Costco's Twice-Baked Croissants Don't Outshine Trader Joe's Version, According To Shoppers

Both Costco's Kirkland Signature bakery treats and Trader Joe's store-brand baked goods have cult followings, leading to debates about which chain has better breads, pastries, and more. A one-to-one matchup can be found in the Trader Joe's Chocolate Croissants and the Kirkland Signature Twice-Baked Chocolate Croissants. Surprisingly, some longtime Costco customers have turned on the warehouse chain, claiming that TJ's croissants are superior.

Debuting in February 2026, Costco's newest pastry is basically a plain Kirkland Signature croissant filled with chocolate and finished with a chocolate coating and powdered sugar. TJ's croissants are frozen while Costco's are sold fresh, but shockingly, this doesn't give Costco the advantage. One shopper on Reddit noted that the croissants are "not that great, the chocolate is not really flavorful, and it was kind of gummy-textured on the inside." Another Redditor wrote, "Not a fan. I'd buy the frozen ones from TJ's over these every time." Others added that the pastry is not worth the calories.

While some customers do enjoy Costco's chocolate croissants, Trader Joe's version is iconic. It's essentially a classic pain au chocolat with flaky dough wrapped around semisweet Belgian chocolate. With perfectly crisp pastry and a melty filling, shoppers think they're better than chocolate croissants from bakeries, even those in France. One user on Reddit said, "They have ruined all other chocolate croissants for me," while a Facebook commenter wrote, "We always serve them for guests and get raving reviews." Why are these one of the best Trader Joe's frozen pastries? Probably due to their baking process.

Trader Joe's Chocolate Croissants are also a better deal than the Kirkland Signature Chocolate Croissants. TJ's offers four croissants for $5.99 (or about $1.50 cents per croissant), while Costco sells six pastries for $9.99 at about $1.67 cents per piece. The tradeoff is that Costco's croissants can be enjoyed ASAP, while TJ's need extra preparation. However, we have (literal) proof that the effort is worth it.

Before baking Trader Joe's chocolate croissants, you can't skip one step: Letting the dough proof or sit at room temperature to rise overnight (i.e. 8 to 9 hours). Before you get up in arms, know that proofing is an essential step in a classic croissant recipe, and it's the reason why this product tastes homemade. During proofing, the yeast in pastry dough properly activates and creates air pockets to support those flaky, fluffy, buttery layers. As TJ's croissants sit out, they also thaw, bringing them even closer to freshly made dough. Thanks to the proofing, the croissants bake up with a crisp exterior; tender, light-as-air interior; and rich chocolate center.

Scores of Trader Joe's shoppers claim that the overnight wait is more than worth it, marveling at how huge the croissants puff up. And since you bake them right in your kitchen, TJ's croissants are arguably fresher than Costco's, which sit around in the store all day. When at the warehouse chain, we instead recommend the Blueberry Caramelized Cheesecake Croissants, a Costco bakery pastry that tastes amazing, according to customers.