{"id":201,"date":"2024-01-13T04:29:49","date_gmt":"2024-01-13T04:29:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/squarespace.joannawhiteart.com\/wp\/2024\/01\/13\/costco-triple-chocolate-cream-pie-review\/"},"modified":"2025-08-12T00:06:30","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T04:06:30","slug":"costco-triple-chocolate-cream-pie-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/2024\/01\/13\/costco-triple-chocolate-cream-pie-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Costco Triple Chocolate Cream Pie Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Author\u2019s note: I was not paid or compensated to review this cake, and I have no affiliation with <\/em>Costco<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A tale of two cream pies.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Oh boy. I saw this Triple Chocolate Cream Pie<\/a> on Facebook, and I made a special trip to my store to see if we had it. Yup. I was thrilled<\/em>. There were only four pies left in the case when I got there, so I must not be the only<\/em> one eagerly buying this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Two<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, this dessert wasn\u2019t as good as I had hoped. Or maybe I had unrealistic expectations. Not sure. It\u2019s basically a pudding pie, with some fake whipped cream on top, and a layer of undercooked brownie near the crust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may have already read my review of Costco\u2019s infamous Peanut Butter Chocolate Cream Pie<\/a> \u2014 which was surrounded by unrelenting hype, yet still impressed me. I had similar hopes for THIS Triple Chocolate Cream Pie. But unfortunately, the two pies are nothing alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Despite both<\/em> being titled \u201cCream Pie,\u201d the peanut butter rendition was more like a silk pie or a mousse \u2014 with a little tangy cheesecake influence. THIS Triple Chocolate Cream pie is straight-up pudding<\/em>. It\u2019s a reasonably decent pudding, but still pudding. The sign in the Costco bakery called it \u201ccustard,\u201d but I\u2019m sticking to \u201cpudding.\u201d There\u2019s no<\/em> similarity in texture between these two Costco \u201ccream pies.\u201d Alas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Anyway. The part I liked best is the graham crust. It\u2019s buttery and crunchy and slightly salty, with just the right amount of warm molasses sweetness. In fact, Costco advertised the crust as a \u201cbutter & graham crust,\u201d and the ingredients on the label include real butter. Yay. This is much nicer than the palm or soybean oil or margarine of other graham crusts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a \u201cfudge brownie layer\u201d between the crust and the pudding. Mine tasted somewhat undercooked \u2014 more like fudge<\/em> than brownie. It was still tasty, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn\u2019t<\/em> known it was supposed<\/em> to be a brownie. I could have pretended it was just<\/em> fudge, maybe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pudding (ahem, \u201ccustard\u201d) is the most substantial layer. It has a pleasant chocolate taste, and it\u2019s made with whole milk. Indeed, milk is the first<\/em> ingredient in this pie! According to Taste of Home, the main distinction between custard and pudding<\/a> is whether or not starch thickeners have been added, instead of relying entirely on eggs to thicken. On the label of this pie, the second ingredient in the \u201cDairy Custard\u201d is Modified Food Starch. I (anecdotally) associate custard with more richness and silkiness, and pudding with more milkiness. So, Costco\u2019s version is milky<\/em> and not as decadent or rich as I\u2019d hoped. Pudding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(If you love custard, check out my review of these French Creme Br\u00fbl\u00e9e from Costco<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The white whipped topping layer is my least favorite part of this dessert. If you\u2019ve read my other reviews, you know that I utterly despise fake whipped cream-stuff<\/a> in any dessert. \u201cFrothy plastic sadness and despair.\u201d Unfortunately, there\u2019s a LOT of it here, so if<\/em> I scrape it all off, I\u2019m left with perhaps 25% less pie by volume. This whipped topping is lightly sweet and thick, and it holds a good shape on top of the pie. There. I tried to be nice. That\u2019s all I can muster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Chocolate<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I like the bold garnish on top of the pie \u2014 big, thick shavings of chocolate. The high contrast is eye-catching and exciting. Slicing through the garnish is kind of tricky, but otherwise I think it adds an edgy and contemporary touch to the aesthetic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ingredients<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ingredients in Costco Chocolate Cream Pie<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These ingredients do not get any accolades from me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n