Costco Strawberry Shortcake Sundae Review
Author’s note: As per always, this is not a paid or sponsored review. I have no affiliation with Costco.
Sweet, sweet delusions.
My car needed new tires from the Costco Tire Center. And this was my reward for spending $506 (plus $189 for new tire pressure sensors). By comparison, this $2.99 icy pink treat felt practically free. (Just let me have my delusion, please.)
Anyway. Costco’s new Strawberry Shortcake Sundae from the Food Court is excellent. It lives up to all the hype.
Strawberries!
The top and bottom of my cup were filled with strawberry chunks in a fruity syrup. The berries are marinated in the syrup — and softened — but still perky, with a little crispness. Much fresher tasting than I expected!
I love that the syrup isn’t sickeningly sweet. It tastes like blended strawberries, with a little added sweetener and flavorings. It has juuust the right amount of sly, tangy brightness to balance the creamy ice cream.
Shortcake
The small cubes of shortcake are so much more delicious than I expected. It tastes like homemade shortcake, with a soft-but-structured bite, and slight saltiness. Kind of a buttery taste.
I love how the syrup soaks into the cubes, but doesn’t disintegrate them. There are additional shortcake chunks on the bottom of the cup, too. It was a fun discovery, finding those softer, soaked cake pieces at the bottom. A triumphant ending. We all need one of those.
Soft serve ice cream
The soft serve ice cream is vastly more creamy and rich than I expected. Not just “icy milk,” but more of a thick, custardy cream taste. Not too sweet.
It’s deep pink all the way through, with a “strawberry malted milk” flavor that is enjoyable, if not totally natural tasting. Even when melted, the ice cream has a thick viscosity. (I don’t wanna know what the ingredients are, honestly!)
(I also loved this seasonal Santa’s White Christmas ice cream from Publix. Put it on your list for the holidays!)
How big is it?
Size-wise, this Strawberry Shortcake Sundae is a large treat. About 12 ounces. I was full before I’d eaten half of it. You could definitely split this with someone. As long as you don’t mind their cooties. Ew, cooties. The Food Court has a spoon dispenser that lets you take more than one plastic spoon, at least.
Planning your treat purchase
I bought this sundae on my way out of the warehouse, which was a mistake. I needed to eat it while driving home in my boiling hot car. And I drive a stick. So I can’t eat-and-drive. Not with all the other Florida drivers on the road (we are every bit as terrible as people say we are, alas). My treat half-way melted before I made it home.
If I had this to do over, I would have either eaten it while browsing the store, or sat in the Food Court seating until it was gone.
At my Costco location, the Food Court is depressingly placed inside the store, with glaring fluorescent lights, and the strong smell of rubber from the adjacent Tire Center. The tables are always crowded, and it is very noisy. This treat deserves a better atmosphere. But, what can we do?
Buy it anyway. It’s worth it. Eat it with your eyes shut. And imagine you are at the beach, with a soft breeze and the salty smell of the ocean. Delusions are your friends now.
Dramatic Conclusion
This was a worthy use of my three dollars. I loved the fresh-tasting strawberries, richly flavored syrup, and super creamy ice cream. The shortcake tastes like it came from your mama’s oven. I would definitely buy this treat again.
The illustrious Awesome-o-Meter rates Costco’s Strawberry Shortcake Sundae a rare Speechless.
The End.
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