The Costco Kirkland Frozen Dessert That Leaves A Lot To Be Desired

Costco's frozen department is a wonderland of cool delights, with everything from stuffed chicken breast dinner shortcuts to high-protein breakfast sandwiches — all you have to do is heat them up and voilà, you have a convenient meal. Costco also has a variety of desserts to choose from, which Food Republic tried and ranked. While Dubai chocolate-style mini ice cream sandwiches came in to claim the top spot, its Kirkland Signature Ice Cream Bars left a lot to be desired — namely, any pizzazz.

It wasn't that the reviewer found anything to be bad about the dessert bars, but rather that they were a little basic, with none of the "wow" factor that the other desserts on the list had. It seems they are meant to be a dupe of the Häagen-Dazs Vanilla & Almond bars, and some on the internet have drawn comparisons between the two. While the Kirkland brand is cheaper, at $12.47 for 18 bars, versus Häagen-Dazs' 15-count for $15.88 (so 70 cents each versus $1.06), the Costco bars' ingredients aren't quite as premium as the brand-name version.

The chocolate layer for the Kirkland bars is listed as "chocolate flavored coating;" on the other hand, the outer shell for the Häagen-Dazs bars is a mix of milk chocolate and coconut oil. The former has been described as "waxy" by one Redditor, and "weird tasting" by another. Needless to say, you might want to skip the Kirkland ice cream bars if you're looking for a satisfying Costco sweet treat.

If Costco's Kirkland Signature ice cream bars are a little on the blah side on their own, there are a number of ways you can add some interest and make them less boring. Thankfully, because they have such a neutral flavor profile — just chocolate and almond from the coating, and vanilla from the ice cream — these bars will suit pretty much any addition you throw at them. For example, if you want to keep the ice cream on the stick, try spreading squeezable dessert topping all over the bar, then covering that with candy or cereal that's gone a few rounds in a food processor. The flavor combinations are unlimited, the additional texture is unmatched, and it's a fun activity you could even do with the kids.

If you don't mind taking the bar off the stick, you could put it in a bowl, mash it up a bit, and then use it as the base for an ice cream sundae. We think it would be especially tasty livened up with a homemade fruit sauce, or improved with the addition of a rich, decadent, scratch-made chocolate sauce in place of the waxy coating. Create that ever-so-cravable salty-sweet combination by topping it with some flaky salt, potato chips, pretzels, or really spice things up with a sprinkle of Tajín.