Costco Stocking Stuffers You Need In 2024

Gift-giving is a learned art. Whether it's a birthday, holiday, or congratulatory event, it's hard to know what the perfect gift would be for your loved one without going over your budget. You also want to get someone a gift that won't collect dust in the basement. There's something for everyone, and one thing we all share is a need to eat. We've put together a list of the perfect stocking stuffers (okay, maybe some of these items would be a two-stocking job) because you can't go wrong with sharing the love of food and cooking utensils.

If Christmas isn't a part of your holiday roster, you can fit these into a gift bag or basket for any occasion. Put down the wrapping paper — these presents are compact but thoughtful enough to make it seem like you put in the effort to find something your loved ones will appreciate. Everyone comes from one food culture or another, so our list should help take the edge off of the seasonal holiday stress. You don't have to be a gift expert, either. All you need is a Costco membership to start your journey down the fluorescent isles or the comfort of purchasing online.

Another sweet and salty snack you should throw in a stocking is the 24-ounce bag of Popcornopolis Zebra Popcorn. It's certified gluten-free and, to us, certified yummy. You won't find Boy Scouts bringing these to your door — Popcornopolis popcorn is cooked in coconut oil, giving it that light sweetness that pairs perfectly with the caramel and chocolate stripes drizzled on top. It's made of American farmer-grown corn, which is a native crop this product lets you enjoy without the addition of any high-fructose corn syrup. Be careful: You might want to put a bag of this popcorn in your mouth instead of in the stockings (and you can — they come in a three-count).

Purchase the Popcornopolis Zebra Popcorn 24 oz, 3-count from Costco for $32.99.

"Chomps Original Beef Sticks" might sound like the name of a dog treat, but they're 100% made for humans. They're packed with 10 grams of protein and 100 calories per stick, making them a compact snack to throw in a gym bag or lunchbox. Chomps is seasoned with unique flavors like cherry powder, coriander, celery powder, red pepper, and garlic powder. Each stick is individually wrapped so everyone can have a chomp out of these treats.

Purchase Chomps Original Beef Sticks, Mild, 12 Individually Wrapped Sticks from Costco for $19.99.

Don't get it twisted: These pretzel bites aren't the curly kind. They're nuggets filled with molasses-based peanut butter and topped with thick salt crystals to add a world of crunch to every square. The Kirkland Signature peanut butter-filled pretzel nuggets are kosher and come in a whole 3-pound, 7-ounce plastic container. Bready, crispy, and wonderful for under $12.

Purchase the Kirkland Signature Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets, 55 oz from Costco for $11.99.

Béquet caramel is an award-winning gourmet snack made of handcrafted vanilla butter caramel. Brown sugar, tapioca syrup, heavy cream, butter, milk, and sea salt come together to create this rich, chewy candy. It's kosher, gluten-free, and topped with Celtic sea salt. This luxury caramel bite is the perfect holiday treat for a romantic partner, but don't be scared to treat yourself with the same love. It's more creative than the heart-shaped-chocolates routine.

Purchase the Béquet Caramel, Celtic Sea Salt, 17.1 oz from Costco for $15.99.

Have a foodie in your life? The home chefs will be happy to see a thoughtful gift like a bottle of Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract in their stocking. This vanilla extract keeps its ingredient list short and simple (as it should be for this product): water, cane alcohol, cane sugar, and Madagascar vanilla bean extractives. The flavor is "full, sweet, creamy and mellow" with "velvety after-tones." A bottle will last three years on the shelf, and with a strong ingredient like vanilla extract, a little bit goes a long way. It's a no-brainer for any baker.

Purchase the Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract, 8 oz., 2-pack from Costco for $49.99.

For a tuna aficionado, a tin of Wild Planet Albacore Wild Tuna is the bait your loved one will fall for hook, line, and sinker. Canned tuna steak fits in with a whole host of recipes, and this kind is kosher, non-GMO, and gluten-free. The albacore wild tuna is caught using sustainable pole- and troll-fishing methods in the North Pacific and coastal New Zealand. There's nothing fishy about these ingredients, either. It's just plain old tuna and a pinch of salt without any unnecessary fillers like water and oil.

Purchase Wild Planet, Albacore Wild Tuna, 5 oz, 6-Count from Costco for $19.99.

Kinder is a name people across the globe know and love, most famously for the Kinder Surprise and Kinder Joy eggs. But these mini chocolate bites are muy bueno (very good). The top layer is milk chocolate drizzled in dark chocolate stripes. The middle layer is a crispy wafer, and the inside is filled with a hazelnut cream. They go great with coffee (or dark liquor if that's your vibe). Gift the entire bag on its own or distribute the individually wrapped bites for everyone to share.

Purchase the Kinder Bueno Mini, Chocolate and Hazelnut Cream Chocolate Bars, 17.1 oz from Costco for $11.99.

Let's start with a classic: the beloved coffee mug. Yes, you've probably got some mugs piled up in a cabinet somewhere — but do they heat themselves? The Ember Mug 2 is a temperature-control smart mug that heats up your beverage. By downloading the Ember — Temperature Matters mobile app, you can set the exact degree. The app is compatible with Google Play and the Apple App Store. And if you're a slow sipper, the mug does indeed come with 80 minutes of battery life. Also, doesn't that sage green color just fill you with the autumn spirit?

Purchase the Ember Mug 2, Temperature Control Smart Mug from Costco for $99.99.

The Turkish Kitchen Towels, 6-piece Set is a durable pack of kitchen towels with a thick cotton fabric and waffle weave pattern. They come in several colors, including a beautiful light green (which would look really good with the sage green Ember Mug, by the way). You can gift the entire pack or break it open to put together the cutest gift baskets for six different friends. It's a no-brainer.

Purchase the Turkish Kitchen Towels, 6-piece Set from Costco for $33.99.

For your loved ones who value sustainability, these reusable Swedish dishcloths are made from plant cellulose and all-natural cotton. They're multifunctional, and you can use them to wash or dry dishes. Swedish dishcloths are super absorbent and have a spongy quality that will soak up water in a pinch. And unlike sponges or paper towels, you can run these cloths through the washing machine on a cold water setting to get the most life out of them.

Purchase the Swedish Dishcloth, 12-piece Set from Costco for $9.97.

Every home cook needs a reliable pair of kitchen scissors, and the Tramontina ProLine Chef's Shears are a great choice. The scissors have high-carbon stainless steel blades that are easy to clean and sharp enough to handle kitchen jobs, like cutting through tough packaging, meat, herbs, or vegetables. See those silver ridges below the grips? You can use those parts of the shears to open jars and other lids. They're affordable too, costing under $15 for two pairs.

Purchase the Tramontina ProLine Chef's Shears, 2-count from Costco for $12.99.

The almond enjoyers in your life can rejoice when you gift them this 3-pound jug of chocolate-covered almonds. With holidays like Yom Kippur and Hannukah coming up within the next couple of months, these Kosher treats are a thoughtful choice to gift your Jewish friends or family, especially if some of them have completed the religious fasts that are part of the season. Chocolate-covered almonds are salty, sweet, and perfect to wrap in paper or stick under a Christmas tree if that's the holiday you're looking forward to.

Purchase the Kirkland Signature Almonds, Milk Chocolate, 3 lbs from Costco for $16.99.

Kirkland Signature's premium cut cured and dried beef steak strips are a convenient, protein-rich snack that's perfect to take on any winter hiking trips. Cured meat has been a part of cold-climate cultures for hundreds of years as an efficient way to store and eat meat. Many Christmas and Yule traditions trace back to Scandinavia, so it makes sense that people today still opt for carnivorous dishes around the holidays. Kirkland's steak strips will please you with their smoky, seasoned flavor — and they're gluten-free.

Purchase the Kirkland Signature Premium Extra Thick Steak Strips, 12 oz from Costco for $12.99.

The Henckels 9-Piece Outdoor BBQ Set comes with all of the sharp utensils a grill master could want, many of which are included in Chowhound's ultimate guide to kitchen knives. This set goes beyond a standard knife kit by including bear claws, a carving fork, and a pair of shears. The utensils included are dishwasher safe as they're made of German stainless steel. You can wrap these gifts up in a stocking, but the set comes in a beautiful brown leather-colored rolling bag that you can take on the fly.

Purchase the Henckels 9-Piece Outdoor BBQ Set from Costco for $99.99.

The cleaver: the knife you call on when nothing else can do the job. The Tramontina ProLine Chef's Cleaver is a sturdy blade with a full-tang handle, meaning the grip feels more rigid and balanced while you're chopping up ingredients. Its 6-inch blade makes it compact enough for storage in a kitchen drawer while still being large enough to slice through a gourd.

A cleaver is a classy gift for a chef, but if your foodie gift-receiver is also a horror movie buff, they can match their favorite slashers like Leatherface and Jason Voorhees — Halloween doesn't have to end in October! But in all seriousness, this knife's carbon steel blade, dishwasher-safe design, and polycarbonate handle will give your home chef the utensil they deserve.

Purchase the Tramontina ProLine 6 inch Chef's Cleaver from Costco for $22.99.

Few images herald wintertime cheer like a pair of cozy mittens. While a standard pair of mittens will keep safe you from the cold, a pair of oven mitts will protect your hands from the heat. The bakers in your life will love KitchenAid's Vintage Stripe Pot Holder and Oven Mitt Set whenever they need to pull a batch of chewy coconut chocolate chip cookies from the oven. These mitts are built with a ridged silicone grip — a key safety feature for preventing burnt skin and dropped food. Chestnuts may be roasting on an open fire, but your fingertips shouldn't.

Purchase the KitchenAid Vintage Stripe Pot Holder and Oven Mitt Set, 4-pack from Costco for $21.99.

Baking is a skill of precision, requiring attention to the little details to create stunning treats. But if your gift receiver is someone with limited hand-eye coordination or mobility, a cookie press with pre-cut stencils can help make the art of baking more accessible. All they have to do is scoop dough into the clear tube part of the press, pop their disk of choice on the bottom, and pull the top handle to create intricate cookie designs. The lever is easy to grip and push, and the base is built to be slip-resistant. The OXO Softworks Cookie Press can be an interactive gift that you and your loved one can use to spend time making cookies together — how sweet is that?

Purchase the OXO SoftWorks Cookie Press with 18 Cookie Disks from Costco for $34.99.

Trail mix has a little bit of everything — just like family. That's why it makes a great present for the indecisive friend who never knows where to eat, the cousin who can't stop talking about their hike in the Alps, or the aunt who wants to sit on the sofa for her yearly rewatch of "Love Actually." Kirkland Signature's Trail Mix includes peanuts, cashews, almonds, raisins, and not one but two M&M flavors (chocolate and peanut butter).

Purchase the Kirkland Signature Trail Mix, 4 lbs from Costco for $15.99.

The holidays often involve a lot of sugar, but we can still find something for our friends and family who love salt — literally or figuratively. This conflict-free stocking stuffer is a safe gift choice for anyone who doesn't have a nut allergy, in which case, you might be sending a very misinterpreted message. Cashews are full of flavor, and this resealable snack bag can come along with your favorite busybodies and social butterflies who love to chat at family reunions. Kirkland Signature's Cashews are crunchy goodness in a bag and a considerate choice for vegans and vegetarians. 

Purchase the Kirkland Signature Fancy Whole Cashews, 2.5 lbs from Costco for $14.99.

Let's keep it real: the kitchen can look like a battlefield after the holidays. While little children are a lot of fun to have around at family gatherings, they can also leave sticky fingerprints on the counter and crumbs on the floor. The mess is worth it for the fun times we're able to share with the people in our lives. However, the host will probably appreciate any extra help with cleaning up the house afterward. Thankfully, KitchenAid has a line of chambray-striped towels to wipe, scrub, and polish any messy surfaces.

Purchase the KitchenAid Chambray Stripe Kitchen Towels, 8-piece Set from Costco for $29.99.

Can openers are one of those items that are easy to forget about until you absolutely need them. Save someone that stress by gifting them the Winco Portable Can Opener. Its crank handle feels much nicer than the standard twist knob that comes on a lot of other can openers, allowing people to open their canned goods in a snap. The comfortable blue grip handle makes it easy to locate and hold. An unconventional stocking stuffer it may be, but this can opener stands a fair chance at being one of the most used holiday gifts year-round. 

Purchase the Winco 8-¾" Portable Can Opener with Crank Handle, Chrome Plated from Costco for $12.99.

Most people have heard of chocolate-covered strawberries and almonds, but your gift receiver probably won't see chocolate-covered raisins coming. The Kirkland Signature milk chocolate raisins are chewy, fruity, and delicious. You could even put together your own trail mix goodie bags by mixing these with cashews, almonds, and dried fruit for an extra fruity version of the snack. For a hit of nostalgia, try giving these to your parents or caregiver if they ever packed raisins in your childhood lunchbox.

Purchase the Kirkland Signature Raisins, Milk Chocolate, 3.4 lbs from Costco for $19.99.

Stanley and Yeti have taken the tumbler market by storm, causing some folks to swipe them as soon as they hit the shelves. Skip all that stress by getting Simple Modern's 40-ounce thermal tumbler. It looks similar to others on the market and will get the same job done for a more affordable price. It fits standard cupholders and has a handle designed for comfort. The Simple Modern tumbler is a smart choice for keeping your hot chocolate warm or cranberry ginger ale cold, and that's enough reason to celebrate. 

Purchase the Simple Modern Trek Tumbler, 40oz from Costco for $29.99.

If anyone you know is a newlywed or moving into another residence, these stainless steel kitchen utensils are a substantial addition to a new home. Or of course, if your loved one's kitchen tools are looking a little too loved after a lot of use. The All-Clad 8-piece Kitchen Utensil Set comes with a fork, turner, pasta ladle, whisk, slotted spoon, solid spoon, and a caddy to place all of the tools inside. What more could a home cook want?

Purchase the All-Clad 8-piece Kitchen Utensil Set from Costco.

You can't control the temperature outside, but you can check the temperature of your food with the Chef iQ Smart Thermometer. This is a gift any home cook or grill master will get use out of. They can slide the thermometer probes into their food, which will then send a signal to your phone telling you the internal temperature. The best part? They can set the temperature from the get-go from the mobile app, so they don't have to worry about anxiously guessing and checking. The Chef iQ set comes with two probes and a compact carrying case for ease of access — that's one hot commodity. 

Purchase the Chef iQ Smart Thermometer and Hub, 2 Probe Set from Costco for $79.99