8 Frozen Desserts You Should Be Getting At Costco

Whether you're getting ready for a summer cookout or just want to make tasty ice cream sundaes for your family, finding the right bulk desserts is a great way to stock up and save money while still indulging your sweet tooth. Costco carries a few of the greatest hits in its freezer aisle, including vanilla ice cream, popsicles, and ice cream sandwiches, as well as a few lesser known desserts, like Portuguese egg custard tarts, that are just as delicious.

All of these options come in large packages, which works to set up tasty favorites for a crowd without having to make multiple trips or deal with low inventory at your neighborhood store. In some cases, you can enjoy pretty significant savings compared to the regular grocery store while stocking up for summer barbecues, special events, or just a weeknight treat for yourself.

Because Costco requires an annual membership fee, we looked for desserts that are worth that extra cost and a special trip. We tried those that are always available and carried in Costco stores around the country. I also put a few lesser known options in my cart to see how they compared. Relying on the help of my three children, who are never shy about trying new desserts, we've compiled a thoroughly vetted list of the best frozen desserts you can get at Costco. All of these picks got two chocolatey thumbs up from our testers.

What dessert is more iconic than vanilla ice cream? Costco must agree it's essential, because it's always available and in stock whenever I've visited, whether to a warehouse store in Hawaii or Washington, D.C. With so many versatile uses, vanilla ice cream is the perfect freezer item to keep stocked so that you're always ready to serve dessert.

The giant Kirkland Signature version comes with two half-gallon tubs in a single package. So even if you're just a casual ice cream lover, you can put one tub in deep freeze to enjoy later or gift to a friend. If you're hosting a party, it's a great purchase for build-your-own sundae stations, where guests can scoop their own ice cream into a bowl. You can even pair it with boozy syrup for an adults-only dessert.

The ice cream is very rich and creamy, two must-haves in good vanilla ice cream. It's simple, sweet, and exactly what we want in this iconic dessert. It costs around $15, which comes out to $7.50 per carton. Similar ice cream costs the same amount for half a quart less at other grocery stores. This isn't one of the best deals at Costco, but it is still a good value for a high quality. Given that it comes with two separate cartons and tastes amazing, it's a good dessert to keep in the freezer.

Jonny Pops are an amazing way to enjoy a sweet dessert treat with an extra boost of nutrition. While we wouldn't go so far as to call them a health food, they're made with real fruit that's packed with more vitamins and nutrients than most other desserts. These strawberry pops are dipped in chocolate for a luxurious and tasty finish. Think of them as a creamier version of chocolate-covered strawberries, without all of the work of making them, of course. Unlike some other strawberry-flavored desserts and ice cream, these have a true, fresh, summery strawberry taste.

The box from Costco comes with 18 pops for around $13.50. Each one is individually wrapped, which can make storing them a bit easier than if you want to take them out of the box. They're easy to pack into every nook and cranny, even in a small freezer.

Jonny Pops makes other popsicle bars that are made with real fruit juice. Costco only carries the chocolate-covered strawberry version, but it just happens to be our favorite, so we're okay with that. These appeal to adults a bit more than the technicolor striped popsicles, although our kids are fans of any Jonny Pops flavor.

When buying in bulk, getting a variety of options is a good way from keep from getting bored with the selection. The Nestle Classics box includes 16 of the company's popular drumsticks in three flavors, 12 ice cream sandwiches, and 12 ice cream bars. The giant box is divided into smaller packages that are easier to freeze and that can be split up if you're sharing among multiple households. These are also perfect for popping into a shared cooler and toting along to a barbecue. 

This is our go-to choice when we're hosting summer get-togethers because it includes such iconic favorites. The caramel drumsticks are a nice surprise, with caramel inside the ice cream itself. If you prefer a classic drumstick or the chocolate version, you can opt for those instead. The ice cream sandwiches are a good pairing of chocolate cake and creamy ice cream, while the ice cream bars are a better choice if you don't want to get your hands as messy.

The entire box costs around $20, a great deal when you compare it to the $10 price tag of an 8-count box of Nestle Drumsticks at other stores. The Costco box comes with 40 desserts and multiple options.

If you want a dessert that isn't ice cream, we recommend Junior's Mini Cheesecakes. You can pull them right out of the freezer for a slightly icy version, or let them thaw in the fridge if you want a creamier cheesecake. These mini cheesecakes look great as part of a dessert buffet, if you want to give each guest a sampler with different flavors, or when you just want a slightly smaller bite of dessert without committing to an entire piece of cheesecake.

The box costs just under $20 and comes with 24 individual bites in three flavors: classic, chocolate, and cherry. The flavored cheesecakes come with extras are swirled on top and into the actual cheesecake mixture. They're very creamy with the nice tang that you expect from a quality cheesecake.

This is one of the only options on our list that isn't individually wrapped. Normally when we buy in bulk, we want to be able to easily store extras in the freezer, knowing that we're not likely to go through 30 or 40 desserts in one sitting. While the Junior's Mini Cheesecakes come in one tray, it's easy enough to transfer them to a storage dish if you do have leftovers you want to eat later. The tray isn't super impressive as a serving dish, so you'll likely want to transfer them anyway, just to give the presentation a bit more pizzazz. 

La Vie Gourmand Custard Tarts are one of a few dessert options in the Costco freezer aisle that you can heat and serve warm. Also known as "pastel de nata," they are actually made in Portugal, then packaged and sold in Costco stores. They have a buttery puff pastry shell and rich custard filling, which caramelizes on the top when you make them in the oven or air fryer. These do contain egg, which is important to note if you have allergies or sensitivities.

There are 18 tarts in each box, which each come in their own tiny foil shell. They aren't individually sealed, but it's easy enough to pop a few in the oven or air fryer to heat. They take around 20 minutes in the oven and half that time in the air fryer. Both methods result in a similarly flaky crust and creamy filling. These are far from savory, but richer than most other desserts that we like from Costco.

If you like a dessert that feels indulgent, this is a great choice. They're also one of the cheaper options at just $13 for 18 tarts. Each tart is small enough to serve on its own in a single serving. Add a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream for a little something extra, plus a few garnishes for presentation. 

Even if you're gluten-free, you can still enjoy a tasty dessert. While you can whip up your own sorbet in your ice cream maker, these individual serving cups from Costco are much more convenient. The Island Way Sorbet cups come in four different flavors: heavenly coconut, red berry and ruby grapefruit, passionate mango, and zesty pomegranate. 

In addition to being deliciously refreshing, these cups are also great for an easy dessert with impressive presentation. Each sorbet comes in a real fruit shell. Give them a little fruit garnish and guests will think that you knocked it out of the park with your serving skills and culinary expertise. These sorbet cups do have a hint of cream, so they won't work for those avoiding dairy. The creaminess works for the texture and taste, however. They are all on the tropical side.

There are 12 in each box, with three of each flavor, and the entire thing costs around $16. That's a little pricey compared to other Costco frozen desserts, but they are unique among the offerings because they are more refreshing than they are sweet. If you like smoothies but want something that feels more like a dessert, these are the perfect answer.

For a protein-rich treat disguised as a dessert, go with the Yasso Greek Yogurt Bars. Costco has a popular Greek yogurt from Kirkland Signature, but these tasty bars are made by Yasso. They only come in one flavor, rich and sweet cookies 'n cream. 

You won't mistake them for a true ice cream bar, but they satisfy the same craving when you want something that's cold and sweet. They are a bit less creamy, with more tang, which actually balances quite well with the cookies 'n cream flavor. These don't give us the same sugar highs and lows that we get from some other ice cream bars, but they still taste and feel like an indulgent dessert. So if you want a dessert with more protein — or standard ice cream bars are too sweet for you — this is the product for you.

Costco only carries the cookies 'n cream version, while there are a lot more flavors at other grocery stores. If you haven't tried these before, you may want to buy a smaller pack at another store before you go with the 15-count box at Costco, which costs around $12. The same flavor at other grocery stores costs just over $5 for only 4 bars, so the Costco pack is a great value, as long as you're going to enjoy the bars. 

Kirkland Signature Ice Cream Bars always make an appearance during our summer gatherings because they're a great value, deliciously rich and creamy, and generously sized ice cream bar. The box of 18 bars costs around $12, which comes out to less than $1 per bar. The chocolate flavored shell on the outside is a bit thinner than some other brands we've tried, which helps it from cracking too much as you take bites. It's still enough to give the bar a nice balance of ice cream and chocolate.

Each bar is coated with chocolate and chopped almonds, so these won't work for those who are nut-free. But for those who can enjoy the ingredients, the almonds add the perfect amount of crunch alongside the rich ice cream. The packaging doesn't say if this is the same vanilla ice cream used in the Kirkland Signature scoopable ice cream, but it sure tastes similar. If you like one, there's a good chance you'll like the other.

To find out which frozen desserts were the best to pick up at Costco, we had to try them, of course. We tried a selection of Costco desserts from the freezer aisle, making note of which tasted great and were easy to make. Some we've been putting in our cart for years, while others were new options that are now part of our regular lineup.

We also looked at Costco's price compared to the price at neighborhood grocery stores, as well as how well each dessert would appeal to those with various dietary needs. With the help of our entire family, including our dessert-loving kids, we gave each a taste to see how likely we were to go back for more. The result was a list of frozen desserts that we'll be getting from Costco in the future.

Costco sells items in bulk, including breakfast staples and appetizers, so only the best desserts earned space in our freezer. We made note of popular items that we like to serve to guests, whether it's at a casual backyard cookout or a more elegant dessert buffet. These are the perfect times to bust out the Costco desserts, not just because they're delicious, but because they save a lot of prep and cook time in the kitchen when you have a large crowd to feed.