12 Kirkland Baking Products Every Baker Should Stock Up On

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

I don't know about you, but I love making baked goods, and not just for special occasions either. When the need for a pan of brownies hits, it's time to jump off that couch and get to mixing. The last thing you want to do is whip open that pantry door and discover an echoing void of emptiness. That's why you need to make sure you are well-stocked with all the essentials, so whenever that sweet tooth kicks in, you'll be ready.

Don't worry, I put together a guide just for you. I've included all of my must-have baking ingredients you need to start buying at Costco. I mean, what better place to fill your pantry with some budget-friendly, bulk offerings? My decision on what to include is based on the items I keep on hand for those impromptu baking projects. While this isn't a complete list for every recipe, it's a great foundation for most home-based, wanna-be pastry chefs. The prices listed are for the Phoenix area and may be different in your location. So, let's jump right in. Here are 12 Kirkland baking products every baker should stock up on.

It's pretty safe to say that flour is a cornerstone ingredient in most baked goods, from cookies and cakes to biscuits and breads, and it plays a crucial role in building structure. That's why I suggest stock-piling Kirkland Signature Organic Unbleached All Purpose Flour before your next baking project. This package features a pair of 10-pound bags that will probably last you months, even if you bake daily. Costco's store-brand flour is organic and Kosher, and I can grab it for just $19.99. That's under a dollar per pound. Not bad for an organic product.

If you're looking for a gluten-free option, and many of us are, Costco's Kirkland brand still has you covered. You can grab a gluten-free 3-pound bag of Kirkland's signature almond flour for just $13.69. It's Kosher, touts 3 grams of dietary fiber, and 6 grams of protein. With just one ingredient: blanched almonds, you know it's skin-free for a finer texture that works best in many baked goods, like flaky pastries.

Okay, this bakery product is also a no-brainer. I mean, you can't whip up a delectable dessert without a cup or two of good old-fashioned sugar, and Kirkland Signature Organic Sugar is fine granulated, USDA-certified organic, and Kosher Parve too. This 10-pound bag is packed in the United States, which I love, because supporting our country's economy is an added perk to a plateful of homemade sweet treats.

Organic sugar is a terrific option for bakers to buy in bulk, and this Kirkland option is made from evaporated cane juice the same day it's harvested. What I like about this process, in addition to the fact that it's minimally processed, is that it retains a bit of molasses that gives this product a subtle caramel-like flavor. My local price is $10.99 for this Kirkland-brand sugar, and it's worth it based on customer feedback. One home baker wrote a stellar review that proclaimed this sugar really upped the taste of the pound cake she baked for her sister. Aww. Baking for family is really sweet, isn't it?

Loads of baking recipes call for a dash of salt and this one common ingredient makes a world of difference to your end result. Even if your confection is intended to be savory, not sweet, this magical substance boosts the flavor of all bakery items. If you're a fan of bread making, salt is a must-have pantry item because it regulates the yeast's fermentation rate, while strengthening the gluten's structure. After all, baking is essentially a chemistry experiment, and every ingredient plays a role in the quality of your final product.

Kirkland Signature Pure Sea Salt comes in a whopping 30-ounce container, true to the warehouse store's reputation for bigger is better. I can stock my pantry for just $3.99 at my local Costco. This fine-grained sea salt option is great for complex baking projects like pastries, cookies, and cakes, and it dissolves properly, so the salt's components are evenly dispersed throughout your other ingredients. One of the top perks of using sea salt as a bakery product is that it helps avoid the off flavors you might get with iodized table salt.

Milk is a major player in many of the yummiest baking recipes, both sweet and savory. That's because it does so much for the flavor, texture, and overall quality of your creations. From hydrating your dry ingredients to aiding in the Maillard reaction, it has a big role to play in and out of the oven.

Ensure that your baked goods are consistently scrumptious and stock up with Costco's Kirkland Signature Organic Whole Milk for $17.69. This 18-count box of 8-ounce milk containers is more than just a pre-packed beverage for your lunch box. Its convenient size is perfect for mixing into your batter and dough because one container is enough milk to satisfy a range of recipes. For example, these delicious buttermilk beignets only call for 6 ounces of regular milk. I love this idea because half of my family is lactose intolerant. An open-gallon jug is going to spoil much faster at my house than these individually packaged products.

Butter is an essential ingredient for every baker. It significantly adds to the flavor, texture, and structure of loads of yummy baked goods, like melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies. This Kirkland Signature Grass-Fed Butter comes from pasture-raised cows living in New Zealand. In fact, this island country makes all of this brand's 95% grass-fed butter. It's sourced from roughly 400 farms on the South Island where these milkers spend their days munching on greener pastures year-round.

This Costco supplier packages its quality butter in a 4-count box of 8-ounce bars. I shelled out $12.86 for a full two pounds. That's enough to make a few batches of buttercream frosting. Grass-fed butter also comes with loads of health benefits over the grain-fed kind. For example, it contains more omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin K2 than its counterpart. While grass-fed butter may still be a well-kept secret, it'll add a rich flavor profile and enticing aroma to your pastries, rolls, and more. So make the swap today — for good.

Costco makes it easy for bakers to buy in bulk with its 24-count carton of Kirkland Signature Cage Free Eggs. Not only are these chickens 100% vegetarian-fed and live cage-free, but these poultry farms are also certified humane. So, what does "certified humane" actually mean for these hens? A lot! With requirements like minimum square footage habitats, access to relaxing perches, and enrichment requirements, these happy hens make the yummiest eggs (in my experience, anyway).

Baked goods just wouldn't be the same without eggs, like Costco's Kirkland brand. Whether you separate the fatty yolks from the protein-rich whites or use them whole, their unique properties are essential to the outcome of an endless array of baked goods. Eggs are a terrific binding agent that provides richness, structure, and a light and airy texture. Are you planning to make crème brûlée like a pro? What about a pound cake for that special birthday celebration? Oh, yeah. You're going to want to stock up on eggs. Thankfully, this brand is affordable, too. I paid just $6.89 for these Kirkland eggs at my Costco.

Kirkland Signature Organic Peanut Butter is available in a pair of 28-ounce jars. This creamy variety has everything you're looking for in a nutty spread. It's dry roasted, organic, Kosher, and sprinkled with ahh, that wonderful sea salt. There are tons more applications for this wildly popular nutty spread than merely peanut butter cookies. Use it to make homemade peanut butter cups, peanut butter banana bread, peanut butter fudge, and the list goes on.

Head on over to Costco this week and stock up. Don't fret. It costs just $11.69 where I live and you can't beat its loads of five-star reviews. One peanut butter lover said they like its short list of ingredients, superior taste, and texture. That's a top reason why this brand of peanut butter is a mandatory product for every home baker to have on-hand. Just make sure to give it a good stir when you open it, then store it in the fridge to keep the oil from separating.

Sometimes almond butter is a better ingredient choice than its peanut-based cousin, particularly if you're concerned about food allergies. That's why I recommend that every budding pastry chef stocks up on this particular baking product. I can pick up this Kirkland Signature Creamy Almond Butter in a 27-ounce jar for $9.69 and its roasted version is Kosher (Circle U), gluten-free, and made in a peanut-free facility. It's everything I look for in almond butter and more.

Almond butter's uniquely sweet and nutty flavor compliments loads of baked goods. You can reach for a jar and swap it for butter in most recipes and it touts heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, 26% of your daily allowance of vitamin E, plus calcium for bone health. If you're craving a quick, single-serve dessert, try mixing up this almond butter brownie in a mug. Ditch the scratch version for this ooey, gooey, decadent alternative. You could be digging into this nutty concoction just 60 seconds after you press start on your microwave.

My grandma always had a plentiful supply of evaporated milk in her cache of baking products, and I knew it was great for our family's version of Swedish pancakes. But there's so much more you can make with an unassuming can of Kirkland Signature Evaporated Milk than just crepes. It's a terrific pantry staple because, unlike most milk products, it doesn't need to be refrigerated. With loads of milk fat and dry milk solids than whole milk, it's a thicker and creamier addition to desserts like pumpkin pie and flan.

This Costco evaporated milk option is available by the dozen for $14.99. Each made-in-the-U.S. can is 12 fluid ounces. It's also Kosher, has added vitamin D, and is rBST-free (if synthetic hormones are a concern for you). One shopper keeps it in the garage and says it's a great value, high-quality item for cooking. I agree wholeheartedly.

Your hunt for the perfect baking oil is over. Reinvent your favorite goodies with Kirkland Signature Organic Virgin Coconut Oil. Coconut oil you say? Why, yes. It's a sound option to use in many baked goods in place of vegetable oil. If you're eating vegan, you can also skip the butter and use this Costco house brand option instead. As long as you don't mind this unrefined version's uniquely tropical flavor profile, that is. This saturated fat has become wildly popular in the whole foods movement, and thanks to its relatively low smoke point (350 degrees Fahrenheit) it's a good product to reach for when you're slow-and-low baking. Use it in a 1:1 ratio and create a moist, tender cake with zero cracking.

This huge, 84-fluid-ounce jar is $20.99 at my local warehouse, and it's chemical-free and cold-pressed. Because Kirkland's manufacturer skipped the heat-infused extraction process, more of the coconut's naturally occurring nutrients make their way into your jar, like good LDL cholesterol-boosting lauric acid.

Pecans are a fantastic option in tons of scrumptious bakery recipes, from pecan pie to bourbon-infused brownies. Thank goodness you can stock up at Costco and totally give in to temptation whenever those cravings hit. The warehouse store carries a 2-pound bag of Kirkland Signature Pecan Halves that are U.S. Fancy and #1 Grade. What does all that mean to the average home pastry chef? A lot.

These Kirkland nuts are well dried, with a low moisture content. They also tout a uniform, light amber color, and each piece is about the same size. The end result: they look just as pretty gracing the surface of your pie as they are delicious. Treat yourself to a satisfying designer dessert that's gobble-worthy any day and grab this essential baking product for $13.99, or whatever your local Costco charges. With more than 4,000 five-star reviews from satisfied customers, you can't go wrong with this brand of pecan halves.

No well-stocked baker's pantry should be without a few dried fruits. I picked these mangoes to add to my list of must-have baking products because they're so versatile. While I could have mentioned raisins, we've all been there and done that. So, try something new. Don't be afraid to experiment and add them to muffins or sweet bread for a fun, chewy texture. You can also pair them with coconut oil, instead of canola or butter, for a delightfully tropical treat that touts loads of moisture.

Kirkland Signature Dried Mangoes are grown in Cambodia and are pre-sweetened, so you can cut back on the added sugar just a bit if you want. You'll find them in a handy, 35-ounce resealable pouch for $11.29. If your recipe calls for chopped dried fruit, like these Kirkland mangoes, consider freezing them for an hour, then snip them to size with kitchen shears. You can also consider rehydrating the fruit by soaking it for about 15 minutes in a bowl of warm water before you add them to your dough or batter.