I Tried the Viral Costco 2lb Tub of Strawberries and Cream: My Honest Review

Costco is selling a gigantic, 2lb tub of whipped cream and whole strawberries for $14.99. And I tried it as best I could, considering it’s simply a gigantic tub of whipped cream and strawberries (okay, yes, there are graham cracker crumbs on top, too).

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There are a lot of questions about this new Costco dessert: How are you supposed to serve it? Just plonk the tub down on the table? Dish out scoops and ruin the whole look? And why did Costco decide now was a good time to release this dessert? In much of the country, it’s not strawberry season until at least May.

I can’t answer those questions. But there is one I can address: Is it any good? Let’s get into the full review of this gigantic tub.

New Costco Product!

Kirkland Signature Strawberries and Cream

Costco

Pros: The whipped cream (and it is listed as actual whipped cream, not “dessert topping” or some other euphemism for “fluffed oil”) is tasty as hell. It’s light and creamy, with a hint of vanilla and just enough sugar. The graham cracker crumb topping is great. There’s a lot of it, and it provides some dimension of flavor to an otherwise very straightforward combination. It almost makes this tub a sort of deconstructed pie. And I do have to commend Costco on just going for it and making this in the first place. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. It’s fun to be confronted with a dessert that makes you go, “huh.”

Cons: The strawberries. Sigh. I am not alone in my disappointment in the quality of the strawberries. They’re firm, sure, and they’re red. But they aren’t sweet. They taste out of season because they pretty much are out of season. (Yes, I know strawberry season technically starts in April in California, but you won’t be getting good strawberries right now.) They’re a little tart, but mostly they’re pretty bland and flavorless. When you make a dessert with only three ingredients, each one needs to be at the top of its game. And the strawberries in my tub were rookies at best.

Verdict: Look, if you eat the berries with enough whipped cream and sweet graham crumbles, you might not even notice. But if the strawberries were ripe, I think this would be a slam dunk of a dessert. I’m definitely not going to tell you to run out and buy this tub right now, but if you’re curious, I’d say give it a go. And if it’s still being sold in June, I’ll give it another chance to wow me.

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

About the Author

Hi! I’m the editor-in-chief of Sporked. I will never turn down a fresh-shucked oyster but I’ll also leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and I love a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients. Why you should trust me: I have been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and am an avid at-home cook and snacker. I began my career writing about fine dining and recipes, moved into cocktails and spirits, and now I talk about groceries. If you can eat it or drink it, I’ve probably written about it. What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s dried okra. Appleton Farms prosciutto from Aldi. Some sort of Trader Joe’s cheese (I’m into the aged gouda at the moment). Frozen waffles (usually the Eggo Cinnamon Toast Minis). Spindrift water (loving the Cosmopolitan right now). Favorite ranking: Smoked salmon. Imagine me as Scrooge McDuck but instead of coins I’m diving into a vault of slippery smoked salmon slices. Pure joy. I also found some real steals in that taste test! Least favorite ranking: Canned oysters. I had such high hopes for this but it quickly became a chore. The kitchen smelled like an uncleaned aquarium.