The Costco Holiday Dessert You Can Leave Off Your Grocery List

Between all the baking, shopping, and decorating that consumes our lives during the holidays, we are all looking to save ourselves a little time during the season of festivities. For many, surrendering the idea of making a homemade dessert by purchasing a grocery store version is a no-brainer. Still, no one wants to sacrifice the quality of sweets friends and family will be enjoying in the company of loved ones. If you plan on shopping at Costco for your baked goods this year, there is one item you might want to avoid, at least if you want to keep the good times rolling: the pecan pie.

It's not uncommon for a store to have a couple of items that aren't up to par, and we certainly know that Costco has some grocery products worth buying and some you want to avoid. Our very own Monika Sudakov recently ranked Costco's holiday desserts, and the wholesale retailer's pecan pie simply didn't hit the mark.

The confection displayed all the symptoms of an under-baked pie: a soggy crust, a runny filling, and an overall spongy mouthfeel. There was a generous amount of pecans, but they weren't incorporated into the filling correctly and instead sat hesitantly at the top of the pie as if they wanted no part of being mixed into the sweet inner contents. Although the flavor was adequate, that couldn't make up for it overall undercooked nature.

If you are set on the idea of buying a dessert while grocery shopping rather than making it, Costco does have other options that should be crowd-pleasers. Ranking third-best according to Sudakov's testing was the membership warehouse's Pumpkin Cheesecake. The baked treat had a satisfying balance of flavor with a smooth sour cream topping that contrasted with the sweet cheesecake. Plus, it can feed roughly 16 people, so you are getting your money's worth with this confection.

Number two on the list was Costco's Apple Pie. You can't go wrong with a classic, and this staple holiday dessert is a great way to put some smiles on people's faces while saving a lot of time. Sudakov recommended throwing it in the oven for a few minutes before serving to give it that home-baked feel and aroma, but either way, the flavor didn't disappoint.

If you didn't get enough of it at Thanksgiving, Costco's Pumpkin Pie topped the list as best overall. It is simple perfection, with a flaky crust and a mousse-like filling accented with pumpkin spice flavors that hit all the right notes. And if you plan on getting any desserts from the big-box grocery retailer for your Christmas get-together, make sure you do it before the big day. Just as Costco closes its doors on Thanksgiving, it won't be open on Christmas day.