Costco Is Changing This Fan Favorite. Stock Up Before It’s Too Late.

Mature couple browsing bakery section of supermarket — Image source: Getty Images

Maurie Backman

Thu, Oct 17, 2024, 4:00 AM 5 min read

For the past five years or so, we've had a tradition in my house called "Muffin Saturdays" where my husband, kids, and I try to eat breakfast together and indulge in Costco muffins. Not only do we find them delicious, but we save so much money by buying our muffins from Costco instead of having to pay up at a local bakery.

But sadly, it looks like our beloved Costco muffins may not be available for much longer. Costco is rolling out a change to its muffins that's already hit some markets. And this past week, when I stopped at the Costco bakery to pick up a cake I'd ordered, I asked if the change was coming to my local New Jersey store and was told yes.

Worse yet, I was warned the change would be happening soon. And if the change is coming to my market, it may be coming to yours, too. If you love the jumbo Costco muffins as much as I do, I suggest you stock up.

Not the best Costco news, but I'm trying to be optimistic

After hearing that my beloved jumbo Costco muffins may soon be no more, the first thing I did was go home and assess my freezer space to figure out how many I could buy and store before they're discontinued. The next thing I did was research deep freezers — because I'm not above buying one for the express purpose of stashing away Costco muffins as long as I can.

Thankfully, my husband talked sense into me and made me realize that purchasing a second deep freezer (since we already have one) is ridiculous. He also encouraged me to keep an open mind, because the replacement muffins may end up being just as tasty as the ones I know and love.

I did a little digging, and it looks like Costco is replacing its six-packs of jumbo muffins with eight-packs of regular-sized muffins. It's also getting rid of the current flavor lineup (which can vary by store) and introducing four new ones:

Triple Chocolate
Blueberries and Cream
Lemon Raspberry
Butter Pecan

Now, since these haven't hit my local store yet, I can't tell you what they taste like. I also have mixed feelings about this new lineup. For one thing, will the Triple Chocolate differ from the current chocolate flavor my store has carried for years? That's my kids' favorite.

Also, I happen to love the current blueberry muffin recipe, but I'm not sure how I'll feel about the new one. I'll also be honest in that Lemon Raspberry doesn't excite me. Butter Pecan could be interesting, but I doubt my kids will want to try it. And I'm not sure it'll be worth it to buy an eight-pack for myself.

An even bigger question is what will become of the famed pumpkin streusel muffins (something I've been enjoying my share of this month)? Will Costco introduce a smaller version of it during fall? Or will that get discontinued, too?

A change that may or may not benefit you

Some Costco fans are applauding the store's change to its iconic muffins and are happier with the idea of them being regular-sized. For me, the huge size was never an issue because I would either split them with my kids or freeze them.

The big question, of course, will be the new price. At my local store, 12 jumbo muffins cost $9.99. Clearly, Costco will have to charge less for eight muffins that are smaller. But the question is, how much less?

The good news is that for some people, this change could be a positive one financially, allowing them to enjoy more savings at Costco while reducing food waste. And if you use the right credit cards at Costco, you can save even more. Click here for a list of credit cards that reward Costco shoppers big time.

Costco's store policy is to stand behind its products and guarantee customer satisfaction with each and every one. So if you try the new muffins and hate them, you can bring them back for a refund. Just make sure you're bringing back at least 50% of the box.

On my end, I'm going to try to think positively. But I also plan to stock up on the jumbo muffins while they're still around and cram as many of them into my freezer as possible.

I also plan to research copycat recipes to see if I can recreate my own versions once they're gone. But sadly, given Costco's ultra-low prices, this is one situation where I don't think baking at home will save me any money.

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We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Maurie Backman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Costco Is Changing This Fan Favorite. Stock Up Before It's Too Late. was originally published by The Motley Fool

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