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7 "Awful" Problems With Costco's Once-Popular Churros, Customers Say

That's a lot of gripes for one sweet treat, which proves just how strong Costco's food court following is.

A trip through Costco is an experience in itself—only heightened, as many members know, by a visit to the food court. However, many Costco shoppers have been noticing that the Costco churro is just not what it used to be. If you've made a similar observation, then you might have something to add to the widespread discussion that's taking place online as customers work to pinpoint the exact characteristics of the Costco churro that have changed.

The Costco community on Reddit has been active since u/buycurious posted Friday: "The churros are very doughy 🙁 I should have listened to everyone, but I also wanted to form my own opinion. Please bring back the original." A chorus of disgruntled fellow churro connoisseurs chimed in to respond, with 30 comments at present (and counting). Read on for the litany of churro chides to see whether you had the same experience when you recently bit in. (Editor's note: Images used are meant to represent Costco churros.)

Costco churros may not be as crispy as before.

disney churros
Courtesy of Disney

U/buycurious wasn't the only one who feels Costco churros now lack a certain crunch. U/Bkmademoiselle said, "Ok, I'm so glad to see this post because I have purchased churros from multiple [Costco] locations for comparison and they're awful! Way too thick and remind me of play-doh. [sic]"

Other commenters described a similar churro texture, like u/thatfamousgrouse, who said, "I find the churros to be entirely too bready." (This was not unlike u/masterbuilder14's adjective of choice: "mushy.")

They're not as flavorful as they once were.

Shutterstock

U/buycurious added a concern beyond the doughy texture, saying the new Costco churro "seems less cinnamon-y" to me. U/QuickBrownFox86 concurred: "We need that classic thin churro covered in cinnamon sugar."

 Costco Just Brought Back One of Its Worst Bakery Items

For some, the new Costco churros seem too thick.

churro recipe
Courtesy of RecipeTin Eats

U/QuickBrownFox86 raised another observation by commenting on the churro's larger circumference of late. Others reflected similarly, with u/Bkmademoiselle saying, "I hope they bring back the original smaller/skinnier ones!" (Costco is known for bringing items back on popular demand—check out This Beloved Costco Snack Just Returned to Warehouses.)

The new Costco churros seem too dry to make some mouths water.

disney churros
Courtesy of Disney

u/jbergy999 said, "I found the current churro to be deeply disappointing . . . so dry."

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Costco "brought in these twist abominations."

churros
Shutterstock

Shoppers at some Costco locations have noticed one whopping change to the churros: The straightforward stick has been replaced with a spiral shape. "I've had many versions of the twist churro," said u/silentspy, who added: "I hate them!"

RELATED: This Taco Bell Food Caused Permanent Paralysis, Customers Claim in New Lawsuit

Costco churros just keep changing.

costco food court signs and seating
Shutterstock

A few longtime members of Costco have noticed that only one rule about the churro stays the same—and that's that it keeps changing. As u/masterbuilder 14 said, "It upsets me dearly that costco yet again changed the churro recipe i remember when it was just a regular churro . . . now this is like the 3rd time they changed it since like 1999 [sic]."

Variations from an original can be frustrating, while sometimes, brands actually stick the landing. Read This National Pizza Chain Just Launched a Game-Changing New Cheesy Bread.

Possible explanations for the Costco food court's churro changes:

costco food court food with pizza
David Tonelson/Shutterstock

We've reached out to Costco for comment on what was behind the change in churros. In the meantime, one possible reason could be the supply issues and shortages that are facing many food retailers across the country. (Read 6 Shortages Costco Is Facing Right Now.)

Also, the newer churro might be a little healthier than the old ones—according to u/QuickBrownFox86, the new churros are "baked not fried [sic]." As the user also observes, this could be why some customers notice the cinnamon sugar has a harder time sticking to the grease than in times past.

Don't miss The Best & Worst Costco Bakery Items—Ranked!, and keep reading:

Krissy Gasbarre
Krissy is a senior news editor at Eat This, Not That!, managing morning and weekend news related to nutrition, wellness, restaurants and groceries (with a focus on beverages), and more. Read more about Krissy
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