The Best Costco Bakery Items, Ranked

Look, Costco rocks. And not just because you can check out with a brand new TV, a year’s supply of toilet paper, a literal kayak, and an entire cart full of the best Costco bakery items all in one go.  As professional taste testers, what we really love about Costco is that the store’s proprietary products are usually pretty darn good—and that includes Costco pastries and other delights from the Costco bakery. 

This is our second taste test of the best bakery items at Costco. By now, we’re convinced the Costco bakery aisle is the Texas of grocery store bakery aisles. Everything, especially their bread, is bigger in Costco. We’ve tried almost all of the ready-made Costco baked goods, including new Costco bakery items like their cinnamon coffee cake, cult-favorite Costco bakery cookies, Costco Danish pastries, Costco croissants, and Costco muffins. What’s the best? What’s the worst? What should you definitely buy a full palate of the next time you visit everyone’s favorite warehouse? Find out in this ranking of Costco bakery items, from worst (although, who are we kidding, how bad can a baked good be?) to best. 

Berry & Cheese Turnovers

Mixed Berry and Cheese Turnovers

Instacart

These sizable turnovers look great. But the pastry itself is greasy on the outside and somehow still dry on the inside. And the berry filling tastes fake. Still, the sweet cheese in the mix is creamy and good. If I was handed one of these Costco pastries, I would eat some of it and not complain. But I would advise against buying them for your office snack day. —Justine Sterling

Credit: Merc

Rating:

5/10

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Bisconie Bites

Cinnamon Chip Bisconie Bites

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I understand why some people like them, but these cinnamon chip “bisconie” bites (Costco’s invented word that crosses biscotti and scone) don’t really hit the mark for me. They taste just like a snickerdoodle cookie, but cakier, with large sugar crystals to sink your teeth into. In theory, that sounds delicious. In practice, the flavor is pretty one-note, and the extra soft texture would really benefit from a sturdier crust. If you buy these, I have a feeling you’d eat a few, and then forget about them. They aren’t bad—but they aren’t the best Costco bakery items, by a long shot. —Ariana Losch 

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

6/10

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Caramel Apple Mini Cakes

Caramel Apple Mini Cakes

These mini cakes (aka cupcakes you can eat for breakfasts) are topped with frosting, a scoop of apple filling (fruit means it’s okay to eat one for breakfast), and a drizzle of caramel. The frosting is light and airy buttercream. The cake tastes like salted caramel. There’s a lot going for these—but then you get hit with a weird aftertaste, almost like too much baking soda was used. And there’s just not enough apple. I was hoping for apple chunks in the cake, but they seem to only be on top. Plus, they’re just way too big. No one can or should eat a whole one of these mini cakes and cutting them is a hassle. —Justine Sterling

Credit: Merc

Rating:

6/10

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Italian Bread

Rustic Italian Bread

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Costco’s Italian bread looks fantastic, but tastes a little too dense, gummy, and glutenous for my taste. This huge loaf has a thick, golden, cracked crust that makes you stop and stare. Costco definitely nailed the style here, but the substance needs to be tweaked. That said, if you prefer very dense, chewy, and squishy breads, you might actually love this, so give it a try! —Ariana Losch 

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

6.5/10

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Double Chocolate Muffins

Double Chocolate Muffins

These Costco muffins are massive (as most things in Costco are), but unlike the mini cakes, you can easily slice one in half for a more reasonable portion. Each muffin is studded with chocolate chunks that have a great bittersweet flavor. I am a big fan of these chunks. Sadly, the muffin itself is just a bit dry. But if you take advantage of the two-pack deal on Costco muffins and this is one of the packs, they’ll definitely get eaten and no one will complain. —Justine Sterling

Credit: Merc

Rating:

6.5/10

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Cranberry Walnut Round

Cranberry Walnut Round

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If Great British Bake Off has taught me anything, it’s that you need an even distribution of fruit and nuts. Which you (mostly) get with Costco’s hefty Cranberry Walnut Round. Every slice has big, meaty bits of cranberries and walnuts you can really tear into. The bread itself is beautifully baked but pretty lightly flavored overall. I actually prefer that, though, since it doesn’t taste like it was injected with additives to achieve maximum flavor levels. Like most Costco bakery breads, this is pretty dense, glutenous, and even a little moist for bread—just something to keep in mind, if that’s not what you’re looking for! Overall, though, I think Paul Hollywood would approve. —Ariana Losch 

Rating:

7/10

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Almond Filled Danish

Almond Filled Danish

Costco

If you eat pastries just as an excuse to eat powdered sugar, then I have the Costco Danish for you. This comes absolutely covered in powdered sugar—like, good luck eating one if you’re wearing dark colors. I totally love almond pastries, so I had high hopes for this one. But the almond paste is too sweet without enough almond flavor to balance out the pure sugar. The pastry itself is tender and buttery and crispy in just the right places, though. —Justine Sterling

Credit: Merc

Rating:

7/10

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Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Costco

Costco chocolate chip cookies have a cult following. So there are going to be a lot of people angry at me for my placement of these Costco bakery cookies. Don’t think of it as a ding on the cookie, think of it as a celebration of how extremely good all the other Costco bakery items are that are coming in ahead of it. The cookie is filled with chocolate chunks rather than chips—that’s great. They’re creamy and dark and rich. This is a classic supermarket soft cookie, but it doesn’t have too much of that supermarket cookie aftertaste. It’s a good cookie! It’s a really good supermarket chocolate chip cookie! But there are better Costco baked goods and even better Costco bakery cookies available.  —Justine Sterling

Credit: Merc

Rating:

7.5/10

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White Chocolate Cookies

White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Cookies

Costco

I am not a big fan of white chocolate, but the white chocolate in these Costco bakery cookies actually tastes like cocoa butter. Yes, the white chocolate chunks are very, very sweet, but they’re more complex than that. And there’s lots of them. Personally, I also like the actual cookie part of these Costco bakery cookies more than the chocolate chip cookies—it’s chewier and softer and more like a fresh-baked cookie. If you’re a white chocolate fan, get these Costco cookies ASAP. —Justine Sterling

Credit: Merc

Rating:

7.5/10

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Baguettes

Signature Baguettes

Instacart

Costco knows how to turn an otherwise normal, everyday loaf of bread into a show-stopper, simply by making it gigantic. Their baguettes are long, extra thick, and frankly, stunning. Words every man wishes they could hear but can really only be applied to Costco baked goods. These are crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and tear beautifully—with a bit of effort. Again, Costco breads really go a little too heavy on the gluten, in my opinion. Still, they look and taste like they belong in the window of a Paris bakery. If you’re planning a dinner party and want to impress, definitely pick up a pair of these baguettes. —Ariana Losch

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

7.5/10

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Butter Croissants

Butter Croissants

Costco

We got 12 Costco croissants for $5.99—that’s a pretty good deal for some pretty good croissants. They’re not crispy on the outside like fresh-baked croissants, but they taste buttery, the texture inside is chewy, and they are very big. They’re great for croissant sandwiches or you can pop them in a toaster oven to crisp them up a bit for a breakfast treat. They’re not the best Costco pastries out there, but they’re good to have around. —Justine Sterling

Credit: Merc

Rating:

8/10

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White Cupcakes

White Cupcakes With Buttercream Icing

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Apparently, we missed these bad boys in our grocery store cupcakes ranking, which is a real shame. Typical of Texas Costco, these are obscenely large. It’s an instant sugar high (in a good, fresh-tasting kind of way).The buttercream icing isn’t just a flavorless, fluffy cloud—something far too common in store bought cupcakes—but has weight, with a beautifully whipped texture and a nice sugary sweetness. The cake body is soft, moist, and light. Most importantly, Kirkland cupcakes don’t taste mass produced. That alone is what puts them this high on our list of the best Costco bakery items. —Ariana Losch

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

8/10

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Pumpkin Spice Loaf

Pumpkin Spice Loaf

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If you plopped this frosted pumpkin spice loaf on a plate and presented it to your family, they would give you a round of applause. It looks incredible with its thick icing and shaved white chocolate twirls. The loaf cake itself is pretty darn good. It’s not as good as my mother-in-law’s pumpkin bread—but it’s not far off. It’s very spiced with lots of nutmeg and cinnamon in the mix. The frosting is soft and sweet and pairs well with the fall-flavored cake. —Justine Sterling

Credit: Merc

Rating:

8/10

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Pound Cake

All Butter Pound Cake

Instacart

I have no critiques for Kirkland’s butter pound cake, other than what it does to my health every time I fold and bring this two-pound log home with me just to stare at it, longingly, as my coffee brews in the morning. (Yes, I eat it, too; just after an obscene amount of staring.) This cake is pillowy soft, with a light sweetness, hint of vanilla, and good crumble with every bite. It has a soft, dark, golden-brown crust that isn’t overdone anywhere. Each slice maintains the perfect level of moisture—no matter where you cut, the cake isn’t too dense or too airy. If anything, some people might think this pound cake is a little forgettable compared to all of the other best Costco bakery items we tried. Personally, I think its simplicity is what makes it great. —Ariana Losch

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

8.5/10

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Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Instacart

Yes, the oatmeal raisin cookie is best of all the Costco bakery cookies we tried. They’re so soft. They are packed with so many oats. The raisins (and there are lots of them) are tender and tart. For a cookie that’s thought of as boring these have such an interesting texture and fun pops of fruit. If you’re searching through the Costco baked goods section looking for a treat that you can pretend is almost healthy (but it’s not—it’s a cookie), pick up a pack of these. —Justine Sterling

Credit: Merc

Rating:

9/10

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Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Instacart

Kirkland’s viral coffee cake is an instant hit—you know it as soon as you taste it. The cake sponge is so tender, you’d expect it to be overly moist just to achieve that signature softness, but nope! It’s a great balance between soft, fluffy, crumbly, and dense. The thick layer of crisp, crunchy, cinnamon-infused streusel on top did, in fact, make me believe in love again. The cake is perfectly soft and perfectly sweet. And yes, coming in at 30 ounces, the Costco cinnamon coffee cake is indeed huge. Right on brand for Texas Costco. —Ariana Losch

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

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Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry Muffins

Costco

These Costco muffins are a real feat of baking achievement. Each massive muffin comes packed with lots of blueberries—and they’re not all sunken to the bottom! They’re really well distributed throughout the tender, sweet, moist muffin. And while the blueberries are not the most flavorful berries in the world, they provide nice pops of fruitiness and tartness. This is cake. This is cake for breakfast. Go for it. —Justine Sterling

Credit: Merc

Rating:

9.5/10

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Cream Cheese Danish

Cream Cheese Danish

Costco

These Costco Cheese Danishes are a real treat. They are coated with icing like a better Toaster Strudel, so they are so sweet and messy. And the cheese filling  isn’t too sweet; it has a nice tang—it almost tastes like a touch of lemon. The pastry itself is buttery and tender—it’s the best quality of pastry we tasted from all the Costco bakery items. Plus, no surprise, they’re huge. Buy a box of these Costco Danish pastries and be the hero of your office. —Justine Sterling

Credit: Merc

Rating:

10/10

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