{"id":202,"date":"2023-12-04T01:52:46","date_gmt":"2023-12-04T01:52:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/squarespace.joannawhiteart.com\/wp\/2023\/12\/04\/costco-kirkland-bakery-pecan-pie-review\/"},"modified":"2025-12-06T15:13:52","modified_gmt":"2025-12-06T20:13:52","slug":"costco-kirkland-bakery-pecan-pie-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/2023\/12\/04\/costco-kirkland-bakery-pecan-pie-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Costco Pecan Pie Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Author\u2019s note: I was not paid to write this review, and I have no affiliation with Costco<\/a>. These are my own unvarnished opinions.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ah, nuts.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After hearing about the Costco Pecan Pie<\/a> for the past two years, I finally caved and bought one. I expected it to be a schmaltzy block of sugar, but I was surprised to find otherwise. This pie has pleasantly restrained sweetness, yet rich flavor. If you\u2019ve read my other reviews, you already know that I eschew overly sweet desserts, so I was glad to be wrong in my sugar prejudice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Side<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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I\u2019m also impressed by how nutty this pecan pie is. Unlike other grocery store variants, this one features large pecan halves (rather than small broken bits)\u2014 and LOTS of them! In my pie, there were at least two layers of pecans on top of the custard\u2014 a truly generous amount. Nearly half the pie depth is nuts. The pecans have a syrupy, glossy, candy-like coating, which makes the presentation beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allow me to add that these pecans are delightfully crispy \u2014 not soggy or flabby \u2014 and they have a fresh, sweet taste. I did not encounter any bitter or rancid-tasting pecans. These are not sad bargain nuts, but rather good quality ones. I would certainly not be ashamed to serve this pie at a family celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(For another pecan-filled holiday treat, check out my review of this Rum Nut Bread Pudding Ice Cream.<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Pecans<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The custard base is a lighter color than I expected. It has a rich, flavorful taste, but not as many deep caramel or burnt sugar notes as some other pecan pies. The custard is also firmer than I expected, but in a good way. It\u2019s not runny like pudding. I generally do not like overly soft pecan pie. The filling has a slight<\/em> texture, which I personally enjoyed, although that may not be everyone\u2019s cup of tea. The texture reminded me of my mom\u2019s homemade pecan pie. If I had to guess, the firmness of the custard is from the eggs, although there might be some kind of additional thickener, like flour or ground pecans involved.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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I was sad to see artificial flavors listed more than once in the ingredients, so the rich, delicious flavor is suss<\/em>. There\u2019s no vanilla listed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was also saddened by the absence of butter. There is shortening, but no butter. Alas. There should be butter. Butter makes everything better.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Detail<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Although I\u2019ve been an enthusiastic cheerleader for Costco pie crusts, this<\/em> crust was probably my least favorite so far. It has a brittle texture and tastes overcooked. I mostly scraped the pie custard out of it and then threw the crust away. I\u2019m not mad about this, because MOST grocery store pie crusts meet the same fate in my house. I\u2019ve just had unusually good luck with Costco pie crusts. Until now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can\u2019t win \u2018em all.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Broken<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Because the crust is brittle, it tends to break and fall off the edges of the pie. This means your pie may look a bit battered and ugly by the time you serve it. Not a deal breaker, just something to know about. The aluminum pie pan tends to flex when moving the pie around, and this exacerbates the crust breakage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other than that, this pie serves pretty cleanly. I needed a sharp knife to cut the pecans, and it definitely serves better chilled<\/em>, but otherwise, it plates nicely. Because the pie is so large, these are long slices, but not unwieldly.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Ingredients in Costco Pecan Pie<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Definitely not a stellar ingredient list. But not a galactic failure, either. Even my mom\u2019s homemade pecan pie is made with corn syrup, so I give this a reluctant pass. Fortunately, there are no artificial colors (paprika is used instead, which is an interesting choice). There are<\/em> wretched preservatives and even wretcheder artificial colors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spell check didn\u2019t flag \u201cwretcheder,\u201d which intrigues me. Is this already a word? Hmm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Costco<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Anyway, here are the ingredients:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n