After years off the bakery case, the Kirkland Signature Pistachio Cheesecake (item 1958676) is back at Costco – and longtime members are calling it the single best bakery item Costco has ever sold. At $26 for 4.5 pounds, it works out to less than $1 per slice when you cut it into 30 pieces.
We grabbed one this week. Here’s the honest review.
Kirkland Signature Pistachio Cheesecake, item 1958676. 4.5 pounds. $25.99 at warehouse.
Contents
The Quick Facts
| Item number | 1958676 |
| Price | $25.99 |
| Weight | 4.5 lbs (72 oz) |
| Servings | ~30 slim slices or 16-20 standard slices |
| Cost per slice | $0.87 (slim) / $1.30-$1.62 (standard) |
| Where | Refrigerated bakery case, warehouse only |
| Verdict | BUY |
What Is It
A classic New York-style cheesecake topped with whipped-cream rosettes around the edge, a generous scattering of crushed pistachios, and a small whipped-cream finial in the center. The crust is a graham-base shortbread – not too thick, not too thin. The whole thing sits on a black plastic catering tray that fits standard apartment refrigerators.
This is not a frozen item. It comes ready-to-serve from the refrigerated bakery case, sealed in a clear plastic dome.
The Pistachio Cheesecake disappeared from Costco’s bakery case a few years ago and has been on members’ “please bring back” lists ever since. Its return in May 2026 has been celebrated as one of the year’s best bakery comebacks – alongside the Pasta Prima Spinach & Mozzarella Ravioli return and the Peaches & Cream Bar Cake.
Taste Test
The cheesecake itself is denser than a bakery cheesecake but lighter than the New York hotel-style cheesecake you’d pay $12 a slice for at a Manhattan deli. It is properly cold from the case, properly tangy, properly sweet – none of the cream-cheese-frosting flavor that ruins so many supermarket cheesecakes.
The pistachios are the real story. They are not pistachio-flavored. They are actual crushed pistachios, lightly salted, scattered with a heavy hand. The combination of cold cream cheese, sweet whipped topping, and the savory-salty crunch of real nuts is the kind of three-note bite that makes you stop talking for a second.
Texture
Cream cheese filling: silky, no graininess, no crystallization. Holds its shape when sliced cold but yields easily under a fork.
Whipped topping rosettes: light and airy. Not the cheap stabilized stuff that tastes like plastic. Closer to fresh whipped cream than to Cool Whip.
Pistachios: crunchy, fresh, not stale. We checked.
Graham crust: stays crisp under the filling even on day three in the fridge, which is the test that separates a real bakery cheesecake from a frozen-section one.
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Make It Better
Three quick ideas if you want to dress it up:
- Drizzle warmed honey or a few drops of pistachio paste over the top before serving. Doubles the pistachio expression for almost no effort.
- Add fresh raspberries or a quick raspberry coulis. The tartness cuts the richness and the color contrast is dinner-party-pretty.
- Crumble a leftover slice over Greek yogurt the next morning. Breakfast cheesecake parfait. We’re not above it.
Perfect Pairings
- Coffee: a darker roast (the Kirkland Sumatra is a good match) handles the sweetness without disappearing
- Tea: Earl Grey or a light Darjeeling, served hot
- After-dinner: a small pour of amaretto or Frangelico picks up the nut notes
- For a crowd: cut into 30 slim slices, plate each with two raspberries and a mint leaf – looks like a $14 dessert at a restaurant
How Long It Keeps
Sealed in the original plastic dome in the back of the fridge, the cheesecake holds beautifully for 5-6 days. Past that the crust starts to soften. If you can’t finish it in a week, slice and freeze individual portions in plastic wrap and a freezer bag – they thaw in the fridge overnight and taste 90% as good.
The Math
At $25.99 for 4.5 pounds you’re paying $5.78 per pound. Cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory runs roughly $11-$12 per slice. Whole Foods bakery cheesecake is about $34 for 32 oz – more than double Costco’s per-pound price.
Even allowing for the fact that this is a warehouse club so you have to buy a four-and-a-half-pound cake, it remains one of the better dessert values in any grocery store right now.
The Verdict
BUY. This is one of the strongest bakery items Costco has put out this year. The pistachio is real, the cheesecake is properly made, the price-per-slice is unbeatable, and it photographs well enough to be the centerpiece of a dinner party or a Mother’s Day-aftermath family dinner without a single apology.
Two cautions:
- It is 4.5 pounds. If you live alone or are a household of two, plan to freeze portions or share with neighbors. This is not a single-night cake.
- It is warehouse-only right now. We did not find it on Costco.com for delivery. If your local warehouse doesn’t carry it yet, ask the bakery manager when it’s expected – new items often arrive weekly.
What To Watch For
Costco bakery items rotate, and this one has already proven it can disappear for years. The Pistachio Cheesecake was off the case for two-plus years before this 2026 return – the Pumpkin Cheesecake is fall-and-winter only, and the Tuxedo Cake had a similar multi-year absence. If you love this one, buy two and freeze one. There is no guarantee it stays on the case past summer.
We will update this review if the price changes or if it gets pulled from the case again.
Have you tried Costco’s new Pistachio Cheesecake? Let us know in the comments below – and if you find it at a price other than $25.99, drop the warehouse and city so other readers can plan their trip.
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