13 Foods At Costco That Can Make Great Last-Minute Holiday Gifts

For many Americans, the holiday season requires careful preparation to afford gifts for friends and family. Despite all the planning, there are still plenty of reasons a last-minute gift may be called for. Whether an unexpected guest shows up at the 11th hour or you just forgot to make a decision on someone's present, the food selection at Costco may provide some memorable last-minute gift options.

Chocolate is a classic last-minute choice, and Costco's selection of chocolate gift boxes is sure to have something that pleases almost anyone. There's a traditional tray of Ferrero Rocher candies, as well as a raft of Belgian chocolate options: Toblerone, Godiva, Kirkland Signature (of course), and more.

Although the field is rather chocolatey, there are other edible gift options to be had, from Christmas classics like Danish butter cookies to a catering-sized assortment of cake balls. There's even a ham, which is more extravagant than it sounds. And since these are last-minute gifts, they should all be available in store or online with reasonably fast delivery.

Godiva is one of the more iconic chocolate brands out there, and its golden-colored chocolate gift boxes are instantly recognizable symbols of the season. Each of these four boxes contains 27 assorted pieces — 108 chocolates in total — with an assortment of flavors and shapes, including creme brulee truffles, raspberry stars, and one of Godiva's signature chocolates, the Dark Lion of Belgium.

Many people are familiar with the generic store-bought charcuterie tray, but this Rastelli's charcuterie gift crate takes the concept to the next level. It is indeed a crate, loaded with rustic pastoral appeal and a huge range of charcuterie: Four cheeses, two cured meats, two crackers, two spreads, plus olives, cashews, and cookie bites. The charcuterie crate is only available online and ships in 3-5 business days.

Some might consider a tray of Ferrero Rocher somewhat of an old-fashioned gift, but the balls of milk chocolate and hazelnut wrapped in gold foil have become a symbol of the season. Whether you save this one for the aunties of a certain age or anyone who likes a sweet treat, the Nutella-filled hazelnut milk chocolates will always have its fans.

Each of these massive collections of shortbread cookies weighs nearly 5 pounds. Based on a traditional Scottish family recipe, they are still baked in the middle of the Scottish Highlands. The 114 cookies come in four different designs, and are sure to please the shortbread fan in your life.

As the name suggests, these cookies have a serious amount of butter, but so does the previous item on this list. But one of the big differences between butter and shortbread cookies is that the former is sweeter and firmer, matching their somewhat looser packaging than the shortbread. Don't be fooled, though; the reusable metal tin typical of Danish butter cookies will keep them plenty intact and fresh-tasting. And this four-pack means more than enough to give away. 

Kirkland's box of Belgian chocolates comes ready-to-gift in boxes of either red, blue, or gold colors that resemble a properly wrapped box. Inside, await 46 total chocolates from 18 assorted varieties, all made with white, dark, or milk chocolate. Some are solid pieces while others have sophisticated fillings like ganache or hazelnut cream; in either case, the sheer size of the bounty will surely make it a last-minute favorite.

This affordable chocolate variety comes out to about 50 cents per piece, and is an unusually great deal on a potential last-minute gift. Each piece is filled with either salted caramel, hazelnuts and praline, raspberry ganache, or dark chocolate ganache. The chocolates are also topped with pieces of their respective fillings to make them easy to identify.

One of the first things to note about this German-made cookie assortment is its self-declared guarantee that at least 45% of its 156 cookies contain chocolate. This is one of the reasons it came in second when we ranked 8 holiday cookies from Costco. Each of the 15 different varieties was delicious and sufficiently chocolatey. This must-buy is sure to satisfy anyone who likes chocolate.

Panettone can be thought of as an Italian version of a fruitcake, and it's a big part of the national cuisine. Decades ago, the Italian government passed laws to define what panettone is, and this example fully conforms. Each loaf begins with a natural sourdough starter and 60 hours of natural leavening, being baked with candied peels of oranges and other citrus fruits, plump raisins, and plenty of milk and butter. The result is a light yet rich delight, so airy it almost melts in the mouth.

The Toblerone chocolate bar is an icon of Switzerland, air travel, and, more generally, sophisticated snacking. Although it's no longer a Swiss-owned company, and the food conglomerate Mondelez moved a fraction of production to Slovakia, the vast majority of Toblerones — including these 100-gram bars — are still made in Switzerland. The combo of milk chocolate with almond-honey nougat is a timeless favorite sure to make the recipient feel a bit fancy.

A favorite checkout line grab for CVS and Walgreens shoppers everywhere, this Costco-sized bag of Lindor truffles is nearly a pound and a half of various delicious chocolates — much bigger than the usual bags. Each package contains the classic milk chocolate truffle, along with varieties in white chocolate, dark chocolate, extra dark chocolate, and milk chocolate with caramel.

These Austin, Texas-based cake balls are denser than your average cake but richer than your average chocolate truffle. And Costco's online-only exclusive assortment includes a dozen each of Austin Cake Ball's best-selling varieties: Oreo, birthday cake, red velvet, and salted caramel. These gourmet desserts are freshly made enough that Costco guarantees shipping in 2-3 days — and will not ship them over the weekend.

This final last-minute Costco gift is undoubtedly the most extravagant, but it'll be a gift the recipient will never forget: A 14-pound leg of jamón serrano, an exquisite variety of cured ham traditional to Spanish cuisine. And this bougie Costco ham is an even better deal than you think: Not only is just the leg of pork typically several times more expensive, but Costco's jamón serrano also comes with a knife and carving board/ham stand.