There’s no scandal like a Costco scandal, and you better believe that 2026’s Great Spring Outrage is on. Every season, the warehouse giant gets a bit of an inventory makeover: We wave goodbye to fan favorites like Kirkland Signature Peppermint Bark (see you next year, old friend) to make room for newer fare, and let’s just say not everyone takes it well. But others revel in the new offerings—it’s just how we roll in the club.
So what’s the controversy this year, and why do Costco shoppers have their six-packs of discount knickers in a twist? It turns out that one particular springtime offering has a divisive ingredient list, and people are very vocal about what is—and is definitely not—an appropriate component of this returning Costco fave.
Read on to learn exactly what this item is and when you can get your hands on it, plus the hilarious reactions to this delicious, and deliciously polarizing, Costco treat.
Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more Costco news, cleaning, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.
Which Costco bakery item is back?
Get ready, because the Kirkland Signature Carrot Bar Cake has returned to the warehouse club for the spring season. It’s your traditional carrot cake in a layered “bar” form—aka a long rectangle instead of a round cake. Packed with your standard carrot cake ingredients, including carrots (duh), pineapple, toasted walnuts and raisins (hold that thought), it’s also layered with a decadent cream cheese frosting.
Costco rarely comments on when these seasonal treats make their return, and they didn’t publicly acknowledge the carrot bar cake this year either. In fact, during their March 5 Q2 investor call, the only new items mentioned were the Kirkland Signature Chicken Wings, the Blackened Salmon, the Women’s Ottoman Full Zip-Up and the food court’s Double Chocolate Mint Sundae.
Shoppers, however, first noted seeing the carrot bar cake right around March 1.
So hold on—what’s the big debate?
If you heard a record scratch when I mentioned raisins, you’re in good company. A large and vocal contingent of the Costco community has big feelings about these chewy little fruits being included in the carrot bar cake.
- “Raisins ruin everything,” writes a Redditor on a thread about the cake. “They are why people don’t trust cookies.”
- “Raisins are the devil 😈” said a commenter on TikTok.
Others love the idea:
- “Yeah….? Cause it’s carrot cake….?” said a happy Redditor.
- “Yes. There’s no rhyme or raisin for these complaints,” said another defender.
Meanwhile, someone else took issue with not one but two ingredients in the cake:
- “Raisins AND walnuts?” demanded a Redditor. “Who put Grandma back in charge?”
But those were fighting words for another:
- “I’m gonna kick gramma’s door down for this carrot cake,” said a raisin-walnut carrot cake—and presumably, grandmother—fan.
Should carrot cake have raisins it?
Food is highly subjective, so it really depends. But I own a lot of cookbooks (an embarrassing number of them, in fact), so I decided to look through each to see which ones offer a carrot cake recipe and, of those, which ones list raisins as an ingredient.
Ina Garten’s Carrot Cakes Cupcakes recipe from Barefoot Contessa Parties! does feature raisins, while America’s Test Kitchen’s 20th Anniversary TV Show Cookbook Carrot Layer Cake opts for dried currants. And the folks behind Philadelphia’s The Metropolitan Bakery Cookbook include raisins.
However, I was surprised to find a couple of cookbooks in my stash that exclude the polarizing ingredient—namely, Allysa Torey’s More from Magnolia Bakery and the Betty Crocker Cookbook. I guess even professional chefs have strong opinions about raisins in carrot cake!
How long will the carrot bar cake—and its raisins—be available?
If you’re firmly in the “raisins are totally cool in carrot cake” camp, know that you’ll likely have only about a month to grab the seasonal bar cake. It really does have a limited-time vibe, and it won’t be long before the next seasonal treat moves in to take its place. And call your friends: This cake costs $18.99 and can serve around 12 people.
RELATED:
- Some Gift Cards Sold at Costco Are Now Worthless—Here’s What You Need to Know
- Costco Just Made It So Much Easier to Get These Fan-Favorite Items—And It’s About Time!
- This Little-Known Perk Helps You Get Money for “Free” Costco Groceries—Here’s How
Why trust us
At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Costco Wholesale: “2026 Q2 Presentation”
- Reddit: “Carrot Bar Cake $18.99 good, but has raisins”
- TikTok: “Costco Carrot Bar Cake”
- Barefoot Contessa Parties!: “Carrot Cake Cupcakes”
- America’s Test Kitchen 20th Anniversary TV Show Cookbook: “Carrot Layer Cake”
- The Metropolitan Bakery Cookbook: “Carrot Cake”
- More from Magnolia Bakery: “Carrot Cake”
- Betty Crocker Cookbook—Bridal Edition: “Carrot Cake”
The post A Springtime Costco Cake Is Back—And So Is Its Controversial Ingredient appeared first on Reader's Digest.
from Reader's Digest https://ift.tt/uHYRLW1
Comments
Post a Comment