow, and Chocolate Brownie Extreme, which was too chocolaty, the s'mores Blizzard had just the right amount of everything. 

Instead of mini marshmallows, which can easily turn rubbery when cold, it has chocolate chunks that contain marshmallow filling. It also has graham-cracker pieces and graham-cracker dust that courses throughout the entire Blizzard, causing the ice cream to adopt that irresistible, toasty flavor.

Because of the graham-cracker dust, every bite tastes like a s'more. In other words, this Blizzard is the perfect summer treat, and I can't wait to order it again soon.

This story was originally published on August 17, 2020, and most recently updated on April 7, 2025.

The wedding cake cookie was my least favorite of the flavors I tried. I loved the little white-chocolate baubles that decorated the top, which made for crunchy little explosions of texture and flavor.

But the raspberry flavor in the frosting was so assertive that even my 4-year-old — who loves almost all sweet, sparkly, pink, frosted things — took half a bite and turned the cookie away.

My 7-year-old, however, had no such issues, declaring, "Nothing's too sweet for me."

The pistachio gelato cookie looked adorable in the store display, decorated with a miniature cone made out of a Muddy Bites snack.

The gelato-inspired frosting had a pudding-like texture and was extremely sweet with a strong pistachio flavor. In my opinion, it tasted like a concentrated form of pistachio ice cream. I also found the underlying cookie to be dense and bland.

Crumbl's chocolate covered strawberry cookie had a chocolatey, cookies and cream base with strawberry cream cheese frosting and a semi-sweet chocolate drizzle on top.

The cookie itself was delicious — soft, tasty, and a little crumbly. But no one in my family enjoyed the addition of the strawberry frosting, which had a fruity tang that didn't pair well with the chocolate cookie. We thought the aftertaste was a bit medicinal.

My 4-year-old, a lover of most pink things, was especially disappointed, saying, "I don't like the mushed strawberries," in reference to the frosting.

In my experience, some of Crumbl's best cookies are Oreo-inspired. That's why we were all excited to try the cookies and cream milkshake flavor, which was topped with a mini Oreo.

But unfortunately, most of us didn't love this one. The frosting tasted like the inside of an Oreo, but the cookie part was way too sweet.

My 4-year-old liked it, but it was too sweet even for my 7-year-old, which is never a good sign.

Crumbl's toffee cake sounded like something I'd like: chocolate cake with caramel sauce, whipped cream, and a crumbled chocolate toffee bar on top.

I liked the incorporation of the whipped cream, which helped keep the cake moist without being as densely sweet as most of Crumbl's other frostings.

But the caramel sauce between the cake and whipped cream made it a soggy mess, and it tasted more like something I'd find at the supermarket than a freshly made cake or cookie at this price point.

The lemon poppy flavor proved divisive in my household. My wife, who loves lemony desserts, ranked this cookie among her favorites.

For me, however, the glaze made it a touch too sweet, and the lemon flavor, while strong, wasn't quite as tart or as bright as I would've liked.

I did appreciate the noticeable poppy flavor, as poppy seeds usually seem like an afterthought in many muffins.

I feel a little bad ranking the cake batter blondie this low because my 4-year-old loved it so much. But she's 4 — rainbow sprinkles are her favorite food.

To be fair, the cookie tasted exactly as I expected it would — extremely sweet and uncomplicated, perfect for the 4-year-old palate. However, it was a bit one-note, even for my 7-year-old.

I had high hopes for the strawberry crumb cake cookie. Although I love strawberries, I can't remember ever eating a cookie with strawberries inside or on top.

However, even with white-chocolate chips and a strawberry streusel topping, I found this cookie unexpectedly bland. The strawberry flavor was definitely real, which I appreciated, but there wasn't very much of it.

The streusel also seemed like an afterthought and didn't add much texture to the cookie. Overall, it was fine but a little disappointing.

Crumbl's waffle cookie offered a neat twist — it came with a container of syrup to drizzle over the cookie before serving.

The cookie itself, criss-crossed with a waffle-like pattern, was fairly plain and tasted more or less like a sugar cookie. The dollop of buttercream frosting on top was powerfully sugary, and the addition of the syrup made the whole thing extremely sweet with maple flavor.

Unsurprisingly, it didn't keep very well after it had been drenched, and the leftover portion turned unpleasantly mushy.

Unsurprisingly, chocolate chip cookies are one of Crumbl's calling cards, and the menu alternates weekly between the milk chocolate chip version and the semi-sweet chocolate chunk.

The semi-sweet variety used lots of bulky chocolate chunks, making it a chocolate lover's dream. I found it met my expectations for a chocolate chip cookie without exceeding them.

A few bites of the crunchier outer portion of the cookie had a little chalkiness to the texture, but not nearly enough to make it unpleasant.

Crumbl's kitchen sink cookie is a semi-sweet chocolate chip cookie rolled in pretzels and potato chips. I love cookies that incorporate pretzels, but in my opinion, the execution of this flavor was lacking.

The one I got didn't have many pretzels or potato chips, and the potato chips did little to impact the flavor or texture of the cookie.

The pretzels added a nice crunch, and bites that included pretzel, chocolate, and cookie were excellent. However, these bites were few and far between.

A spruced-up take on the snickerdoodle, Crumbl's cinnamon crunch cookie was topped with a vanilla cream cheese glaze and "crunchy cinnamon cereal streusel."

The cookie itself was a bit puffier than most of Crumbl's offerings and had a little more crunch to its outer crust. However, I thought it was a touch dry in the center, the glaze was more sugary than the cookie called for, and the cereal pieces had a weirdly chewy texture.

My 7-year-old loves everything cinnamon sugar flavored, so I was surprised when he called this cookie his least favorite of that week's offerings.

Like the lemon poppy cookie, the lemon glaze flavor divided my household.

This one was so popular that it was sold out on my first visit of the week. Its simplicity — a lemon cookie with a sweet glaze — seemed appealing. However, my wife and I both felt the lemon flavor was a bit too strong, and it lacked the acidic bite of real lemons.

The glaze was good, though, and there was a nice bit of crunchy texture on the outer rim of the cookie. Both our kids loved it, with the 4-year-old briefly declaring it one of her favorites.

Notably, the cookie we received did not come with the slice of lemon I'd seen advertised in pictures.

During one of my visits to Crumbl, the company debuted its first cheesecake. It feels a little strange to rank it among cookies, as it was decidedly a cheesecake with a graham cracker crust, raspberry spread, and whipped cream.

As far as cheesecakes go, it was good but unspectacular. The custard portion had a nice, smooth texture, and the raspberry topping was more tangy than sweet.

However, the graham cracker crust didn't hold together at all and was fundamentally less portable than a cookie. However, it's a good option for when you need a break from eating too many cookies — which was applicable in my case.

Although the frosting got a little smudged on my ride home, Crumbl's brownie sundae had a nice presentation. It was essentially a large, square brownie topped with vanilla mousse and warm fudge.

The brownie itself was good, but my wife compared it to one you might bake from a boxed mix.

I also found the toppings made it messy to eat without adding much else. The brownie wouldn't have looked as appealing on its own, but none of the toppings really improved the flavor.

Crumbl's sea salt toffee is a variant of a chocolate chip cookie with toffee and milk-chocolate chips. I enjoyed it, but it was one of the plainest cookies I tried.

I found the toffee flavor presented itself more as a warm, caramel-y aftertaste than a strong, sticky Heath Bar. The milk-chocolate chips were also sparse.

This cookie wasn't particularly memorable, but I'd still choose it over the overly sweet flavors.

The blueberry pancake cookie, which was topped with a blueberry buttermilk glaze, was another divisive flavor in my house.

The menu and photos I'd seen suggested it was supposed to have a dollop of buttercream frosting on top, but the one I brought home did not.

I loved the actual cookie, which had plenty of fruity blueberry flavor from the berries baked inside. But to me, the glaze was too sweet and was sugary enough for it to taste grainy.

My 4-year-old was appalled by the blueberries in the cookie, but my 7-year-old loved every bit of this one. My wife liked it more than I did, but agreed it was too sweet and would be better with no glaze or frosting.

When having a chocolate chip cookie, I usually prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips over milk-chocolate chips.

However, since the milk-chocolate chip was Crumbl's first cookie, I knew I had to try it. It was a touch salty, with a soft, comforting texture. The cookie was so thick it was basically a blondie.

In my book, it beat out its semi-sweet chocolate chunk alternative, which I wouldn't have expected.

Both my kids loved the Nilla bean cupcake cookie, which was not surprising at all — they love frosting, and there was a lot of it.

I expected this to be overwhelmingly sweet, but the cream cheese frosting added a nice tangy component instead of one-note sweetness. The actual cookie was soft and cakey, with a warm vanilla flavor.

It's not just a clever name — this cookie tasted just like a slice of chocolate cake. In fact, I might have tried it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top if it weren't for the frosting.

The chocolate cake cookie was extremely rich, with a strong cocoa flavor to both the cookie and the frosting. It's definitely best for people who can't get enough chocolate — like my 7-year-old, who gave this one two enthusiastic thumbs up.

The frosting was a bit softer and thinner than I expected, but the chocolate swirls added nice little bites of texture.

The pink swirl of strawberry cream cheese frosting and a sprinkling of white-chocolate curls drew my 4-year-old's eyes straight to the stawberry cake cookie, and she was not disappointed.

However, the rest of us were less enthusiastic and found that it was very sugary and definitely best in small portions. I enjoyed the tangy strawberry flavor in the cookie itself, but the strawberry in the frosting tasted a little artificial.

I would've liked this better with only a thin layer of plain cream cheese frosting — or no frosting at all.

Crumbl's hazelnut sea salt cookie had a beguiling effect on my 7-year-old, who really loved it but couldn't quite put words to why (though he does love Nutella).

To me, it tasted like the most grown-up friendly cookie of the bunch — something my grandmother probably would've loved with her tea.

The sweet-and-salty brown-butter cookie tasted almost refined, and Crumbl took a light hand with the hazelnut spread and sea salt on top. My 7-year-old kept going back to it despite the more colorful, decorated cookies around it.

Banana pudding is one of the few desserts I regularly make at home. I use Magnolia Bakery's recipe and thought Crumbl's dessert tasted similar. It was on the lighter, fluffier side of banana puddings, topped with whipped cream and crumbled vanilla wafers.

It was a nice change of pace from the other Crumbl desserts we tried, with just enough bananas mixed in to give it flavor without being overpowering.

However, it seemed to offer a bit less bang for your buck than Crumbl's other desserts. The cookies are huge, and I usually divide them into four servings. The soup-sized cup of banana pudding, on the other hand, felt like enough for only two or three servings.

Crumbl's selection of chocolate chip cookie variants can get a bit hard to distinguish once you've tasted more than two of them.

But Crumbl's spin on the cookie included a touch of cinnamon, which was just enough to add some warmth and spice without overpowering the rest of the elements.

It had a nice crunchiness to the outer crust with a soft, blondie-like inside. The added texture and flavor from the oats were enough to put this among my favorites in Crumbl's vast chocolate chip cookie catalog.

Crumbl's French toast cookie grew on me. At first, I found it frustrating that the frosting was concentrated in the cookie's center, presumably making it look like French toast with a big dollop of butter.

However, I realized it was the frosting that was throwing me off. I found it to be a little dry and super sweet with a maple flavor. In fact, it gave the cloying effect of maple candy.

The cake part of the cookie, meanwhile, was excellent. It had a spongy, doughnut-like consistency and a lighter maple flavor.

Crumbl's double-fudge sandwich is — as the name suggests — made up of two chocolate cookies sandwiched around a dollop of fudge frosting. There was also a drizzle of milk chocolate on top, which seemed mostly decorative.

My 7-year-old almost always chooses the most chocolatey cookie first, and he was thrilled with this one. I liked the rich cocoa flavor, and the fudge filling made this cookie feel a lot like eating an underbaked brownie (in a good way).

My only qualm was that it was almost too soft and left my kids caked in chocolate.

Another variation on the traditional chocolate chip cookie, Mom's recipe is an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie with peanut butter and toffee chips.

It sounds like it might have too much going on, but there weren't too many of any one chip. It combined a variety of sweet, salty, and comforting flavors without any one flavor overwhelming the others.

The nutty oatmeal texture, appropriately enough, made it feel like something I'd be very excited to buy at an elementary school bake sale.

Although I don't typically like mint cookies and cream ice cream, I really liked this cookie. My wife was a little turned off by the color of the mint frosting, as she thought it should be more green.

However, the cookie did a strangely good job simulating its ice cream counterpoint. The creamy frosting, which had a pleasant cool-mint flavor complemented the crunch of the cookies and cream cookie.

My 4-year-old especially loved this one, declaring, "I love mint, I love frosting, and I love Oreos!"

I'm not normally a big fan of anything pumpkin spice flavored, so I wasn't overly excited to try Crumbl's pumpkin cake offering. However, I was surprised by how much I liked it.

The sweet, mild cream cheese frosting was a nice complement to the autumnal flavors, though I would've liked a tangier, more cream cheese heavy flavor.

The cookie I got seemed a bit underdone, which made the center feel a bit like pumpkin pie filling.

Crumbl's take on a peanut butter cookie included a melted peanut butter drizzle and a peanut butter core baked into the center.

I worried that the peanut butter filling might be overwhelming, but I appreciated that this cookie was a bit less sweet than the others.

The filling also helped keep the whole cookie soft and moist. This was one of the few flavors that all four members of my household really loved.

My family wasn't the only one that enjoyed Crumbl's cookies and cream cheesecake — it was sold out at every New York City location the first two times I tried to buy it.

The cheesecake had a nice fluffy texture and tangy flavor that perfectly complemented the cookie crust. The whipped cream topping seemed more like frosting — but it turns out cheesecake is good with a big blob of frosting on top.

My 7-year-old, who is extremely dedicated to eating with his hands, was shocked to declare this fork-necessitating cheesecake his favorite dessert of the week.

It's rare that all four members of my family agree on a food, but the peanut butter cookies and cream flavor was an all-around favorite in my household.

It wasn't as eye-catching as many of the other options, especially since the bits of chocolate sandwich cookies got camouflaged against the chocolate base.

However, they were unmistakable once I bit into it, punctuating the soft texture of Crumbl's chocolate cookie with the crumbly, crunchy texture of an Oreo. The peanut butter chips were mostly in the background, but they added a nice balance to the chocolate.

I always love a good cookie-flavored cookie.

Crumbl's Patriotic Fruit Pizza featured raspberries and blueberries atop a backdrop of white frosting. However, it didn't strike me as especially patriotic-looking — and it definitely didn't look like a pizza.

But unlike some New Yorkers, I'm agnostic about the definition of "pizza," so I sampled this one with an open mind. I'm glad I did because it was excellent.

The sugar cookie underneath the fruit and frosting was extremely moist and had a pleasant, shortbread-like flavor. The frosting had a bright hint of lemony tang and a nice, creamy texture. The inclusion of fresh fruit added juiciness and nuance.

I especially liked the way the acidic bite of raspberries paired with the mellow sweetness of the cookie.

No one in my household is especially familiar with Olivia Rodrigo's music — our tastes skew toward late-20th-century alt-rock and the "Encanto" soundtrack on repeat. However, we now endorse her taste in cookies.

Olivia Rodrigo's GUTS Cookie is a sandwich of two purple-colored vanilla cookies filled with vanilla buttercream, triple berry jam, and colorful sprinkles.

The tangy, sweet flavor of the jam, mixed with the mild sweetness of the cookies, gave it the familiar taste of a Linzer tart. Even my 4-year-old, who passionately dislikes jelly, enjoyed this cookie.

I liked all of the Oreo-inspired Crumbl cookies I tried, but the mallow sandwich was my favorite. It featured two chocolate cookies with Oreo pieces, sandwiched around creamy frosting.

The combination of soft chocolate cookies and marshmallow filling reminded me of a whoopie pie. The Oreo pieces that were baked into the cookie added a crunchy, crumbly texture.

Sadly, my kids didn't get a chance to sample this one because my wife and I ate the whole thing before they had a chance — it was one of her favorites, too.

Crumbl's caramel apple cookie was beautifully decorated with caramel cream cheese frosting, streusel, chopped apples, and a caramel drizzle.

We loved how the cookie's rich cinnamon flavor paired with the salty-sweet caramel and the acidic bite of fresh apples.

The apples gave this the most compelling combination of textures of any of the Crumbl cookies we've tried. It was very sweet, but the tang from the apple helped balance out the flavors.

Crumbl's pink velvet cookie earned my top spot with a caveat: I never ate more than a small portion in one sitting. I suspect that eating as much as half of this cookie at once might leave me less enthusiastic about it.

However, I happen to love cream cheese frosting, and this one had a nice, mild tartness to it that complements the sweet, soft cookie.

I tasted it before reading the flavor description, and the power of suggestion left me thinking it had a strawberry taste.

But eating more of the cookie revealed that the crunchy, sugary crumbles on top were extremely reminiscent of the outer coating of a classic strawberry shortcake ice cream bar. I happen to love those, so this had a nostalgic appeal.

This story was originally published on May 24, 2024, and most recently updated on March 20, 2025.

To make Garten's blondies at home, you'll need:

• 1 ¼ pounds of semisweet chocolate chunks
• 2 extra large eggs, at room temperature
• ½ pound (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups of chopped walnuts
• 1 cup of light-brown sugar, lightly packed
• ½ cup of granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt

Since I was making these blondies for a large group, I opted to skip the walnuts.

I also didn't realize I had bought chocolate chips instead of chocolate chunks until I got home from the supermarket. I don't think it affected the results, so feel free to use either based on your preference or what you already have!

Garten recommends using an 8-by-12-by-2-inch pan for this recipe. She also advises flouring the pan after greasing it, which I forgot to do — whoops!

I was still able to easily remove the baked blondies from the pan with a rubber spatula, so don't fret if you make the same mistake.

I added the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to a big bowl, then used my handheld electric mixer on high speed to mix everything for three minutes.

Garten says you'll know it's ready when the batter has turned light and fluffy.

Garten advises scraping down the bowl as you add each egg, making sure to mix the batter well.

Per Garten's instructions, I sifted the flour, baking soda, and salt together.

It was almost time to bake!

You would also add the walnuts during this step.

Garten says to bake the blondies for 30 minutes exactly, using a toothpick to check that it's ready.

"Don't overbake!" she writes in the recipe description. "The toothpick may have melted chocolate on it, but it shouldn't have wet batter."

The blondies had turned an enticing shade of golden brown, eliciting a big round of oohs and aahs when I presented them to my book club.

The best word to describe these blondies is luscious. They were baked to perfection, with the chocolate melting into my mouth with each bite. Each moist square felt like eating an extra soft cookie, with just enough crispiness to keep the texture interesting.

"Three words: chunky, decadent, delicious," my friend Kayla said when I asked for a review.

Garten's recipe was also straightforward and quick. Prep and cooking took 45 minutes in total. As the Barefoot Contessa herself would say, how easy is that?

If you're looking for an impressive dessert that doesn't take a lot of time or money from your grocery budget, Garten's blondies are the perfect sweet treat.

Chris Riley, chef and founder of The Darling Kitchen, told BI that you can use an air fryer to make perfectly tender brownies.

"The air fryer is perfect for making a small batch of brownies without heating up the whole house with the oven," he said.

Most air fryers are smaller than traditional ovens, so to make sure you don't end up with leftover mix, Riley suggested dividing your recipe in half or baking your batter in multiple smaller batches.

Air fryers are a great shortcut for making small fruit pies.

"This classic dessert can easily be prepared in an air fryer without having to turn on the oven. If you use ready-made pie crust, you can make this tasty treat in under half an hour," Riley told BI.

To decrease the chances of your pie bubbling over, allow the sliced apples to rest in a bowl for 30 minutes, and drain the excess liquid before adding them to your pie crust.

Chef and author Maria Liberati told BI you can use hazelnut spread and store-bought pastry dough to create a quick and tasty dessert in an air fryer.

"Spread Nutella between two strips of puff-pastry dough, brush the top strip with milk and brown sugar, roll it up, and then bake in the air fryer for five minutes at 400 degrees," she said.

If you're using a large sheet of premade pastry dough, be sure to cut an even number of strips so that each roll has a top and bottom layer.

Chocolate chip cookies are another classic dessert you can easily make in an air fryer.

"Chocolate chip cookies bake in around five minutes in the air fryer," Riley told BI. "They get perfectly crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside."

If you want to save even more time, use store-bought cookie dough or prepare a large batch ahead of time and bake individual cookies as needed.

Cannoli are Italian pastries made by filling tubes of fried dough with sweet ricotta cream.

Fortunately, Riley said, the shells are easy to make in an air fryer.

"You can make cannoli shells in an air fryer with a lot less work than usual by using store-bought pie dough," he told BI. "No one will suspect that this exquisite dessert came right out of your air fryer."

If you don't have cannoli tube forms, you can wrap your pastry dough around sturdy aluminum foil that's been shaped into cylinders.

Jessica Randhawa, a chef and the writer of The Forked Spoon, told BI that an air fryer is a great way to get banana bread that's perfectly chewy on the outside and soft on the inside.

"Making banana bread is easy in an air fryer and the fast cooking time means that it can be enjoyed with your morning coffee, as an afternoon snack, or late-night dessert," she said.

Use mini cake tins or Bundt pans to bake single portions of banana bread in the air fryer, and be sure to adjust your recipe and cooking time accordingly.

The dense, chewy texture of oatmeal cookies pairs perfectly with the crisping abilities of an air fryer.

"Oatmeal cookies cook great in an air fryer," Randhawa said. "They come out soft yet chewy and are even better when they're loaded with gooey chocolate chips and spices."

This story was originally published in November 2020 and most recently updated on March 4, 2025.

The ingredients for Depression cake are as follows:

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup hot coffee or boiling water, or a mix of the two
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup neutral oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

I already had most of the ingredients in my pantry, but I did run out to buy all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and a foil pan to bake the cake in. Additionally, I substituted dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar since I already had some on hand.

I spent $17.15 on ingredients when I made the recipe in February. The cake yields nine servings, bringing my total cost to about $1.90 per serving.

The recipe called for an 8-inch square pan.

I used hot water since I'm not a fan of coffee. The smell of hot chocolate wafted from the bowl.

I was skeptical about adding apple cider vinegar to a chocolate cake, but I dutifully followed the recipe and added it along with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla.

The flour, salt, and baking soda all went into a separate bowl.

The chemical reaction of the baking soda and vinegar filled the batter with bubbles, which would help the cake become light and fluffy without using eggs.

The recipe said to bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes.

The glaze called for 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 to 2 tablespoons of coffee or water, and a pinch of salt.

Once again, I used water instead of coffee.

I sampled a bit of the glaze and enjoyed the sweet, chocolate flavor.

After a few toothpick tests, I pulled the cake out of the oven after around 45 minutes, when the toothpick emerged clean of batter.

The only difference I noticed is that the top of the cake had baked into a slightly crispy shell, which I haven't encountered before while baking with eggs and butter.

The baking soda and vinegar worked their magic.

I couldn't believe that this cake didn't have any eggs or dairy in it.

As an experiment, I offered a slice of cake to my partner but didn't reveal that it was dairy-free and egg-free. My partner said they appreciated how it "wasn't sickly sweet" and went back for seconds.

After I shared the "wacky" nature of the recipe, they said they'd never have guessed it didn't have dairy or eggs.

As the price of eggs continues to skyrocket — a dozen eggs cost $10 at my local Manhattan grocery store last time I checked — I'm grateful for timeless recipes like Depression cake that have allowed generations of penny-pinchers to have their cake and eat it too.

Macarons are small French cookie sandwiches made from meringue and almond flour, and they often come in bright colors.

However, while you've probably seen these desserts at least once or twice, many people mispronounce them by calling them "macaroons," which are actually a different kind of cookie made from shredded coconut.

Incorrect pronunciation: mah-kuh-ROON

Correct pronunciation: mah-kuh-RON

Popular in Paris and New Orleans, these fried doughnut-like desserts come with powdered sugar. While you may want to pronounce the "g" in this dessert's name, that's incorrect.

Incorrect pronunciation: beg-NAY or beg-NET

Correct pronunciation: ben-YE

Derived from the Latin word for curled — "crispus" — the accent in the word "crêpes" actually tells you exactly how to pronounce the "e": with an "eh" sound rather than an "ay" sound.

Incorrect pronunciation: KRAYPS

Correct pronunciation: KREHPS

Dulce de leche is popular across the world, but you still might be mispronouncing this popular dessert. Preply reminded us that when pronouncing "dulce de leche," keep the "e" letters open and don't pronounce them as "ee."

Incorrect pronunciation: dul-che-de-leh-chay

Correct pronunciation: dool-say-de-leh-chay

This French pastry is known for its flaky, buttery layers and sweet, crispy, and caramelized exterior. However, it can be difficult to pronounce at first glance. Remember that the first part of this royal dessert sounds like "queen."

Incorrect pronunciation: Coo-gun Ay-mun

Correct pronunciation: Kween Uh-mawn

While croissants are popular breakfast pastries in the United States, many continue to mispronounce this classic French pastry. To avoid looking like a tourist if you ever find yourself in Paris, remember that the "r" and "t" in "croissant" are silent.

Incorrect pronunciation: cross-aunt

Correct pronunciation: kwah-sahn

Pronounce this dessert the correct way by letting this Italian cheese's name roll off the tongue and giving it a little flair.

Incorrect pronunciation: mas-car-pohn

Correct pronunciation: mah-skar-poh-neh

While you might have grown up pronouncing this nut-filled dessert with a hard "t" at the end, that's actually not the correct way of saying it.

Incorrect pronunciation: new-gat

Correct pronunciation: noo-gahh

This fan-favorite hazelnut-and-chocolate spread is commonplace in many people's cabinets, but its French name might be a little bit difficult to pronounce. Rather than pronouncing it like the "nut" in "hazelnut," Nutella actually sounds like "Nootella."

Incorrect pronunciation: nut-ella

Correct pronunciation: noo-tell-uh

The correct pronunciation of this tasty French pastry shouldn't be painful! Replace "pain" with "pan," soften the "ch" to make a "sh" sound, and ignore the "t" on the tail end of the phrase to sound like a true Parisian.

Incorrect pronunciation: payn-oh-choc-o-laht

Correct pronunciation: pan-oh-shoh-koh-lah

Remember to draw out the "e" at the end of this rum-and-vanilla-flavored French pastry's name.

Incorrect pronunciation: Cuh-nell-ee

Correct pronunciation: Cah-null-ay

While it might be tempting to pronounce these French cookies like the popular girl's name "Madeline," you should ignore the "e" found in the middle of the word. There are only two syllables in this dessert's name, not three.

Incorrect pronunciation: Maah-duh-line

Correct pronunciation: Mad-lenn

This French pie, often made with black cherries and other fruits, can be intimidating to pronounce correctly.

Incorrect pronunciation: Klaw-phoo-tiss

Correct pronunciation: Klah-phoo-tee

Crème brûlée is a creamy custard dessert that's often regarded as a symbol of decadence and indulgence, with an equally fancy name. While English speakers might be tempted to pronounce the end of this name with a long "e," it actually sounds like "ay."

Incorrect pronunciation: Kreem Brew-lee

Correct pronunciation: Krehm Brew-lay

This chocolate-covered pastry's name is short but often mispronounced. To get it right, avoid elongating the first "e" and remember that this light and fluffy dessert rhymes with "air."

Incorrect pronunciation: Ee-klar

Correct pronunciation: Eh-klair

While these cherries are popular in many desserts, people still seem to get the pronunciation wrong. Remember to replace "shee" with "ski" to get it right.

Incorrect pronunciation: ma-ra-shee-no

Correct pronunciation: ma-re-ski-no

These colorful and uniquely designed desserts are often tiny, hence the use of the French word "petit." To nail the pronunciation, forget the hard "t" at the end of "petit" and slightly elongate the "for" sound so that it sounds like "door."

Incorrect pronunciation: peh-teet for

Correct pronunciation: puh-tee foor

These French desserts resemble the wings of a butterfly or a palm leaf, which is where their name derives from. To get the pronunciation right, don't pronounce the "r" and instead use the "ay" sound.

Incorrect pronunciation: pal-mee-ayr

Correct pronunciation: pal-me-ay

Try using milk or cream in place of water when mixing the batter.

This will still check the liquid off the ingredient list while creating a richer, fudgier, moister brownie.

A plain brownie batter is calling for mix-ins, and the possibilities are endless. Consider adding chocolate chips or dark-chocolate chunks.

Crushed Oreo cookies, M&M's, Reese's Pieces, chopped walnuts or hazelnuts are excellent options as well.

Fold them in once the batter is prepped, and then transfer to the baking pan to bake as directed.

Switch up the flavor of boxed brownies with just a few drops of an extract. Even just a teaspoon of vanilla extract can go a long way in enhancing the flavor of this treat.

You can also play around — adding peppermint extract will offer a chocolate-mint combo that's wonderful for the holiday season.

Coconut extract is another great pairing to try, maybe even paired with shredded coconut folded into the batter.

Most brownie mixes call for a few tablespoons of water on the back of the box. To enhance your brownies, swap that water out for strong brewed coffee. This can add a more complex depth of flavor.

For an even more pronounced coffee flavor, add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder to the dry ingredients as well.

Once the brownies are baked, the sky's the limit.

You could serve them as-is, or dress them up further. Consider adding frosting to the top, whether you want double-chocolate brownies with mint frosting or peanut-butter icing.

Chocolate ganache or salted-caramel sauce are excellent toppers, too.

To upgrade your brownies and curb their sweetness, try adding some of your other favorite snack foods to them.

Opt for salty mix-ins, like crushed pretzels or salted peanuts. You can also crumble up ridged potato chips or kettle chips and sprinkle them over the batter before baking.

Combine two beloved desserts in one with this trick.

Make the brownie batter according to the instructions on the box. Then, combine one block of softened cream cheese, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, one egg, and one teaspoon of vanilla extract. For best results, use a hand mixer or stand mixer.

Dollop the cream-cheese mixture over the brownie butter and use the back of a spoon or a butter knife to swirl the top. Bake the brownies as directed, and you'll end up with dreamy cheesecake brownies.

This sounds wildly simple, but it can make a huge difference. Just a touch of flaky sea salt will not make brownies look pretty and enhance their flavor tenfold.

Before the brownies go into the oven, sprinkle flaked sea salt on top. Then, bake as directed.

Adding one more egg than what your boxed mix calls for will make the batter slightly thicker, making it sturdy enough to withstand the heat of a waffle iron. 

Whether you decide to dress up your chocolaty waffles with whipped cream, fruit, or more chocolate, bookmark this easy recipe from the Food Network as a reference.

S'mores are delicious on their own, but they're even better when you add brownies in between layers of graham crackers and marshmallows.

According to a simple recipe on Delish, you don't even need a campfire to make this decadent snack. You just need a box of brownie mix (and the ingredients it calls for), chocolate bars, marshmallows, and graham crackers. 

Think outside the box with your brownie mix by turning it into the crust for a build-your-own dessert pizza. As for toppings, you can make your favorite cream-cheese or whipped-cream frosting and pile it high with fruit, candy, sprinkles, or nuts.

All you need for this crust recipe from Taste of Home is the prepared brownie-mix batter, some almonds, and almond extract.

Not in the mood to cut a dozen slices of cake at your next party? Serve this brownie brittle from Tablespoon instead.

All you need is the mix, an egg, some melted butter, and a large baking pan to spread the batter extra thin.

If you want to make it an adults-only treat, you can also add some cake-flavored vodka.

It's hard to decide between cookies and brownies, but with this recipe from food blogger Lindsay Ostrom, you won't have to.

Dollop some homemade or store-bought cookie dough on top of your prepared brownie batter mix before baking. 

This hack combines an entire box of brownie mix with marshmallows and rice cereal, plus, cooked brownies are folded in to give the dessert some extra decadence. 

The recipe from the food blog Cookies and Cups with Shelly Jaronsky is a little more involved than others on the list, but all you'll need in addition to the brownie mix is mini marshmallows, rice cereal, and butter.

You can either make your own brownie pieces with the rest of the mix or buy some store-bought brownies to fold through the treat.

Don't be afraid to experiment with flavor combinations with your boxed brownie mix.

The Andes brownies from the lifestyle blog Making Lemonade combine the chocolatey dessert with the refreshing taste of mint. 

To make them, all you'll need is a prepared box of brownie mix batter and a package of Andes chocolate mints. 

Delight both sweet and savory cravings by making use of that half-eaten bag of chips or pretzels in your cabinet. 

This recipe from Tablespoon can help you get started, but really the possibilities are endless if you're looking to clear out your pantry.

Dark stout beer has so much savory depth, which makes it the perfect addition to chocolaty brownies.

Elevate your mix's flavor profile by adding your favorite stout brew to the boxed brownies. 

According to a recipe on Tip Hero, in addition to the beer, you'll need some extra dark chocolate to round out the flavors. 

This easy boxed-mix hack from the food blog Chelsea's Messy Apron marries brownies, cookies, and ice cream to create a tasty cake.

Bake the brownies as instructed, layer them with ice cream and Oreos (or your favorite store-bought cookies), and top everything with whipped topping for an easy, delicious, ice-cream cake. 

This story was originally published in September 2018 and most recently updated on December 12, 2024. 

Read More:

• 14 hacks to make your boxed cake taste better
• I made brownies using 3 different celebrity-chef recipes, and the best one was also the most fun to bake
• 12 easy baking hacks that professionals swear by
• 10 hacks to trick people into thinking your store-bought cookie dough is homemade

Professional baker and winner of TLC's "Cake Boss: Next Great Baker" Dana Herbert told Business Insider that he recommends adding an herbed caramel sauce to ready-made pies.

"Add some cinnamon, rosemary, thyme, ginger, or cardamom to warm caramel sauce and serve it with the pie," Herbert said. "Even traditionally savory herbs can complement sweet desserts." 

If you're not sure whether a particular herb would pair well with your pie, Herbert recommended closing your eyes and smelling the herb or spice — if you can detect something sweet in the scent, it's probably OK to use.

Alexandra Lourdes, co-owner of Saint Honoré Doughnuts and Beignets, told BI that the easiest way to elevate a store-bought pie is to simply remove it from its original packaging. 

"Make sure you take it out of the box it came in," Lourdes said. "If you place it in a new box, add a ribbon, or arrange it on a beautiful cake stand, no one will ever know it's not homemade."

Introducing some lemon flavor can add complexity to and elevate the taste of a premade berry pie. 

"Make a super tangy lemon curd with lemon juice and plenty of zest," Herbert said. "The sourness will cut through some of the excessive sweetness found in store-bought blueberry and cherry pies." 

If you don't have time to make your own lemon curd, you can buy some from the grocery store and stir in a bit of fresh lemon juice and rind.

Kevin Cabrera, corporate executive chef at The Save Mart Companies, told BI that melting a bit of butter on top of a ready-made pie can help give it a homemade richness.  

"Halfway through warming your pie, directly insert thin slices of butter into the venting slits of the pie," Cabrera said. "This will give it a nice, moist flavor."

Adding too much butter might oversaturate the pie and lead to a soggy crust, so start with a tablespoon or two, and add more if necessary.

Carlo Lamagna, chef and owner of Magna PDX, told BI that a dose of salt can help tone down the sweetness in syrupy pies. 

"Salt helps accentuate flavors and balances out often overly sweet items," Lamagna said. 

If you don't want to sprinkle pure salt on your dessert, you can opt for crushed salted nuts, like peanuts or cashews, which will still do the trick and add extra texture.

If you feel like taking some culinary risks, Lamagna suggested mixing up a classic store-bought apple pie by adding some sliced or shredded cheese.

"I grew up in the Midwest, so we would always melt a slice of cheddar on the top of apple pies," Lamagna said. "Don't be afraid to experiment with unconventional pairings."

Moderation is key to pulling off cheesy apple pie — don't layer on too much cheese, or you'll end up with an oily, salty crust.

Chef and sommelier Melissa Smith told BI that serving a premade pie with fresh whipped cream is a great way to make the dessert taste and look gourmet.

All you need is a whisk, heavy cream, and powdered sugar. Consider using a piping bag to add the whipped cream to your pie for an elevated look. 

Smith said doing so will make your pie look "modern and classy, like something straight out of a magazine."

For bonus points, she recommended garnishing the piped cream with a few flakes of edible gold or a smattering of citrus zest.

Instead of making your own fresh whipped cream, you could also just grab a spoonful of powdered sugar. 

"A simple dusting of powdered sugar can really make your pie look more appetizing than if you simply served it bare and straight out of the container," Smith said. 

For flawless presentation, use a sieve to ensure an even coating of sugar and a stencil if you want to use the sugar to create clean and clear designs.

Just because your pie came straight from the grocery store doesn't mean it needs to look generic. 

"I'd add homemade lettering to the pie to make it your own," Lourdes said. "You can also add gold flakes or edible food glitter to make a statement." 

You can simply add your chosen phrase using frosting or make chocolate letters at home with silicone molds.

If you're serving a pie that's meant to be enjoyed warm, adding a scoop of high-quality ice cream can enhance the taste.

"Hot and cold foods are a dynamic pair," Cabrera said. "After warming it up, serve the pie with a generous scoop of slow-churned ice cream for a delectable dessert." 

Cabrera noted that you can't go wrong with vanilla ice cream, but you can also pick a rich chocolate or a fruity sorbet.

If you love marrying salty and sweet, adding a light dusting of bacon pieces to your pie might be a mouthwatering move. 

"The perfect way to improve an apple or peach pie is to grab your favorite bacon, cook it up, and toss it on the pie," Herbert said. 

For a Southern-inspired dessert, Herbert suggested using bourbon-flavored bacon on a pecan pie. 

Liven up drab cream pies by topping them with chopped fresh fruit for added texture and color. 

"Find a fruit that would complement the type of cream pie you purchased," Lamagna said. "Cherries tend to go well with chocolate cream, and coconut works with banana cream."

Other tasty combos include peaches with vanilla cream, raspberries with lime cream, and banana with peanut-butter cream.

This story was originally published on November 3, 2020, and most recently updated on November 25, 2024.

Apple pie is delicious any time of year, but it's especially tasty in the fall.

Baking a pie from scratch can require a lot of effort, and sometimes, you may need to take a shortcut.

So I tried options from Kroger, Whole Foods, and Safeway to find the best grocery-store apple pie you can pick up in a pinch.

Kroger's bakery offered a toffee apple pie, and the label said it was freshly baked in the store.

Surprisingly, I didn't see any typical lattice apple pies. The only other option was flavored like brown sugar and maple, so I went with the toffee one.

The golden apple pie from Kroger looked very good, but cutting into it was incredibly difficult. It was soft and mushy, and it started to fall apart as I removed a slice.

The bottom crust on this pie seemed underbaked, and the streusel topping was doughy. It certainly needed more time to cook. That said, it could've just been that someone took my particular pie out of the oven too soon. 

The outer crust was good, but the rest of the pie's flavor fell flat for me. I thought the apple filling had an odd artificial taste, and the soft texture was unappetizing.

When I arrived at Whole Foods, the only options were half pies. A bakery employee told me that the pies are baked in the morning, then are typically cut in half.

If you're looking for a whole pie, it's apparently best to call ahead in the morning and ask that one be set aside. I asked for two halves to be put in a box so I could take home an entire pie.

The flavor of Whole Foods' apple pie absolutely blew me away. It tasted homemade.

The crust was flaky and buttery. Even though the center wasn't quite fully baked, the filling still tasted fresh and flavorful with a slight crunch.

The apples tasted fresh and had just a touch of sugar and cinnamon to enhance their flavor.

Other than the middle of the crust being a bit soft, it was a very good pie. Maybe the one I got was just taken out of the oven too soon. 

Safeway sells much larger pies, and I found both lattice and Dutch options. The raw pies apparently come to the store frozen and are then baked on-site.

I bought an 11-inch lattice pie.

The apple pie from Safeway was beautiful, with a nice lattice topping. But it was tricky to cut — the slice fell apart as I removed it from the pie dish.

The crust was underbaked and quite soggy in the middle, even though the outer portions had a nice golden look and crispy texture. I wondered if my specific pie was just not left in the oven long enough or not baked at an ideal temperature.

I also thought it tasted fairly bland and was not very flaky. Plus the filling tasted incredibly sweet to me, with an overwhelming cinnamon flavor.

It was easy to head into each store and find an apple pie when I visited in September. It was a bit trickier to get a whole one at Whole Foods, but the bakery employee I spoke to was incredibly helpful.

For each store, it's also possible to call ahead of time and ask the bakery to put a pie aside for you.

But I was disappointed that all three seemed to have an underbaked crust. It takes a lot of patience to bake an apple pie — at home, it can take close to an hour — but it seemed like each grocery story didn't leave the dessert in the oven long enough. 

I thought Kroger and Safeway's pies tasted a bit too artificial, and their crusts did not impress me. 

If I needed to purchase a grocery-store apple pie again, I'd only consider Whole Foods' option because the flavor was so incredible. But in general, I'd probably just carve out the time to bake my own dessert at home. 

This story was originally published on October 5, 2022, and most recently updated on November 25, 2024.

First, I tried the beloved berry Chantilly cake.

This treat has had a longtime cult following and is probably the most popular bakery item at Whole Foods.

According to its ingredients list, it consists of vanilla cake, Chantilly icing and frosting, cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, raspberry syrup and puree, and a mixture of fresh berries — including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries.

I got a 6-inch round of it for $30.

I've tried this cake before, and now for a second time, I still don't feel like it lives up to the hype.

Is it better than many other grocery-store-bakery cakes? Yes. It's also wonderful that there's real, fresh fruit in the cake. But I was still longing for something a bit more for it to live up to its fame.

The cake layers are pretty dry, but the addition of the smooth Chantilly cream helps to make up for that. Though the ingredients list mentions raspberry syrup and puree, I couldn't seem to taste or find any of it.

A few berries were added to the layers, with a thin layer of cream between each. Before owning my own bakery, I was a grocery-store cake decorator, and I can certainly understand how tricky these layers would be to stack with chunks of fresh fruit.

Overall, the flavor is excellent, without the cake being too sweet — I just wish the texture of the actual cake layers were a bit more moist.

Whole Foods sells whole New York cheesecakes in its bakery case, but individual slices are also available in the cold case.

I grabbed a slice for $5.

To me, a good cheesecake should have a flavorful, textured crust balanced by a smooth, rich filling.

This cheesecake slice was almost there but had a few shortcomings. The crust was soggy and reminded me of a sugar cookie. I'm a graham-cracker-crust fan, so this was a bit of a drawback for me.

The texture of the cheesecake filling was wonderfully smooth and rich, and the flavor wasn't too sweet, but it was pretty overwhelming. It had a very robust cheese flavor, and I wished for a bit more balance.

I tried only one bite because I found it too overpowering, but I could see it being an excellent choice paired with a fruit sauce or fresh berries.

A store employee told me the chocolate-eruption cake is another customer-favorite dessert (alongside the berry Chantilly cake, of course).

I had a 6-inch cake boxed up from the bakery display cake for $27.

I'm still thinking of this chocolate cake, which means it was a top winner for me.

The cake itself was stunning, with a ganache drip, piped details, and chocolate curls to spruce it up even further. The three layers of chocolate cake were wonderfully moist and tender — and pairing them with a chocolate-mousse filling made it even much better.

As the name suggests, it was incredibly chocolaty, but it wasn't too rich. It was well-balanced for a chocolate lover to enjoy every bite.

Packaged up and ready to grab out of the cold case, the family pack of tres leches cake looked quite unassuming.

The plain-looking piece cost me $14.

What this dessert lacks in appearance, it certainly makes up for in flavor. Talk about finding a hidden gem!

The simple cake-layer base is soaked in cream and sweetened condensed milk and finished with a whipped topping. The texture was incredible with an excellent balanced flavor.

Every bite contained subtle notes of coconut and caramel that weren't too sweet or overpowering.

It's perfect on its own, but there's certainly room to dress it up at home if you plan to serve it for a special occasion. A few sliced strawberries on top will go a long way.

There are plenty of cookie options in the Whole Foods bakery, but I chose something classic with a slightly elevated twist.

I picked up a pack of four brown-butter chocolate-chunk cookies for $7.50

Perfectly chewy and packed with flavor is the best way to describe these tasty cookies. I loved that they had chocolate chunks rather than chips — and there were plenty of them!

Thanks to the brown butter and vanilla extract, the flavor of this cookie was slightly enhanced compared with a typical chocolate-chip cookie.

Overall, it was excellent in every bite.

I found several flavors of Parisian macarons in the bakery display case. I chose one vanilla, one chocolate, and one salted caramel.

Each macaron was $2.

I will always get macarons if they're offered at a bakery. I'm a forever fan, and I had high hopes for these offerings.

I tried three different flavors, and though each tasted decent (especially salted caramel), their textures were a bit off.

The interiors of the macarons were chewy, but the exteriors were far too crunchy and dry to me.

Brownies are a classic, and every bakery should offer a great version of this treat.

Whole Foods sells brownies in packs of four, or you can grab individually wrapped ones for $2.75 each.

It's hard for me to believe that a grocery-store bakery would produce a lackluster brownie, but I think Whole Foods has.

The top of the brownie was surprisingly dry and crackly, yet underneath, there was actually a wonderful cakey-meets-fudgy balance.

Unfortunately, the dry top detracted from that.

In terms of flavor, I expected a wonderfully balanced, chocolaty brownie — but I thought it was relatively bland and disappointing.

The Whole Foods bakery had several flavors of pie, including pecan, four-berry, and apple.

To get a taste for the crust and fruit filling, I chose a 9-inch cherry pie for $15.

Even for seasoned bakers, putting together a homemade pie can feel like a lot of work. For $15, this is a decent option if you aren't up to the task of making your own.

The not-too-sweet flavor was excellent. The crust, however, wasn't one bit flaky or buttery and seemed a bit soggy, as if it had been pulled out of the oven a few minutes too early. Still, I may have just gotten a dud.

Overall, I wished for a better pie crust, but it's a decent option in a pinch.

Among the bakery's cookie selection, I found shortbread shaped like little Scottie dogs that were partially dunked in a chocolate coating.

The cookie four-pack cost me $5.50.

I hoped for an adorable cookie that also tasted fantastic, but I ended up disappointed.

These were definitely an impulse buy based on the cute shape and design of the cookie, but biting into one let me down.

The texture was fine, but the flavor was oddly artificial to me. I don't think they tasted balanced or buttery, and the hint of vanilla I was expecting didn't come through.

Whole Foods sells tiramisu dessert cups, but there's also a whole tiramisu cake available in the bakery display case.

I got a pretty 6-inch tiramisu cake for $27.

Making tiramisu isn't necessarily difficult, but it requires a few steps. If you want to skip them and buy it premade as a cake, this one from Whole Foods is a worthy option.

The two-layer dessert had terrific flavor thanks to the vanilla cake paired with a creamy, coffee-flavored filling. The top was dressed up nicely with even more piped cream, a dusting of cocoa powder, and chocolate curls.

I think it's a bit pricey for what it is, but a good option if you need to pick up a showstopping dessert for a special occasion.

This story was originally published on November 20, 2024, and most recently updated on March 4, 2025.

Every time I go to Costco, I glance wonderingly at the enormous muffins from the bakery.

For years, I've yearned from afar, but I decided to try them all for the first time and rank them from worst to best.

I purchased and sampled them plain, at room temperature, and on the same day. Half were baked that morning, and the other half were from the day prior.

The first thing that struck me about these muffins was how incredibly heavy they were. Squat with a nearly ideal, almost equal top-to-bottom ratio, they felt remarkably dense.

Enticed by the generous, visible toppings, I dug in.

Editor's Note: Availability may vary as some of the muffin flavors are limited-edition or have been discontinued.

This muffin looked promising with a rich-brown base studded with large chunks of chocolate. 

There was no discernible aroma once I opened the package, but a closer sniff revealed the scent of basic chocolate cake, which intensified when I cut the muffin open. 

The center rise seemed slightly liquidy, which was likely a batch-specific problem since the blueberry muffins also made that day were even more undercooked.

I still appreciated that the chocolate chunks were embedded throughout the muffin and not just tossed on top for visual appeal. These pieces were great for taste and texture, adding moisture and dimension to the otherwise somewhat dry and flat-tasting chocolate base.

They also melted down nicely in each bite, like inverse frosting.

On its own, this muffin reminded me of a Dutch-cocoa cupcake, with a shy hint of chocolate that wouldn't quite commit. It wasn't rich like Devil's food cake, but also wasn't fudgy or moist.

Typically, poppy seeds are paired with lemon in muffins, but in this case, they're combined with a lusciously aromatic almond flavor.

It was the only muffin that had an immediately discernible scent as soon as I opened the package. It also had the highest tops of them all, with a firm, dry surface. 

Slicing through it sounded like cutting a slightly wet sponge, which was a bit off-putting, but eating this muffin continued to be a sensory experience.

The seeds pleasantly popped in my mouth, cracking between my teeth even after I ate the base. If you like to savor your sweets, this flavor is the one for you.

A hybrid between a heavy pound cake and a white-almond wedding cake, it felt plush and tasted slightly nutty and sugary, with a sweetness that ramped up as I ate it. 

This was definitely the easiest to eat in a large quantity since it was consistent from bite to bite, each of which was predictably good.

Some hybrid baked goods — like the double-chocolate muffin — lack an identity. But this flavor really went for it, tying together three delectable breakfast treats in one powerful package.

It had the shape and density of a muffin, the hit-you-over-the-head flavor of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and the texture of coffee cake, all topped with a crispy crumb streusel. 

This muffin didn't smell like much when I opened the container, so I didn't expect it to pack such a sugary wallop.

As I cut into it, I was greeted with a visual of ribbons of cinnamon layers, swirling like a galaxy.

Once I bit into the muffin, the crumb topping remained crisp, but the dense center melted into a moist, airy mouthful.

I was first hit with the cinnamon and sugar, and I loved that the toppings weren't excessive since the batter itself was a flavor bomb. It had an intense sweetness that settled and lingered. 

I adore blueberry muffins, so the mere sight of the plentiful, baked berries tumbling down the crests of these tops was enough to cause a Pavlovian reaction.

I tempered my excitement, though, because the surfaces looked dry, and unless I held them close to my face, these treats barely smelled like anything. However, I could feel through the knife that this muffin was outrageously moist.

Baked the same day as the double-chocolate muffins, this batch also felt a bit underdone — what I thought might be custard was likely batter. 

But this muffin was excellent enough that I still ranked it first. Despite the appearance of the outer crumb and the flaw in its technical execution, it went above and beyond in nearly every way.

It was really well-balanced since the taste was subtly sweet, and the texture was dense and heavy without feeling like a pound cake. Plus the dry-looking top was actually quite soft, and the bottom edges easily melted away.

The cascades of blueberries were everything I'd hoped they'd be — naturally sweet and juicy.

Pairing this muffin with milk or coffee would also nicely bring out the vanilla finish.

Between dry textures and disproportionate toppings, many commercial and supermarket muffins often fall flat, but Costco's suffered no such issues.

Tasting them was easy. Not a single one needed additional toppings or adjustments to shine.

Despite there only being four muffin flavors to rank, this taste test was an excellent example of good curation. You don't need to have a million varieties of something to excel in it — just a few exceptionally well-done options.

There was no worst flavor, and handing out the blue ribbon was a challenge since the options were diverse enough to make it subjective. 

So I can say with certainty that there isn't a wrong choice, and I can't wait to try the seasonal flavors.

This story was originally published on August 30, 2021, and most recently updated on November 20, 2024.