Let’s face it: dessert is the highlight of the holiday meal. But when you’re busy decking the halls, making sure that everyone’s stockings (and hearts) are full, and you’ve got so much to do, dessert might become an afterthought — or totally forgotten, period. You don’t want to just take out some stale cookies and call it a day, though. You might be surprised, then, to learn about the best desserts from Costco that don’t require a mixing bowl or even turning on an oven, for that matter.
From cookies to crème brulee, fruitcake to fruity candy, you’ll find all of it at Costco. Which means that no matter what you’re serving for your main meal, you’re sure to find a dessert to match. Want to bring some international flavor to your holiday table? You can find desserts from France to Belgium to Italy, and even treats that top Santa’s Christmas cookie list.
So be prepared to drool as you peruse some of the pastries that Costco has to offer this holiday season. It just might be enough for you to put a ban on baking for the rest of the year, or longer, depending on how long Costco keeps its desserts stocked for.
1Holiday Cookie Tray 70 ct
This holiday cookie tray is all you really need, whether you’re serving dessert at your home or bringing something to your friend’s potluck. For $18, you’ll get cookies with chocolate chips, M&Ms, sprinkles, powdered sugar and more.
2Kirkland Traditional Fruitcake
It might be the butt of a lot of holiday jokes, but fruitcake fans everywhere will rejoice at finding this cake at Costco — and for $15 bucks, too. It has cherries, pineapple, pecans, walnuts and other seasonal flavors.
3Cheesecake
This big ol’ cheesecake ($14) from Costco is 4-and-a-half pounds of deliciousness. What it lacks in decoration it definitely makes up for in flavor and abundance. Deck it out with your choice of berries, chocolate and whipped cream to make it more festive.
4Merry Christmas Cake
Sure, you could break out the piping bags and whip up some frostings—or you could just get this Merry Christmas cake ($13) from Costco instead. It’s everything that a chocoholic could ever want — a chocolate cake with chocolate mousse. Yes, please.
5Marie Morin Crème Brulee
Crème brulee isn’t exactly an easy dessert to make. The Marie Morin one sold at Costco ($8) does all the prep work for you. All you need to do is sprinkle the caramelized sugar on top on the eight brulee pots, pop it under the broiler, and you’ve got a crème brulee that tastes homemade.
6Dessert Italiano Mini Dessert
For a taste of Italia, these bite-sized desserts ($13) are itty bitty bites of decadence. The package comes with 24 mini desserts in flavors such as tiramisu, pistachio, raspberry, or the triple chocolate. Now that’s Italian.
7Belgian Waffle Crisps
If you’re looking for something crunchy to serve with ice cream, Belgian waffle crisps ($10) are a good choice. The super thin crisps are drizzled in dark chocolate and also pair well with coffee or hot chocolate, too.
8Kirkland Shortbread Selection
The Kirkland Shortbread Selection cookies ($20) are butter at its best. While you can serve them with hot cocoa, if you have a little time, you can always put them in the food processor and turn them into a buttery base for a cheesecake or chocolate pie.
9Santa’s Favorite Cookies
Santa Claus gets to sample cookies from practically every continent on the planet. And as such, he’s bound to have a favorite (or four). The Santa’s Favorite Cookies collection ($14) are his favorite, and they come in the cutest treasure chest-style package. Hey, even Santa wants to safeguard his treats.
10David’s Butter Pecan Meltaways
For a cookie that melts in your mouth, these butter pecan meltaways ($10) live up to their name. The powdered sugar-covered cookie has finely chopped pecans and loads of buttery goodness to indulge in.
11Bonne Maman French Candies
If candy is what you’re craving after your holiday meal, you can always enjoy the sweets from Bonne Maman ($8). It comes in flavors like strawberry, orange, apricot, and apple cinnamon, and there are about 75 pieces per package. The soft, fruity candy comes from France, too.
12Coffee House Cinnamon Rolls
When it comes to flavors that match the holidays, cinnamon is certainly a fan favorite. So cinnamon rolls are a no-brainer when it comes to holiday desserts. These mini ones from Coffee House ($6) are a two-bite marvel that are great with coffee, tea, or a tall glass of cold milk.
13Thin Addictives Cranberry Almond Thin Cookies
Some people like their cookies chewy; others prefer them to be crunchy. The cranberry almond cookies from Thin Addictives ($6) aren’t super sweet, which is good if you’re not into sugary treats. But with 33% more almonds, you may crunch your way into a cookie coma.
14Cheesecake Factory Decadent Desserts
If you don’t feel like putting on pants after a big holiday meal, you can bring The Cheesecake Factory right to your table. The Decadent Dessert package ($7) includes eight lick-the-spoon-til-it’s-clean desserts: vanilla bean pudding and rich Belgian chocolate pudding, both over a dark chocolate fudge sauce.
15Delizza Belgian Mini Cream Puffs
Creamy, dreamy, (and cute, too), these mini Belgian cream puffs from Delizza ($10) are everything you could want in a dessert. They’re poppable, sweet, and simple to prepare: All you have to do is thaw them and serve. You’ll get 120 puffs per package, which means you may (or may not) have some left over after your guests go home.
16Eli’s Cheesecake Bites
Why serve just one cheesecake flavor when you can offer up three? Eli’s Cheesecake Bites ($13/54 bites) is handmade at their Chicago bakery, and come in three flavors: original, chocolate, and raspberry swirl. Just put these pretty bites on a platter and you’re golden.
