When thinking of the best desserts at Disneyland, Dole Whip is often the first treat that comes to mind. The frozen treat has earned iconic status at the parks due to its creamy, light texture and perfectly sweet and tangy flavoring, and it has been adapted into all sorts of fun forms at Disney Parks like swirls, floats, and sundaes.
While getting a Dole Whip is a must-do item for many Disneyland and Disney World visitors during their vacation, it can be excruciating to wait between trips (especially when you see a really good Dole Whip picture that just makes you crave it)! But did you know that you can get a version of this treat at Costco?
I've personally heard some pretty mixed reviews about it, so I decided to buy the Costco Dole Whip cups and try it for myself to see how it tastes. Keep reading for our honest thoughts on whether or not the Costco Dole Whip is worth it and how it compares to the real thing!
Costco Dole Whip—Worth It?
👉🏾 CLICK HERE to See This Boozy Dole Whip On the Secret Menu at One of Disneyland’s Best Restaurants
The Costco Dole Whip is $11.99 before tax and comes in a box with 8 cups of Dole Whip. On the box, it directs you to let the treat thaw for 5-10 minutes before trying it. The dessert is dairy-free and some of its ingredients include pineapple puree, organic coconut cream, honey, and other natural flavors.
You can get more than Dole Whips at Costco. Check out our info on Costco Disneyland tickets, Costco Universal tickets, and Costco discounted Disney gift cards.
The cups are on the smaller side as you can see above. I felt these could be a little bigger, but it's not a completely unreasonable serving size. When I peeled off the cover, the first thing I noticed was that the color was quite light compared to what you'd see in the parks. This did end up being a bit of an indication of what would happen with the flavor.
The biggest thing that immediately jumped out at me was the balance of flavors. This Dole Whip is a little less sweet and the pineapple doesn't shine through as much as it does in the “real thing” at Disneyland, as the coconut flavor is more amplified in this version.
For reference, here is the rich yellow shade of the Dole Whip you'll find at Disneyland. That swirled presentation is always so beautiful to look at!
The texture is pretty similar all things considered, as it was quite soft and creamy. The Dole Whip did have an interesting aftertaste that I can't quite pinpoint (slightly metallic?) which is definitely not the case with the Disneyland version. When you're enjoying a Dole Whip at Disneyland, you don't think twice about the next bite because the flavors settle so harmoniously.
👉🏾 CLICK HERE to See Our Take on If Costco Disney Packages Are Worth It
Overall, it's not a mirror image of the Disneyland version, so if you try this, make sure to manage your expectations. That being said, I did still like it! I think the texture is quite nice and it did the trick to satisfy a Dole Whip craving. The next time I have this, I will likely try to make it a float with pineapple juice to see if that brings out the pineapple flavor a little more and gets rid of the slight aftertaste issue.
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I got the frozen Dole Whip cups but my expectation was quite low. Thankfully my expectations started off low so I was not too disappointed by what I got. I will not purchase those again. What I WILL continue to purchase when not at the parks is the Dole Dry Soft-Serve Mix. I found the best price at a restaurant supply store not too far from home… around $28 for a 4.4 pound bag of dry mix. The instructions are for a commercial soft-serve machine but I make smaller batches. The ratio is SUPPOSED to be 1-part dry mix to 3-parts water but I’ve found it better with either split 3-parts water to 2-parts water with 1-part Dole Pineapple Juice or 1-part water, 1-part juice, and 1-part pineapple purée. I have a small batch compressor-based freezer and it comes out very similar to parks.