5 Biggest Issues Costco Members Have With Its Bakery

People laud Costco for many reasons, such as the generous free samples and inflation-proof $1.50 hot dog special. However, in terms of the products themselves, the warehouse chain's most iconic section is arguably its in-store bakery. Between items like budget-friendly buttery croissants and gargantuan blueberry-studded muffins, the department is a magnet for sweet tooths of all stripes. The combination of crowd-pleasing bakery classics, fun seasonal items, and showstopping gourmet treats makes it an inevitable stop for many customers.

Costco store-brand confections are often praised as a cut above standard supermarket sweets, but not all members are so smitten with the warehouse giant's bakery section. In fact, it has left a bitter taste in many shoppers' mouths over the years. As one disenchanted Reddit user put it, "In a world of low-quality, mass-produced baked goods Costco takes the cake in being the worst out there." The gamut of gripes includes overpriced items, oversized treats, pesky packaging, and more. Here are five of the biggest issues.

One of Costco's biggest selling points is its budget-friendly prices and the stellar cost-to-quality relationship of its products. However, many members find the bakery notably lacking in the value department. While some Costco baked goods, such as the massive $5.99 pumpkin pie, are an undeniable steal no matter how you slice it, many items come with double-digit price tags.

For example, two four-packs of danishes will set you back $11.99, while a tray of dessert bars clocks in at nearly $20. Many customers agree that these prices are pretty steep for grocery store baked goods, and some find the quality just isn't worth the dough. In a Reddit thread discussing the dessert bars, one person noted, "these are not that good, especially for the price. Wouldn't even buy again for $10." Adding insult to injury, many of Costco's bakery staples have notably increased in price in recent years, leaving shoppers with serious sticker shock — for example, those danishes skyrocketed from $7.99 to $11.99 within a couple years.

Costco is a warehouse store, so the fact that many of its products come in extremely large packages is part of the deal. However, while jumbo-sized peanut butter jars or Costco canned meats can be savored over months or even years, the massive portions can be more problematic in the case of baked goods that rapidly become stale or moldy. Many Costco bakery shoppers complain that the portions are simply way too big for one household to finish within a reasonable amount of time (looking at you, 4-pound cheesecake). The pumpkin pie, clocking in at well over 3 pounds, is a frequently cited example. "I love pumpkin pie, but I'd make myself sick eating that whole thing before it went bad," one shopper lamented on Reddit.

This is particularly frustrating because many pastries and bread products come in smaller packs that customers are required to buy two of – for example, the danishes come in packs of four, but members must buy two packs for $11.99, as it's not possible to purchase just one pack. In a thread discussing the pastry pairing policy, one customer noted that they really like the danishes, but after eating both packs in three days, they "decided I can never buy them again because that is just too many danishes for one guy."

Costco is not exactly known for moderation, so it's safe to say few would expect its bakery to go easy on the sugar. However, a recurring issue for Costco bakery customers is that many of the baked goods, particularly the cakes and cookies, are overwhelmingly sweet, to the point of being unpalatable. "Cloyingly sweet is my go-to description for almost anything in the bakery now," a Redditor complained. "All I can taste is sugar."

Of course, taste is subjective, but even the most sugar-loving customers find some Costco baked goods unappetizingly sweet. In a thread discussing the s'mores cookies, one person noted, "I love sweets and almost don't know the meaning of, 'too sweet,' but I didn't like these." One of the most common culprits is the buttercream frosting on Costco's sheet cakes, which many tasters find toothache-inducingly sugary. The lattice-topped apple pie is also frequently criticized as far too sweet for comfort.

Costco's bakery has been slinging pies, cookies, cakes, and more since 1987. Unsurprisingly, a lot has changed at Costco since the '80s, and for some customers, the bakery department just isn't what it used to be. "The past several years have felt like a downward spiral for the Costco bakery," lamented one Redditor. The person also complaining that many of their favorite products had been discontinued, changed for the worse, or subjected to shrinkflation.

This isn't just customer perception — some employees have also affirmed that Costco's bakery has gone downhill. Another Reddit user claiming to have worked in the bakery for three years attested, "They were constantly trying to find ways to cut corners and speed up production ... I was glad I didn't [have] to spend as much time making stuff but also could certainly tell the quality was diminishing." Beyond a general decline in quality, Costco has implemented controversial changes like the switch from six-packs of gargantuan muffins to eight-packs of more normal-sized muffins, which many customers find drier, crumblier, and generally worse tasting.

From impossible-to-open milk jugs to problematically plastic-swathed banana bites, Costco has faced more than its fair share of complaints over annoying and inconvenient packaging. The bakery department is no exception. One chronic offender is the 60-count mini chocolate chip cookie container, which many people find frustratingly difficult to open and close. A Reddit user called the containers "either a diet aid or evil prank," adding, "They are impossible to open thus keeping me from grabbing a handful every time I walk through the kitchen." 

On the other end of the spectrum, members complain that many products lack a safety seal, meaning there's no way to guarantee that your cookies or pastries haven't been tampered with. This might sound paranoid, but several customers have reported seeing other shoppers open bakery packages and rearrange (or simply steal) their contents. Many people point out that there's a stupidly simple solution for this problem: "It wouldn't be hard for Costco to have a sticker type seal on the packages to make sure they aren't/weren't tampered with," one Redditor observed. "You'd think they would have that already." If all of this has you wondering how Costco's bakery stacks up to the competition, here's our comparison of the Sam's Club and Costco bakeries.