14 Affordable Back-To-School Snacks From Costco

Going back to school brings up different feelings for everyone involved. There can be excitement over that first-day outfit and reuniting with friends who haven't been seen in months. Many times, there is a frenzied rush to get all the supplies together, coordinate rides, and locate bus stops. There can be disappointment about the lazy days of summer coming to a close and going back to a school routine. And secretly, for many, joy that the kids will once again be out of the house.

Regardless of where you land in the back-to-school emotional roller coaster, one stop is inevitable for us all. Those early mornings and long days are going to bring on hunger. There's no more just grabbing something out of the fridge or scouring the cabinets for something to satisfy anytime cravings. For the most part, you're going to have to be prepared for when that hunger hits. So, snacks are one back-to-school necessity that cannot be skimped on.

From tots to teens, I scoured Costco for the tastiest and most affordable snacks I could find. I went looking for something to keep kiddos' energy up through the school day to satisfy that after-school/before-dinner nosh that is unavoidable. Keeping prices in mind, full bellies on target, and avoiding too much stress on the wallet, here are the greatest hits I think will please the whole family.

As a mom, I love a good variety box. While there is usually one item that is a favorite for all, generally, the rest are split among my household pretty evenly. My husband and I can even get in on some snacking, and this 40-piece Nabisco variety box offers so many options.

With packs of Cheese Ritz Bits, Mini Chips Ahoy, Mini Nilla Wafers, Nutter Butter Bites, and Oreo Mini, this box has sweet and savory treats alike. Perfect for packing in lunches or throwing in backpacks, these single-serving options are big enough to satisfy grumbly tummies and varied enough to please any taste.

Bonus: This is a deal that is hard to pass up. At my Kroger store, the 20-pack option from Nabisco only offers four of these flavors and comes in at $10.99. Getting twice as much for $2 more and one more flavor to choose from is totally worth it in my house.

Dot's Pretzels became a viral sensation for a reason — the snack is delicious. The salty, savory, buttery crunch of Dot's twisted pretzels is just so hard to resist. However, they can be a bit pricey as far as a bag of pretzels goes. A regular 16-ounce bag at Kroger costs $7.99 and generally doesn't last very long. So, when I saw this box of 32 single-serving bags at Costco, I knew I had found a deal!

With three varieties — original, parmesan garlic, and honey mustard — 32 of these snacks at Costco are only $13.99. That's a huge savings over buying two of the regular-sized bags and portioning them out yourself at home, which is something I like to do sometimes to cut school snacking costs. And buying 10 of the original flavor single-serving sizes at my Kroger is $8.49. So, this is an affordable crowd-pleaser. And being able to get such a large quantity is something I always appreciate, as it cuts down on trips to the store.

Rice Krispies Treats have been around since 1939, and the snacks probably aren't going anywhere any time soon. They have always been a satisfying sweet snacking treat for all ages and just recently earned a top spot among athletes. Two-time Olympian Molly Huddle relies on them to carb load before a big race. Another Olympic athlete, Hobbs Kessler, takes them along for after his runs. And these treats made appearances alongside several participants in the recent Tour de France. So, as far as trusting them to fuel your kiddo, I'd say they are a great way to go.

Now, you can make them yourself at home, but they are time-consuming and messy just for a single batch. The individually wrapped snacks are available in a 40-pack at my nearest Kroger store for $11.99. But at Costco, you can get a 60-count box for only $12.99. That's a deal the whole family can enjoy even when school isn't in session.

There are times when someone may need a snack that looks a little more like a small meal. Lunches can be served quite early, and kids with after-school activities can sometimes need more of a boost from their regular quick snack. And Greenfield Natural Meat Company lunch kits are a perfect way to deliver just that in a manner you can feel good about.

Greenfield has pretty high standards for its meats — antibiotic- and hormone-free, grain-fed, free-range, and no artificial ingredients. A variety box of six lunch kits at Costco includes three oven-roasted chicken, crackers, cheddar cheese, and chocolate chip wafer meals, and three uncured honey ham, crackers, white cheddar cheese, and chocolate wafer meals, all for just $10.79. And that's hard to beat.

If you purchase a comparable product in quantity, like a Lunchable, you are going to pay $2.29 each at Kroger. So, six of them are going to cost $13.74. But you aren't going to get the same quality of product. It seems like paying less and getting more is definitely the smarter choice here.

While I didn't discover beef jerky until the '80s, I can attest that I have always been a fan. And so have my kids. And while I don't feel like it is the healthiest snack I can throw in a backpack, it satisfies as far as taste and hunger go, and isn't totally without some benefits. With the cheese making an appearance, you get a tasty choice that does offer a protein- and calcium-rich snack. Made from 100% beef and real Wisconsin cheese, this snack pack combo offers up 8 grams of protein.

At Costco, you can pick up Jack Links beef stick and mild cheddar cheese combo packs 10 at a time for $9.99, which is a pretty good price. (One of these combo packs is $1.69 at my Kroger.) So, if you want something more than just string cheese and jerky is a household fave, this is a great way to go.

Fruit snacks are a year-round staple at my house. And I have to admit that if I'm craving something sweet, a pack of these little treats always seems to set my sweet tooth straight. Whether you have kids still in car seats or teens that you just can't seem to please, these are easy snacks to send to school, keep in the car, or have handy in a purse for whenever the hangries make an appearance. And I've never seen anyone turn down a pack of fruit snacks.

Mott's fruit snacks are made with real fruit and vegetable juice, natural flavors and colors, are fat-free, and are a great source of vitamin C, which is a nice option to have when handing out a little sustenance. A 66-count box of these chewy little treats at Kroger goes for $14.99. But at Costco, you can get a 90-count box for only $11.99. Once again, the quantity is sure to keep your trips to the store down, and the quality just makes you feel good.

Cheez-Its and Pringles are both extremely popular snacks all over the world, with Cheez-Its raking in over $1.2 billion in U.S. retail sales alone. So, for the Kellogg Company to put a variety of five flavors in one box, there is something in here that is sure to please everyone in your house. And for only $11.99 for 40 snacks at Costco, your wallet will thank you, too.

As far as Cheez-It flavors go, this box includes cheddar jack, Extra Toasty, and Snap'd double cheesy crackers. And with the Pringles flavors, you are going to get the two most popular flavors on the planet — original and sour cream and onion.

At my Kroger, a box of 20 packs of Cheez-Its is going to cost around $9.99, and that is just for one of many Cheez-It flavor options. And Pringles snack stacks are $14.99 for 27. When you add it all up, it's easy to see the savings. And getting a good deal rarely tastes this good.

If you have kids in your household and haven't experienced it yet, you will one day see that during their tween and teen years, their stomachs develop black holes. There aren't enough meals, and no meal is ever big enough to satiate them. The food in your house is going to disappear at an alarming rate. But don't worry. There are Hot Pockets!

Since 1983, Hot Pockets have successfully served as both an after-school snack and a quick meal option. At one time, there were over 50 different flavors, but in my opinion, pepperoni has always been the best. And you can get a box of 20 of that great pepperoni flavor at Costco for only $15.89. At my Kroger, the best deal on these is a 12-pack for $14.99. So, it's easy to see the cost-benefit. And the benefit of getting a tasty hot snack option in just a few minutes is priceless. 

Goldfish crackers have been around for over 60 years, and they will probably be around for at least 60 more. In 2024, the fish snacks were the fastest-growing option in their sector and showed a 33% growth from the previous three years. At Tasting Table, we know Goldfish crackers are a lunchbox staple, and Campbell's is determined to keep it that way, creating new flavors and creations to keep Gen X coming back and continuing to reel in the Millennials and Gen Z.

For generations, kids have been raised on the snack that smiles back, so there's no question that these are a must-have school snack to keep around. And Costco makes it easy by selling 45-count boxes of single-serving bags for only $12.99. At that price, I suggest you get a couple! Skip the regular grocery store, like my Kroger, where I found a box of 20 individual snack packs of Goldfish is going to cost you $11.99. The savings at Costco are just too good to pass up.

Little Bites mini muffins are a top product of their kind in the United States. And why wouldn't they be? No matter the flavor, you are going to get something moist, chewy, delicious, and small enough to just pop in your mouth. There isn't a bad time of the day to enjoy a pack of Little Bites. And just like Goldfish, they are a school snack must-have.

While you can get a box of 10 pouches at my Kroger, you are looking at paying around $6.99, which may not sound like too much. But when you consider that you can get 20 pouches of the same blueberry or party-style muffins at Costco for only $10.49, it puts things in perspective. And if you want to throw a chocolate chip variety into the mix, Kirkland Signature makes its own mini muffin bites. You can get 20 pouches of those for only $8.99.

As a mom, if I had my druthers, I would prefer that my kids always pick a healthy option like fruit as a snack. But let's be real, that's not going to happen. Bananas can become a messy mush in a backpack. Oranges are sticky and hard to peel. And I've seen apples far too often become used as a ball in some sort of game. However, when I have Dole fruit cups around, that healthy choice happens far more than I ever expected.

With no sugar added and in 100% fruit juice, Costco has Dole diced mango in 20-count packs for only $9.99. A 4-count pack at my Kroger is $2.99, which again may seem reasonable until you realize you would be paying almost $15 for the same amount. And if mango is a little too out of the norm as far as snacks go, Costco also carries Dole mandarin oranges. Also, with no added sugar and in 100% fruit juice, you can get a box of 16 packs of mandarin oranges for only $8.49.

Peanuts offer a wide variety of health benefits. They deliver a high number of vitamins, including numerous B vitamins, vitamin E, and magnesium, and are a rich source of antioxidants. They are also low in carbs and loaded with protein, which is a great way to keep energy levels up. So, as far as snacks go, peanuts can be a great choice. However, they can also be on the pricey side.

A 24-count box of Planters snack pack peanuts in a variety of three flavors is $15.99 at the Kroger where I shop. But Costco has an option that costs less and offers even more variety — Sabritas. A variety pack of Sabritas peanuts includes 30 bags and four flavors to choose from: hot, salt and lime, spicy, and Japanese. And all of that is just $5.99. That's a small price to pay for something so beneficial and tasty.

Mornings, especially when school first goes back in session, can become incredibly hectic. Time runs out fast, and things can easily be missed, even things as important as breakfast. That is why I always like to have granola bars on hand. Doling out whole grains for breakfast in the car doesn't get much easier than a good granola bar. And Costco makes that a super easy and affordable choice.

The Kirkland brand offers a chocolate chip chewy granola bar that is hard to resist in taste and price. A box of 64 is only $11.59. In contrast, Quaker's chewy chocolate chip granola bars are $8.79 for only 30 at the Kroger where I get my groceries. And whether it's before, during, or after school, my kids are always happy to get chocolate.

Of course, if you want to skip the chocolate aspect and still keep the whole grains, Costco also offers Nature Valley granola bars as an affordable option. The 49-pack of two bars of oats 'n honey crunchy granola bars is only $14.99. And be sure to watch out for a sale. While I was there, they were marked down to $11.99.

When I first saw pureed pouches of food hit the market, I have to say I was a little disgusted. In my day, sucking your food through a straw was a sad end met by people who couldn't chew any longer or had suffered catastrophic injuries that left them unable to consume real food. But since 2010, the sale of pureed pouch foods has skyrocketed a whopping 900%. And it's not just babies slurping up these fruit and vegetable slurries; adults have additionally jumped on the bandwagon.

If you are amongst the households where pouches have become popular, you'll be glad to find out that Kirkland Signature has made its own organic fruit and vegetable pouches. A 24-pack of apple, strawberry, spinach, and apple, mango, yellow carrot, peach organic pouches is only $12.49, which is a steal! I found that single, similar organic products like this at Kroger can cost up to $3.99 or more.

So, these are something to be on the lookout for. Not only will they keep those toddlers happy while waiting with you at pick-up, but they are also great for the daycare crowd and young ones as well. And don't be surprised if you see the older ones in the household grabbing a quick snack to slurp on either.

Even if you don't have kids in school, you know what it's like to get those mid-morning and mid-afternoon munchies. When I went to Costco, I looked for snacks that had a quantity that could help keep trips to the store down, prices that didn't break the budget, a quality that would help kiddos get through the day, and tastes that really satisfied. 

While I'm all for a good generic brand, it's nice to get the name brand at an affordable price. I also know that having good snacks around isn't just going to serve the kids. Just like Halloween candy, the adults are going to want to pick snacks that entice them as well. What, we don't deserve good snacks too?

These are the best deals at Costco, and it's easy to see when you compare prices. There is also a wide enough variety to satisfy any household's personal preference. This list comes complete with worldwide favorites, classics, and new ideas that are all at a great price. With so many options, I'm sure your family is going to be happily snacking through this school year.