Yahoo Lifestyle My Family Sampled 15 Holiday Foods From Costco — Here Are The Best (And The Worst) Of The Batch
Hi! I'm Anne. My family of four has been shopping at Costco for years, and the holidays are always one of our favorite times to stock up — thanks to all the specialty items on the shelves. Here’s a roundup of the holiday favorites we buy year after year — along with a few that made it into our cart once... and never again.
If you also have Costco holiday favorites — or least favorites — I'd love to hear about them. Tell me in the comments below!
First, the favorites...
1.Amylu Cranberry and Jalapeño Chicken Meatballs
The Amylu meatballs are a perfect quick family meal, and can be prepared in a big batch or partially frozen and used for smaller servings. They're pork-free and gluten free, making them a good pick for those with dietary restrictions.
They have mild to medium spiciness and cranberry flavor. It’s a nice, light flavor, not overwhelming, and reminiscent of fall and winter. They can be cooked multiple ways, but my favorite is in the Air Fryer.
2.Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares
This is a classic mix of Ghirardelli chocolates, with a festive twist. I find the peppermint to be a bit stronger in this mix in comparison to other peppermint chocolates, but enjoyable.
3.Häagen-Daas Peppermint Bark Bars
If you need an excuse to eat ice cream in December, this is it. The peppermint bark ice cream bars are their normal bar, with just enough crushed peppermint flaked onto the chocolate to make it reminiscent of a candy cane. Some years Costco also carries Häagen-Daas peppermint cookie squares, which our family especially enjoys; however, Costco doesn't seem to carry them every year, making these ice cream bars a good substitute.
4.Stonemill Kitchens Organic Cranberry Sauce
My family is a huge fan of cranberry sauce. I am normally a seedless cranberry sauce person, but I think this brand tastes really fresh and doesn't have a lot of seeds. It goes well on top of toast, mixed with cottage cheese, or by itself. This cranberry sauce freezes wonderfully for year-round enjoyment — so we always buy more than one!
5.Pre-built Gingerbread Houses
Since discovering these last year, never again will my dad hot glue our gingerbread house together. Using icing to build the house didn't always wind up being strong enough, and took more wait time before decorating. This pre-built house allows you to start decorating from the get-go, and enjoy the fun! It comes with more than the normal selection of candy, as well as with some gingerbread people, making it more than worth the price.
6.Maple Leaf Cranberry Cheese
The Maple Leaf cranberry cheese goes well alongside some fruit or on crackers. I enjoy snacking on it, but you'll likely need a plate since it has a tendency to slightly crumble. It freezes well, too!
7.Noosa Seasonal Yoghurt
The Noosa yoghurt multipack comes with vanilla bean, cinnamon roll, and salted caramel. The salted caramel is by far my favorite of the three; it tastes like a decadent dessert and the flavor accurately comes through and doesn't taste fake. The cinnamon roll flavor also surprised me in not being overly sweet. I enjoy the vanilla, but in this multipack it doesn't shine as brightly as the other flavors.
Both of my kids loved this flavor pack as well. Noosa yoghurt normally contains a bit more sugar than some yogurts, depending on flavor, so if you're watching your sugar levels, keep this in mind, but it does make a nice dessert.
8.Le Chic Original Stroopwafels
Hygge vibes! These stroopwafels are delicious over a cup of tea, coffee, or hot cocoa. Sometimes I'll give them a quick ten seconds in the microwave to make them extra ooey gooey. The melty caramel mixed with the waffle cookie are a decadent treat -- they are a bit heavy, but I usually can't eat only one. They remind me of my time traveling in Europe and the flavors are close to that of the cookies I ate there.
9.RiverRidge Apple Cider
Store-bought apple cider often disappoints, but the RiverRidge apple cider at Costco never fails. I still would prefer orchard fresh apple cider; however, this is cheaper and more easily accessible.
10.Sanders Peppermint Chocolates
Sanders carries a peppermint version of their sea salt caramels. They have a light hint of peppermint added to my favorite chocolates, definitively not an overpowering flavor addition. I prefer the plain version, but the peppermint was fun to try! These are one of the highest quality chocolates that I've had in several years, and Costco often has them on sale.
11.The Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa Bundle
The four pack includes marshmallow, milk chocolate, peppermint, and salted caramel. My favorite is the salted caramel, followed closely by peppermint. It includes the regular milk chocolate flavors, so part of the draw is the cute tins and variety.
12.Kirkland Holiday Gift Tags
The Kirkland holiday gift tags look handmade, with several layers of embellishment. Each yearly package contains at least one Disney character and sometimes has seasonal tags that could be used throughout winter as well as for Christmas.
Lastly, here are a few Costco holiday purchases that are one-and-done — at least for my family.
13.Barton's Holiday Mingle Mix
The mix includes chocolate covered pretzels, caramel corn, mini peanut butter cups, nonpareils, red gems, and mini chocolate sandwich cookies. That being said, I'd likely only buy it once a season, unless it was specifically for a party. It's a mix where I often wind up with favorite pieces (the chocolate covered pretzels), and then wind up being slightly disappointed to have the eat the remainder of the bag.
14.La Terra Fina's Cranberry and Jalapeño Dip
My mother-in-law bought this for a family party. It was fine, but not something I would purchase to eat outside of entertaining for a large group. It's gluten-free, making it a good option to add to a party spread, especially since it can be used alongside a plethora of items — veggies, crackers, bread, pretzels, and fruits.
15.Kirkland European Cookies
These were... mediocre. Not terrible, and I liked some of them more than others, but I don't like them enough to buy a Costco sized box again.
16.What are you favorite and least favorite items at Costco — either during the holidays or year-round? Tell me in the comments!
