Costco is known for their delicious baked goods, and now, since its fall and Thanksgiving in Canada is right around the corner, it's an appropriate time to talk about pies. But which pie is your absolute favourite: pumpkin, apple or pecan?
When it comes to the dessert you're taking to Thanksgiving dinner, sticking with the sweet pies might be the safer option. You won't want to steal the turkey or rotisserie chicken's thunder.
With pumpkin spiced being the unofficial name of the season, Costco's pumpkin pie is one that fall enthusiasts get excited about.
But if you could grab a pumpkin, pecan or apple pie from Costco, which one would you take home?
Apple, pumpkin and pecan pies from Costco.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
With your best interest in mind, I picked up all the sweet pies I could find at Costco in Toronto and put them to the test to tell you which ones will impress your friends.
I found two Kirkland products and a third from St. Donat and they were so different but one of them kept me munching.
Here's which Costco pie I think should be available at the store all year round and be a classic dessert on every spread!
Apple Pie
Kirkland's Apple Cake.
Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
Price: $23.99
Don't come for me, but apple crumble always beats apple pie, especially when it's warmed up and topped with ice cream, and this taste test proves that I'm still right.
At Costco, they didn't have a simple apple pie that I've known to eat in the past. This time around, the only thing resembling something similar was an apple cake with a pie crust and apples, but there was more dough to it.
I did not enjoy it much.
The apples tasted sour rather than sweet, meaning they needed to ripen a little bit longer, or more sugar should've been added to make it, well, a dessert.
At the start of this taste test, I thought the apple cake would be my favourite because it smelled so fresh and delicious and looked like something I would enjoy. But I was pretty wrong.
The whole cake was a bit too soggy for me, and the apples felt quite mushy. The crust wasn't crunchy either, so it made for an unpleasant experience when eating. It reminded me of baby food with a hint of cinnamon.
Also, the word cake was offputting because it didn't feel like a cake.
Cakes, to me, are usually warm and moist while also being soft like a sponge. This one was served from the fridge and it was crunchy...
And the worst part about this Kirkland product was that it was $23.99! So it was expensive and not the best — that's a no for me.
According to Faces Magazine, Apple pie is the "most popular flavour of pie" in America and Canada. With "over 18% of people are estimated to favourite Apple Pie" in Canada.
So, even though my review might be harsh for apple pie lovers out there, you honestly need to try all three of them together to know why this one was not my favourite.
Score: 4/10
Pumpkin Pie
Costco Pumpkin Pie.
Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
Price: $6.99
I've never had pumpkin, let alone pumpkin pie. But I do know that Costco's pumpkin pie is one that people wait for all year round.
When I visited the Costco closest to me, the pumpkin pie was sold out and shoppers waited around the table in the bakery section for the new ones to come out.
My first impression was that it was much bigger than I had expected, which might be one of the reasons for its popularity. Another shock factor was the price. You would never find a massive pumpkin pie from a local Toronto bakery for $6.99.
But let's get into it, is Kirkland's pumpkin pie worth the hype?
It was good, but it wasn't amazing! I wish the crust on the pie was a bit crunchier and maybe a tad thicker, especially at the base. But the pumpkin filling was delicious and creamy.
The soggy texture doesn't usually sit well with me, and there was a bit too much moisture, in my opinion, which together made it an interesting experience.
But you can't argue about how flavourful and tasteful the combination was. The notes of cinnamon and nutmeg with pumpkin were three ingredients that amazingly complement one another. I think I get the pumpkin-spiced latte hype now.
There was also a hint of spiciness, which I didn't expect. Thus, I was able to put my weird, soggy opinions aside and, oddly, kept going in for more of the creamy filling.
If you are hosting a Thanksgiving dinner in Canada this year and looking for a budget-friendly dessert, the pumpkin pie from Costco is definitely the way to go.
Score: 7/10
Pecan Pie
Pecan Pi
Mira Nabulsi | Narcity
Price: $8.79
I've never had pecan pie before, even though my mom used to make them all the time while I was growing up, but the idea of a nut dessert wasn't something 15-year-old me wanted to indulge in.
Looking back at it now, I missed out on some delicious home-baked goods because you can guarantee that I will be eating pecan pies again, thanks to this taste test.
This pecan pie from Costco was exactly what I would expect from a baked good because it was soft, crunchy and sweet all at the same time.
The pecan pie I found at Costco wasn't even a Kirkland brand. Spotted in the bakery section, St Donat's dessert stole my heart. However, it's worth noting that in 2022, Costco's Kirkland brand had a pecan pie that was just as big as the pumpkin pie, but I couldn't spot it on the shelves when I visited.
The pecans topped the gooey centre with the perfect crunch-to-carmelized ratio. The crust was thin enough to give it a pie feel without chewing on too much dough.
The minute I took a bite out of the pecan pie, even though I was seriously hesitant because nuts in desserts aren't my forte, my entire perspective changed.
In fact, I packed some pecan pie in my lunchbox to eat at a coffee shop because I couldn't stop thinking about it all night.
Pecan pie is a dessert that becomes increasingly popular around Thanksgiving and Christmas because of pie season. But you can actually find it in some places all year round, just not at Costco. So, I think it should just be a staple, like chocolate cake.
Pecan pie thunder is usually stolen by pumpkin pie, but I think it's time to let the new winner take its place on the stands and let it sit right next to the Costco cookies 365 days a year.
Score: 10/10
Apple, pumpkin and pecan pies from Costco.
