I Tried Every Costco Kirkland Snack and Ranked Them From Worst to Best

Whether you need school snacks for your kids, snacks to take to work or snacks just because you love snackies, Costo has you covered. Their Kirkland Signature brand offers some great deals and a huge variety of munchies to buy in bulk.

If you love sweet snacks, there's plenty that include some form of chocolate to choose from – and fans of savory snacks will go nuts for the choices that abound. Even though the snacks here are very well-priced, buying a value-sized snack here is a bit of an investment. That's why we decided to taste test every snack we could get our hands on at our local Costco, all in the name of saving you dollars (and pantry space!).

If you're the type to get a little hangry between meals, you're definitely going to want to read this before your next Costco haul. We've ranked the snacks here from worst to best, so be sure to read to the end to see which snack reigned supreme. Let the snacking begin!

Kirkland Caramel S'mores Clusters

These s'mores clusters are made of milk chocolate, kettle-cooked caramel, grahams and marshmallows. A 1.64 oz bag costs $11.49.

The Look: This looks like a big chunk of candy, and the chocolate looks a little dusty. This snack is definitely a sugar bomb.

The Taste: Biting in, the first thing you taste is an overwhelming caramel with a very gummy consistency. In fact, the caramel is so dominant, I didn't taste the marshmallow at all. This was one, sticky mess. Skip this and make the real thing at a campfire.

Kirkland Organic Roasted Seaweed Snack

This snack is made in Korea. A 10-pack will run you $10.99.

The Look: Inside a plastic tray I saw some paper thin and translucent green sheets of seaweed. While the color was appealing, I was skeptical that this could fill anyone up as a snack.

The Taste: This seaweed is so thin, it was like biting into air – but with a very strong taste. The best way I can describe it is that it tasted like fish paper. The strong, pungent taste was just too much for me.

Kirkland Organic Chunky Guacamole

For $12.99, you get 16 2.5 oz cups (yes, guac is extra!).

The Look: When I peeled back the lid, I saw a murky green substance that was very separated. I gave it a little stir, but this did not look appealing. There were pieces of red onion visible.

The Taste: Acknowledging that pre-packed guac is hard to pull off, this was – gross. The red onion flavor was way too strong, and the consistency was weirdly creamy not chunky. Grab some avocados and make your own.

Kirkland Heart Healthy Mixed Nuts

This mix contains dry roasted almonds, walnuts, dry roasted hazelnuts, dry roasted pistachios. It's sodium-free and cholesterol free. A 2lb 4 oz bag is $15.59.

The Look: This looked like a very tan, bland snack.

The Taste: Bland, tasteless and unsalted were the words that leapt to mind as I chewed. I would maybe have some of this sitting at a bar if I was drinking a martini and hungry. But actually, this snack isn't even that healthy – it's high in fat and calories and doesn't even have that much protein. This is a hard pass.

Kirkland Organic Tortilla Chips

These restaurant-style chips are a blend of real ground white and yellow corn. A 2lb 8 oz bag is $6.39 to bring to your next fiesta.

The Look: These chips were big and golden in color. If they were next to some guac (homemade) and salsa, I'd be excited to bite in.

The Taste: Bleh – these chips were super salty. Their extremely thick texture was a turn-off. They tasted very heavy and mass-produced.

Kirkland Variety Snacking Nuts

Roasted & Salted Cashews

Roasted & Salted Extra Crunch Peanuts

Dry Roasted & Salted Almonds

This 3lb box has 10 of each variety of nuts and costs $16.99.

The Look: These nuts came in cute and convenient packaging that would be great on the go (for a nut-friendly environment). But tearing them open, they just looked brown and bland.

The Taste: The cashews and peanuts tasted good – nothing special, just normal nuts. But the almonds were unnecessarily salty. I would skip this variety if I picked up this box again (but with so many better snacks to choose from, I probably wouldn't).

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Kirkland Organic Hummus

You'll get 20 2.5 oz single serve cups of hummus made with dried organic chick peas and organic tahini for just $7.89 at Costco.

The Look: Peeling back the top on this cup, I saw a swirl of hummus that looked thick, creamy and yummy.

The Taste: While I enjoyed the creamy consistency of this hummus it was way too garlicy. It's also very high in fat, which surprised me. I won't be wasting my calories on this snack.

Kirkland Kettle Brand Krinkle Cut Pink Sea Salt Potato Chips

This giant 2lb bag potato chips is seasoned with pink salt and costs $5.99.

The Look: As soon as I opened the bag the smell of oil was evident, and my fingers were greasy handling them. These were nice big chips with good ridges.

The Taste: These chips had a nice texture but not enough flavor – I wanted more salt maybe vinegar. They would go well with a sandwich but as a snack on their own, they were not great.

Kirkland Milk Chocolate Almonds

This giant 3lb container of chocolate covered almonds is $18.99.

The Look: At first glance I'm disappointed by the light color of the chocolate. Almonds should be covered in dark chocolate, not milk. These are meaty almonds, huge even. I also fear having a giant container of these on hand would be terrible for your diet.

The Taste: The milk chocolate taste threw me off. It tasted almost like Raisinets. I would skip these and get a smaller container of dark chocolate covered almonds for more snacking pleasure.

Kirkland Mini Muffin Bites – Chocolate Chip

You get four mini muffins per pouch and this box has 20 pouches for the price of $8.79.

The Look: These muffins are tiny, shiny and golden with visible chips. I know it's not going to be worth it but I kind of want it.

The Taste: The muffins have a surprisingly chewy texture and I'm not sure if it's a good thing. I could eat these so quick and not feel satisfied. The middle schoolers at my house informed me they are not as good as Little Bites. Though these tasted decent, the fact that they are high in sugar and so small, means I can't recommend them.

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Kirkland Cashew Clusters with Almonds and Pumpkin Seeds

This is a combo of roasted cashews, sweet-tasting almonds and pumpkin seeds in a bite-sized treat that costs $9.99 per bag.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The Look: This looks a bit like a birdseed square.

The Taste: Biting in, this snack had the consistency of a healthier, nutty Rice Krispie treat. It was both salty and sweet, but still not my favorite or a snack I'd see myself reaching for between meals.

Kirkland Protein Bars Variety Pack – Chocolate Brownie and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Chocolate Brownie

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

These bars come 20 to a box (10 of each flavor). Made with real chocolate and no artificial flavors they cost $22.99 (the most expensive snack I tried).

The Look: I'm usually suspicious of protein bars (are they just candy bars masquerading as healthy?), but the nutrition on these checks out. Unwrapping the bars, they were super sticky, especially the cookie dough one. It looks like a sculpture made in art class. I would not dare bite directly in with my beautiful veneers.

The Taste: The brownie one tasted grainy and sooty. The cookie dough one also tasted somehow grainy. I think the problem is that your eye sees yummy brownie and cookie dough, but the taste is not as sweet and delectable – it doesn't match up so it's disappointing. These would be a good snack in a pinch like during a hike. Eh, or just stop hiking and go get lunch.

Kirkland Organic Apple Sauce

This apple sauce is made from handpicked organic apples. Since it's in a pouch, no spoon is required. A box has 24 3.17 oz pouches and runs $10.59.

The Look: I'm not sure if this is meant as a toddler snack, but I guess it could be for a busy adult on the go? I'd be a little wary to eat a pouch. But it's nutritionally sound, so maybe?

The Taste: Once I got past that I felt like a baby squeezing this into my mouth, it was a pretty good snack with a smooth consistency – not too thin, not too chunky. If anything, it tastes just a bit too sweet. I'd eat this before a workout. Not sure about tucking it into my middle schoolers' lunch though, just because of the cool factor.

Kirkland Sweet Heat Snack Mix

Seasoned almonds, seasoned cashews, honey roasted sesame sticks, seasoned glazed pecans, bbq flavored cracker coated almonds and corn nuggets come in this mix for $9.99.

The Look: This snack mix was orange and salty and spicy looking. There was a nice variety of shapes and textures.

The Taste: You definitely taste more hot than sweet here. But this snack was actually yummy and good. My only reservation is that it's a small amount for a lot of calories.

Kirkland Premium Cut Cured & Dried Beef Streak Strips

These are extra thick cut with smoke flavoring added. They are 98% fat free and ready to eat. A 12 oz bag has 12 servings and costs $11.99.

The Look: Ripping open the bag, the smell of meat made me think of dog treats. These had a strong steak odor. Yes, odor. These strips are from a thick cut of top round steak, with added special seasonings The bag says it has the "right amount of moisture to give them the texture of a seasoned steak."

The Taste: These strips were surprisingly easy to bite and not as tough as I expected. They definitely had a very strong, smoky flavor. They were also super salty and of course are high in sodium. Though they are not my personal top pick I will say they are a decent snack.

Kirkland Soft & Chewy Granola Bar

Made of whole rolled oats, semisweet chocolate chips and no artificial flavors or colors, a box of 64 bars (!) costs $10.69.

The Look: This granola bar seems small, but there are lots of visible chips.

The Taste: Definitely very sweet, but you can really taste the chips and oats. While this isn't the healthiest, I can see my kids liking it. I think this is overall a very good granola bar and a decent snack!

Kirkland Trail Mix Snack packs

You'll get 28 2 oz packs which contain a blend of peanuts, M&Ms (milk chocolate and peanut), raisins, almonds and cashews for $15.99.

The Look: This trail mix comes in super cute packaging that would be fun and easy to take on the go. I liked that the mix had lots of M&Ms.

The Taste: This trail mix was just the right mix of sweet, salty and yum. BUT – the nutritional label is VERY shady. If you look closely, it says a serving is ¼ cup and there are 53 servings in the whole box. So each pack is 303 calories, not 160. Costco, I feel betrayed.

Kirkland Microwave Popcorn Movie Theater Butter

You get 44 bags of popcorn with natural butter flavor for the price of $14.69.

The Look: When I saw this bag it brought back memories of making microwave popcorn as a kid and the smell of synthetic butter that inevitably lingered in the air for hours. But this one surprisingly didn't have an overwhelming smell. The kernels popped up big and fluffy.

The Taste: I was wowed by how yummy this popcorn was. I usually forgo popcorn because it sticks in my teeth, but this was downright delicious. It had a buttery taste but not overly so. Since this is low calorie and filling, it gets my mom seal of approval.

Kirkland Peanut Butter Pretzels

These peanut butter filled pretzel nuggets come in a big 3lb 7 oz cannister and cost $9.79.

The Look: These chunky little nuggets were a beautiful brown color and coated in lots of thick salt. Are you salivating yet?

The Taste: Biting in, the thin pretzel shell easily gave way to reveal luscious pb. It was truly perfect blend of peanut butter, crunchy pretzel and salt. The only problem with this snack is my inability to stop at just 8 (one serving).

The Verdict: When you're looking for snacks at Costco, read the labels carefully and try to choose ones that are yummy and nutritious – no easy feat, but it can be done!