5 Best Baking Supplies To Buy at Costco, According to a Baker
While making a pitstop at Costco's bakery is a surefire way to satisfy your cravings, both sweet and savory, nothing beats a homemade baked good. Not only does baking in your own kitchen grant you total control over the ingredients being used, but it can also be more economical.
Luckily, Costco is home to plenty of high-quality products that can help you bring your baking goals to fruition. To get the lowdown on the best baking supplies at the warehouse, we consulted Heather Mubarak, creator of the baking blog Browned Butter Blondie, founder of the award-winning confection company The Toffee Box, and author of Stuffed: The Sandwich Cookie Book.
A loyal Costco member for over 20 years, Mubarak stocked up on baking supplies at her local warehouse in Carlsbad, Calif., while creating recipes for new cookbook. "Recipe testing requires a lot of ingredients!" she says. "Buying in bulk for better per-item prices was top of mind."
Read on to discover some of Mubarak's go-to baking products you'll want to have in your own kitchen. All prices shown are online-only and may be lower at your local warehouse.
Kirkland Signature's Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter
No matter the baked good you're making, butter is a crucial ingredient to have at the ready. Since Mubarak bakes just about every day, she doesn't hesitate to stock up Kirkland's Signature Sweet Cream Butter.
"It's high quality, tastes great, and they also sell it in a salted version," she says. "I buy extra and pop a few pounds in the freezer to keep it fresh."
Costco sells the butter in a four-pack for $15.99 online, with each one-pound pack costing about $4. Meanwhile, the average retail cost of butter per pound in February was around $4.87, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
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C&H Granulated Sugar
Just like butter, granulated sugar—also known as white sugar or "regular sugar"—is a must-have ingredient for any baker. For Mubarak, purchasing Costco's 10-pound bags of C&H Granulated Sugar is a no-brainer.
"It's a quality product that doesn't expire if stored properly," she says. To extend the product's shelf life, she suggests storing the sugar in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, adding, "it will keep for years."
Kirkland Signature's Culinary Parchment Paper
To eliminate sticking, promote even baking, and facilitate easy cleanup, parchment paper can be a lifesaver in the kitchen. Among the many brands that line the shelf, Mubarak is a fan of Kirkland Signature's Culinary Parchment Paper, which is non-stick and FSC-certified. This means the product "[comes] from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits," according to the Forest Stewardship Council.
"I use it to line cookie sheets and brownie pans, for stacking cookies in containers, and even for rolling out cookie dough," Mubarak says.
Nordic Ware Aluminum Baking Sheets
Whether you're making cookies, pastries, chocolate bark, or toffee, it's essential to have baking sheets you can trust. One product Mubarak recommends is Nordic Ware's 3-Piece Non-Stick Aluminum Baking Sheets, noting that they heat quickly and evenly, are easy to clean up because they're non-stick, and won't warp or rust after years of use.
Available online from Costco for $24.99, the set comes with two half-sheets and one-quarter sheet, so you can use them for culinary creations of various sizes.
Cleaning Supplies
We all know that baking can be messy—but that's half the fun, right? With that being said, having easy access to cleaning products can help make the baking process run more smoothly.
In addition to buying standard cleaning supplies like dish soap, dishwasher detergent, and sponges from Costco, Mubarak also opts for Boston Traders' Microfiber All-Purpose Towels in an effort to minimize her household's paper towel use. Costco currently sells an eight-pack of the towels in multiple color options for $21.99 online.
