A Divisive Costco Item Is Now Back In Stock

Costco has some good items. It has some great items. It has some items that customers broadly agree are the best version around. And it has some items that people just can’t agree on. That prompt flooding to social media to discuss the positives and negatives of them. That Costco just can’t seem to please everyone with. 

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One of those items has just arrived back at the store, and people are, it’s safe to say, divided on it. Let’s discuss.

In The Blue Corner, We Have…Costco Kirkland Signature Chocolate Peanut Butter Chunk Protein Bars!

A few days ago, a Reddit thread appeared pronouncing that Costco’s Kirkland Signature Chocolate Peanut Butter Chunk Protein Bars are back in stock after an absence from the store. Coming in a 4-pack of 10-count boxes, this protein bar flavor seemed to disappear from Costco shelves around the start of 2026, with no explanation as to their absence (there never is from Costco, really: Its items just drop off the face of the earth, only to suddenly reappear again, as they have now). 

A fair few people are pleased that they’re back. “Hallelujah! This is the only flavor I like and refuse to purchase combo packs,” said one person, with another few saying that they were their favorite flavor. Although those who like them have recognized that they’re far from the softest protein bars around, they generally praise their flavor and the almost cereal-like nature of it. 

And In The Red Corner, We Have…Costco Kirkland Signature Chocolate Peanut Butter Chunk Protein Bars!

Those fans, though, are outnumbered by critics. Costco’s Kirkland Signature Chocolate Peanut Butter Chunk Protein Bars have received a lot of criticism from others, with their aftertaste apparently being a serious problem – and their ability to produce gas. “The burps after taste like burned rubber to me,” stated an unhappy customer, while another called them “trash.” The textural issue that some of the converts to this peanut butter bar flavor cited was also picked up on by its detractors, but they didn’t find it so tolerable: One person said that it was like eating leather. Yikes. 

None of this is helped by the fact that these protein bars have gotten more expensive, too — so if you didn’t like them before, you’re really not gonna like them now. Or hey, it might be a small price to pay if you’ve been missing ’em. If you haven’t tried this flavor before, though, don’t say we didn’t warn you.