7 Facts Only Insiders Know About Costco's Bakery

Costco has earned itself many loyal fans for a variety of reasons. Some love Kirkland Signature's everyday essentials specifically, while others are fans of the membership chain's competitive prices. But one of the store's biggest claims to fame is its bakery. It makes many of its offerings from scratch, and we even think it's home to the best store-bought pound cake. If you have a Costco membership yourself, chances are you've spent a decent amount of time in the bakery section, perhaps wondering whether you can justify buying that entire box of cookies (yes, you can).

But even if you're at Costco on the reg, there's probably a lot you don't know about the chain grocery store's bakery. We've done some digging to get the info you need to tackle the bakery section the next time you're at Costco — and you might just learn some fun facts in the process. Whether you're shopping for a cake, want to snag a loaf of bread, or even if you're in the market for some giant sprinkle cupcakes, learning more about Costco's bakery will guarantee a more delicious grocery run.

If you've ever been in Costco's bakery section before, then you've probably realized that it makes a lot of different baked goods in huge quantities. That takes a lot of work — and not just for the people who are actually doing the baking. That's why the chain's bakery employs "wrappers" — people whose job it is to essentially just wrap all the baked goods the bakery produces. Technically, it doesn't just involve wrapping, although that seems to be the cornerstone of the position. According to the job description, these types of employees also wrap, garnish, weigh, and merchandise products. Additionally, they clean the bakery and the materials the bakers use and restock the section's supplies.

According to a Redditor who claims to have worked at Costco, wrappers get base pay at the store, and the work isn't particularly difficult. However, they do say that it's relatively fast-paced and that these workers are required to be on their feet all day. Considering you get to smell those delicious baked goods all day, though, it doesn't sound like the worst grocery store gig you could get.

Have you ever smelled that delicious, sweet aroma wafting from the bakery section at Costco? That scent lets you know that Costco bakes many of its bakery items in-house. That being said, not every item you'll encounter in the bakery is actually made there — some are frozen and shipped to the store before being placed on shelves.

So, which of the foods you'll find there are baked fresh, and which aren't? Well, some of the most recognizable Costco bakery fan favorites include the iconic Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, banana nut loaf, and cheesecake. Snag yourself any of these items from Costco, and you can feel confident that they're as fresh as can be. However, another Costco favorite, croissants, isn't technically made in-house, since the shaped dough comes to the store frozen. That being said, they're still baked fresh, which is part of the reason they're so delicious. Cinnamon rolls and Danishes aren't either, unfortunately, although their toppings and fillings are made by the bakery before they go out on the floor. Keep all of this in mind when you're shopping for baked goods at the store, so you can skip the items that aren't freshly made if you prefer not to eat stuff that's been previously frozen.

Sure, we love Costco's cookies, but let's be honest: They often come in such large quantities that they're impractical for people who aren't eating a ton of cookies at home every day. By the time you finally get to the bottom of the container, they're likely to be stale. That's why we love the fact that you can buy frozen cookie dough from Costco. It's the exact same dough the bakery uses to make its already prepared cookies, so you know you're getting the same level of quality.

Not only is buying frozen dough more practical for many Costco shoppers, but it also lets you get a great deal on cookies. A box of cookie dough makes a whopping 120 cookies, which should last even the biggest cookie lovers for several weeks. Plus, they end up being way cheaper than the baked cookies, which means you're saving money and preventing food waste at the same time.

There are a lot of grocery stores that won't really let you return much after you buy it. Either that, or you have to jump through a ton of hoops just to get your money back. Luckily, Costco isn't one of those grocery stores. It's actually pretty easy to get a refund on a wide variety of returned items, including food. Basically, the criterion is just that the item you purchased didn't meet your expectations. Perhaps it was spoiled or otherwise defective, or maybe you just didn't like the way it tasted. In that case, you can take it back to Costco — even if it's already been opened and you ate some of it — and you can get your money back. This is the case with perishable foods, including the items that you can buy at the bakery.

Just keep in mind that Costco will track your purchases and returns, so you're not going to want to do this too often. Plus, if you eat a lot of the baked product you're returning, they might not accept it. However, when you truly need to get your money back for something that came from Costco's bakery, you should be able to get a refund pretty easily.

You've probably seen it before: Dumpsters behind restaurants, filled with a bunch of perfectly good food. It happens more than most restaurants would like to admit because they claim they don't want to be liable for food safety and legal risks. But it's a complete waste, especially considering the fact that over 18 million Americans are food insecure. Luckily, though, Costco doesn't just toss its baked goods when they're nearing their expiration dates. Instead, the chain grocer donates to food-focused non-profits, including Feeding America, a network of food banks that span the country.

The fact that Costco is trying to donate its unsold baked goods to a good cause is definitely better than just tossing them in the trash, so we have to give them our props for that.

Costco is already known for its incredible free samples, which is the whole reason some people enjoy going to this store. But even if you don't find any savory samples the next time you're at Costco, you might be able to snag a cookie for your kid. Some adults on Reddit remember getting cookies as kids back in the day, but some posters say that COVID mostly did away with that policy. However, in the past few years, other posters have mentioned that the bakery has given their kids cookies for free at the bakery.

Therefore, it's not necessarily guaranteed that you're going to get a cookie for your child when you go to Costco. But while you're in the bakery section anyway, it doesn't hurt to ask. Maybe you'll get lucky, and your little one will have a sweeter day. The worst they can say is no, after all. (And that's just another excuse to buy that box of frozen cookie dough.)

Perhaps one of the most beloved Costco bakery products is the store's croissants. They're huge, and they're sold in large packs that make it easy to feed a crowd (or just to have a steady supply of croissants for your breakfasts all week). We've already discussed the fact that Costco employees don't actually make the croissant dough in-house, but if we're being honest, that's not even the important part. Luckily, they do bake them in the store on a daily basis, so you know that you're getting seriously fresh croissants.

Is it quite the same thing as going to a high-end French bakery and buying artisanal croissants? Not exactly. But for the price, Costco's croissants are top-notch. If you haven't tried the brand's croissants yet, it might be time to give them a try. Until you can get yourself to a Costco, though, you might want to try this homemade croissant recipe.