Costco’s Bakery Just Released a Fall Version of One of Our Favorite Desserts

Before pumpkin spice, there was caramel apple. Thankfully caramel apple has remained just a perfect flavor combination associated with fall rather than the full-blown personality trait that pumpkin spice has become. You don’t see memes heralding the return of caramel apple pie or hot caramel apple cider, do you?

We’d like to keep it that way, while also bringing to your attention that Costco’s bakery just released a caramel apple dessert that we’re very excited about. It’s the latest in a line of mini cake releases that seems to stretch the definition of the word "mini."

How Large Are Costco’s Mini Cakes?

Costco is known for fan-favorite mini cakes such as the Mini Lemon Cakes and the Mini Raspberry Cakes. These cakes come in packs of six with each one weighing half a pound. They may look like cupcakes, but they’re two to three times larger than an average cupcake, and each one is totally shareable with at least one other person. 

When Reddit user Medium-rare01 posted about spotting the new Caramel Apple Mini Cakes with condensed milk icing at a local Costco, one follower summed up the size with this comment: “Each one is way bigger and denser than any cupcake ive ever had in my life. Ive never had 1 cupcake and thought that was a satisfying dessert where as with these eating 1 is very satisfying.”

When Instagram’s Costco Aisles shared a video of the mini cakes, she described them in great detail. 

"As soon as I opened the container, I could smell the caramel,” she said. “The combination of the caramel cake, apple filling on the top, condensed milk icing, and caramel drizzle is just perfect.”

“My husband bought those tonight my mom loved them and my husband didn’t wanted eat more than one,” said one commenter, presumably referring to the satisfying size of one of these mini cakes. Another said, “You had me at condensed milk,” which is probably not an ingredient we're used to seeing in icing.

What Is Condensed Milk Icing?

Condensed milk icing is made with sweetened condensed milk that contains sugar. We don’t know how Costco makes its version, but typically you beat softened butter for about five minutes and then slowly add condensed milk until it becomes frosting consistency. Additions such as salt, vanilla, and cocoa (for chocolate frosting) can be included, too. It’s also known as Russian buttercream.

The condensed milk adds a bit of a caramel note to the icing, which seems appropriate for a topping for caramel apple mini cakes, right?