The Best Costco Pastry Is Made Fresh Every Day

Costco is one of the biggest retail chains in the world, and for good reason — bulk purchases often make for cheaper living. The bulk retailer has a truly impressive number of aisles and departments, from meat to clothing to toilet paper to dog food. But one area members shouldn't skip is the bakery. With cookies, cakes, and pastries galore, it's the ideal section for spending some dough.

Chowhound set out to find the best pastry Costco has to offer. The options were not solely restricted to Kirkland brand items and included other brands such as Wiley Road and La Boulangère. One thing considered was shelf life — because these foods come in bulk, it was important to know how long they would last or if they would freeze well. The ranking also looked at whether each item would be a crowd favorite or have the ability to be used in multiple settings/meals. However, since all of the options were pretty tasty, to really differentiate between items, nutritional content was taken into account as well.

Still, the clear winner was Kirkland Signature croissants, which are baked fresh in-house daily. Their versatility is part of what makes them the best; they can be used for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a snack. These croissants are larger than typical grocery store varieties, and they freeze well (if you end up with extras). The pastry's airy yet moist texture also helped secure this treat's top spot among the pastries at Costco.

While the Kirkland Signature croissants are delicious on their own, unlike some of Costco's bakery items that aren't made from scratch. they are also a great vehicle for both sweet and savory snacks or meals. For instance, Costco sells a tasty, tangy chicken salad that would be the perfect filling for them, but if you need even more flavor, try adding hot sauce to your chicken salad for an extra kick. Or, if chicken salad isn't your thing, try Kirkland Signature's boneless skinless chicken breasts with some breading, Caesar dressing, and lettuce for a sandwichy twist on a chicken Caesar salad in which the croissants (toasted, natch) add extra crunch in the way croutons traditionally would.

If you're more of a sweet person than salty, you could add a simple glaze using milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract; essentially making a glazed-donut croissant. Using the same ingredients, you could also make the glaze into a sugary dip for the baked goods, à la Auntie Anne's. Or, if that's not your style, consider a more traditional pairing by slathering a croissant with some honey butter or jam. You could also simply drizzle some honey over top to enjoy with your morning tea or coffee. No matter what you choose to do with them, consider giving these taste-tested Costco pastries a shot.