12 Pantry Staples You Should Pick Up At Costco

Unless you have allergies, keeping your pantry stocked with nuts is a good idea. According to Everyday Health, nuts can make an excellent healthy snack. They are high in protein, fiber, healthy fats, and a variety of other vitamins and minerals. Because of their higher fiber content, snacking on a few nuts can also help keep you feeling satisfied for longer, reducing your overall caloric intake for the day. This can be an excellent benefit for those looking to lose weight. Nuts are also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which can contribute to overall heart health.

In addition to being a great snack, nuts are also used in many recipes, such as salads, cookies, brownies, and more. When you buy nuts from Costco, you'll be getting a larger container than you would at the grocery store, helping to prevent you from running out. And, even if you don't think you'll blow through the entire package quickly, Clean Plates shares that if nuts are stored in a cool and dry place they can last for a long time — helping you really get the most out of your purchase.

Costco's nut packages aren't just bigger than what you'll be able to find at many grocery stores. In many cases, they're also a much better deal. For example, a 3-pound bag of the Kirkland Signature Walnut Halves costs $9.99 online (likely even cheaper in-store). This works out to $0.21 per ounce. Compare this to the 1-pound Great Value Walnuts Halves & Pieces bag from Walmart which costs $7.34, or $0.46 per ounce. That means that you can save over 50% by shopping at Costco.

No pantry is fully stocked without baking soda. Without it, many baked goods will just fall flat — literally. As Bob's Red Mill shares, when baking soda combines with the other ingredients in a recipe, it creates carbon dioxide bubbles. The presence of these tiny bubbles in your baked goods ensures that they turn out nice and airy, rather than overly dense. By increasing the pH levels in food and decreasing the overall amount of gluten, baking soda also helps keep your baked goods from turning out too chewy. In short, you don't want to skip baking soda if a recipe calls for it.

Costco has a gigantic, 13.5-pound bag of Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda available for $9.49 online. This brings the unit price down to just $0.04 cents per ounce. At most grocery stores, you'll likely pay between $1.00 and $1.50 for a 1-pound box of Arm & Hammer, which comes out to between $0.06 and $0.09 per ounce. If you're wondering how in the world you'll ever use up 13.5 pounds of baking soda from Costco when most recipes only call for about 1 teaspoon, you need to think beyond the mixing bowl. One Good Thing by Jillee explains that baking soda can come in handy for many tasks around the home, such as deodorizing carpets, cleaning grout, cleaning burnt messes off pots and pans, removing stains from a variety of surfaces, and washing chemical residues off of your produce.

Apple cider vinegar is another pantry staple you'll want to grab at Costco during your next shopping trip. As Healthline shares, apple cider vinegar is a pretty powerful liquid. It may help lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels, assist with weight loss, and improve the skin's health. The Acetum Organic Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother is just $21.99 for a 1-gallon jug at Costco.

Wondering how to use this much apple cider vinegar? It'll be easier than you think once you realize how many delicious recipes feature apple cider vinegar as one of their key ingredients. Barbecue sauce, warm bacon vinaigrette, slow cooker BBQ pulled pork tacos, and Instant Pot chicken adobo are all made using apple cider vinegar. It can also be used in other ways around the house. North Coast explains that apple cider vinegar's antibacterial properties allow it to be an effective cleaner for bathrooms, kitchens, hard water stains, and more. Simply mix it with water in a 1:1 ratio, then spray the cleaning solution on surfaces throughout the home that you want to clean.

Costco offers an extensive selection of coffee – including whole beans, ground coffee, coffee pods, and even instant coffee. Whether you drink a pot of coffee every day (no judgment) or just brew some when you're entertaining, you may want to consider buying from Costco. According to ShedLight, buying coffee in bulk can be a good choice if you know what you already like. If you haven't tried a particular brand or blend yet, then you may be taking more of a risk purchasing such a large quantity.

If you're looking for the best flavor and a higher quality coffee, choose a whole-bean coffee. When coffee beans are ground, much of their flavor is lost before you'll get to brew and enjoy your cup. With whole beans, you're in charge of how the coffee is ground and can grind it right before you want to brew a cup or a pot, ensuring maximum freshness and flavor.

One excellent whole-bean coffee you can buy at Costco is the Mayorga Buenos Días Light Roast. While you'll pay $0.74 an ounce for the same coffee from Walmart (regularly $23.99 for a 32-ounce bag), you can save $0.14 cents an ounce by shopping at Costco. Two 2-pound bags (64 ounces) cost just $38.99.

If you're a person who prefers convenience, and you don't want to deal with grinding your own coffee, don't worry. Costco has you covered too. You can grab a box of the Kirkland Signature Pacific Bold Organic Dark Roast K-Cup Pods for $38.99. The box has 120 pods, which brings the unit price down to $0.32 — way cheaper than the Starbucks drive-thru.

Are you looking to stock your pantry with some nutritious snacks from Costco? If so, you should definitely look into purchasing some dried fruit. Investtohealth explains that dry fruit can be expensive to purchase for several different reasons. First, most fruits only grow in certain regions. This means that if there are any climate or rainfall issues that impact the supply, you're likely to see a price increase. Moreover, hiring workers to harvest the fruits and move them through the drying process properly to ensure optimal taste can be expensive. In addition to paying for these workers, manufacturers also have to pay to have the fruits transported to local stores — often from across the globe — which can get very expensive when you factor in taxes, fuel costs, and more.

Shopping at Costco for dried fruit can help you get more for your money. For example, 35.2 ounces of Paradise Green Premium Dried Mango costs just $14.49, 3.5 pounds of Sunsweet Dried Plums costs only $11.99, and 2.25 pounds of Sun-Maid Raisins is a great deal at $12.49. Stocking up on dried fruit can help you improve your health. According to Healthline, dried fruits offer several vitamins and minerals, along with fiber, that work to help individuals achieve their daily recommended intake of these substances. Eating some dried fruits can even help improve digestive health, reduce the risk of certain diseases, and more. However, it is important to note that while it has natural sugars, dried fruit can still be very high in sugar. It is best to check labels and recommended serving sizes to avoid adding too much sugar to your diet.

Almond flour is ideal for crafting delicious gluten-free recipes. A Saucy Kitchen adds that almond flour is also low in carbs and high in protein, making it an even better alternative for those who need to cut gluten due to celiac disease or an intolerance, along with those who are simply trying to cut back on their daily carb intake. Almond flour is featured in many keto and paleo recipes because it ranks low on the glycemic index. It can be used to make cakes, cookies, breads, and more. You can even use almond flour in place of breadcrumbs in some recipes.

A 3-pound bag of Kirkland Almond Flour is available through Instacart for about $15.00. You could spend over $11 for just 1 pound of Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour at Target, making the Kirkland brand an amazing deal. The Healthy Patron shares that Costco's almond flour has a very similar taste to Bob's Red Mill's. They also like that the Kirkland brand is blanched, helping it more closely resemble wheat flour when baking.