The Pulmuone Walnut Cakes with Custard Filling are bite-sized Korean walnut-shaped cakes with a sweet custard center, sold frozen at Costco in a 21.16-oz bag. They're a classic Korean street food — called hodu-gwaja, dating all the way back to 1934 — and they live in the freezer aisle near other Asian frozen treats like the Bibigo Kimchi and Cheese Filled Rice Balls. If you love the warm custard center of the La Vie Gourmand Baked Custard Tarts, these scratch a similar itch — just in a fun, poppable, walnut-shaped form.
Quick Take: Bite-sized Korean walnut cakes with a warm custard center — crispy from the air fryer, genuinely delicious. Verdict: Buy. Scores: Taste 5/5 · Value 5/5 · Convenience 5/5 · Stockpile Score 5/5.
First impression
I wasn't totally sure what to expect from a frozen Korean street-food cake. I heated a batch in the air fryer, and they came out so good — golden and a little crispy on the outside, soft and cakey inside, with a warm sweet custard center that practically melts. The walnut shape is adorable, my kids thought they were getting a special treat, and the whole batch was gone in about ten minutes. These are the kind of thing you make once and immediately wish you'd cooked more.
Price & value
The 21.16-oz bag runs about $4.97 at Costco (sometimes up to $6.97, and originally $10.69 before it became a regular stock item). With about 7 servings of 3 pieces each — roughly 21 cakes per bag — that comes out to around $0.24 per cake at the sale price.
Compared to fresh hodu-gwaja at a Korean bakery or H-Mart (where a small box runs $6–$8 for a handful), this is a steal, and you get way more. The value math is excellent for any household that likes a sweet frozen treat on hand, and since they're frozen, there's no rush to eat them.
Nutrition snapshot
Nutrition snapshot (per ~3 pieces / 90g): 250 cal · 9g fat (3g saturated) · 20mg cholesterol · 170mg sodium · 37g carbs · 2g fiber · 17g sugar (all 17g added) · 4g protein. Notable: contains wheat, soy, milk, egg, and walnut. This is a sweet treat — all of the sugar is added.
Taste, quality & how to cook them
The cakes are bite-sized and walnut-shaped, with a golden cakey shell and a soft, sweet custard filling. The cake part is light and slightly buttery — almost like a cross between a pancake and a madeleine — and the custard center is warm, smooth, and not too sweet. There are small walnut pieces in the batter for a little texture and that signature nutty flavor.
The air fryer is absolutely the way to cook these (and the method I tried). Preheat to 350°F, pop in the frozen cakes, and air fry 5 minutes for 3–5 pieces or 10 minutes for a bigger batch. They come out golden and slightly crisp on the outside, warm and soft inside — the texture is so much better than the microwave version.
If you're in a rush, the microwave works (40 seconds for 3 pieces in a 1,000-watt microwave), but you lose the crispy edges. Do not thaw before cooking, and do not refreeze once thawed — straight from freezer to air fryer is the move.
One caution straight from the package: the custard filling gets extremely hot, so let them cool for a minute before handing one to a kid.
What other shoppers are saying
Korean food fans and Costco shoppers have been buzzing about these — they're a nostalgic favorite for anyone who grew up eating hodu-gwaja, and newcomers consistently say they're more indulgent than expected for a frozen snack. The most common compliment is the air-fryer texture and the warm custard center.
The most common note is that they're best eaten fresh from the air fryer — they lose their magic if they sit and cool. A few shoppers also mention they disappear fast, so cook a bigger batch than you think you need.
Who it's for & best uses
This is for anyone who loves Asian bakery treats, families with kids who like sweet snacks, anyone nostalgic for Korean street food, or anyone who wants a fun, low-effort dessert that feels special. Skip if you have a walnut or tree-nut allergy (these contain walnut), if you're avoiding added sugar, or if you don't have an air fryer or microwave to heat them.
A few easy ways to enjoy them: straight from the air fryer as an after-school treat; served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an easy dessert; or alongside a cup of coffee or tea for an afternoon pick-me-up. If you like air-frying frozen treats, try the same easy technique with these air fryer pancake bites for another quick sweet bite.
Similar items
- Costco Cinnamon Toffee Squares — pantry dessert in the same sweet-treat universe.
- Heavenly Hunks — individually portioned snack-drawer dessert.
- Sujis Golden Bao with Pork — savory Korean frozen street food if you want the non-sweet side.
- Trader Joe's Salted Caramel Mochi — another Asian frozen dessert bite if you cross-shop.
The scores
- Taste — 5/5. Warm custard, crispy air-fried shell, real walnut flavor. Genuinely delicious.
- Value — 5/5. Around $0.24 per cake — far cheaper than a Korean bakery, with way more pieces.
- Convenience — 5/5. Freezer to air fryer in 5 minutes. No prep, no thawing.
- Stockpile Score — 5/5. Long freezer life, kid-approved, fun anytime treat. A textbook Costco freezer staple.
Verdict: Buy
A solid Buy that's flirting with Repeat-Buy. These genuinely surprised me, and at under $5 a bag they're one of the most fun frozen treats I've grabbed at Costco lately. The air fryer makes them taste fresh-from-the-bakery, the kids love them, and the price is almost too good.
If your household goes through sweet frozen treats, these earn permanent freezer space. The only reason to hold at Buy instead of Repeat-Buy is if you don't do dessert often — but one bag will probably change your mind.
Where to find it
Where to find it: Pulmuone Walnut Cakes with Custard Filling, 21.16 oz at Costco (item #1980792). Pack size: 21.16 oz bag, about 21 bite-sized cakes. Price: ~$4.97 (sometimes up to $6.97), varies by warehouse. Storage: frozen — do not thaw before cooking. Aisle: frozen Asian foods / dessert section.
Disclaimer: Costco Finds is an independent review site and is not affiliated, endorsed, or sponsored by Costco. All opinions are my own, based on personal experience.
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