Anything related to Costco will never stop being fun to me. One of my favorite Costco items was a dessert that once lived briefly on Costco’s shelves for a limited time before it disappeared. But now it’s back! The item in question? Crème brûlée. Thank you to eagle eyes of The Kitchn for spotting this one.
Crème brûlée, while not too hard to make, always feels like a showstopper because it’s not just a dessert, it’s an experience. I think this is because it comes in a single ramekin dedicated to you, so no sharing. But the best part is cracking the burnt sugar on top to get to the luxurious custard underneath. See? Dessert and a show. Bonus points if you have a torch, like I do. I’m a pyromaniac.
The masterminds behind @costcohotfinds, an account on TikTok that has hot tips on what you can find at the bulk retailer, found the dessert on shelves and took it home to give it a try. The eight custards come in individual glass jars with a packet of sugar for each. To get that fun crust on top, you sprinkle the sugar onto each jar and let the broiler function on your oven do the rest for about a minute. Voila, you’ve got dessert!
For $8, this is a reasonable price for that much crème brûlée (yes, each time I type that out it’s just a copy and paste), and the jars are indeed reusable in case you make pudding or your own yogurt or something. In my mind it’s worth the slight splurge, because goddammit, you’re worth it.