The Costco Waffles That Customers Seriously Hated
While many of Costco's private label products are bona fide hits among the warehouse retail chain's members, not all can be winners. This seems to be the case with Costco's strawberry Belgian waffles, which were featured on a Costco-oriented Instagram page. While the original poster described the product as "tasty, ready to eat" and "the perfect on the go snack," most commenters did not share the sentiment. As one person stated, "These were terrible. Even my kids wouldn't eat them," which is particularly alarming, as children famously love waffles.
Another commenter found fault with the texture, describing them as "super dense" and comparing them to unappealing Christmas fruitcake. Additional criticisms touched on the sweetness of the waffles (with multiple people decrying them as too sweet), their off-putting smell, and the "chemical" flavor they exuded. Overall, the product was deemed odd and distasteful, even among people with a self-proclaimed sweet tooth. Of course, taste preferences vary greatly, which means one person's disastrous baked good could be another person's biggest snack craving.
What to expect from Costco's Belgian waffles
Costco's strawberry Belgian waffles normally retail for $9.99 for a 12-count pack. Waffles are individually wrapped and ready to eat right out of the pack, although they can still be toasted or heated up before serving. Each one contains 220 calories and 8 grams of fat, with 15 grams of sugar. While different Costco locations can carry different products, the fact that the strawberry Belgian waffles are listed for sale on the store's website means customers likely have a good chance of snagging them.
So, does anyone actually enjoy these waffles? Looking elsewhere on social media, it appears that some Costco members did enjoy the sweet treat. According to a video posted on TikTok, a customer ranked this product as a nine out of 10 when sampling it at Costco. While the content creator disclosed that they'd had the product before, they described it as "super yummy," a far cry from the harsher critiques. Perhaps the real issue is that Costco's version is too far removed from traditional Belgian waffles.
How does this product differ from traditional Belgian waffles?
In a Reddit thread discussing Costco's controversial waffles, a commenter proclaimed, "To call these BELGIAN waffles is an abomination," while another emphasized that "Belgian/Liege waffles are not the same as American breakfast waffles." While Belgian waffles are quite ubiquitous on store shelves and in restaurants, the differences between them and other waffles is not exactly well known.
It's true that American and Belgian waffles do share quite a few ingredients (such as eggs, milk, flour, and salt). However, Belgian waffles often contain yeast as a leavening agent, while baking powder is more common with the American version. Belgian waffles are generally considered to be lighter and airier than their American cousins. They're also larger, with substantial crevices perfect for holding ample syrup or jam.
Based on descriptions of Costco's waffles being ultra-dense, it appears that they do differ from the traditional Belgian recipe. However, complaints about this product run the gamut from texture to flavor to aroma and virtually every other aspect. As a result, Costco may end up having to rethink this offering.