Every Flavor In Costco's Holiday Cookie Tray, Ranked

Nothing says "Happy Holidays" quite like a massive platter of cookies, and Costco is one store that has certainly gotten that memo loud and clear. There's rarely a shortage of reasons to be excited about Costco products, and for cookie lovers, the latest and greatest reason is Costco's 2025 holiday cookie tray. This isn't your ordinary cookie tray, of course. In true Costco fashion, this tray boasts a whopping 60 cookies total, with five distinct flavors: butter pecan, chocolate chip, toffee sandy, coconut almond chunk, and red velvet. Though Costco has dropped holiday cookie packs in the past, the flavors for the 2025 tray are different from previous years — and, dare I say, better than ever.

As an avid Costco shopper and certified cookie lover, I was beyond excited to see the holiday cookie tray available in my nearest warehouse. And, naturally, I knew I had to purchase the tray (which retails for $24.99) and put each cookie to the test, ranking the flavors from best to worst. When ranking the five cookies, I paid close attention to which ones served up the most satisfying flavors, not just in terms of sweetness, but also regarding chocolatey goodness, richness, or perhaps even nuttiness. Texture was also an important factor, as a good cookie flavor is only fully successful if it's got a perfectly chewy, soft-but-not-too-soft texture to back it up. Spoiler alert, none of the cookies in this tray were bad — but some flavors prevailed more than others. 

I was perplexed when I first read what the flavors were in the Costco holiday cookie tray, because I truly couldn't place which one was meant to be toffee sandy. As it turns out, it was the one smack dab in the middle of the tray, and the one that arguably provides the most holiday vibes thanks to the inclusion of festive sprinkles (and the one that I admittedly thought was a sugar cookie at first glance). 

There was no denying the visual appeal of the toffee sandy cookie, but the flavor was disappointing. Don't get me wrong, this cookie tasted good, but I wasn't picking up on toffee notes at all. In fact, I started specifically hunting for those little blobs of toffee, taking intentional bites with the hope of getting some sort of toffee taste, but alas, the cookie mostly tasted sugary. And, hey, I can't complain too much about a good sugar cookie, but I think this flavor missed the mark in terms of living up to the type of cookie that it was actually meant to be.

This was also my least favorite of all the cookies as far as texture. I was hoping for a perfectly soft and chewy mix, but these sandies were crumbly and drier than expected. I didn't hate the toffee sandies by any means, but alas, something had to come in last place, and these were the weakest link without a doubt.

A butter pecan cookie admittedly isn't going to be the first flavor I'm reaching for in any cookie tray. Nonetheless, I don't hate it as a flavor, and I had high hopes that Costco's take might turn me into a butter pecan purist. While I enjoyed the subtly buttery, nutty notes that these cookies offered, I left feeling the same way I always do about butter pecan cookies, which is sort of "meh." 

To start with the positives, I liked the texture of these cookies much more than the crumbly nature of the toffee sandies. These pecan cookies had a more traditional, straightforward cookie texture, which is to say that if you've ever had a classic chocolate chip cookie, you can imagine what it'd be like to munch on one of these. Of course, there were no chocolate chips in sight here. These cookies instead promised the intrigue of crunchy pecans, and that was perhaps the first big disappointment. I took a big bite of a cookie and didn't get a single pecan, not even the tiniest chunk. Obviously, the pecans were there, but I think that these cookies would have benefited from about twice as many nuts.

As for the "butter" part of these cookies, I tasted some rich, buttery notes, but much like with the pecans, I wanted more. These cookies played it safe, which is something that a butter pecan-flavored food should never do. These cookies were fine enough, but ultimately a little too subtle for my taste.

Red velvet has always been a mystery to me — after all, what exactly is the flavor of red velvet? It's chocolatey yet not as chocolatey as plain chocolate, it's more vanilla-forward than your average chocolate treat, and it often has a distinct tanginess thanks to the inclusion of buttermilk. After spending years trying to pick up on the nuances of red velvet-flavored treats, I've resigned to enjoying them for what they're worth (they are always delicious, after all), and that's exactly the approach I took with Costco's red velvet cookie.

There was something very satisfying about the combination of a red velvet cookie base and white chocolate chunks, so it's safe to say that red velvet cookies are a dessert made better with white chocolate. I'm an admitted white chocolate lover, so I already had a hunch these cookies would be right up my alley. But it was the specific combination of super-sweet white chocolate chunks with a more subdued, somewhat rich red velvet cookie base that sold me on this cookie. 

I wouldn't say these cookies tasted chocolatey (nor did they taste like vanilla), but they hit on that unique flavor profile that only red velvet can manage. I also quite enjoyed the texture, which reminded me of a more cake-like version of a classic chocolate chip cookie. A solid and visually striking addition to Costco's holiday cookie lineup, these red velvet cookies were absolute winners, but there were a couple of flavors that were even better.

Chocolate chip cookies are the ultimate crowd-pleaser, the great equalizer, and a flavor that should always, always, always be included on a holiday tray. While it is fun to get creative when upgrading holiday cookies, you simply can't go wrong with classic chocolate chip, especially when said chocolate chip cookie is executed to perfection. And, in the case of the chocolate chip cookies on Costco's holiday cookie tray, they're about as good as it gets.

Costco is already rather well-known for its double chocolate chunk cookie (which we reviewed and determined that it is, indeed, worth the hype). But dare I say that these regular-sized chocolate chip cookies (which feature chunks of chocolate as opposed to chips) were even better than the massive food court version. Perfectly soft, dense, and absolutely laden with semi-sweet chocolate chunks, these cookies packed just about everything one could want from such a cookie flavor. The cookies were sweet, slightly bitter, rich, chocolatey, soft, and chewy. Though they may not be the most festive option on the tray, I have a sneaking suspicion that the chocolate chip cookies would be the first ones to go if you were to show up to a gathering with this tray.

After singing such high praises about the chocolate chip cookies, you may be wondering how another cookie flavor could possibly top them. Believe it or not, there is indeed one cookie that impressed, bewildered, and delighted me, and had me reaching for a second one almost immediately: the coconut almond chunk.

I understand it's controversial that I'm ranking the coconut almond chunk cookie in the top spot, but hear me out. Upon taking a single bite of this cookie, I was met with the most delicious, warming, chocolate-infused flavor combination, one so alluring that I simply couldn't get enough. Originally, I thought they were oatmeal raisin cookies minus the raisins, but instead, it's a combination of coconut and almonds, which provides that distinct look and texture. Truthfully, the cookies didn't taste all that much like coconut or almond, but instead boasted a very strong chocolate flavor with a nice hit of sweet warmth (I suspect that cinnamon must be at play). These cookies were truly so delicious, somewhat reminiscent of a coconut macaroon, but somehow even better.

Of course, I'd be remiss to not highlight the impeccably delightful texture they offered. I don't think I've ever enjoyed a cookie quite so chewy, and that soft, coconut-based chewiness in combination with the big chocolate chunks really sold me. I have no notes, and if you're a chewy cookie lover like myself, then trust me when I say that this flavor alone makes the entire cookie tray worth purchasing.

Any cookie lover knows that a truly good cookie comes down to a combination of flavor and texture, so that's what I focused on when ranking the flavors in Costco's holiday cookie tray. A less successful flavor, the toffee sandy, had an okay flavor but lacked in the texture department. Meanwhile, the highest-ranked cookie, the coconut almond chunk, excelled in having both an excellent flavor and an impeccably good texture. Of course, there's a certain level of subjectivity that came into play, but I feel confident that anyone who would generally enjoy any of the cookie flavors in this tray would understand and agree with the rationale behind my ranking, even if they themselves might prefer one flavor over another.

The intensity of a given cookie flavor also played a factor, along with the overall balance and cohesiveness of the cookie. For example, the butter pecan cookies could have ranked even higher had they been stuffed with more pecans and boasted a stronger buttery flavor profile. On the other hand, the red velvet cookie hit on those classic red velvet flavor notes nicely without going overboard, and the sweet white chocolate chunks also helped balance out a slightly less-sweet cookie base. Ultimately, I didn't dislike any of the cookies in this tray, so I had to be nitpicky when ranking them to determine the absolute best of the best.