Why Costco Shoppers Are Disappointed By These Danish Cookie Tins This Year

Is no one safe from the scourge of AI? The same technology that once couldn't figure out how to spell the word strawberry and has been causing divorce rates to rise may also be coming after one of our most beloved holiday traditions: tins of Danish cookies. Known for years as the place where Grandma keeps her sewing supplies, these tins originally contain cookies and have become a holiday staple. But some eagle-eyed shoppers have taken issue with the tins they say are being sold at Costco this season. The artwork looks suspicious to some, and accusations that it was created by AI have been circulating on Reddit.

Costco customer service was unable to confirm if they sell these specific tins of Danish cookies or who created the artwork. The cookies are made by a company called Kelsen based in Melville, New York, but their phone number is disconnected. This leaves no official way to determine whether the cookie tin artwork is handmade or created by AI. All that remains is the analysis from various Redditors, whose observations highlight some suspect issues.

One tin features a winter scene in a Danish town with windmills in the background, except not all windmills have blades on them. A Redditor noted that the design looks like a giant mosquito, while others observed that the children playing in the foreground of a second tin appear amorphous, with some lacking hands.

Accusations of AI artwork on cookie tins are not new. Two years ago, a Redditor pointed out a suspicious-looking Walmart tin that depicted Santa Claus apparently twerking in a cluttered Christmas scene. The same tin was later showcased on TikTok with a little more analysis of all the things in the image that are suspicious, and there are many. The windows are irregularly shaped, and Santa's arm ends in a white stump. Countless elements in the background are vaguely Christmas-colored but do not resemble anything identifiable. It's safe to say this won't become a vintage cookie tin to remember.

Other companies use AI art on their food packaging, and readily admit it. For instance, another Reddit post highlighted a package of Ben's Thai Style Street Noodles, whose label clearly states that the artwork was created by AI. This is interesting because the image is simply a bowl of Thai noodles. There is nothing fanciful or unique about it, unlike an idyllic Christmas scene or one featuring Santa Claus.

Coca-Cola famously used AI to make their annual Christmas commercial in 2024, and they did the same again in 2025. While this does not affect the product itself, many people are concerned because it suggests the company is willing to cut corners. Artists and designers lose their jobs so that cheaper products that require less effort can reach the market. Without confirmation, we can't say for sure Costco's cookie tins feature AI artwork. Have a look at them and see for yourself what you think. Maybe you could just make some of your own Danish butter cookies this year.