40 Cult-Favorite Costco Foods You Need To Add To Your Cart

Costco is beloved for many reasons, but its cult-favorite foods are some of the best. It's remarkable, really, that the retail giant musters so many celebrated comestibles: As it's famous for offering just about everything, you'd think it'd be hard for any individual item to gain much of a foothold among shoppers. But, Costco's emphasis on quality ensures plenty of foods rise to the top and make a major mark in the marketplace.

You may be familiar with some of these edibles already. Costco's famously affordable hot dog, for example, is widely regarded as an icon of the business. But, plenty of others have remained obscure — to the general populace, that is. These items all have diehard fans all around the world loading up their carts. Some of these foods distinguish themselves by being incredibly thrifty. Some are impressively satisfying. The vast majority are just plain delicious. Today, we're taking a look at them all. These are the 40 cult-favorite foods you need to add to your cart on your next Costco run.

Turkey jerky might seem like a step down from beef jerky, but Kirkland Signature's offering makes it clear that it can be every bit as hearty and delicious. This turkey jerky is absolutely bursting with savory flavor. Vibrant notes of smoke, garlic, and brown sugar play wonderfully off the turkey's natural flavor; eating even one piece is an impressively complex culinary affair. 

The fact that it's made entirely from turkey breast is another major point in its favor. This is, without question, one of the most tender jerkies you're ever likely to try. Even the most ardent beef-aholics might find themselves reaching for this treat over their old favorite jerkies.

The Costco hot dog is so legendary that someone paid actual money to purchase Costcohotdog.com and make it into the foodstuff's digital shrine. What makes this hot dog so beloved? For one thing, it's thrifty: All you need is $1.50 to take it and a 20-ounce soda home. For another, it's delicious. 

This extra-long hot dog is full of genuine beef flavor: It's smoky, hearty, meaty, wrapped up in an enjoyably snappy casing, and cradled in a pillowy bun. It's never soggy, mushy, or just plain boring — it is, simply, perfect. This is the hot dog all other hot dogs aspire to be.

Costco's pumpkin pie is basically a warm, amber circle of autumn dreams. Costcofoodreviews on Instagram summed up its virtues in a tribute post, saying, "The pie filling is incredible. The crust is also great, and in my opinion, best around the edges where it's the crunchiest." Indeed, this pie's filling is spicy, sweet, and pumpkin-rich. 

Perhaps even more impressive is the texture: This is one of the silkiest pies you're ever likely to eat. A delectable contrast between creamy filling and crisp crust takes this dessert to further heights. Plus, it's huge, which makes it a great choice for parties.

You might think it's hard to improve all that much on bacon — after all, it's bacon. It's already perfect, right? But Kirkland Signature's bacon still manages to impress. These hickory-smoked strips are deeply infused with flavor; every bite is simultaneously smoky, sweet, fatty, and, above all, porky. 

Texturally, this bacon is just as impressive. Thanks to its gorgeous marbling, it crisps up beautifully in the pan — yet it's also a good choice for those who prefer their bacon on the softer side. Carnivores take note: This is the stuff porcine dreams are made of.

Odds are, your local Costco is not located in France. You could forgiven for thinking so, though, if you're lucky enough to sample its croissants. Each crescent boasts a tender, flaky exterior that gives way to a thousand luscious layers of pastry within. 

Costcofoodreviews enthused, "They taste so fresh and SO buttery!" This is, perhaps, these croissants' greatest success: Even after a day in your kitchen cabinet, they'll still be full of dairy-rich flavor. Though they're excellent with jam, a poached egg, or dunked into coffee, don't confine them to breakfast — few lunches are more satisfying than a warm croissant stuffed with ham and cheese.

Caramel is widely regarded as one of the most delicious substances made by man. And, so is chocolate. Put them together and sprinkle them with sea salt and you get these irresistible candies. Available in both dark and milk chocolate forms, Sanders' caramels are a symphony of taste and texture (125 years of practice makes perfect). 

The warm, deep flavor of chocolate is enlivened by the pure sweetness of caramel, while sea salt throws both into vivid and delicious contrast. Moreover, the caramel always stays luxuriously soft and the chocolate retains its pleasant firmness. These aren't just some of the best candies available at Costco — they're some of the best candies available anywhere.

Whether you're trekking up a steep mountainside, stuck in traffic, or simply in need of some robust fuel, a protein bar is always welcome. It's easy to accept substandard ones that taste more like compressed sawdust than food, but Kirkland Signature demands no such resignation. 

These protein bars are hailed on Reddit as one of the brand's best products, and it's no mystery as to why. Each bar is a flavorful, filling delight. The chocolate chip cookie dough bar is especially tasty, to the point that you could confuse it with dessert. It's also pleasantly soft without being prone to getting squished at the bottom of a backpack and at $23.99 for 20 bars, that's a pretty good deal (roughly $1.20 per bar). 

A good balsamic vinegar is a complex thing, which is why there are so many substandard options on the market. Not so with Kirkland Signature's: This balsamic vinegar is everything you could want. Texturally, it's thick and rich, to the point of being syrupy. This makes it a great choice for balsamic glazes; it reduces like a dream. 

Taste-wise, it's fruity, sour, sweet, and pleasantly acidic. Whether it's splashed onto tomatoes, coating a slice of rustic bread, or even drizzled across vanilla ice cream (for the more adventurous eaters out there), it's utterly delicious. And, it is just shy of a full 5-star review on Amazon with nearly 40 ratings. 

Kirkland Signature's pistachios are little green pieces of heaven. Each pistachio has been roasted to perfection, which brings the multifaceted nature of the nut's flavor to the fore: These pistachios are sweet, a tiny bit vegetal, toasty, and warm. A sprinkling of salt takes them to further heights of tastiness without ever overwhelming the other flavors. 

Both the shelled and in-shell options are delectable, though the in-shell pistachios boast an ever-so-slightly woodsy flavor many enjoy. Either way, though, you really can't go wrong. They're also impressively filling, making them an excellent snack option for busy days.

"These chocolate chip cookies are one of the first things I remember trying from Costco!" Costcofoodreviews raved about these toothsome treats. "I loved them back then, and still love them now!" It's no wonder: These are some of the best chocolate chip cookies around. Each cookie is sizable and absolutely packed with chocolate chunks. And when we say chunks, we mean chunks — these are far too big and nuggety to ever compare to mere chips. 

The cookie itself has a wonderfully nutty, brown butter-ish flavor that throws the sweetness of the chocolate into yummy contrast. You may never return to any other brand once you've had these cookies.

There's nothing quite like the multifaceted deliciousness of an everything bagel. Thanks to Schwartz Brothers' everything bagel chips, that electric mixture of sesame, garlic, onion, and poppy seed is a lot more snackable. These fantastic chips pack a flavorful punch in every single bite-sized oval: Each element of the distinct seasoning blend is present and discernable. 

They're also enjoyably crunchy, having been toasted to just the right level of golden brown-ness. You can enjoy them on their own, but — like the classic bagel — they're particularly excellent when topped with a bit of cream cheese, a shred of lox, and maybe even a scattering of chopped chives.

A can of diced tomatoes is a wonderfully versatile thing, and Kirkland Signature makes one of the best. These tomatoes are bursting with juicy, sweet, garden-fresh flavor, no matter how long they've been sitting on your shelf. There's no metallic aftertaste, no unpleasantly upped acidity, and no tasteless chunks of tomato core. They're also firm and well-shaped — you won't find any sad, squished bits of tomato confetti here. 

This makes them an excellent choice for just about anything. Salsa? You got it. Pasta sauce? No problem. Chili? It's just the thing. With a few cans of Kirkland Signature diced tomatoes in your pantry, you're ready for anything.

Costco's muffins have a consistent presence on best-of lists, round-ups, and Reddit threads. That's because they're some of the most satisfying, varied, and purely tasty muffins around. These are some seriously substantial baked goods: Each muffin has a sizable circumference, boasts a tall, fluffy top, and contains plenty of mixed-in elements. 

They're sweet without being cloying and sumptuously moist, often with a pleasant hint of lemon. Best of all, they come in packs of six. That's just enough to keep families from fighting over them, but not so many that they go stale before being polished off.

A sizable bottle of vanilla extract is a must-have pantry staple for ardent bakers. Frustratingly, even a tiny bottle of the aromatic element can be costly — but not at Costco. Its vanilla extract comes in hearty sizes and at a thrifty price point. At $16.99 for 16 fluid ounces, that's $1.06 per ounce (via Costco.com)!

While naming this extract and pine nuts as some of their favorite Kirkland Signature products, one Reddit user explained, "Both expensive/luxury items but I loooove pine nuts in my pesto and the large Kirkland bag is the same price as a tiny quantity elsewhere. Same with vanilla extract!" This thriftiness is all the more notable for the fact that it doesn't affect the extract's quality: This is grade-A stuff.

The quality of chocolate chips can make or break a batch of pancakes, muffins, or cookies. They need to be chocolate-y without being too intense, capable of melting while still retaining a bit of bite, and sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. Kirkland Signature's semi-sweet chocolate chips manage to accomplish all this and more. 

These tasty little morsels perform beautifully in every possible permutation. Notably, they maintain a particularly excellent balance of sweetness to dark intensity: They're never outright bitter, but they do retain that edge that makes chocolate what it is. This makes them a beautiful addition to cookies, which easily suffer from too-sweet chips.

Costco's hot dog might be the most famous foodstuff it sells, but its pizza isn't far behind. It's hard to say what makes it so good, each slice succeeds in such a variety of ways. The crust is simultaneously crisp and pleasantly chewy. The cheese is beautifully blistered. The sauce is tangy, sweet, and enjoyably acidic. 

Toppings are always flavorful and evenly distributed. And, of course, it's cheap as all get-out. Costco's pizza is, in short, what pizza aspires to be — and it really hits the spot after an hour of bulk shopping.

Cheesecake is pretty much a synonym for decadence. Costco does right by this highfalutin reputation in every possible respect. Each cake begins with a graham cracker crust, which is robust enough to support the cake itself, yet tender enough to crumble in your mouth. 

Its subtly honeyed flavor pairs beautifully with the tangy cake, no matter what variety you get. And oh, what a cake: This is cheesecake at its most lusciously dense, flavorful, and creamy. Dollops of whipped cream, raspberry glaze, and chocolate shavings add the finishing touch, depending on what your local Costco has on sale. Every single one is worth its weight in gold.

Once upon a time, a Reddit user asked a very important question: "Do you ever just ... treat yourself to a Costco cake?" Users immediately responded in the affirmative, with the outlet's sheet cakes earning particular distinction. Sheet cake is a stalwart standby of the dessert table, and Costco's rendition does it terrific justice. 

The wholesale goliath's sheet cake, no matter the flavor, is moist, sweet, and simultaneously rich and delicate. What's more, pretty much no one dislikes it, making it a fabulous choice for a party that requires a ton of energy elsewhere. Put a sheet cake down, and you're sure to have happy guests.

In a world full of exotic ice cream treats, good old vanilla can go underappreciated. Kirkland Signature's vanilla ice cream can change all that with just one spoonful. This flavor, which fans on Reddit have named as a favorite, is what vanilla is supposed to be. 

The flavor is bold, slightly fruity, and even a tiny bit floral, set off by just the right amount of sweetness. It's also lavishly smooth and creamy, with no trace of ice crystals or runniness. It's excellent on its own, drizzled with hot fudge, or crowning a hot slice of apple pie. Once you've tried this flavor, you'll never use "vanilla" as a synonym for "boring" again.

Costco's muffins already have a slot on this list, but its pumpkin streusel variety is so good, it deserves its own spotlight. A welcome herald of cooler weather, these treats are incredibly flavorful; as Costcofoodreviews put it, "These muffins were definitely pumpkin SPICE." 

Indeed, every morsel of moist muffin is fragrant with cinnamon and other fall flavors. That goes for the streusel as well, which is a buttery, sugary, crumbly delight. These muffins are perfect on their own, but they also go great with a steaming cup of hot coffee. There's no better way to start a fall morning.

The packaging doesn't lie: These irresistible chips will definitely put a happy spin on your day. Made from, yes, shrimp, and doused with garlic and butter, Happy Shrimp Chips are tasty and toothsome. Each chip is crispy, crunchy, and delectably light — yet they definitely don't skimp on flavor. 

The garlic and butter are at full force here, with no greasiness or aftertaste. But, the real magic lies in the gentle, savory flavor of the shrimp themselves. It's kind of like shrimp scampi, transformed into the best snack you've ever had.

You haven't had rolls until you've had King's Hawaiian's. These soft, sweet delights are familiar, in many ways: They're the standard dinner roll size, texture, and flavor. But, they perfect each aspect on a level heretofore unknown. They're not just soft, they're cloudlike. They're not just sweet, they're lusciously honeyed.

They're also surprisingly robust, for all their tender sweetness — each roll is more than capable of supporting a thick pat of butter, a pile of melty ham and cheese, or a juicy slider patty. Whether they're being eaten on their own or used to bear barbecue, these sweet rolls are heavenly.

Olive oil is a staple of many kitchens. Getting your hands on the good stuff is worth it — and Kirkland Signature's olive oil definitely counts as "the good stuff." One Reddit user raved, "The Kirkland Olive oil is some of the best you can buy. Every test I have seen shows it as being the purest on the market." 

A chorus of fans chimed in, affirming this oil's quality. A pure, versatile oil with delightfully strong notes of fruit and woodiness, Kirkland Signature's olive oil can handle almost anything you throw at it. It's just the thing to stock your kitchen with and at a seriously affordable price to boot.

Costco's four berry pie is a seriously robust dessert: According to the sign captured in one Reddit user's photograph, it clocks in at 4 pounds, 11 ounces of blueberry, cranberry, strawberry, and raspberry-stuffed goodness. As a variety of users made clear in the ensuing thread, every ounce is delicious. "I got a sample at the store, absolutely amazing," one enthusiast praised. "Planning on grabbing one for a get together. ... Perfect amount of sweet/tart." 

Indeed, this pie is a flavorful marvel, bursting with fruity goodness. It's a particularly excellent choice for a party, as this user has already cottoned onto — one pie can feed a crowd and send them home dreaming of berry-rich dessert.

Animal crackers are a fairly humble creation, especially when compared to many other inhabitants of the cookie aisle. What can these simply sweet, animal-shaped treats offer compared to an Oreo or a fudge-dipped shortbread cookie? A lot, as Kirkland Signature's effort proves. These animal crackers are indeed simple, and that's their strength. They burst with clean, pure honey-esque flavor, with just the faintest trace of nuttiness. 

They're wonderful on their own, but once crumbled, they're also an excellent addition to ice cream, yogurt parfaits, and even fruit salad. Simple they might be, but that's all they need to be delicious.

Costco shoppers rejoiced when the chain brought key lime pie back to its bakery shelves in summer 2023. Their celebration was totally justified: This is a truly splendid key lime pie. It's bursting with pure lime goodness, and lacks any sort of chemical aftertaste. 

This zesty flavor mingles deliciously with the thick dollops of whipped cream that ring the pie's outer edge, as well as the sweet, nutty goodness of its graham cracker crust. Texturally, it's just as strong: Each bite is a symphony of creamy lime filling, crumbly crust, and tender whipped cream. Plus, it clocks in at over 4 pounds, making it an awesome choice for a shindig.

When asked about their favorite Kirkland Signature products, one Reddit user replied, "Maple syrup is probably my favourite." They're not alone in this opinion: This is some truly excellent maple syrup. Where other brands hawk-thin, too-sweet, barely maple-y jugs of dyed corn syrup, Costco offers the real deal. 

There's only one thing in its ingredient list: Pure, Grade A, "Amber Rich" maple syrup. As aficionados know, this grade denotes a lusciously robust maple syrup, full of real, woodsy flavor. It's just the thing to top pancakes, stir into yogurt, drizzle atop oatmeal, or even combine with a beautiful cut of pork.

When you first hear the phrase "brownie brittle," your jaw might very well drop. Could such a dessert be real? As Costco shoppers know, it is — and it's just as magnificent as you're imagining. You know the crunchy edges brownies baked against the pan's side get? This is pretty much a bag full of those pieces. 

Each shard is thin, crispy, studded with chocolate chunks, and bursting with rich flavor. Incredibly, no matter how many pieces you've eaten, this brittle never becomes too sweet, thanks to the slight hint of smoky bitterness in each chocolate chunk. The future of brownies is here, and it's delicious.

Jarred pesto can be hit or miss, but not Kirkland Signature's. "That pesto is amazing," one Reddit user raved. "Most store-bought pesto I've had tastes terrible. Kirkland is the only stuff that actually tastes the way pesto is supposed to." We concur: This pesto is everything it should be. 

Its greatest virtue is just how much basil flavor it packs into each jar; the beloved herb's spicy, sweet, vegetal taste is apparent in every bite. It mingles delightfully with the richness of cheese, pine nuts, and olive oil. It's heavenly on pasta, but don't stop there — it's just as good with chicken, potatoes, eggplant, and pretty much everything else.

There's nothing like a ripe, fresh mango. Now, Made in Nature has made sure we can all enjoy that one-of-a-kind flavor all the time with their dried mangoes. Though each bright orange strip has indeed been dried, they somehow remain succulent, even to the point of juiciness. Flavor-wise, they're out of this world: Mango's distinctive tanginess is perfectly preserved in every piece. 

In fact, it almost seems concentrated — certain pieces taste more mango-like than some fresh mangoes. They're also unsulfured and free of any added sugar, which can be difficult to find. Made in Nature's dried mangoes inject every day with a ray of tropical sunshine.

Costco's rotisserie chicken is a famous staple of its brand. In part, this is because it's scrumptious. But, it's also because each tasty bird costs just $4.99. This price is so astonishingly low — and has remained so for so long — that rumors proliferate online regarding how it fits into Costco's business structure. 

Only a delectable foodstuff could inspire such discussion, and boy, is this one good chicken. Every bite is full of roasted, meaty, juicy poultry flavor. The meat is tender, being thoroughly cooked without any dryness. It's excellent on its own, but also great when carved up and used in soup, tacos, salad, or any manner of other chicken-centric dishes.

A good danish boasts a complex interplay of flavor and texture. Costco's cherry danishes don't just succeed on this count — they triumph. It all starts with the cherry filling itself; as Costcofoodreviews raved, "The center of this danish is filled with whole, sticky cherries and tasted like cherry pie!" 

Each round, succulent fruit is bursting with flavor, which mingles deliciously with the croissant-esque pastry and delicate icing. It's crisp, tender, sour, sweet, flaky, buttery, rich, and light, all at the same time. Nothing gets the short end of the stick, as happens with so many lesser danishes — the pastry, filling, and icing are all top-tier. What results is a truly exceptional danish.

Snickerdoodles are already compelling, (the name itself is immediately giggle-inducing) but when they come in adorable mini form, they're pretty much irresistible. HighKey's mini snickerdoodles are the proof — these itty-bitty delights are a favorite among many Costco customers. 

While the brand caters to those looking for low-carb and low-sugar foods, anyone can enjoy these tasty little buttons. Each cookie is a tender marvel, bursting with cinnamon and vanilla flavor. Extra-buttery dough keeps them soft, rich, and deliciously crumbly. Bakers, take note — when pulverized and pressed into shape, they also make a great pie crust.

Peanut butter and pretzels are two of the snack world's greatest titans. When combined into something like Kirkland Signature's peanut butter pretzel nuggets, they become an unstoppable force of tastiness. Each pillow-shaped pretzel is filled with smooth, flavorful peanut butter. "I love the salty sweet contrast!," Costcofoodreviews raved. 

Moreover, as she went on to elucidate, they're useful little hunger-slayers: "While these are addicting, just a handful definitely satisfied my hunger. These would make for a great road trip or hiking snack." Keep a few in your backpack, glove compartment, or desk drawer, and you're ready to munch through just about anything.

It's easy to assume that all breakfast cereal amounts to sugar-coated wheat rubble, occasionally interrupted by marshmallows. But, Morning Summit's cereal makes it clear that this doesn't have to be the case — and indeed, that it shouldn't. This cereal is jam-packed with high-quality ingredients. 

Mellow almonds, jewel-bright cherries, robust pumpkin seeds, and tart cranberries mingle with whole-grain wheat flakes in every bowl of Morning Summit cereal. A dash of maple syrup adds a homey sweetness to it all, which goes great with whatever kind of milk you prefer. If there's a better way to start the day, we haven't heard of it.

A warm slice of rustic bread is an unparalleled delight. Costco has kicked things up a notch with its fragrant rosemary parmesan bread. "This bread is absolutely ridiculous," one Reddit user crowed. "Especially toasted with some garlic butter. If you haven't tried it, BUUUUUYYYY IIITTT." Another user quickly concurred, commenting, "Yeeeeesss. That stuff is the best." 

Each loaf is packed with herbaceous flavor and piquant cheese, which meld into a mouth-watering experience. The sharp rosemary brings out the salty, fatty elements of the parmesan, while the parmesan's richness throws the rosemary's almost pine-like flavor into delectable contrast. It's a beautiful marriage of delicious ingredients, wrapped up in a rustic loaf.

Having a few bags of frozen berries around is always a good idea. Making sure those bags carry the Kirkland Signature logo is an even better one. These luscious berries are frozen at the peak of flavor and texture; you'll find no mushy, pale fruit rubble here. 

This makes them an ideal ingredient in a wide array of dishes. Smoothies made with these berries are flavorful and vibrant. They make an excellent addition to muffins, pound cakes, and loaves. Toss a few into a pot of oatmeal, and you've kicked breakfast up by multiple notches. And, this is really only the beginning — with Kirkland's frozen berries, the sky's the limit.

The humble bagel comes in many flavors and formulas. Costco offers a plethora of options, from the simple plain bagel to the extravagant everything bagel. No matter which one you try, however, you're sure to encounter excellent texture, a golden-brown crust, and an unmistakable flavor. 

Of the parmesan bagel, Costcofoodreviews wrote, "Overall this is a solid bagel. It's soft while still having a nice, dense chew to it." This is one of the Costco bagel's greatest virtues: a toothsome chewiness that doesn't grow stale, soft, or brittle, even with an extra day on the counter. Pick up a few on Friday for excellent weekend brunches.

Trail mix is indeed excellent on the trail, but when it's as good as Kirkland Signature's is, it shouldn't be confined to the backwoods. This delightful medley nails the two things every good trail mix needs to get right: A varied, yet harmonious, combination of elements, and the power to fill a hungry stomach on the go. 

Its peanuts, M&Ms, raisins, almonds, and cashews offer an enjoyable range of texture and flavor that never verges on being either too sweet or salty; moreover, all you need are a few handfuls to keep you fueled up and ready to move. Enjoy it in the woods, on the couch, or in the car.

Unlike so many cheddars, Kirkland Signature's sharp cheddar cheese isn't a wan block of cheese-ish wax. This is full-on sharp cheddar, emphasis on the sharp; even just a quick sniff of the delicious stuff makes it clear that this cheese is not messing around. 

This is a real, robust cheddar flavor, simultaneously nutty, fatty, milky, acidic, and umami-forward. It goes brilliantly with just about anything, but heirloom tomatoes play especially nicely with its distinctive tang. Whether it's in a sandwich, whisked into a sauce, or piled on a cracker, this cheese aims to please.