11 Costco Kirkland Signature Brand Organic Items To Buy And 5 To Skip

When it comes to in-house brands at supermarkets and grocery stores, Kirkland Signature is one of the most reliable. In fact, there are so many Kirkland Signature products at Costco that a large part of the warehouse store's reputation is built upon the brand. Just take how much of a cult following the organic creamy peanut butter has amassed, or how the olive oil always tends to wind up in our carts. If you were to try every Kirkland Signature organic product at Costco, you might end up in debt. Thankfully, we've run numerous taste tests and read through countless reviews to help you decide what is worth buying.

In this article, we'll suggest several products that ought to end up in your cart, as well as warn you against buying a few that failed to meet our standards. We'll talk about what is and isn't worth buying in bulk, pose alternatives to products we dislike, and recommend uses for the products we love. More information on methodology can be found at the end of this article.

If you love to fire up the oven and break out the mixing bowl, it's a good idea to have plenty of maple syrup on hand. After all, it's one of the most common liquid sweeteners used in baked goods, and it's a must for autumnal-themed recipes like this baked apple chip granola.

Luckily, each jug of Kirkland Signature Organic Maple Syrup contains 33.8 fluid ounces of liquid gold. Sourced from Québec, Canada, this high-quality, relatively affordable maple syrup will give all your baked goods rich, toffee-like undertones. It falls into the category of Grade A amber maple syrups, meaning that it offers a crowd-pleasing flavor that is neither too strong nor too light. We found that it is a world apart from fake maple syrup, which is cloyingly sweet, while also being just subtle enough so that it does not overwhelm any one dish. As much as we love it for baking muffins and sweet breads, this maple syrup is also excellent for drizzling over a stack of pancakes or when used as a dip for French toast sticks.

As the temperature drops and you dust off your soup bowls, there are a few ingredients that you will be reaching for time and again. Tomatoes are one of them. Complemented by other ingredients like onions, garlic, cream, basil, and marjoram, tomatoes are given some well-deserved time in the spotlight all winter long. They provide sweet, yet slightly acidic, tasting notes to countless recipes for soups, stews, and chilis.

The organic canned diced tomatoes from Kirkland Signature will help make each pot of tikka masala and every vat of Southwest chili quicker to prepare. We firmly believe that this product is one of the best canned foods at Costco; the brand does not skimp on the amount of tomatoes in each can, and the quality of the tomatoes is usually satisfactory. Plus, the dice is generally even, an art that can be hard to perfect at home.

Have you ever been in the midst of making a bowl of oatmeal and opened your spice cabinet, only to realize that you were completely out of cinnamon? While it's true that a little bit of cinnamon can go a long way, this spice is used in such a wide array of recipes that it might be best to buy it in bulk. You'll keep reaching for it when making soup, muffins, pancakes, curries, and tagines, and it's one of those spices where you will definitely notice its absence.

Enter the Organic Ground Saigon Cinnamon carried by Kirkland Signature. This product is sold in 10.7-ounce containers with lids that allow you to either shake or scoop out the cinnamon with a measuring spoon. Whether it's the star ingredient of a batch of snickerdoodles or a supporting spice in a fruit smoothie, you will appreciate the warm, fresh flavors of this cinnamon. No need to go overboard with this product, either, as Saigon cinnamon tends to be stronger than Ceylon cinnamon. Furthermore, multiple customers noted that the organic cinnamon offered by Kirkland Signature is more potent than the non-organic version.

Dried mango has the potential to either be mouthwateringly excellent or decidedly perturbing, depending on how juicy each strip is. If you only want to snack on the sweet treat every so often, Kirkland Signature's Organic Dried Mangoes are not for you. We found that after opening the 2.5-pound bag and storing it in the pantry for a few weeks, the strips began to dry up and become stale. Storing the bag in the refrigerator resulted in only slightly better results. Unless you and your family are fully committed to polishing off a bag within that time period, it's best to skip adding this item to your cart.

Don't get us wrong; we're still fans of dried mango. In fact, Trader Joe's chile-spiced dried mango won the top spot in our ranking of dried fruits at Trader Joe's. It's just better to buy dried fruits in smaller bags unless you frequently chow down on them.

Coconut oil is a great pantry staple for those who like to bake. We have used the Kirkland Signature Organic Virgin Coconut Oil in many vegan recipes as a substitute for butter. It moistens and adds fat to everything from pie crusts to chocolate ganache. Many customers report that they like the versatility. 

If you foresee yourself using coconut oil in the future, go ahead and grab an 84-fluid-ounce container from Costco. Its flavor is moderate, yet nutty, and its aroma is tropical enough to make you feel like you are at the beach, even in the middle of winter. Unrefined coconut oil has a smoke point of roughly 350 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning that you can use it for sauteing without worrying too much about degradation. Plus, virgin coconut oil can last up to five years in an airtight container, so you don't need to fret over using it all immediately, either. While customers agree that it can be difficult to spoon out the last bits of coconut oil from Kirkland Signature containers, we have found that it helps to soften or melt the oil first by placing it in a warm environment.

Often overshadowed by the iconic organic creamy peanut butter that has recently been disappearing from Costco shelves, the creamy organic almond butter from Kirkland Signature is a worthy alternative (if not necessarily a replacement). Whether you eat it by the spoonful, slather it onto sandwiches, or scoop it into the batter of myriad baked goods, this almond butter packs a flavor punch and has a phenomenal texture to boot.

Why do we love it? This almond butter is sweet, not bitter, and yet, it does not contain any added sugar. The roasted nature of the almonds brings out their complex flavors, making this nut butter the perfect accompaniment to crisp apples pulled straight out of the refrigerator. While some customers struggle with the oil constantly separating in this product, the solution is simple: Store the jar upside down in your refrigerator, and flip it after each use.

Kirkland Signature's Organic No-Salt Seasoning leaves a lot to be desired. Namely, salt. But even if you remove that variable, knowing that many people seek out this product hoping to lower their sodium intake, this seasoning can still be disappointing. There are a plethora of ingredients, and none of them are able to mimic salt. Instead, they compete with one another for attention. Because spices gradually lose their potency, you might not be able to use up this 14.5-ounce container before the clock runs out. Not to mention, multiple customer reviews indicate that the spices could be more finely ground.

Instead of purchasing this product and potentially wanting your money back, reduce sodium in other areas of your diet. For example, you might opt for low-sodium vegetable stock or low-sodium soy sauce. Additionally, you can easily concoct your own spice blend so that the flavors better complement your most commonly used recipes.

Of all the food items you should buy in bulk, honey is at the top of the list. Famously, honey doesn't expire if stored appropriately (and if you avoid the urge to double dip). So even if it takes you over a year to eek out every last drop of honey from a bottle, it's all good.

We doubt, though, that it will take you that long to go through a few bottles of raw organic honey bears from Kirkland Signature. This Grade A honey is sourced from Brazil, and it tastes and smells like a meadow. Among other uses, it can lend a delightful burst of sweetness to sandwiches, granola, baklava, and homemade nut butters. It is also one of the best Kirkland Signature products to give your morning coffee a glow-up. Though this honey is sold in bulk, it comes in three 24-ounce bear-shaped bottles. The fact that it is not sold in one large jar reportedly helps limit the potential for crystallization.

If one of the first things you do in the morning is pull out the blender to make a refreshing smoothie, then you might already be spending quite a bit of money in the frozen aisle on berries. Although it comes at a fraction of the cost of fresh fruit, frozen fruit can still add up at the checkout counter.

For those looking to save even more money, Kirkland Signature's bags of organic frozen blueberries are a must-buy at Costco. Each resealable 3-pound bag contains about 10 cups of blueberries, which is equivalent to 10 servings. There is no added sugar in this product, allowing it to remain a versatile ingredient for making muffins, pies, scones, or even grilled cheese sandwiches. You won't be disappointed when it comes to quality, either; reviewers say these berries are juicy and almost entirely free from stems, which you can't say about every brand of frozen blueberries.

Sold in 28.2-ounce tubs, Kirkland Signature's Organic Feta is a product of Greece, though whether or not the Greeks would be proud of that is up for debate. We wouldn't call ourselves cheese snobs, but we do have standards. In a Costco cheese taste test, we found that Kirkland Signature's feta was too salty, and its taste was far from the full-bodied flavor offered by competitors like Mt. Vikos or Athenos. And while it crumbled well, the squeaky, dry texture of this feta was otherwise dismaying.

Many customers agree that they miss the Dodoni brand of feta once sold at Costco. Dodoni is a Greek brand, and its feta contains milk from both sheep and goats, while Kirkland's feta uses only sheep milk. This might explain why Costco's in-house brand of feta tastes blander than that of the previous supplier.

Did someone say holiday baking? Stock up now on a bag of Kirkland Signature Organic Cane Sugar to avoid the stab of regret you might otherwise feel upon opening your pantry and finding an empty box of sugar. You'll need sugar for more than just cookies; you might also need it to glaze ham, sweeten cocktails, and candy orange slices. Indeed, a 10-pound bag of fine granulated sugar may be just what you need to get through the entire holiday season without running to the store for more sugar.

This sugar is also vegan-friendly, and if that sounds funny, it's worth reading up on why not all sugar brands are suitable for vegans. This sugar has more of a golden hue than white sugar, and its granules are not as small as those in a bag of Domino sugar. Nevertheless, we have found that it's perfectly suitable for baking, and we appreciate the upgrade in flavor that it lends to lighter recipes like sugar cookies. We also like the slightly larger granules for adding crunchiness; for instance, when topping snickerdoodles.

"Kirkland Signature Organic Dried Tart Montmorency Cherries" is a mouthful to say, and it's also a mouthful to eat. We highly recommend this product for those who bake granola at home, as well as for those who are planning to bake fruitcake for the holidays. A little bit of sunflower oil keeps these cherries moist, while a bit of sugar helps balance their tartness. This means that in addition to being incorporated into baked goods, you can also pop a few into your mouth for a rush of flavor. 

For a healthy snack, combine these dried cherries with nuts for an incredible trail mix. Even if you already have a favorite brand of dried cherries, it's worth picking up a bag of these to try as well. Montmorency cherries are sweet, sour, and tart all at once, differentiating them from other varieties on the market.

Unless you and your family eat a fair amount of hummus every day, it's best to leave the 34-ounce tub of Organic Roasted Pine Nut Hummus from Kirkland Signature on the shelf. You might enjoy your first few dips, but then it can get overwhelming to finish the 34 servings before the product expires (a sad realization that we found occurs in about a week). Another reason to buy hummus in smaller containers is that the mix-ins on top are more likely to be evenly distributed into each serving.

The flavor of this hummus could be improved, too. We didn't feel that it was as vibrant as alternate brands like Boar's Head or Cedar's, a couple of our favorite hummus brands. Plus, you'll be stuck with the same pine nut flavor until you manage to finish or toss the tub. If you really want to get hummus at Costco, opt for the single-serving containers that are sold in packages of 20.

Why would you need a 2.5-pound package of Organic Whole Cashews from Kirkland Signature? You might have plans to make cashew butter, which can add a lovely creaminess to baked goods and smoothies. Or you might want to toss cashews into your weekly stir fry. We have used these cashews in countless plant-based recipes to replace cheese, cream, milk, and other thick, dairy-based ingredients. No matter the reason, cashews are a versatile ingredient to keep on standby.

These cashews are unsalted and unroasted, allowing you more flexibility in how to use them. We think they are flavorful enough to enjoy by the handful, too. In our experience, they typically aren't crushed, with plenty of whole pieces in the bag for aesthetic appeal. If you don't have immediate plans to use all those nuts, no worries: The pouch is resealable, and you can store cashews in the freezer for up to two years. Otherwise, you can keep them in the refrigerator for about a year, or in the pantry for up to six months.

Rolled oats, KAMUT khorasan wheat, quinoa, amaranth, spelt, and other ingredients team up in Kirkland Signature's Organic Ancient Grains Probiotic Granola to offer a delightfully crunchy and filling snack or breakfast. If you prefer your granola to be less sweet, this is an ideal buy; cinnamon and molasses provide natural sweetness, though some cane sugar is nevertheless included as well. In addition to its top-notch flavor, this product offers a spectacular nutritional profile brimming with protein and fiber. Due to its chunkiness, this is a great granola to eat by the handful or add to a parfait.

Nature's Path is responsible for developing this granola in conjunction with Kirkland Signature. It's the same brand behind the Love Crunch line of granolas, which we ranked as one of our top three granolas in a taste test of 15 granola products. In other words, the folks at Nature's Path know what they are doing, and this ancient grains granola is proof of that. The 35.3-ounce bag will be gone from your pantry before you know it.

The jars of ghee offered by Kirkland Signature are not necessarily bad, but there are certainly better products to be had. In a taste test of different ghees, we found this one bland and lacking in aroma. Besides, this product is sold in 27-ounce jars, so you need to be fully committed to using ghee regularly in your kitchen to make it a worthwhile investment. Unless you are making dozens of ladoos and need to buy ghee in bulk to save money, we recommend skipping buying from Costco and instead trying a brand like Organic Valley or Carrington Farms.

You could even make your own ghee at home using butter for a superior result. If you are attracted to the jars sold at Costco because of their size, you, too, can make a large batch. Ghee has a generous shelf life and can be stocked in your refrigerator for as long as a year.

In curating this list, we used personal experience shopping at Costco, past rankings conducted for Tasting Table, and online reviews left by customers. Cost was not a factor, especially since it can vary across warehouses. Instead, we focused on product quality and whether each item was worth buying in bulk, considering its shelf life and versatility.