Costco's Frozen Cookie Hack Is (Almost) Too Good To Be True

Few things are better than freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, but a stockpile of ready-to-bake frozen ones comes close. While it's unsafe to eat the raw dough (even if it's egg-free), always having some on hand ensures that you can easily satisfy any impromptu hankering for the baked goods. Many people are fond of the slabs of premade dough sold by Toll House or Pillsbury, but they don't typically last long in the fridge, eaten before they come close to expiring. Even if you invest in one of the plastic tubs, you're looking at about three dozen cookies, max. So, how can sweet treat lovers get their hands on a truly massive amount of cookie dough? By heading to Costco.

Many members of the bulk retailer appreciate the chain for its in-store bakeries present at each warehouse. From flaky, buttery croissants to enormous and endlessly customizable sheet cakes, Costco's bakeries churn out tons of treats for purchase every day. That includes cookies, of course, which can be found in flavors such as chocolate chunk, double nut, and oatmeal raisin. But if you want hot, fresh cookies on demand, the standard 24-count package won't do. The good news is there's a trick for getting five times as many Costco cookies in a single box — and they come frozen so you can store them at your convenience for future cravings. The bad news? It may not work at many U.S. locations.

Select Costco warehouses have a little-known secret: Certain locations' bakeries sell frozen Kirkland baked goods in bulk upon request. Instead of leaving the store with 24 baked cookies begging to be eaten immediately, it's possible to score a box of 120 frozen chocolate chunk cookies to bake at your leisure. There's a catch, though. This bulk cookie hack may be hit-or-miss for American shoppers, as frozen bakery items seem to be more readily available at Canadian warehouses. Curious if your local Costco is one of the lucky ones? Just call the store and ask.

Not in Canada and struck out at the nearest Costco? Don't fret. Turns out, not all Costco locations are created equal. Catered to businesses from restaurants to offices, Costco Business Centers do things differently – and often bigger. These special warehouses sell everything from whole lambs to 50-pound buckets of unpopped popcorn. And bulk frozen cookies, of course. The best part is that any Costco member can shop at a Business Center — no exclusive membership needed.

The only issue with checking a Costco Business Center is there might not be one nearby. Only 16 U.S. states have one, according to the company's website, and they tend to be near major cities. Most Business Centers are also on the West Coast, with 11 of the country's 28 located in California alone.

If you're fortunate enough to find a Costco location that sells frozen cookies, only one question remains: Are they worth buying? For anyone with a sweet tooth (or a whole household of cookie lovers), the answer may simply be, "Duh!" But if you're curious about the actual value of the bulk cookie dough here's a price-per-cookie breakdown.

Costco's cookies are ordinarily sold in 24-count packages for $9.99, or a little less than 42 cents each. The frozen, unbaked cookies are available in boxes of 120 for $31.99 when delivered (the in-store price may be slightly cheaper). The math here works out to about 27 cents a cookie. Ultimately, buying them in bulk ends up costing almost half as much for the same amount of sweet treats. And although you may not need that many cookies, it can be incredibly worthwhile in some situations. For instance, if you signed up to bring cookies to a huge party or bake sale, buying (a lot of) frozen dough can save you money on ingredients and save you time in the kitchen. Additionally, you can bake them just to your liking, a big deal if you prefer perfectly gooey cookies.

Regardless of why you might purchase a big box of frozen cookies, you're going to need to clear some space in the freezer — or get to baking right away. But, at the end of the day, there are much worse problems to have.