13 Baking Staples To Stock Up On At Costco

If you've spent any time at Costco, there's a good chance that you've come to know and love the budget-friendly bulk offerings in the store. Between noshing on free samples, getting the best prepared foods selection to feed a crowd, or enjoying an iconic Costco hot dog, don't forget to also head over to the pantry aisles to stock up on flour, sugar, and other essentials for whipping up your favorite cake or cookies as well. 

For avid bakers, buying supplies in bulk can help save money and time. Finding baking supplies at Costco is a great way to stock up without breaking the bank. Some buys save money while others offer great quality in a larger package, perfect for those who bake a lot. You'll need to pay close attention to storage requirements, since buying in bulk requires some extra room in your pantry.

Costco is also known for its store brand, Kirkland Signature. Many Costco enthusiasts turn to Kirkland Signature for everything from frozen foods to merch. Many of our favorite baking essentials are also Kirkland Signature, although other brands on the Costco shelves also offer great value and quality. Check out the staples you can find at Costco that we think every baker needs.

For around $1 per pound, this 20-pound bundle of flour is an essential for those who like to bake. At other stores, a bag of organic all-purpose flour typically costs twice as much per pound and comes in a much smaller package. You can make one purchase at Costco and have enough for multiple batches of cookies or bread. It is an all-purpose flour, so might not be the best option for items that need finely milled flour, like some delicate cakes and pastries. But for pizza dough, bread, most cookies, cakes, and other dishes, the all-purpose flour works great. It is truly a workhorse in your baking lineup, so buying in bulk makes a lot of sense.

This flour is one of the organic Kirkland Signature offerings and made from hard red wheat and malted barley. The purchase comes in two separate 10-pound bags, which can be a bit unwieldy. Transferring a smaller amount into an airtight container not only makes it easier to handle in the kitchen, but it also keeps the flour from absorbing moisture. 

There are many sugar options in the Costco aisles, but our favorite is a good balance of value and quality. It's another organic option worth checking out from Kirkland Signature. This 10-pound bag of sugar helps sweeten baked goods and is made of unrefined cane sugar. Every step of the production process is tracked and shared, from extracting the juice from cane to crystallizing it into sugar. All of this happens within a single day and the result is a flavorful and unrefined sweetener. It has a fine grain that works in baking as well as finishing.

The sugar has a slightly darker hue than standard refined white table sugar, so don't be surprised to see the off-white color. Because it comes in a large 10-pound bag, you'll need to get a separate storage container to keep out the moisture, which can cause sugar to clump. But at only $11 for a 10-pound bag, it's hard to pass up this great deal on organic sugar. Fortunately, you can find kitchen storage at Costco as well!

Brown sugar is essential if you're making any sort of cookie, bread, or cake that needs a richer taste or more moisture. Compared to white sugar, it can taste downright decadent in baked goods, but it also adds sweetness to sauces and meat rubs as well. It's made by keeping more molasses in the sugar, which gives it not just its color but also the deeper flavor. The difference is subtle in your final product, but you might even be able to taste hints of caramel thanks the added molasses in the sugar. 

It comes in a 7-pound bag for just over $9. This is one of the few Costco bakery essentials that doesn't come from Kirkland Signature, but given how versatile brown sugar is in baking, it's one we definitely like to buy in bulk. The U.S. brown sugar is made from non-GMO pure cane and put through a process that extracts the sugar crystals from the juice of the cane plant.

To add rich flavor to baked goods, many bakers turn to vanilla beans. The extract can be a bit easier to work with and mixes in well with batters and doughs to bring in that extra rich flavor. Traditionally made with vodka and vanilla beans, plus plenty of time to let them infuse, the store-bought variety has varying quality levels and sometimes uses artificial flavoring. But the pure vanilla extract stocked at Costco is the real deal and made with real imported vanilla beans.

Vanilla is an essential ingredient for baking and this large 16-ounce bottle makes it easy to stock up. Each bottle costs around $14 but you have to purchase two if you shop at Costco. Fortunately, you can keep the second one closed and sealed, making it easier to store without issues. Vanilla does not spoil, so go ahead and stock up on this favorite ingredient to give your food that special something. While it is often included in the list of ingredients for cookies, cakes, and other baked goods, you can use it in smoothies to add some extra depth or tomato sauce to tone down the acidity.

You might not get through all bulk spices bought at Costco, but cinnamon is a notable exception. Add it to all kinds of baked goods as well as savory dishes like chili and spaghetti sauce for a unique flavor combination. If you bake cinnamon dishes a lot, this is one spice that you'll want to stock up on to make sure it's always in your spice cabinet.

This option comes from Kirkland Signature and is made with organic Saigon cinnamon. This spice comes from cassia cinnamon, which is found in Vietnam. The cinnamon is made from the tree's bark and has some health benefits, including use as an anti-inflammatory food and antioxidant. It has a bolder taste and smell than some other more delicate varieties of cinnamon.

It comes in two containers of 10.7 ounces each. This total, which measures more than 21 ounces, costs just $20. In true Costco fashion, the containers are larger than most of your standard spices, so make sure that you have extra room set aside. The same organic cinnamon at other grocery stores is around $9 for less than 2 ounces, making the Costco bulk purchase a no brainer if you use this spice in your baking and cooking.

Rodelle gourmet baking cocoa is a must-buy at Costco if you're planning to make rich, chocolatey desserts. The super smooth powder is made with pure cocoa but creates a more decadent taste in your baking. It is Dutch-processed, which keeps it from being as bitter as natural cocoa made by other brands. It also has a deeper brown color than natural cocoa. Dutch cocoa is much smoother than regular cocoa powder thanks to the process that makes it more alkaline by rinsing in a special solution. The result is a chocolate taste that is rich but pairs well with other ingredients and flavors. If you're making something with chocolate and peanut butter or chocolate and berries, Dutch cocoa might be the best option for your recipe.

The 25-ounce bag is around $11, which is an amazing price for such a large bag of high-quality cocoa. An 8-ounce bag of Dutch-processed cocoa powder costs more than $5 at other grocery stores. It's also resealable, which helps extend the shelf life of the cocoa powder. 

Butter is a required ingredient for many baking recipes and there are plenty of great options in the Costco dairy section. Like other items at the warehouse chain, they're sold in bulk. Fortunately, butter freezes well, so you can store extra in the freezer and move it back to the fridge to defrost when you're ready to use it. 

Kirkland Signature grass-fed butter is a fantastic option that combines quality with value. It's less than $12 for four 8-ounce sticks. Grass-fed butter tends to have a richer flavor compared to standard butter thanks to the cows' grass-fed diet. The Kirkland Signature grass-fed butter comes from New Zealand and is often compared to Kerrygold, which is made in Ireland. Both are sold at Costco in packs of four, although the Kirkland Signature is a few dollars cheaper. Unsalted and salted butter from the same brand are also high-quality and the most economical butter options at Costco. They come in four packs, with four 4-ounce sticks in each pack.

For gluten-free baking, try the Kirkland Signature almond flour. It's a fantastic alternative to traditional flour and can be used as a 1-to-1 substitute in most recipes. Almond flour is also needed for certain baked goods, including French macarons and opera cake. If you're going gluten-free or just want to bring a slightly nutty flavor to your baking, almond flour is an ingredient you should try. You might just find that it becomes a staple very quickly, making it even more important to buy in bulk since this flour is almost always pricier than traditional all-purpose flour.

The 3-pound bag costs less than $12. When you compare that to much smaller bags at grocery stores, which can cost around $11 for a 1-pound bag, the Costco option is even more appealing. This flour is made with blanched almonds, which have had the tougher brown skin on the outside removed. The result is a superfine powdery flour that has a more delicate taste.

Looking for something sweet to add to your baking recipes? Get 4.5 pounds of chocolate chips to use in all of your baking for around $16. If you have holiday cookies in mind, loading up on a giant bag of chocolate chips can make everything easier, not to mention tastier. Costco carries Nestlé semisweet chocolate morsels, which are made without preservatives, artificial coloring, or artificial flavors. The bag also comes with easy-to-reference recipes for chocolate chip cookies and traditional chocolate fudge on the back.

The bag keeps if stored in the pantry or fridge, but it's the resealable end that makes this an even better buy. Most smaller chocolate chip bags need some sort of closure or have to be stored in another airtight bag to keep them fresh and spill-free. But the seal on the bulk bag makes all of this even easier, which is key since there's little chance of going through all of the chocolate chips in one batch of baking unless you're in a commercial kitchen.

For some real baking favorites, take a walk down the nut aisle at Costco. Sometimes these items are located near other pantry staples, but they are often found in the snack section toward the front of the store. Pecans are a particularly great addition cookies, breads, and pies if you want a little bit of crunch and a slightly buttery, rich taste. Plus, you can't make holiday pumpkin pie without a large amount of pecans. You can get a 2-pound bag for less than $14 at Costco, which is about half the cost of the same amount of nuts at other grocery stores. These nuts are halved and ready to add to your favorite desserts.

You can use pecans in other recipes, making them very versatile in the kitchen. With plenty of nutrients and protein, they also make a healthy snack. Nuts in general tend to be high in fat, however, so keep your snacking to reasonable levels. It can be tough with the bulk bag from Costco full of deliciously rich pecans, but you can always store it away. The only thing that would make this buy better is a resealable top, but it's still a staple that we keep around the house.

Another Kirkland Signature gem that you can use in baking is the giant bag of dry roasted whole macadamia nuts. Add them to cookies for tender yet crunchy texture and super rich flavor. They also make a tasty topping for salads or eaten by the handful as a snack. Costco sources its macadamia nuts from Australia, South Africa, Kenya, Malawi, Guatemala, and the U.S.

These extra-indulgent nuts are hard to find for the price you can get at Costco. The warehouse chain sells a 1.5-pound bag of whole macadamia nuts lightly sprinkled with sea salt for less than $18, while other stores only have smaller 1-pound bags for around $15. The only downside is that the bag isn't resealable, so you'll have to find another way to store any remaining nuts after you're done baking. They should be kept in an airtight container in the pantry, fridge, or freezer to help them last longer. They are rich in oil, which can cause them to spoil faster than some other types of nuts.

One unexpected item that you might be surprised to see on a list of baking essentials is pancake mix. But you can use it as a substitute for flour in a pinch and even boost the nutrition of your baked goods. The Costco box of Kodiak Cakes pancake mix comes with two individually sealed bags inside and a total of 4.5 pounds of mix. It costs around $15 and has 39 servings inside. Each serving has 15 grams of protein, which is considerably more than you'd get from standard all-purpose flour. So, give it a try as a flour substitute in cookies and cakes, although you may need to experiment with altering other ingredients like baking soda or sugar since both are already included in the Kodiak ingredients list.

If you want to create baked goods with some extra protein, use Kodiak Cakes protein pancake mix in place of flour. On the box, there are serving suggestions for pancakes and waffles, but you can also use it to make muffins, cookies, and even savory sandwiches. Kodiak Cakes has plenty of recipes for everything from cookies to cupcakes that are both delicious and have that boost of extra protein.

Adding fresh berries to your baked goods can get expensive. But Costco has phenomenal pricing on large packs of raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. You'll usually find them in a refrigerated room near the produce, rather than by the baking supplies or ingredients. However, it's worth a trip over to pick up some delicious add-ins for muffins, cakes, and pies.

Of course, you can use these berries in plenty of other cooking applications as well, so there's less of a chance that they'll spoil before you have a chance to enjoy them. Most berries from Costco are also a great value, but it can be hit or miss. A 12-ounce clamshell of raspberries costs a little bit less than $9 at Costco, which is a little bit more than some other grocery stores. However, 2 pounds of Costco strawberries costs around $12, while a 1-pound container is more than $6 at other stores. You have to pay close attention and comparison shop to get the best deals, but it's hard to beat Costco for the bulk sizes and produce quality.