Costco's Kirkland Brand Snacks, Ranked Worst To Best

If you're heading to Costco for snacks, you could feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of options. Healthy treats like nuts and dried fruit are abundant in the warehouse, and there's also a selection of chocolates, chips, and cookies for more indulgent snackers. Of course, everything comes in a huge package. That can be problematic -- if you buy a product your family doesn't like, you'll be stuck with 20-plus individually wrapped cereal bars or pouches of applesauce. To help you out, we've reviewed the taste, texture, price, and quality of 12 Kirkland Signature brand snacks so you know what to buy and what to skip.

Seven of the products reviewed below come from the $33 Variety Snack Box, but Costco also offers them in larger, bulk packages. The remaining five items were favorites of contributors to the Costco subreddit. We'll also briefly mention alternative versions of some snacks, for example, almonds versus chocolate-covered almonds. You can also find more about our methodology in the final section of this article. Finally, the majority of the prices mentioned here come from the Costco website and will change over time, but were accurate when we wrote it. You may find that most products are around two to three dollars cheaper if you visit your local warehouse in person, though.

Read more: 12 Rules Shoppers Must Follow At Costco

Dried Blueberries

Kirkland Signature produces many delicious snacks, but its dried blueberries simply don't measure up to expectations. Grab a handful and pop them in your mouth and the experience is underwhelming. They are mostly bland, a little sweet, and slightly chemical tasting, which could come from the packaging. They are not the best snack. If you still want to purchase them, you'll find these dried blueberries in a large 20-ounce bag for around $10.50. It's hard to imagine what you'd do with so much of something that just doesn't taste that good, though. You can also find them packaged in individual 1.5-ounce servings in Kirkland's variety snack box, but these will likely be the snacks that get left last in the box as everyone picks the other six possibilities first.

If you're looking for dried fruit to eat as a snack, try out Montmorency cherries or dried mango by Kirkland. The cherries are sweet and sour with a soft texture. The mango is chewier and comes in larger, thin slices. Eating just two or three for a snack will fill you up. The flavor is sugary and tart. The availability of either of these fruits at your warehouse will depend on the season and region, so snag a bag if you see them on the shelf.

Peanuts

Kirkland's packaging for peanuts exclaims that they are extra crunchy and it's right. This may be because of the unique shape of the Virginia variety of peanuts the warehouse sells. They're large in length and width, but flatter and less plump than other types. Digging through your bowl of nuts, you will not find even a trace of the bitter, papery seed coat on these which considerably enhances the experience of eating them. A large 2.5-pound can costs about $9. Alternatively, you'll find them in single-serving baggies in Kirkland's 30-pack box of snacking nuts as well as in the variety snack box.

Although Costco's brand offers premium quality here, this snack appears near the bottom of the list because peanuts on their own are hard to swallow. They are dry and grainy with a strong flavor. You'll need a lot of liquid to wash them down -- it's no surprise bars sometimes leave this nut out in dishes because they must contribute to a higher consumption rate of drinks. On the other hand, peanuts are much easier to munch on when mixed with other items, like dried fruit, in a trail mix. So, if that's your plan, you'll love these.

Trail Mix

Trail mix is fun. Grab a handful and stuff it all in, and, as you chew, the flavors and textures blend for an amazing sensory experience. Alternatively, you may prefer picking out one piece at a time -- a raisin here, a peanut there, and then a bit of chocolate. The best trail mixes have plenty to choose from. Kirkland's version, for example, contains a lot of high-quality nuts. You'll find a generous ratio of whole almonds as well as cashews and half peanuts. Then, to liven it up, there are raisins and two types of M&M's -- peanut butter and regular. Unfortunately, there's not quite enough of the sweet stuff to balance out the nuts. Purchase a large 4-pound bag of trail mix for about $16, but if individually wrapped portions are more convenient for your hike, car trip, or packed lunches, pick up a box of 28 2-ounce bags instead for around $18. The variety snack pack also includes individual portions.

The main issue with Kirkland's trail mix is it's impersonal. Making trail mix yourself is the best thing about this snack. That way you can ensure there are plenty of the bits you like the best like little sesame crackers, chocolate chips, chopped dates, or dried cherries. Buying ready-to-go trail mix means resigning yourself to consume only the ingredients preordained by Kirkland.

Potato Chips

Potato chips are the snackiest snack there is and Kirkland sells huge 2-pound bags of them for around $6. You'll have to pick yours up in person, though, since you can't purchase these online. To create this product, the warehouse brand partners with Kettle. The resulting chips are thicker and harder than most -- more crunchy than they are crispy. If you were going to stick a whole handful in at once, think again because you might end up injuring your gums or the top of your mouth. It's best to eat these chips more slowly and consciously, one by one. The upside is their hardiness makes them the perfect vehicle for a dill sour cream dip. These chips will not crack under the weight.

The best thing about these chips is the price. Lay's cost about twice as much -- nearly $.40 per ounce as opposed to around $.20. Conversely, the worst thing is the size of the bag. It's perfect for a big family gathering, but if you're planning on just eating it at home, you'll either eat way more than is good for you or end up throwing some out.

Granola Bars

Kirkland stuffs its granola bars with plenty of high-quality chocolate chips, which makes them delicious. The texture is wonderfully soft and gooey -- these are not dry, crumbly, or crunchy like some other granola bars on the market. The price makes them attractive as well, with a box of 64 costing about $12. You'll also get 10 from the variety snack box if you don't want to buy so much of this product.

These make great snacks for families with kids because they don't cause as much of a mess as snacks like trail mix or potato chips. Kids end up leaving wide paths of crumbs of those behind them as they snack on those other things. The individual size of the granola bars also makes them easy to stuff in purses, pockets, and backpacks to pull out wherever and whenever hunger strikes. This product doesn't have many flaws at first glance, but some Redditors on a r/Costco thread have noticed that the quality of this item can vary widely from batch to batch, with some tasting more chemical and others coming out harder. So, watch out for that.

Cashews

Cashews are a wonderful nut with a dreamy, smooth texture and soft, sweet taste. Most of Kirkland's cashews are whole with just a few halved or broken. That makes them easy and satisfying to pick out of the baggy one by one as you munch on them. Costco sells these nuts in a 2.5-pound bag for $15. You can choose between organic unsalted and unroasted, fancy salted, or fancy unsalted. If you're worried the contents of such a big pack might go rancid before eating them all, buy 1.6-ounce individual servings of the salted variety. These come in the Snacking Nuts Box which includes 30 baggies of peanuts, cashews, and almonds. You can also get these smaller portions in the Variety Snack Box.

If just plain cashews seem boring to you, try cashew clusters ($11 for 2 pounds) or butter toffee cashews ($8 for 24 ounces). The clusters are a bit like nut bars minus the chocolate, and cut into bite-size cubes. They also contain almonds and pumpkin seeds. A Reddit Costco thread often and repeatedly alludes to these as one of the warehouse's most sought-after snack items. On the other hand, the butter toffee-flavored nuts are almost more like candy than a snack. They come with a sugary, caramel outer coating and are worth a try.

Almonds

Snacking on almonds feels and tastes luxurious, but they don't have to cost like a luxury. You can get 3 pounds from Costco for around $11. These nuts also come in the Snacking Nuts Box, though. The size of these almonds is large and that means the creamy, fleshy part on the inside is more robust. They are nearly all whole with maybe one or two broken per individual serving-size pack. They tend towards the salty side when you first pop them in your mouth, but since they are so big, there is plenty of nut to reduce that salty taste once you bite down.

If salted almonds aren't your jam, you'd likely prefer Kirkland's chocolate-covered variety. They are a big hit with Redditors on r/Costco and come in a 3-pound plastic jar, costing about $17. This treat is perfect for setting out on the dessert table at a wedding reception, baby shower, or elegant Christmas party.

Sweet Heat Mix

The Sweet Heat Snack Mix by Kirkland Signature combines sugary with spicy and salty for a whole tongue experience. The sweet honey-glazed pecans in it contrast beautifully with seasoned almonds and cashews. Little sesame cracker sticks, freeze-dried corn kernels, and batter-coated almonds add a bunch of crunch. This mix is seriously addictive -- if you set a bowl out on the table, you won't be able to stop grazing until it's empty. It's the perfect adult snack for a movie or game night with friends especially if you're getting tired of always offering a bag of chips.

A 24-ounce bag of Sweet Heat costs around $11 or nearly $.50 per ounce at your local warehouse -- you won't find this product on the Costco website. What you can find online are 2-pound bags of salted or unsalted mixed nuts containing cashews, almonds, pecans, Brazil nuts, and macadamia nuts that cost about $16 (almost exactly $.50 per ounce) and $17 (just over $.50 per ounce). That means the Sweet Heat mix is just slightly cheaper than pure nuts, has a lot of the same ingredients, and a more intense flavor. Since it seems to have only appeared at Costco a couple of months ago -- at least that's when Redditors first seemed to notice it and start raving -- it is worth giving a try if you haven't yet.

Applesauce

Applesauce pouches are a wonderful snack for littles and Kirkland sells high-quality ones. The taste is sweet, refreshing, and juicy. Kids love having to squeeze and suck at the nozzle. Even toddlers who struggle to hold spoons steady can easily eat this without spilling. That means there's little to no mess to clean up -- forget about washing spoons, bowls, and globs of stuff off the table. Even better, a box of 24 3.17-ounce pouches costs around $13. At just around $.55 per pouch, this is a fairly cheap way to get your littles to eat fruit.

One of the most attractive things about this snack is that it's healthy, but still appeals to kids. Additionally, pouches are simple to put into school lunches or have in the car while shuttling kids from school to their next activity. The worst thing about these applesauce pouches, though, is the portion size. It's too small. A hungry kid can go through three or four before stopping, so you may want to buy more than just one box.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Kirkland's chocolate chip cookies are so good that if you aren't careful, you'll go through a bag without realizing it. Each cookie is the size of a half dollar and thin -- you can easily put a whole one in your mouth. First, you'll notice the chocolate chips, which are higher quality than many store-bought cookies. Then, the texture is pleasantly crisp, not crunchy or crumbly making the experience somewhere between that of munching on chips and nibbling on cookies. Finally, the flavor is just salty enough to make you want to keep eating more.

You can find these thin and crispy cookies in two formats. First, a 24-ounce bag of loose cookies costs around $8. If you don't think you'll go through that fast enough -- unlikely considering how good they are -- you might prefer buying a box of 30 individually wrapped portions which are also better for packed lunches. Unfortunately, you'll have to buy either in person at your warehouse since they aren't available online.

Milk Chocolate Covered Raisins

Chocolate-covered raisins are always good, but Kirkland's are great. They are perhaps one of Costco's best products with some people on r/Costco calling them a "forbidden snack" and writing that they avoid buying them because of how fast they eat them. First, these candies are much bigger than comparable products -- some of them are around the size of a shooter marble. This is because the raisins used as the prime material are especially plump. Then, sometimes two or three stuck-together raisins end up covered in chocolate as one big piece. As a result, the flavor is more raisiny and fruity. The chocolate coating complements the flavor, but doesn't cover it. Finally, the texture is softer than lower-quality products.

Kirkland's price is almost as good as the taste. A 3.4-pound container of these raisins costs about $16. That's around $.30 per ounce. To put that in perspective, brand name Raisinets cost over $.60 per ounce. That's about double. So, next time you host a get-together, put out a bowl of this snack and watch it disappear. Kids and adults alike will love them.

Nut Bars With Cocoa Drizzle

If you're looking for a filling snack, one of Kirkland's nut bars will tide you over until your next meal. These bars consist of almonds, cashews, pecans, puffed rice, and sunflower seeds drizzled with dark chocolate and something else sweet and sticky that keeps everything together. The nuts are crisp, while the whole bar is chewy, not hard. In other words, you won't break a tooth trying to eat this the same way you might with some nut bars.

These nut bars in particular make a fantastic snack because they taste amazing -- sweet and nutty -- but you won't feel the need to eat more than one. With some chips and cookies, you start munching and, before you know it, you've eaten a whole bag. With this snack, you'll find that just one satisfies your hunger so you're not in danger of overeating. Even better, these appeal more to adults than children. That means, if you buy a box of nut bars, you're probably safe from your kids eating through them. A box of 30 individually wrapped nut bars costs close to $18. You'll also find them included in the Variety Snack Box.

Methodology

Ranking Kirkland brand snacks from Costco started with thinking about what defines a snack. I focused on easy-to-eat, relatively mess-free items. I didn't want to include anything requiring refrigeration, microwaving, or the use of silverware or dishes. As a result, I skipped items like Kirkland's Greek yogurt and microwave popcorn. Instead, this article focuses on convenient snacks you could include in a school lunch, a car trip, a hike, or a party.

Coming up with a list of the items meant visiting r/Costco to see what people liked. Then I headed to my warehouse to pick out 12 snacks people mentioned, but also while staying under a specific budget. It took some puzzle-solving skills, but Kirkland's Variety Snack Box meant I could try more snacks for less money. This is the reason dried blueberries made the list instead of dried cherries or mangoes, which were more popular with Redditors.

Reviewing these products also coincided with my kids' sleepover. I did what any caring adult would do and used children as my guinea pigs. I set out all the snacks in little bowls on the table while they did a puzzle and I keenly observed which disappeared first. The peanuts and blueberries are still sitting in little dishes on my counter a few days later, while the container of chocolate-covered raisins has exactly 16 stray raisins left. I ranked the sweet heat mix and the nut bars highly because the chaperoning adults enjoyed them, not because the kids did.

Read the original article on Mashed