This Is Where Costco's Leftover Bakery Items Actually End Up

One thing you may notice if you're a Costco shopper is that it never puts items on sale when they get near the expiration date, like many other grocery stores do. You won't find Costco bakery markdowns; there isn't a special area of almost too-old snacks. Instead, the retailer donates them to food banks and shelters to help feed those who might otherwise go hungry. The brand donates large amounts of both food and money to programs like Feeding America, which is an effort to eliminate food waste and help battle food insecurity.

Unsold bakery items like muffins, bagels, and cookies are among the most obvious items that Costco donates to food banks and shelters, but that's not all it gives. They also offer up unsold or returned non-perishables, produce, dairy, and meats near their sell-by dates. While we love a food sale and scoring bakery muffins and cakes at a deep discount can be exciting, what the brand does with leftover food is honorable, and there are plenty of other ways to save money at the membership-only warehouse club.

The Costco bakery is nothing short of amazing, but some items are more likely to sell. At least, that's the way it should be based on Tasting Table reviews, where we ranked the membership clubs' baked goods and shared which ones were worth buying and which ones were not. Must-buy Costco bakery items include the white cake filled with vanilla cheesecake mousse, tuxedo cake, and s'mores cookies. They all came in at the top during taste tests and should go in your cart if you're looking for a tasty, decadent dessert.

But when it comes to Costco bakery items that didn't make the cut, the do-not-buy list includes the strawberries and cream bar cake, which doesn't have actual strawberry slices in it. Instead, the bar cake has strawberry puree, and the cake was described as having an "artificial and packaged flavor." Other Costco bakery items that may end up unsold based on our taste test and unsavory customer reviews include caramel apple mini cakes, pumpkin pie, and the braided apple strudel. The good news is that, even if these items aren't fan favorites, when they are donated to food banks and distributed to those in need, a sweet treat is still appreciated.