You know that moment in Costco when you’ve already wrestled a flatbed cart through the aisles, somehow resisted the free samples, and convinced yourself that you only “needed” the four-pack of something enormous? And then you near the exit, and the smell of hot pizza, buttery popcorn, and that unmistakable soft-serve hum drifts over from the food court? It takes a special kind of willpower to walk past. For a lot of shoppers, that willpower just got a whole lot weaker. Costco has rolled out a brand-new seasonal dessert that is essentially engineering a detour straight to the food court, and it’s called the Vanilla Apple Pie Sundae. The price, at just $2.99, feels almost unreasonable in the best possible way. The sundae layers creamy vanilla soft serve with warm, gooey apple pie filling and crunchy pieces of cinnamon-dusted pie crust. It’s basically all the comfort of a slice of apple pie à la mode, but without the bakery line, without the table setting, and, most importantly, without the kind of price tag you’d see at a specialty pie shop. The new dessert joins a lineup that has been quietly building its own devoted fanbase, slotting right alongside past limited-time creations like the Vanilla Cookie Crunch and the Caramel Palmier sundaes. If you’ve ever tried those, you already know that Costco treats its food court like a playground for seasonal ideas. And with this new apple pie number, the warehouse giant seems to be betting that fall cravings and impulse spending were made for each other.
The early reviews are already rolling in, and they are, predictably, very online. Reddit, as always, is the unofficial headquarters for Costco’s most passionate taste-testers. One shopper in the r/Costco forum couldn’t contain their excitement, sharing that they had tried the new sundae over the weekend and found it “delicious.” That might not sound like a headline, but in the world of Costco Reddit, it’s practically a five-star Michelin review. What really stood out to them was the contrast in textures and temperatures. The apple pie filling, they noted, was “room temperature warm mixed with ice cream,” which creates that magical sensation of cold creaminess melting into warm, spiced fruit. And the pie crust pieces, scattered throughout, were not just a garnish — they were genuinely “mixed in,” offering a buttery crunch in every few bites. Another fan went even further, ranking this sundae above every frozen treat Costco had offered before it. “Easily best one so far,” they declared, which is no small claim in a food court that has produced legendary items over the years. When someone asked about sweetness, that same commenter delivered what might be the most thorough Costco sundae analysis you’ll ever read. They said the new apple dessert is “slightly less sweet than the other regular sundaes,” which for a lot of people is a huge plus. The crust’s crunch gives a nice mouthfeel, and the apple compote, they admitted, is “definitely higher quality than I expected.” That last part feels particularly important because, let’s be honest, we all know what canned apple pie filling can taste like. Nobody was bracing for gourmet. And yet, apparently, Costco delivered something with a little more soul.
But of course, this is Costco, and Costco dessert drama is practically a sport. Not everyone was ready to crown the Vanilla Apple Pie Sundae the king of the food court dessert kingdom. There’s always one dissenting voice in the comment section, and this time it came from a Redditor who felt the apple flavor fell a little flat. They complained that the pie component was “incredibly weak with barely any cinnamon imo,” adding that the sundae was “just ok overall.” For those who love a strong cinnamon kick, that’s a fair criticism. The warm, spicy aroma of cinnamon is half the reason apple pie feels like fall in a pan, and if it’s too subtle, the whole concept can lose some of its magic. Still, that opinion was quickly countered by another fan who had already sampled the treat and reported, enthusiastically, “Had it today and it was delicious! Big chunks of pie crust and lots of yummy apple chunks.” It’s the classic split that follows any major fast-food release: some people want bold spice, others want texture, and everyone goes on the internet to make their case. The debate itself is almost as enjoyable as the dessert, honestly. It also reminds you how invested people are in Costco’s food court. This is not just a place to grab a hot dog; it’s a cultural institution. People have loyalty to certain menu items like they have loyalty to hometown sports teams. When a new sundae appears, it’s not just a menu update, it’s an event. And the fact that people are actively debating its sweetness, its cinnamon levels, and its apple chunks means Costco has already won. Whether you love it or find it just okay, you’re thinking about it. You’re probably planning to try it. And that is exactly the point.
The internet’s food reviewers got in on the action too, with one Instagrammer named @morganchomps drawing a very flattering comparison. She suggested that the new sundae essentially gives you the experience of the viral pumpkin pie sundae hack, but with apple pie instead. For those who missed that particular chapter of Costco lore, the hack was simple: shoppers would order a soft serve sundae and then kind of crumble a slice of pumpkin pie on top, creating a spur-of-the-moment pie à la mode hybrid. It was messy, yes, but it was also delicious, and it became one of those unofficial menu secrets that foodies love to share. The Vanilla Apple Pie Sundae, according to @morganchomps, offers a much cleaner shortcut to the same exact satisfaction. “It tastes like apple pie à la mode,” she said after taking a bite, which is probably the highest compliment a dessert like this can receive. But she didn’t stop there. She gave the filling a particularly glowing review, noting that the apple pie filling itself tastes “a little better and almost thicker than a normal canned one would.” That is a meaningful distinction because so many store-bought apple fillings are overly runny, full of mushy apples and artificial-tasting syrup. She also pointed out that the apples in Costco’s version are “not gritty or crunchy,” which suggests they’re cooked down just right, soft enough to meld with the ice cream but still substantial enough to feel like real fruit. And then there are those pieces of crust that she clearly loved. All of this adds up to a dessert that feels both familiar and elevated, like Costco somehow figured out how to bottle the essence of autumn without putting in the work of actually baking a pie.
Of course, this isn’t the first time Costco’s food court has stirred up some serious dessert drama. In fact, just a few weeks ago, the internet was buzzing about the return of the beloved churro. Costco had retired its original straight churro years ago, and fans had been mourning it ever since. So when the retailer announced the churro was making a comeback in September, people were understandably excited. But that excitement turned into confusion, and for some, outright betrayal, when they realized the new churro wasn’t the straight, familiar stick of cinnamon sugar they remembered. Instead, it was a twisted version, more like a churro knot than a classic rod. The taste was still there, but the shape was different, and for some loyalists, that was enough to feel like a bait-and-switch. To make matters worse, the returning treat also came with a higher price tag. The old churro cost just a dollar, but the new twisted creation jumped to $1.49. That might only be a 49-cent difference, but for a certain kind of Costco fan, every cent matters. It became one of those classic cultural moments where nostalgia clashed with change, and neither side was entirely ready to compromise. The new churro has its defenders, sure, but the drama showed just how emotionally attached people get to fast-food menu items. It also set the stage for this latest sundae release. Costco knows what it’s doing. It knows that every new menu item is going to be scrutinized, photographed, posted, and debated. And it knows that even the ones that don’t hit the mark keep people talking — and walking through those doors.
The food court, though, is just one piece of Costco’s massive and ever-expanding empire. Even as shoppers are debating churro shapes and apple sundae sweetness levels, the warehouse giant is busy planning its next moves on a much larger scale. Costco recently announced plans to open another 33 warehouses in fiscal 2027, moving closer to its long-term goal of adding 30 net new locations every single year. That kind of growth is staggering, especially for a company that already seems to be everywhere. But Costco shows no signs of slowing down. CEO Ron Vachris shared the expansion plans during the company’s latest earnings call, and the numbers are big enough to make your head spin. Costco expects to spend around $7.5 billion on these new locations, which is a serious investment in brick-and-mortar retail at a time when so many other companies are shrinking their physical footprints. The company wrapped up fiscal 2026 with a whopping 939 warehouses in operation, after pouring another $6.4 billion into capital projects. So yes, Costco is not just maintaining its empire; it’s aggressively growing it. Where will the next batch of big-box behemoths land? Nobody knows quite yet, and that’s part of the fun. Costco loves keeping shoppers guessing, whether it’s about new food court items, secret menu hacks, or the next city to get its very own warehouse. For now, though, the immediate question for most of us is a lot simpler: do you get the Vanilla Apple Pie Sundae on your next Costco run? The reviews are in, the debate is raging, and the price is right. So maybe it’s time to save a little room after that shopping haul and see what all the fuss is about. After all, fall doesn’t last forever, and neither do limited-time sundaes.
