It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Come December, everyone storms the doors of their local Costco to buy flat-screen TVs, Keurig coffee makers (what else are you gonna get for your parents?), and electric toothbrush heads for everyone’s stockings—but don’t snooze on the groceries this month, even if you still have a fridge full of Thanksgiving leftovers and the thought of consuming more food makes you want to hurl. Whether you have kids at home for winter break, you have in-laws visiting from out of town from roughly now until the new year, or you just like to stock up on cool new products at everyone’s favorite warehouse store, here’s what to buy at Costco this month.
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Trees
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We can probably all agree that Reese’s Trees aren’t the best seasonal Reese’s shape—that honor goes to Reese’s Pumpkins (iykyk)—but we simply cannot say no to seasonal Reese’s. Hopefully, that goes for the other people in your household, because you get SIXTY-FIVE trees in this bag of candy from Costco. Sure, some of these might still be in the pantry when Arbor Day rolls around in April, but wouldn’t that be really cute?
Read our ranking of the best Reese’s candy
- Yummy Dino Buddies Holiday Chicken Nuggets
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I love when brands put a holiday spin on a beloved product, even when it doesn’t totally make sense. See, Yummy Dino Buddies’ whole thing is that they are chicken nuggets that are shaped like dinosaurs. So are their holiday nuggets shaped like dinosaurs celebrating the various winter holidays? A triceratops lighting a menorah? A velociraptor trimming the tree? Nay! There are no dinos involved in these Yummy Dino Buddies, just reindeer, trees, snowmen, gingerbread men, candy canes, and stockings. We love this sort of sacrifice for the holidays.
Read our ranking of the best frozen chicken nuggets
- Pringles Mingles Cheddar & Sour Cream
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The wait is finally over! The newest Pringles creation has found its way into the aisles of Costco. In fact, when I visited my local Costco, they just so happened to be handing out samples—and they’re delish! They’re light, airy, and crispy-crunchy, and the Cheddar & Sour Cream flavor is tangy but in the best way possible. The bowtie shape makes them unique, too. Listen, you might be tempted to cut out the chips and snacks while you focus on candy and pies this holiday season, but make an exception and add these to your list of what to buy at Costco in December.
Read our ranking of the best Pringles flavors
- Kirkland Signature Praline Pecans
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Making your own praline pecans is wayyyy too much work when you can get a honkin’ tub of them at Costco for $17. A little goes a long way, here. Keep them for yourself for a little sweet treat to end the night or throw them in a dish for your next holiday party. Everyone will love you a little bit more if you’re giving them a handful of praline pecans. Except for my friend Jeb, who is allergic to nuts—he might not like it as much.
- Boudin Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
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I’ll sing the praises of chicken and wild rice soup until the day I die! Hopefully, that’s not too soon, simply so I can keep eating soup and singing praises. And this may be the ultimate chicken and wild rice soup—it’s rich and creamy and speckled with those nice, firm grains of black rice. Sure, it doesn’t hurt that my home state of Minnesota is the largest producer of wild rice in the country. Thanks for giving us some representation, Costco! I feel seen (and full).
Read our ranking of the best chicken and rice soup
- Stonewall Kitchen Apple Cider Jam
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Apple season is over, and apple cider season is here—and I am here for it! Bring warm, spicy apple cider into every facet of my life. Can I get apple cider toothpaste? I can only hope. Until then, I can fill the void with this towering jar of apple cider jam for all my jammy needs. The beauty of Costco is that I can stock up for the coming months so I don’t have to say goodbye to apple cider as soon as I probably should. We’re in cider jam till spring!
Read our ranking of the best jam for charcuterie
- Kirkland Signature Peppermint Bark
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Peppermint bark is essential to the holiday experience, so clearly this is one of the best things to buy at Costco in December. This stuff is so good people are buying and selling it on eBay! But if you have a Costco membership, you can just pick up your own—and I guess an extra few to make a quick buck on eBay? Fwiw, the Sporked team loves this stuff—it ranks #2 on their list of the best peppermint bark, right below Williams Sonoma.
Read our ranking of the best peppermint bark
- Poppi Cranberry Fizz
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Costco has your secret weapon to make easy holiday cocktails! Pour a shot of vodka or two into your Poppi cranberry fizz and add a squirt of lime juice. You’ve got yourself a festive drink that’ll go well with any holiday dish. Plus, it’s prebiotic soda, so you can feel like you’re doing something good for your bod during a month when you will most certainly be doing many, many bad things to said bod.
Read our ranking of the best Poppi flavors
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!