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Costco has finally answered calls to bring back its beloved churros — but shoppers aren't exactly satisfied.
Instead of bringing back the full-size pastry that once defined its food court, the Washington-based big-box retailer has unveiled a $2.99 Caramel Churro Sundae topped with tiny churro bites.
The dessert features vanilla, chocolate or swirl soft-serve ice cream drizzled with salted caramel and topped with crunchy mini churro bites.
Costco's original churros, fried dough typically rolled in cinnamon sugar, were a food court staple for decades. They first appeared in the 1990s and sold for 99 cents, according to reports, but were later reformulated and repriced before being discontinued in early 2024.
Laura Jayne Lamb, who runs the Instagram account @costcohotfinds, shared a video of the new dessert this week, writing, "The Costco food court did it again!"
Churros are kept warm at a Costco food court during a 2019 store grand opening in Indiana. (Sam Owens/Courier & Press)
The reaction online, however, has been mixed.
A comment with nearly 5,000 likes on Lamb's Instagram post read, "We don't want bits of churros. We want the whole churros back!"
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"Bring back the churros!" one user wrote in a top comment on Reddit's Costco forum in response to a post about the new item.
Another user wrote, "This is such a slap in the face to give us 'churro bites' and no churros."
Some Costco customers are longing for the return of the food court churro, which disappeared in early 2024. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
One parent joked about the emotional toll of the menu change, writing, "One of my kids is 6 and every few months he just yells, 'Why did they get rid of the churros!?' It was like his first great betrayal of life."
One person joked about a workaround: "Can I get a Caramel Churro Sundae, no caramel, no sundae, original recipe.… Thank you, here's one dollar!"
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The new $2.99 sundae costs nearly double the price of the former $1.50 churro and far more than the original 99-cent version from decades past, fans noted.
Other shoppers pointed out that Costco replaced churros with a $2.49 double chocolate chunk cookie in recent years, which also sparked debate.
The launch comes as Costco continues rotating seasonal sweets at its popular food court. (Bev Shaffer/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
For others, the concern wasn't the price — it was the calories.
Wrote one commenter, "850 calories. I'm sure it's tasty, but it's also self harm."
Another said, "If they didn't show calories on the menu, I would get these all the time."
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Despite the backlash, many customers say they're excited about trying the new dessert.
"That looks fire!" one Instagram user wrote.
Another commented, "OK, I need to try this IMMEDIATELY."
Costco shoppers are weighing in on the retailer's newest food court dessert. (Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Costco is known for rotating its food court sundaes seasonally. It's unclear how long the Caramel Churro Sundae will remain available.
The new churro sundae arrives on the heels of Costco's Double Chocolate Mint Sundae — a mint-and-chocolate treat that briefly joined the food court rotation earlier this spring.
Availability may vary by location, as Costco food court offerings can differ from store to store.
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The launch also comes amid an ongoing food court rivalry between Costco and Sam's Club, with both warehouse chains rolling out caramel pastry-topped frozen desserts within a month of each other, fans noted.
In February, Sam's Club Café rolled out the limited-time Caramel Palmier Sundae, featuring vanilla frozen yogurt, caramel sauce and crunchy Member's Mark Cinnamon Palmiers for $1.58.
Fox News Digital reached out to Costco for comment.
Deirdre Bardolf is a lifestyle writer with Fox News Digital.
