The Hands-Down Best Cookie On Costco's Shelves
Like its iconic food court, Costco's bakery also has a flurry of offerings that we like to taste test from time to time to find which items should become shopping cart staples. A good, nay, great cookie is something we're always on the lookout for, and while the wholeslae club offers several decent options, there's one that stands well and truly above the rest. Partly because it's a classic, but mostly because it checks all the boxes of the best cookie, Costco's chocolate chunk cookie topped our Costco cookie ranking.
Officially called the Kirkland Signature Gourmet Chocolate Chunk Cookie, this sweet treat is soft, chewy, and packed with those delicious boulders of chocolate that offer a nice sweet bite to contrast the tender cookie dough. Gently warmed in the microwave or enjoyed at room temperature, this baked good retains a decadent texture that makes it an instant (and satisfying) hit. You can keep Costco cookies fresher for longer by freezing them, and these chocolate chunk treats are great even when eaten cold!
Interestingly, the biggest disappointment in our cookie rankings was also a chocolate cookie: Costco's mini chocolate chip cookies. The smaller size did the little treat no favors, instead compromising the chewy texture and the proportionally smaller chips didn't feel as decadent as the winner's hefty chocolate chunks. It goes to show just how different a cookie can turn out despite being very similar in ingredients. This brings us to another interesting cookie contender — the Costco food court's double chocolate chunk cookie that's served warm. While there's an undisputed winner when it comes to the best cookie to be found on Costco shelves, the food court version is another option that cookie fans may want to consider.
Costco food court vs Costco bakery: Which has the better chocolate chunk cookie?
While the Costco bakery's Kirkland Signature Gourmet Chocolate Chunk Cookies, which come in a pack of 24 and cost around $12 (depending on location), are the best cookies you can grab off the shelves, the retail chain's food court offers a similar, albeit significantly pricier, treat. The $2.49 double chocolate chunk food court cookie replaced the popular and now-discontinued Costco food court churro (which you can still buy, but there's a catch). While also made in the bakery section that sells the packaged Kirkland Signature cookies, this double chocolate chunk cookie is served warm in a paper holder at the food court. It's significantly more expensive but also much larger and denser than its bakery counterpart. The calorie count is worth noting — each bakery cookie is 210 calories compared to a whopping 750 calories in the food court version.
The most important factor, though, is how they taste side by side. The good news is that they're both worthy chocolate chunk cookies, and neither disappoints. However, there are differences. Once again, size plays a role, with the giant food court cookie getting a nice crispy exterior and soft interior that's loaded with chocolate chips, while the bakery version is soft and chewy throughout. The combo of bittersweet and semisweet chocolate chunks in the food court version also balances the flavors, making the sweetness milder than the bakery version. Finally, it's worth noting that the Costco food court's double chocolate chunk cookie is made with all butter. Conversely, the Kirkland Signature chocolate chunk cookies from the bakery contain oil. Pro tip: Five-packs of the giant food court cookies are occasionally available in the Costco bakery at select locations, so keep an eye out for these special treats if you prefer them.