Here’s the thing about searching for the best Costco snacks: That store has a lot of snacks. They have all the snacks. In bulk. So we narrowed down our pool to include only Kirkland-brand snacks. If you’re shopping for the office or a big family or just a hearty appetite for large format noshes, then read on.
When it comes to the best Costco snacks, I looked for something that brightened my day—something that gave me just a little extra pep and the willpower to return to my weekday tippity-tapping, aka my life’s work. The best snacks from Costco come in very big amounts, so they should sustain your interest. You can’t buy nine pounds of some crunchy snack and get bored of it on day one. It could be sweet or it could be salty, but it had to be packed with flavor.
Now that the Sporked offices are fully stocked for the next fiscal year, I can confidently reveal the best Costco snacks, ranked from “will begrudgingly eat” to “please take these away from me, I can’t stop.”
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- Kirkland Soft & Chewy Granola Bars
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I thought these were going to be a home run. I have fond memories of the soft Quaker Chewy granola bars, and I assumed these would be dupes. But that is exactly why Sporked exists. Because these granola bars did not come close to the sweet and salty granola bars of my childhood. The chocolate within the bar tastes like it brushed its teeth—and there is no mention of mint on the label. These are not the best snacks at Costco by a long shot. Sorry, Costco. Up your granola game.
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- Kirkland Animal Crackers
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I will never cease to be excited by a giant, fish tank-sized container of animal crackers. It inspires a warm blanket of nostalgia. And the crackers look cute, too. It’s always fun to try and guess what type of animal each cracker is attempting to portray. But then you take a bite, and Kirkland’s Animal Crackers just do not live up to the ones you used to get in those little cardboard box cages (which, in hindsight, is pretty bleak). They are extremely dry—I couldn’t have more than one. That said, if you’re feeding a summer camp full of little ones, these will satisfy the kiddos.
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- Kirkland Cheese Fruit and Nut Packs
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Think of these as grown-up Handi-Snacks. You get two different flavors in the massive pack. Each comes with some cubes of cheese in one side of the container and a nut and dried fruit mix in the other. The sharp cheddar is the best—definitely sharp and flavorful. It’s paired with cashews and pleasantly tart dried cranberries. The white cheddar doesn’t have the same zing as the sharp cheddar, so it fell a bit flat for me. It’s paired with almonds, which are nice and crunchy, and cranberries. These aren’t mind-blowing, but they would be a fun treat to find in the employee fridge. And they’re definitely one of the best snacks from Costco that actually has nutritional value.
Credit: Merc / Costco
- Kirkland Microwave Popcorn Movie Theater Butter
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This isn’t the best microwave popcorn and it’s not the number one best Costco snack, but it’s dang good. The kernels are fairly crisp and airy (if a tad chewier than I would like), and it’s not covered in too much salt and butter (so you won’t immediately ruin your keyboard). That light buttering and salting means you can also add your own seasonings (nutritional yeast, FTW!).
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- Kirkland Milk Chocolate Covered Raisins
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These are huge—and it’s not just a lot of chocolate. The raisins themselves are big and juicy, so the fruit flavors actually come through and complement the decent-quality chocolate. A handful of these is great during your 4 p.m. coffee break, when you just need a little bit of something to keep you going until closing time. We loved these—managing editor Gwynedd Stuart keeps the giant container on her desk—but we couldn’t name the best of the best Costco snacks because it’s too much sugar to eat throughout the day.
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- Kirkland Tortilla Strips
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I never would have thought that a tortilla chip would be one of the best Costco snacks, but these are really good tortilla chips. They’re nice, long, curvy strips—like Möbius strips…Möbius chips? Perfect for dipping and scooping. They’re crispy and they taste like fresh, homemade chips. They are seasoned perfectly and good enough to eat alone, but also good to dips into things like Kirkland’s little hummus cups (one of our picks for best hummus). Plus, they come in a bag that is simply massive. If you are getting tortilla chips for a party, get these.
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- Kirkland Butter Toffee Cashews
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These are hands down the best snacks at Costco. The candy-coated cashews are so buttery, so toffee-y, so crunchy. They taste like a carnival. Who doesn’t want a festive snack like that around? Yes, they are sweet—but there’s a touch of salt to balance that out. And they aren’t overly coated in toffee so while they are indulgent, you can still grab a few at 11 a.m. and not feel like you’re totally going off the rails. If you buy these for the office, buy lots. They’ll go fast.
Credit: Merc / Costco
Costco Snacks!
Costco Snacks!
Costco Snacks!
Costco Snacks!
Costco Snacks!
Costco Snacks!
Costco Snacks!
The gronola bars were the wrong choice for the Kirkland snacks roundup. The far superior “Nut Bars” are amazing. Think a Kirkland KIND bar. It is loaded with the good stuff, and will satisfy your cravings much longer due to addition of nuts. Love the site, and I have started referring to it when shopping.
If there was one thing I would like to see implemented on the site, is the package sizing. I find it helpful when trying to determine value. Anyways, just a thought.
Surprised the peanut butter filled pretzels aren’t on here!