5 Staple Baking Ingredients That’ll Cost You Less At Costco

Baking on a budget this year? Then you need to stop heading to your local grocery store to pick up the staples you need for your favorite cake, cookie, and pie recipes. Instead, start shopping at Costco, where you’ll nab both bulk-sized savings and find cheaper baking ingredients.

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Whether you’re stocking up for the year’s prime baking season (and all those holiday cookies you have planned) or simply want to replenish your pantry with these baking essentials, shopping for the following ingredients at Costco over other retailers will save you money. Yes, they’re all cheaper — or offer better value in bulk — when bought at Costco.

Vanilla Extract

Vanilla extract isn’t cheap. It can run between $3 to $5 per ounce for the good stuff (the pure variety), and that’s when you choose a budget pick or a store’s private label brand. If you want a premium product, the prices can jump to $10 to $15 per ounce. But at Costco, you can get a quality vanilla extract for far less.

Costco’s Kirkland Signature Vanilla Extract may be a private label product, but trust us: It doesn’t taste like it. It’s affordable at just under $11 for a giant 16-ounce bottle, that’s just under $0.70 per ounce. To put that in perspective, Sam’s Club — Costco’s competitor — sells an 8-ounce name brand version for nearly $10.50. Don’t make the simple shopper mistake of buying this key baking ingredient anywhere else.

Baking Powder

Sure, you might not need 4 pounds of baking powder or baking soda for your planned baking sprees, but you can absolutely get that much at Costco should you decide to stock up on the powder in particular (or if you have one very large batch of holiday cookies planned). And for that supersized amount, you’ll get a great deal at Costco.

Costco sells Clabber Girl Baking Powder in a giant 4-pound bucket, so you’ll never run out (it might expire, though, unless you also break it out for cleaning) for just $15. The very same baking powder from the very same brand is also sold at Sam’s Club, but in a smaller 22-ounce package priced at just under $8. You’re getting way more than double the amount at Costco for about double the price, making this the place to get a screaming value out of your baking powder — and it’s from a beloved brand, too.

Almond Flour

If you’re shopping for an alternative flour, head to Costco to get it in bulk and at a great price. The retailer’s very own Kirkland Signature label makes a 3-pound bag of almond flour that can be used for gluten-free spins on everything from cookies to cakes. And, according to reviewers, the texture of this private label baking staple is excellent; you won’t even realize you’re not working with traditional flour.

Now, while this Costco almond flour is high-quality, it does still behave like an alternative flour. It won’t work as seamlessly in every recipe as gluten-based flour, but the flavor is one that doesn’t stand out (in a bad way, at least) and works as a simple substitute for most basic recipes. As an added perk, traditional flour tends to be sold in far larger bags at Costco — this one is small enough that odds are you’ll be able to use it up quickly.

Chocolate Chips

Sure, you can pay a premium for Nestle Toll House chocolate chips at your local grocery store or even other warehouse retailers like Sam’s Club. But why go with a pricier big-name brand when you can get a dupe from a private label and pay less? That’s exactly why we recommend stocking up on the Kirkland Signature Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips from Costco.

Sold in a 4.5-pound bag for $12, you’ll get enough chocolate chips to last you throughout multiple rounds of cookies, brownies, and even homemade ice cream. You’ll also save about $4 compared to picking up a bag of the Nestle version, which are priced at $16 and $17 at Sam’s Club and Costco, respectively. And you won’t notice a difference in the quality or taste of these rich little chocolate chips, either.

Honey

Honey is a baking staple that can get overlooked, particularly when you’re shopping at a bulk retailer like Costco. After all, who uses enough honey to require it in a gigantic package? Well, bake often enough and that could be you. Alternatively, thanks to honey’s exceptionally long shelf life — it can last indefinitely, with no expiration date or timeframe — investing in it in bulk can lead to serious savings.

And at Costco, honey is an excellent deal. You can get a 5-pound bottle of Kirkland Signature Wild Flower Honey for just $15. Compared to the exact same type of honey at Sam’s Club, which is sold in a smaller 3-pound bottle for $8, that’s a solid price. And Costco even has raw honey sold in a three-pack of bear-shaped bottles for $22. That’s less than a dollar per ounce for the more expensive stuff.