The Costco bakery had a moment this month. Three desserts that members have been begging for came back to cases at almost the same time — a pistachio cheesecake that members in the San Francisco Bay Area first spotted in late April, a 4-pound strawberry cream pie that’s quickly becoming the unofficial “May dessert” of the year, and the Peaches & Cream Bar Cake that’s a recurring bakery favorite when stone-fruit season starts.
Three comebacks. One bakery aisle. If you’re hosting anything in the next two weeks (graduation? Memorial Day? “I don’t need a reason”?), you’re going to want to know exactly what to grab and what each one actually delivers.
Highlights
| Cake | Price | Size | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pistachio Cheesecake | $25.99 | ~4 lbs | Crowd-pleaser, pistachio fans, the “wow” dessert |
| Strawberry Cream Pie | $18.99 | ~4 lbs | Spring/summer crowd, lighter dessert, brunch finale |
| Peaches & Cream Bar Cake | ~$19.99 | Sheet (serves 12-15) | Office party, easy slicing, transport-friendly |
All three are in stores right now but not all warehouses got every cake — the Pistachio Cheesecake especially is rolling out region by region.
Contents
- 1 1. The Pistachio Cheesecake ($25.99) — the one members are racing for
- 2 2. The 4-Pound Strawberry Cream Pie ($18.99) — the spring centerpiece
- 3 3. The Peaches & Cream Bar Cake (~$19.99) — the workhorse of bakery comebacks
- 4 Which one should YOU actually grab?
- 5 The serving hacks members keep recommending
- 6 What members report is also (quietly) back in the bakery this week
- 7 Bottom line
1. The Pistachio Cheesecake ($25.99) — the one members are racing for
This is the cake. The one that hit the San Francisco Bay Area Costcos first in late April and immediately had members buzzing — multiple shoppers reporting they called 3+ warehouses to find one.
What you’re actually getting:
The cake is built in three layers. Bottom: a graham-cracker crust, classic Costco cheesecake foundation, dense and slightly buttery. Middle: the star — a creamy pistachio cheesecake base studded with whole pieces of pistachio (not just pistachio flavoring, actual nut pieces baked through). Top: pistachio-flavored whipped topping, finished with a sprinkling of chopped pistachios for crunch and color contrast.
It’s about 4 lbs, serves 12-15 generously (or 8 if you’re being honest about how much cheesecake people eat at a party).
Where it is and isn’t: First confirmed in San Francisco Bay Area warehouses. Members in Shoreline, WA (Seattle suburb) also reported spotting one. Texas, Florida, and most of the Midwest haven’t seen it yet as of this writing. If your warehouse doesn’t have it, ask the bakery — sometimes they’re in the back not yet displayed.
Why members lose their minds: Pistachio is having a moment in dessert (Dubai chocolate trend, pistachio croissant trend, etc.). Costco hitting it at $25.99 for a 4-lb cake undercuts every bakery in the country.
Verdict: BUY if you can find it. Travel to a different warehouse if you have to.
2. The 4-Pound Strawberry Cream Pie ($18.99) — the spring centerpiece
Costco timed this one perfectly. Strawberries hit peak season April through July, and the bakery dropped this 4-lb monster pie right at the front of that window.
Build:
- Crust: Graham cracker, slightly thick (which is good — it holds up under the weight of the filling)
- Strawberry layer: Real strawberry preserves — visible chunks, not just flavoring — slathered onto the graham base
- Cream layer: Pretty pink strawberry cream, light, slightly tangy, balances the sweetness of the preserves
- Top: Whipped topping piped in a ring around the edge with a dollop of strawberry jam dead-center
Size reality: Just under 4 lbs of pie. Serves 14-16 dessert-sized slices, or 10 “I want a real piece” slices. The pie tin is roughly 9 inches.
Member feedback: It’s exactly what you want for a brunch finale or a Mother’s Day-type centerpiece. Light, fruit-forward, not aggressively sweet. The graham crust is the slightly polarizing part — some members wish it were shortbread, but the graham works because it doesn’t compete with the strawberry.
Best move: Pull it from the fridge 10-15 minutes before serving. Fully cold pies eat dense — slightly chilled lets the cream layer hit its sweet spot.
Verdict: BUY for any spring/summer gathering through July.
3. The Peaches & Cream Bar Cake (~$19.99) — the workhorse of bakery comebacks
The Peaches & Cream Bar Cake is the most “bring this to the office and disappear” dessert in the bakery. It’s a sheet-pan format (not a round) — easier to slice into uniform squares, easier to transport, easier to feed a big group.
What’s in it:
- Vanilla sponge base
- Diced peaches (real fruit, not just flavoring) suspended through the cream layer
- Mascarpone-style cream layer
- Light glaze or whipped topping on top
- Serves 12-15 squares
The math: $19.99 to feed 12+ people works out to about $1.30/serving for a from-the-bakery dessert. There’s no homemade equivalent that touches that price.
Where it slots in: This is the cake that goes to graduations, work potlucks, BBQ desserts, and “I forgot to make something for the dinner party” emergencies. The slab format makes it the most versatile of the three comebacks.
Verdict: BUY for groups; SKIP if it’s just you (the format doesn’t make sense for 1-2 people).
Which one should YOU actually grab?
It depends on the use case:
- Hosting a dinner party where you want a “wow” centerpiece → Pistachio Cheesecake
- Brunch or Mother’s-Day-style gathering → Strawberry Cream Pie
- Office/team event, transporting to a backyard BBQ, big crowd → Peaches & Cream Bar Cake
- Just want to taste-test all three because you’re a Costco bakery completist → Worth doing. The total damage is ~$65 for ~12 lbs of cake. (Don’t @ us.)
The serving hacks members keep recommending
- Always pull from fridge 10-15 minutes before serving. Costco bakery cakes are sold cold — they eat much better at slightly-cool-but-not-fridge-temp
- Use a hot, dry knife for clean slices — dip in hot water, wipe dry, cut, repeat. Especially crucial for the cheesecake
- The bar cake freezes well in pre-cut squares — wrap individually in plastic + foil, freeze up to 6 weeks, microwave 20 seconds to thaw a single square
- Pair the Strawberry Cream Pie with prosecco or a dessert riesling if you want to elevate the brunch energy
What members report is also (quietly) back in the bakery this week
While you’re in the bakery aisle, also worth scanning for:
- Kirkland Signature Pistachio Cake (different from the cheesecake — a layered traditional cake with pistachio sponge, around $19.99)
- Kirkland Signature Cheesecake Bites (variety packs — chocolate, plain, strawberry — restocked in most warehouses)
- Sweet & Salty Cookies (the new Kirkland cookie one outlet called “worth every penny”)
Bottom line
Three cult-favorite Costco cakes are all in stores right now, all under $30, all big enough to feed a crowd. If your warehouse only has one of them, grab the Pistachio Cheesecake — it’s the rarest of the three and the one members are calling stores to track down.
If you’ve got the freezer space and you’re hosting anything in the next two weeks, just grab two. Costco bakery cakes don’t usually stick around long — and these three specifically have a comeback-and-disappear pattern.
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Related on RetailShout:
– What’s Trending at Costco This Week
– Top New Costco Finds You Can’t Miss (5/8 – 5/14)
– 25 Costco Items Quietly Leaving Store Shelves This Month
