Cheapism staffers Jenn Magid and Lacey Muszynski got their hands on Costco's newest bakery sensation, the peanut butter chocolate pie. It's so popular that it's often sold out at many Costco locations, but is it worth the hype? Here's what they had to say about it.
First Impression
Lacey Muszynski: I'm eating this for breakfast today.
Jenn Magid: Eek. Be prepared for a tummy ache. So, when I raced to Costco to get this, there were only two left. People are definitely jumping on the bandwagon for this monstrosity.
LM: Yeah, there were none in the cooler when I got there, and I had to ask a bakery employee if they had any. They were just finishing them up, so she handed me one. I felt like I had won the lottery!
JM: Yep, "Score!!!" It's so huge, I was almost embarrassed to buy it. It was also very heavy, like this is a serious hefty dessert, not a little treat.
LM: It's SO heavy. I weighed mine and it's 4 pounds, 13 ounces.
JM: Mine was 4 pounds, 8 ounces! That is A LOT to bring home to four people. I got it home and lugged it into the kitchen. That was my strength training workout for the day.
LM: I could smell the peanut butter from the trunk of my car on the way home.
JM: I didn't notice the scent until I took the lid off, but I definitely could not wait to try it as soon as I could. Which I did.
LM: I couldn't wait either, but I had to take photos for this article. It was torture.
First Bite
LM: Once I finally got to cut into it, I was pleasantly surprised that the chocolate-to-peanut butter ratio was about 50:50. I expected way more peanut butter since everyone just keeps calling it peanut butter pie.
JM: I agree, each bite was a perfect combo of chocolate and peanut butter without either overpowering the other one, with whipped cream added into the mix. My first thought was, this is like a peanut butter cup with mousse texture.
LM: Yeah, it's definitely like a mousse! For as heavy as the entire pie is, it's shockingly light in texture and very balanced in flavor. I also loved that the crust was graham cracker instead of pastry. Mary Berry would be proud that there's no soggy bottoms here (though Paul Hollywood would hate it because of the peanut butter, the jerk). What did you think of the crust?
JM: Is it embarrassing that I have to Google that reference? And the graham cracker crust is definitely better than most pie crusts, I would eat the crust on its own. Was perfectly crunchy.
LM: It's even stayed crunchy a day later, which helps this giant pie slice cleanly. It's really easy to serve.
JM: Yes, it slices easily, so would probably be a big hit to bring to an event.
LM: My only complaint is that the peanut butter frosting that decorates the edge is a little too sweet and pushes it over the edge into cloying territory... But not like that's going to stop anyone from devouring it, including me.
JM: So, I LOVE frosting. Like big time. That is my favorite part of most desserts, I just eat the glob of frosting off. It didn't seem overpoweringly sweet at first bite despite looking like it would make your teeth ache (that comes later). This was definitely delicious, but I made the mistake of continuing to eat when I should've stopped, and then it started to taste sickly sweet. It's in your best interest to practice self control with this pie!
LM: Absolutely! Too bad I have none.
JM: Yes, I think most people don't. Which is why this is better to bring to something than to just have at home for a random dessert. It has "special occasion" written all over it to me.
LM: You're right. I don't think I'll ever bring this home again to my household of two — it's way too dangerous!
Gallery: Costco Prepared Meals That'll Feed Your Whole Family
Lasting Impressions
LM: This is a pretty expensive pie at $20, but I think you're right that it's totally worth it for a special occasion, like a birthday party or Easter, or maybe it's a day that ends in Y. You know, special occasions.
JM: It's actually pretty reasonably priced for something so huge that can feed so many people.
LM: I imagine you could get 16 servings out of it! And you wouldn't want slices too much bigger than that anyway.
JM: Yes, and 16 different people should have those servings. While I thought it was absolutely light and delicious at first, the more I ate the more I was like, ugh, this is like a sugar rock sitting in my stomach. It's really decadent and will tempt you, but it's not for every day. I wouldn't hesitate bringing this to something where I wanted to impress a lot of people.
LM: Totally agreed. I've had success freezing cakes and pies before, so I think that if you have a small household but really want to try it, freezing some might be your best bet. With its mousse-like texture, it might even be really delicious to eat straight out of the freezer.
JM: After my family all had a slice (though I had more than that, in the name of research, of course) I put the rest in the freezer. I have a feeling it will be like a peanut butter-y ice cream when it freezes up.
LM: Everyone knows that the best way to eat a peanut butter cup is frozen, and I can't imagine this insane pie would be any different.
JM: ...If you like frozen peanut butter cups bigger than your head. Maybe bigger than two heads.
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