Texas Costco shoppers may want to check the bakery section closely on their next warehouse run.
A massive 3-pound caramel flan has been making the rounds among Costco fans, and it is exactly the kind of oversized dessert the warehouse chain is famous for: big enough for a party, cheap enough to feel like a deal, and unusual enough to get shoppers talking. While the dessert is not exclusive to Texas — it has been documented at Costco bakeries since at least December 2023, according to Costco-focused site CostContessa, and was tracked at 152 Costco locations nationwide as of February 2026 by product tracker warehouserunner.com — Texas has played an outsized role in the flan’s rise to internet fame.
The dessert, officially listed as Kirkland Signature Caramel Flan de Queso (item 37463), has been spotted for $14.99 at multiple Costco locations, according to reporting by SheKnows, Eat This, Not That, and CostContessa. For about $15, members are getting a large ready-to-serve flan that, according to warehouserunner.com’s product information, yields approximately 16 servings.
That value is a big reason the dessert has caught attention. Costco’s bakery section is already known for oversized cakes, pies, cookies, muffins, and seasonal sweets, but flan stands out because it is not as common as a chocolate cake or cheesecake. For many Texas families, especially in communities where flan is already a familiar dessert, the warehouse version offers an easy shortcut for birthdays, cookouts, church gatherings, office lunches, and weekend dinners.
The Texas connection traces back to spring 2024, when Instagram creator Laura Jayne Lamb (@costcohotfinds) posted a video of the dessert from her Texas Costco. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen flan in the Costco Bakery in Texas, so I’m hoping it’s nationwide,” Lamb said in the video, which was later picked up by SheKnows and Eat This, Not That. Costco fans in Miami, the Bay Area, and other markets chimed in to confirm sightings in their own regions, and the product has since become a recurring bakery item across Costco’s national footprint.
Flan is a custard-style dessert topped with caramel. It is especially popular in Latin American and Filipino food traditions, which may help explain why it has found an enthusiastic audience in Texas. The Costco version is technically a flan de queso, which incorporates cream cheese into the custard for a texture that sits between a classic flan and a cheesecake. The result leans into the chain’s usual formula: take a familiar crowd-pleaser, make it much larger, and price it aggressively enough that shoppers feel like they found a deal.
The catch, as always with Costco bakery items, is availability.
Bakery selections can vary by warehouse and region, and popular desserts often disappear quickly when shoppers start posting about them online. Costco fans are used to the drill: one person shares a new or returning bakery item on social media, others rush to look for it, and suddenly the product becomes hard to find. The caramel flan in particular has appeared as a recurring item rather than a permanent year-round product, with past returns reported by SheKnows in 2024 and noted as a holiday favorite by CostContessa in 2023.
That pattern has played out repeatedly with Costco desserts. The chain’s bakery has built a loyal following around items like its tuxedo chocolate mousse cake, seasonal pies, bar cakes, and limited-time treats.
The flan fits neatly into that same category. It is large, shareable, photogenic, and affordable — four ingredients that often turn a Costco bakery item into a mini-event.
For Texas shoppers, the best strategy is simple: check the refrigerated bakery or dessert section early in the day, and do not assume every Costco location will have it at the same time. Regional distribution can differ, and high-demand bakery items may sell out before the evening rush. Shoppers should also handle the container carefully: according to product tracking by warehouserunner.com, the dessert contains liquid caramel topping that can leak if tipped.
Costco has not turned flan into the kind of signature item that its sheet cakes or pumpkin pies have become. But that may be part of the appeal. When shoppers find something a little unexpected at warehouse size and Costco pricing, it creates the feeling of a limited-time discovery.
And at around $14.99 for a dessert big enough to feed a crowd, Texas Costco members appear to have found one worth hunting for.
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