Costco Fans Say This Kirkland Snack Outshines The Name Brand

Costco has many snack dupes that easily rival name brands. They're usually sold in larger quantities and at a cheaper price point, drawing in the customers who want to save a buck. Costco's brand, Kirkland Signature, is known for delivering on the quality and flavor, so it's perhaps not that surprising that one particular snack on the wholesaler's shelves far outperforms its name-brand competitor. We're talking about the Kirkland Signature Nut Bars with Cocoa Drizzle & Sea Salt.

Shoppers have been comparing the Kirkland bars to the popular Kind Nut Bars with Dark Chocolate Nuts and Sea Salt, which are also available at Costco in a variety pack. The price of the Kirkland product is significantly cheaper — a pack of 30 nut bars costs $17.99, while a pack of 20 Kind bars will cost you $20.49. Beyond the cheaper price, Costco customers are also huge fans of the flavor, noting that the taste is simply superior. One person admitted on Reddit that the better flavor is almost a problem, saying, "I eat one Kind bar to deal with a hunger pang, and I definitely don't want a second one. With these, I'll often go get another."

Kirkland's nut bars reportedly hit the perfect balance between a soft and crunchy texture, something that can't be said for every snack bar at Costco. The addition of dark chocolate and sea salt also ensures that the treat isn't too sweet, providing a good alternative to the more sugar-forward candy bars.

Nutritionally speaking, there isn't much difference between Kirkland's Cocoa Drizzle & Sea Salt nut bars and Kind Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt bars. Both have the same serving size (40 grams) and come with 15 grams of fat. Kirkland bars have 200 calories, six grams of sugar, and five grams of protein; Kind bars have 180 calories, five grams of sugar, and six grams of protein. All in all, a very similar nutritional profile, leaving people perplexed about the difference in taste.

The answer lies in the ingredient lists. First, there's a different selection of nuts. Kirkland bars contain almonds, cashews, and pecans, while Kind bars opt only for almonds and peanuts. Costco's nut bars also contain an allergen that Kind bars do not: milk. The inclusion of dairy could be the significant thing that modifies the taste for the better, but it also means that people with a dairy allergy sadly cannot enjoy Kirkland's nut bars. They'll either have to settle for the Kind bars or find another secret gem among Costco's selection of vegan snacks instead.