{"id":6443,"date":"2025-01-26T21:04:10","date_gmt":"2025-01-27T02:04:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/?p=6443"},"modified":"2025-03-22T14:17:43","modified_gmt":"2025-03-22T18:17:43","slug":"costco-onion-cheese-pinwheels-kirkland-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/2025\/01\/26\/costco-onion-cheese-pinwheels-kirkland-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Costco Onion &amp; Cheese Pinwheels (Kirkland) Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"838\" src=\"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_baked-plate-1024x838.jpg\" alt=\"A white plate with a baked Costco Onion Cheese Pinwheel pastry topped with sesame seeds.\" class=\"wp-image-6623\" srcset=\"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_baked-plate-1024x838.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_baked-plate-300x245.jpg 300w, https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_baked-plate-768x628.jpg 768w, https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_baked-plate.jpg 1073w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Author&#8217;s Note: This is an unbiased and unsponsored review. I have no affiliation with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.costco.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Costco<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I give them 6 out of 10 stars.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah, I totally jumped on the bandwagon here. These Onion &amp; Cheese Pinwheels are a brand-spanking-new item at my local Costco, and I went over <a href=\"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/2025\/01\/06\/what-i-buy-at-costco-as-a-single-person-on-a-budget\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"4661\">my budget this month<\/a> to try them. I had to. *whimpers*<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anyway. Here&#8217;s the scoreboard:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Pastry: 10 stars<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Filling: 2 stars<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Which gives these an average rating of 6 out of 10 stars. Ouch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"833\" height=\"878\" src=\"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_box2.jpg\" alt=\"A plastic box of Costco Onion &amp; Cheese Pinwheel bakery pastries, sitting on a kitchen table.\" class=\"wp-image-6612\" srcset=\"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_box2.jpg 833w, https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_box2-285x300.jpg 285w, https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_box2-768x809.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 833px) 100vw, 833px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Alright. What do they taste like?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I was deeply impressed by the bread-pastry. It&#8217;s a flavorful, flakey, layered pastry \u2014 which tastes richly of butter. It has a <em>super<\/em> crisp texture that is different from other Costco pastries (such as the Danish or Croissant). The structure is more delicate, too. An airy, light crunch. I loved how each bite changes in texture \u2014 softening towards the center of the spiral. Never a dull moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_flakey-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Fingers holding a crisp piece of pastry from a Costco Onion Cheese Pinwheel.\" class=\"wp-image-6629\" srcset=\"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_flakey-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_flakey-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_flakey-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_flakey.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Cheesy Filling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I didn&#8217;t like the filling as much as I thought I would. It&#8217;s soft, but there&#8217;s not scads of it \u2014 and it&#8217;s sort of congealed and melded to the pastry layers. The insides are <em>so<\/em> soft, they are nearly raw. The cheese doesn&#8217;t have tons of flavor. Rather disappointing. For some reason, it reminded me slightly of rubbery American Cheese, which I cannot choke down. <em>More about the ingredients later.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"812\" src=\"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_center-1024x812.jpg\" alt=\"The filling in the center of an Onion and Cheese Pinwheel pastry from Costco.\" class=\"wp-image-6628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_center-1024x812.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_center-300x238.jpg 300w, https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_center-768x609.jpg 768w, https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_center.jpg 1107w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately, the outer pinwheel rings have no discernable cheese. In fact, the goopy cheese filling is pretty much isolated within the inner 30% of pinwheel. I ended up eating the outside of each of my pinwheels, and throwing away the offending centers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even without the filling, these pinwheels have strong, savory flavors throughout. When baking, the intense oniony-garlic aroma fills the kitchen. If you&#8217;re cooking desserts at the same time, I would bake those separately \u2014 to avoid the odors permeating your treats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_sesame-seeds-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"White and black sesame seeds on top of a Costco Onion Cheese Pinwheel pastry from the Kirkland Bakery.\" class=\"wp-image-6630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_sesame-seeds-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_sesame-seeds-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_sesame-seeds-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_sesame-seeds.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The garnish is zesty and visually satisfying. There are two kinds of sesame seeds \u2014 black and white, plus dehydrated onions. Plus poppy seeds! It&#8217;s like an Everything Bagel, without the bagel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are LARGE pastries! Although you only get 6 per package, they could be a full meal, without anything extra. I wanted to hibernate after finishing one. If you are serving these for breakfast, the most I would add to the meal is some light fruit. Here is a view from the bottom:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"835\" src=\"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_bottom-1024x835.jpg\" alt=\"A hand holding the bottom of a Costco Onion Cheese Pinwheel pastry.\" class=\"wp-image-6626\" srcset=\"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_bottom-1024x835.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_bottom-300x245.jpg 300w, https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_bottom-768x626.jpg 768w, https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_bottom.jpg 1077w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I was surprised to find these are a refrigerated item at my local Costco \u2014 the other pastries, (including the cheese danishes), are sold at room temperature. And, unlike other Costco Bakery items, these Onion &amp; Cheese Pinwheels <em>require<\/em> baking at home before serving. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately, all you need is 350 degrees for 10 minutes to transforms these pinwheels \u2014Eliza Doolittle style \u2014 from guttersnipe, to a consort for a king.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"680\" height=\"878\" src=\"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_ingredients.jpg\" alt=\"Ingredients in Costco Onion &amp; Cheese Pinwheels from the Kirkland Bakery.\" class=\"wp-image-6614\" srcset=\"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_ingredients.jpg 680w, https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_ingredients-232x300.jpg 232w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ingredients in Costco Onion &amp; Cheese Pinwheels<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The store label was not printed correctly and cut off part of the ingredients. I had to guess at some of these, so here&#8217;s my best attempt. This is the second Costco bakery label I&#8217;ve received printed like this. Also, the opening\/closing brackets are used inconsistently, so I am not certain which string of ingredients goes with which sub-ingredient. I tried to fix this in my list, and eventually gave up. Do better, Costco!:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Onion and Cheese Pastry (Roasted Onions and Cheese Filling [Water, Cream Cheese {Milk, Cream, Skim Milk, Salt, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Locust Bean Gum, Bacterial Cultures}, B\u00e9chamel Cream {Nonfat Dry Milk, Modified Food Starch, Dried Whey, Salt, Whey Protein Concentrate}, Roasted Onions, Swiss Style Cheese {Pasteurized Milk, Modified Milk Ingredients, Salt, Bacterial Culture, Calcium Chloride, Enzymes}, Parmesan Cheese {Milk, Salt, Microbial Enzymes}, Eggs, Cultured Skim Milk, Skim Milk], White Vinegar, Salt, Natural Flavor, Black Pepper], Enriched Flour [Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid], Water, Butter [Cream], Sugar, Yeast, Less than 2% of the following: Eggs, Salt, Wheat Gluten, Enzymes, Ascorbic Acid, Dried Eggs, Nonfat Milk, Soy Flour), Everything Topping (Sesame Seeds, Salt, Dehydrated Garlic &amp; Onion, Black Sesame Seeds, Poppy Seeds)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Typing this made my brain hurt. Anyway. It&#8217;s great to see the <em>real<\/em> butter in the pastry, and the several different cheeses. I don&#8217;t see any obvious artificial preservatives or flavors. This makes me happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The one weird thing that stands out is the &#8220;Modified Milk Ingredients&#8221; in the &#8220;Swiss-Style Cheese.&#8221; This might be what is contributing to the goopy, unpleasant cheese texture in the filling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Price and Servings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are six large pinwheels per 28 ounce package. The price is $11.99 at my local Costco. Per pastry, this is approximately $2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.costco.com\/kirkland-signature.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kirkland Signature<\/a>&#8221; (Costco store-brand) item, and the product # is: 1849073.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Shelf-Life<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>My package had a sell-by date of 1 day after purchase. The label says to keep refrigerated. See below for freezing\/reheating ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"659\" height=\"878\" src=\"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_pan.jpg\" alt=\"An Onion &amp; Cheese Pinwheel pastry from Costco, sitting on a parchment-lined baking sheet.\" class=\"wp-image-6621\" srcset=\"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_pan.jpg 659w, https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Costco_Onion-Cheese-Pinwheel_Kirkland-Bakery_pan-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 659px) 100vw, 659px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Heating Instructions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike most Costco Bakery items, these <em>aren&#8217;t<\/em> ready-to-eat. The label specifically lists baking instructions prior to serving:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Remove from packaging; Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes; Cool 5 minutes and enjoy.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can you freeze leftovers?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes. I froze three of my Onion &amp; Cheese Pinwheels in a large ziplock bag. Re-baking was surprisingly easy \u2014 13 minutes at 350 degrees did the trick. The pastry was as crispy and fresh-tasting as the day I bought it, and the center was just as goopy and soft. The flavors were as good, if not better. I think these are champion freezables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Freezables&#8221; is a word now. Deal with it, spellcheck!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dramatic Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I liked the rich, savory flavors of this pinwheel, and the flakey pastry was <em>phenomenal<\/em>! I did <em>not<\/em> relish the cheese filling. In fact, I&#8217;m not sure I would purchase these a second time. Probably not. Alas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">The End.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More Reviews You Might Like (or Hate)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out these other reviews I&#8217;ve written:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/11\/costco-kirkland-bakery-chocolate-mousse-cake-review\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"210\">Costco Chocolate Mousse Cake<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/2023\/08\/30\/publix-bakery-tiramisu-delight-cake-review\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"218\">Publix Tiramisu Delight Cake<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/2023\/09\/06\/aldi-deutsche-kuche-artichoke-cheese-strudel-review\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"172\">Aldi Artichoke &amp; Cheese Strudel<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/2024\/08\/05\/cuisine-adventures-frozen-spanakopita-costco-review\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1744\">Cuisine Adventures Spanakopita<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I give them 6 out of 10 stars.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6623,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[25,345,54,22,23,209],"tags":[191,11,10,8,9,15,592,689,593,31],"class_list":["post-6443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bakery","category-breakfast","category-cheese","category-costco","category-kirkland","category-pastry","tag-brunch","tag-budget","tag-entertaining","tag-food","tag-foodie","tag-groceries","tag-ingredients","tag-onion-and-cheese-pinwheels","tag-price","tag-shopping"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6443"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6443\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}