This Kirkland Version Of A Nostalgic Treat Isn't Worth The Money You'll Save

While Costco products can technically be sold in other stores, you usually won't find the Kirkland brand sold anywhere other than Costco without a decent markup. For those who don't know, Kirkland Signature is Costco's store brand. If you're shopping at the retailer, you'll likely find a number of Kirkland items that are strikingly similar to name-brand foods. One of those is the Kirkland Signature Chocolate Chip Mini Muffin Bites, which are comparable in size to the classic Little Bites Muffins. Still, not everything about these products is the same. For example, the Kirkland version is cheaper, but sadly, the Kirkland muffins come with one big downside: they reportedly don't taste great. 

Entenmann's Little Bites have been around since 1999, and the snacks have remained on store shelves since. While they may be a hit now, and remain a nostalgic childhood favorite for many fans, you're looking at a minimum price of around $16 for a pack of 20 at retailers like Amazon and Walmart. The Kirkland Signature version, which retails for around $10 for a 20-pack, is much more cost-effective, but it probably isn't worth the money you'll save. From mold in the package to an off, chemical-like smell, reviewers say it might be best to skip out on these treats. 

Sometimes, buying the less expensive brand is worth it in terms of cost and flavor. Other times, you can taste the difference, and not for the better. That seems to be the case with the Kirkland Signature Mini Muffin Bites.

Customers who bought the Kirkland Signature muffins have taken to Reddit, Costco's website, and social media to discuss the snack's off flavors and smells. "It tasted like a nail salon smells, I couldn't even finish eating them," one person wrote on the Costco website. Two other customers confirmed the chemical smell and taste. "One bag even had mold, and these were not expired," someone else wrote. A Reddit user shared the muffins in a thread, and others had similar reports on the taste and quality. "I returned them, they are awful. The guy at the desk agreed with me," one person wrote. If the off flavors and scents weren't enough, other customers claimed the muffins had an unsavory texture, too.

One user from the Costco website noted that they had previously purchased the muffins, and they tasted better then than they do now. Some customers wondered if the muffins underwent a rebrand and have suddenly become one of the Kirkland products with the lowest quality ingredients. Whatever the reason, while they're substantially less expensive than name-brand Little Bites, customers seem to agree that the Kirkland muffins are not worth the lower price.