40 Cult-Favorite Costco Foods You Need To Add To Your Cart

Costco is beloved for many reasons, but its cult-favorite foods are some of the best. It's remarkable, really, that the retail giant musters so many celebrated comestibles: As it's famous for offering just about everything, you'd think it'd be hard for any individual item to gain much of a foothold among shoppers. But, Costco's emphasis on quality ensures plenty of foods rise to the top and make a major mark in the marketplace.

You may be familiar with some of these edibles already. Costco's famously affordable hot dog, for example, is widely regarded as an icon of the business. But, plenty of others have remained obscure — to the general populace, that is. These items all have diehard fans all around the world loading up their carts. Some of these foods distinguish themselves by being incredibly thrifty. Some are impressively satisfying. The vast majority are just plain delicious. Today, we're taking a look at them all. These are the 40 cult-favorite foods you need to add to your cart on your next Costco run.

The Costco hot dog is so legendary that someone paid actual money to purchase Costcohotdog.com and make it into the foodstuff's digital shrine. What makes this hot dog so beloved? For one thing, it's thrifty: All you need is $1.50 to take it and a 20-ounce soda home. For another, it's delicious. 

This extra-long hot dog is full of genuine beef flavor: It's smoky, hearty, meaty, wrapped up in an enjoyably snappy casing, and cradled in a pillowy bun. It's never soggy, mushy, or just plain boring — it is, simply, perfect. This is the hot dog all other hot dogs aspire to be.

You might think it's hard to improve all that much on bacon — after all, it's bacon. It's already perfect, right? But Kirkland Signature's bacon still manages to impress. These hickory-smoked strips are deeply infused with flavor; every bite is simultaneously smoky, sweet, fatty, and, above all, porky. 

Texturally, this bacon is just as impressive. Thanks to its gorgeous marbling, it crisps up beautifully in the pan — yet it's also a good choice for those who prefer their bacon on the softer side. Carnivores take note: This is the stuff porcine dreams are made of.

Caramel is widely regarded as one of the most delicious substances made by man. And, so is chocolate. Put them together and sprinkle them with sea salt and you get these irresistible candies. Available in both dark and milk chocolate forms, Sanders' caramels are a symphony of taste and texture (125 years of practice makes perfect). 

The warm, deep flavor of chocolate is enlivened by the pure sweetness of caramel, while sea salt throws both into vivid and delicious contrast. Moreover, the caramel always stays luxuriously soft and the chocolate retains its pleasant firmness. These aren't just some of the best candies available at Costco — they're some of the best candies available anywhere.

A good balsamic vinegar is a complex thing, which is why there are so many substandard options on the market. Not so with Kirkland Signature's: This balsamic vinegar is everything you could want. Texturally, it's thick and rich, to the point of being syrupy. This makes it a great choice for balsamic glazes; it reduces like a dream. 

Taste-wise, it's fruity, sour, sweet, and pleasantly acidic. Whether it's splashed onto tomatoes, coating a slice of rustic bread, or even drizzled across vanilla ice cream (for the more adventurous eaters out there), it's utterly delicious. And, it is just shy of a full 5-star review on Amazon with nearly 40 ratings. 

"These chocolate chip cookies are one of the first things I remember trying from Costco!" Costcofoodreviews raved about these toothsome treats. "I loved them back then, and still love them now!" It's no wonder: These are some of the best chocolate chip cookies around. Each cookie is sizable and absolutely packed with chocolate chunks. And when we say chunks, we mean chunks — these are far too big and nuggety to ever compare to mere chips. 

The cookie itself has a wonderfully nutty, brown butter-ish flavor that throws the sweetness of the chocolate into yummy contrast. You may never return to any other brand once you've had these cookies.

A can of diced tomatoes is a wonderfully versatile thing, and Kirkland Signature makes one of the best. These tomatoes are bursting with juicy, sweet, garden-fresh flavor, no matter how long they've been sitting on your shelf. There's no metallic aftertaste, no unpleasantly upped acidity, and no tasteless chunks of tomato core. They're also firm and well-shaped — you won't find any sad, squished bits of tomato confetti here. 

This makes them an excellent choice for just about anything. Salsa? You got it. Pasta sauce? No problem. Chili? It's just the thing. With a few cans of Kirkland Signature diced tomatoes in your pantry, you're ready for anything.

A sizable bottle of vanilla extract is a must-have pantry staple for ardent bakers. Frustratingly, even a tiny bottle of the aromatic element can be costly — but not at Costco. Its vanilla extract comes in hearty sizes and at a thrifty price point. At $16.99 for 16 fluid ounces, that's $1.06 per ounce (via Costco.com)!

While naming this extract and pine nuts as some of their favorite Kirkland Signature products, one Reddit user explained, "Both expensive/luxury items but I loooove pine nuts in my pesto and the large Kirkland bag is the same price as a tiny quantity elsewhere. Same with vanilla extract!" This thriftiness is all the more notable for the fact that it doesn't affect the extract's quality: This is grade-A stuff.

Costco's hot dog might be the most famous foodstuff it sells, but its pizza isn't far behind. It's hard to say what makes it so good, each slice succeeds in such a variety of ways. The crust is simultaneously crisp and pleasantly chewy. The cheese is beautifully blistered. The sauce is tangy, sweet, and enjoyably acidic. 

Toppings are always flavorful and evenly distributed. And, of course, it's cheap as all get-out. Costco's pizza is, in short, what pizza aspires to be — and it really hits the spot after an hour of bulk shopping.

Once upon a time, a Reddit user asked a very important question: "Do you ever just ... treat yourself to a Costco cake?" Users immediately responded in the affirmative, with the outlet's sheet cakes earning particular distinction. Sheet cake is a stalwart standby of the dessert table, and Costco's rendition does it terrific justice. 

The wholesale goliath's sheet cake, no matter the flavor, is moist, sweet, and simultaneously rich and delicate. What's more, pretty much no one dislikes it, making it a fabulous choice for a party that requires a ton of energy elsewhere. Put a sheet cake down, and you're sure to have happy guests.

Costco's muffins already have a slot on this list, but its pumpkin streusel variety is so good, it deserves its own spotlight. A welcome herald of cooler weather, these treats are incredibly flavorful; as Costcofoodreviews put it, "These muffins were definitely pumpkin SPICE." 

Indeed, every morsel of moist muffin is fragrant with cinnamon and other fall flavors. That goes for the streusel as well, which is a buttery, sugary, crumbly delight. These muffins are perfect on their own, but they also go great with a steaming cup of hot coffee. There's no better way to start a fall morning.

You haven't had rolls until you've had King's Hawaiian's. These soft, sweet delights are familiar, in many ways: They're the standard dinner roll size, texture, and flavor. But, they perfect each aspect on a level heretofore unknown. They're not just soft, they're cloudlike. They're not just sweet, they're lusciously honeyed.

They're also surprisingly robust, for all their tender sweetness — each roll is more than capable of supporting a thick pat of butter, a pile of melty ham and cheese, or a juicy slider patty. Whether they're being eaten on their own or used to bear barbecue, these sweet rolls are heavenly.

Costco's four berry pie is a seriously robust dessert: According to the sign captured in one Reddit user's photograph, it clocks in at 4 pounds, 11 ounces of blueberry, cranberry, strawberry, and raspberry-stuffed goodness. As a variety of users made clear in the ensuing thread, every ounce is delicious. "I got a sample at the store, absolutely amazing," one enthusiast praised. "Planning on grabbing one for a get together. ... Perfect amount of sweet/tart." 

Indeed, this pie is a flavorful marvel, bursting with fruity goodness. It's a particularly excellent choice for a party, as this user has already cottoned onto — one pie can feed a crowd and send them home dreaming of berry-rich dessert.

Costco shoppers rejoiced when the chain brought key lime pie back to its bakery shelves in summer 2023. Their celebration was totally justified: This is a truly splendid key lime pie. It's bursting with pure lime goodness, and lacks any sort of chemical aftertaste. 

This zesty flavor mingles deliciously with the thick dollops of whipped cream that ring the pie's outer edge, as well as the sweet, nutty goodness of its graham cracker crust. Texturally, it's just as strong: Each bite is a symphony of creamy lime filling, crumbly crust, and tender whipped cream. Plus, it clocks in at over 4 pounds, making it an awesome choice for a shindig.

When you first hear the phrase "brownie brittle," your jaw might very well drop. Could such a dessert be real? As Costco shoppers know, it is — and it's just as magnificent as you're imagining. You know the crunchy edges brownies baked against the pan's side get? This is pretty much a bag full of those pieces. 

Each shard is thin, crispy, studded with chocolate chunks, and bursting with rich flavor. Incredibly, no matter how many pieces you've eaten, this brittle never becomes too sweet, thanks to the slight hint of smoky bitterness in each chocolate chunk. The future of brownies is here, and it's delicious.

There's nothing like a ripe, fresh mango. Now, Made in Nature has made sure we can all enjoy that one-of-a-kind flavor all the time with their dried mangoes. Though each bright orange strip has indeed been dried, they somehow remain succulent, even to the point of juiciness. Flavor-wise, they're out of this world: Mango's distinctive tanginess is perfectly preserved in every piece. 

In fact, it almost seems concentrated — certain pieces taste more mango-like than some fresh mangoes. They're also unsulfured and free of any added sugar, which can be difficult to find. Made in Nature's dried mangoes inject every day with a ray of tropical sunshine.

A good danish boasts a complex interplay of flavor and texture. Costco's cherry danishes don't just succeed on this count — they triumph. It all starts with the cherry filling itself; as Costcofoodreviews raved, "The center of this danish is filled with whole, sticky cherries and tasted like cherry pie!" 

Each round, succulent fruit is bursting with flavor, which mingles deliciously with the croissant-esque pastry and delicate icing. It's crisp, tender, sour, sweet, flaky, buttery, rich, and light, all at the same time. Nothing gets the short end of the stick, as happens with so many lesser danishes — the pastry, filling, and icing are all top-tier. What results is a truly exceptional danish.

Peanut butter and pretzels are two of the snack world's greatest titans. When combined into something like Kirkland Signature's peanut butter pretzel nuggets, they become an unstoppable force of tastiness. Each pillow-shaped pretzel is filled with smooth, flavorful peanut butter. "I love the salty sweet contrast!," Costcofoodreviews raved. 

Moreover, as she went on to elucidate, they're useful little hunger-slayers: "While these are addicting, just a handful definitely satisfied my hunger. These would make for a great road trip or hiking snack." Keep a few in your backpack, glove compartment, or desk drawer, and you're ready to munch through just about anything.

A warm slice of rustic bread is an unparalleled delight. Costco has kicked things up a notch with its fragrant rosemary parmesan bread. "This bread is absolutely ridiculous," one Reddit user crowed. "Especially toasted with some garlic butter. If you haven't tried it, BUUUUUYYYY IIITTT." Another user quickly concurred, commenting, "Yeeeeesss. That stuff is the best." 

Each loaf is packed with herbaceous flavor and piquant cheese, which meld into a mouth-watering experience. The sharp rosemary brings out the salty, fatty elements of the parmesan, while the parmesan's richness throws the rosemary's almost pine-like flavor into delectable contrast. It's a beautiful marriage of delicious ingredients, wrapped up in a rustic loaf.

The humble bagel comes in many flavors and formulas. Costco offers a plethora of options, from the simple plain bagel to the extravagant everything bagel. No matter which one you try, however, you're sure to encounter excellent texture, a golden-brown crust, and an unmistakable flavor. 

Of the parmesan bagel, Costcofoodreviews wrote, "Overall this is a solid bagel. It's soft while still having a nice, dense chew to it." This is one of the Costco bagel's greatest virtues: a toothsome chewiness that doesn't grow stale, soft, or brittle, even with an extra day on the counter. Pick up a few on Friday for excellent weekend brunches.

Unlike so many cheddars, Kirkland Signature's sharp cheddar cheese isn't a wan block of cheese-ish wax. This is full-on sharp cheddar, emphasis on the sharp; even just a quick sniff of the delicious stuff makes it clear that this cheese is not messing around. 

This is a real, robust cheddar flavor, simultaneously nutty, fatty, milky, acidic, and umami-forward. It goes brilliantly with just about anything, but heirloom tomatoes play especially nicely with its distinctive tang. Whether it's in a sandwich, whisked into a sauce, or piled on a cracker, this cheese aims to please.