There's A Secret To Eating And Serving Costco's Apple Pie

The first thing that comes to many people's minds when they think of Costco is its food court. You can get a tremendous bang for your buck — who can resist Costco's famous $1.50 hot dog and soda combo? But what may be overlooked at Costco is its bakery section.

For true aficionados, though, Costco's bakery section holds tons of must-buy baked goods. And one Costco dessert that might take the cake among Costco shoppers is the apple pie. 

As recipe developer Patty Catalano writes for The Kitchn, the dessert can moonlight as another sweet treat, thanks to its double crust: apple cobbler. If you're a fan of traditional apple pie, cut a piece from the edge of the pie for a "better pastry-to-filling ratio and a crispier crust," advises Catalano. Aim for pieces in the middle if you're in the mood for apple cobbler, as it's more soft and tender.

Coscto's double-crust apple pie can be served and enjoyed as a traditional pie. But you can easily make the dessert into two separate treats, depending on your preferences. The hack is all thanks to the pie's size; Costco's apple pie is a hefty treat, weighing more than four pounds. Fan account @costcobuys highlighted the apple pie in an Instagram post, noting that the pie features organic apples and a "cinnamon slurry."

At first glance, pies and cobblers may seem to be nearly identical, but they have subtle differences. Cobblers are desserts typically made of fruit filling topped with a biscuit crust, while pies feature a pastry crust that completely encases the filling. Whether you enjoy Costco's apple pie as a pie or a cobbler, try adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra dose of goodness.

Reddit users rave about Costco's apple pie, so the divide-and-conquer cobbler hack may be yet another reason for shoppers to love it. "Love the apple! I get it year-round," one Reddit user proclaimed. Another user shared a tip to reheat the pie "warm enough to melt Kirkland vanilla ice cream on top with just a small sprinkle of cinnamon." 

Numerous customers rave about Costco's pies. In fact, all of the warehouse's pies are made from scratch, according to Reddit. Most recently, Costco's new peanut butter chocolate pie has generated a buzz on social media. The massive pie clocks in at more than 4.5 pounds and costs $19.99 in Costco stores.

Whatever type of Costco pie you prefer, you're bound to end up with a lot of servings. Don't fret, though — you can freeze individual pie slices to save them for later. (In fact, some commenters on @CostcoHotFinds' Instagram post about the peanut butter chocolate pie were already planning to divide the pie and freeze it as soon as they heard the news about it.) When you want a slice, defrost it in the fridge overnight and then reheat it in the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until it reaches your desired temperature.