12 Costco Foods That Taste Better Than Your Homemade Favorites

Homemade food doesn't always beat store-bought, especially when you have products at Costco that taste better than what you can make in your own kitchen. Beyond saving you money when compared to similar items at national chains, Costco also saves you time and trouble by offering items that are essentially ready to go right out of the box, bottle, or bag. And with the notable quality of Costco's signature brands, you know what you're getting without having to guess, and without having to interpret a recipe while cooking with your fingers crossed.

So which items at Costco can you depend on to deliver better than homemade flavor and easy enjoyability? My warehouse shopping adventures have shown me a solid set of products that easily outdo the versions I could create on my own. No matter what level of culinary acumen you might have, these 12 top-tier picks absolutely deliver on the concept of better than homemade. They're all products I don't hesitate to buy when I need to fool — er, I mean, feed — my family and I'm not willing to bet that my skills are up to par. It's much safer to put my choosy eaters into Costco's hands, especially with a selection of items that have no trouble rising to the occasion.

There was a time not long ago when Costco muffins were the stuff of warehouse bakery legends, oversized mini cakes that could serve four people if only the person who bought them was willing to share. They came in a limited range of flavors that included chocolate-chocolate chip, blueberry, banana walnut, coffee cake, and apple, all of which were much more flavorful than anything I was ever capable of baking on my own. They were the sort of premade treat that drew murmurs from the crowd whenever they appeared on dessert tables or office break room breakfast spreads. You were lucky if you laid claim to a single muffin out of the multipack before the sugar-loving vultures had descended. The best part? Not one single person complained that they hadn't been made from scratch.

Though Costco has introduced a smaller muffin to help balance the concern about sensible portions, I still find these muffins to be well above my hobbling home-baked attempts. They make great Costco freezer items for last-minute treats and snacks. I wouldn't go so far as to try and pass them off as my own, though; there's no way I could get my family to believe it. You might give it a try, though.

It's time to own up to the fact that unless you're a professional baker, you'll likely never come up with a sheet cake as tender and tasty as the ones Costco bakes on a daily basis. Why not leave it to the experts, especially when partygoers aren't very forgiving if the main attraction at your special event doesn't measure up? You don't want to tax your baking skills just to come up with a cake that Costco could have ready and waiting for you on the day of the event. And these cakes allow you to choose Costco fillings — like cheesecake mousse – that you wouldn't even think to add to your own bakes.

When my kids were younger and celebration time rolled around, a Costco half-sheet cake was always part of the standard party package. We could drop off our order on paper (quaint!) and tell the bakery what message and design we wanted on top. Our savings in buying supplies and ingredients, then hoping we could bake enough cake for a crowd and not embarrass ourselves with sub-par decorations took a load off of our busy party-planning minds. It easily became the gold standard of party cakes for us, a custom that continues to this day, though now my kids are as likely to buy me a Costco cake as I am to buy one for them. Ah, traditions.

The few times I've attempted to make my own marinara sauce have been futile at best and laughable at worst. I've never come across a homemade version of sauce as thick or rich as Kirkland Signature Organic Tuscan marinara sauce ... which may be a commentary on the home cooks in my life, as well as my own lack of proficiency with authentic Italian cuisine. I prefer to think of it as a superior product that replaces the need for an heirloom recipe and hours of kitchen labor. And when you get three jars in a single purchase, you can calculate how much you'll save in both minutes and money spent by not having to pretend you know what you're doing and starting over again when it doesn't work out the first time. Thanks, Costco!

The added bonus of having organic ingredients only makes me feel better about depending on Kirkland Signature sauce instead of rounding up bushels of more-expensive produce to churn out homemade sauce. One customer calls out the garden-fresh flavor of the tomatoes used and mentions the background tasting notes of basil and onion that don't intrude on the freshness. With all this buzzy talk of marinara magic, it may take a little planning to remember Costco has sauce that tops your own home-crafted version, as well as the best and worst store-bought pasta sauces that aren't Kirkland. Add it to your list for your next visit now and you'll be all set for spaghetti night.

If you don't know by now how incredible Costco food court pizza is, your life is about to change for the better. Though it can be debated by world-class pizza connoisseurs that the quality of a Costco pie doesn't rise to the level of gourmet exceptionalism, we street level pizza lovers are all too happy to surrender our home pizza making kit in favor of a cheese or pepperoni selection that comes hot and fresh to order. Even if you love giving homemade pizza your best attempt, it's unlikely that you can conjure up something that comes close to the undeniably delicious creations Costco makes.

Why is Costco pizza so delicious you'd forgo making your own instead? Chalk it up to the special pizza robots that make sure every pie is heated to the right level of ooey-gooey-chewy goodness, a process your home oven probably can't replicate without some serious retrofitting. It's also more economical to pick up a Costco pizza instead of going DIY, as one frugal Redditor explained. But don't be fooled by the Kirkland Signature cheese pizzas found in the freezer section these days; those may be fast, cheap, and easy to make, but they don't reach the pinnacle of beyond home-cooked quality that the food-court original provides.

When chicken bakes cropped up on the Costco food court menu in the early 2000s, it was a revelation for snackers and lunch diners in search of something different to dine on. Essentially a Hot Pocket shaped like a cheese-covered baguette filled with strips of chicken in a garlicky cream sauce, the chicken bake was almost too good for words. It was certainly better than a homemade stromboli or spanakopita, two similar dishes which ambitious home chefs (like me) were never quite able to pull off at Costco levels of deliciousness. I left these hypnotic creations behind when I moved to a plant-based diet, but my tongue holds happy memories of the enjoyment they offered in Costco shopping trips gone by.

How taste bud-boggling is the Costco chicken bake compared to homemade takes on this calzone alternative? It's so good it inspired its own homemade chicken bake movement, with copycat chicken bake recipes showing up and being shared online. It also prompted Costco to release a frozen version of the chicken bake for those who need it quicker than home cooking allows. A food court item that trumps home cooking so well it creates an "Inception"-like moment that makes people want to cook instead of just rolling to Costco and laying out cash? That's a phenomenon no one should take a pass on.

The basic recipe for pesto makes it seem like a foolproof handcrafted sauce any amateur cook should be capable of. A mix of oil, nuts, herbs, and garlic that gets blitzed in the blender is a slam dunk in the world of home cuisine, and yet somehow, I regularly fail to miss the mark, falling short in either texture or flavor — and sometimes both. So if there's no hope for homemade pesto on the horizon, it's comforting knowing that jarred Kirkland Signature pesto can summon the spirit of home cooking without making me wonder if I should serve bare pasta instead. With this jar, the answer is always, "Press on with the pesto."

The heart and soul of this fan-favorite pesto sauce, of course, is basil; with Kirkland's pesto, it's 100% Genovese basil imported from Italy, a guarantee that home cooks in the United States wouldn't be able to offer on their own. One customer took to Reddit to share that the Costco version is "life-changing" and confirms that the effort it takes to make your own doesn't balance out when you have a high-quality, ready-to-serve version available nearby. It pays to grab a jar on your next visit and keep it on hand for when pasta becomes the main event and red or white sauce seem played out. You'll have zesty pesto that's sure to impress, and all you have to do is pour.

If your version of homemade cinnamon rolls come from an exploding cardboard tube found in the refrigerator section of your local grocery store, Costco cinnamon rolls would like to have a word. The only place you're likely to find pastries more enticing might be the commercial building at a state fair, where cinnamon rolls take on the dimensions of full-sized cakes that require sharing if you're planning on riding the High Roller afterward. With Costco's luscious bakes waiting among the other bread-based items, you can easily indulge in a treat that's bound to be better than what you can whip up on your own.

One fan of these sugary morsels explained on Reddit how Costco hooked him with free samples that turned him into a fanatic, keeping a stash in the freezer for easy access when his sweet tooth starts gnawing at him. It's a great reminder that you don't have to feel obliged to finish off the whole pan before the best-enjoyed-by date on the lid; you can keep them cold and nibble on them for weeks to come. But even if they stay on the counter for a while, another Redditor noted how great they taste even a few days after purchase, declaring that they were preferable to Cinnabon, the undisputed champ of cinnamon roll supremacy. That's a mighty sweet endorsement and one that speaks volumes about how much more you'll enjoy rolling with Costco's cinnamon rolls than having to bake them yourself.

Sure, you could shop for the ingredients required to make your own broccoli cheddar soup and put your epicurean talents to the test coming up with a version that reaches restaurant levels of quality. But with Kirkland Signature Broccoli Cheddar Soup available at the Costco right around the corner, why would you ever go through all of that rigmarole? What if it ends up too thin and tastes more like milk, or thickens too quickly and becomes queso littered with broccoli bits? Instead, you can crack open the Kirkland lid, peel back the protective seal, and heat your way to soup house satisfaction in minutes. Affordable and convenient always beats labor-intensive and dicey, especially when you have picky kids to feed (and my kids love this soup).

Don't be deceived by the deceptively chilly reception this soup receives online. YouTube reviewer Chef Dawg introduced his wife and daughter to this Kirkland classic, only to discover his samplers weren't in favor of the flavor (his wife isn't a broccoli fan, so it's not entirely a fair setup). His daughter rated it right in the middle of the scale. But the chef himself disagreed and rated it much higher as a store-bought soup, noting an improved recipe that seems to have upped the quality. While it's nice to find others who agree, I would stand by the better-than-homemade essence of these superior soups even if I was alone in my assessment. That just means more soup for me.

Everyone has their own template for what a proper salsa should consist of, whether it's a more restaurant-style dip with a sauce-like consistency or a fresher, chunkier salad-like concoction where the vegetables are more likely to retain their original forms. I prefer the salsa fresca form, which makes Kirkland Signature Organic Salsa the ideal alternative to chopping my own vegetables and tossing in spoonfuls of seasonings, only to achieve a slightly different take with every next attempt. While it's nice to have a variety, I'd prefer a dependable dip that satisfies without mysterious twists, an accomplishment which Costco salsa easily handles.

Redditors were quick to correct an original post that smacked down the salsa, chiming in with their praise of the quality-to-price ratio. One customer estimated their regular purchases amounted to more than 100 jars through the years, a testament to the staying power of a product from Kirkland, which frequently changes its formulations for popular items and quickly loses established followings. This salsa is a stalwart, though, a dependable buy when dipping into the homemade salsa biz is more work than it's worth.

Anyone who's ever face-planted in the kitchen while believing there was a top-notch homemade lasagna baking in the oven should appreciate having Kirkland Signature frozen lasagna as an alternative. I've smiled through soupy sauce and slimy noodles, nodded along with burnt cheese and dried-out ground beef enough times to know there's an art to making this stratified specialty. Being able to swing by Costco and tuck a two-pack into the cart quickly became a family ritual that helped us steer clear of lasagna trauma that just wasn't necessary once we found this Kirkland creation.

Depending on your taste, you may find you prefer Trader Joe's lasagna to Costco, though the points on which the two differ boil down to personal preference rather than full-on quality issues. But if your Costco card is current and you favor shopping the warehouse rather than the small-house, you'll probably find — like many Reddit users have expressed — that this generous pan provides flavor that bests homemade in most cases. It also minimizes the fallout from spending hours preparing a handcrafted lasagna only to find out it doesn't make the grade once it's on the table. Why take the chance when Costco has you covered?

Ah, the famous Costco pumpkin pie, that mammoth made of sugar, eggs, pumpkin, and sheer delight. It never fails to cause a stir when it reappears around the end of the year as a holiday special purchase that shoppers anxiously await. In my festive happenings, this oversized pastry is a regular feature of the Thanksgiving dessert table and always ends up being devoured more hungrily than the homemade versions offered. Having gone to the effort to make my own pumpkin pies in the past, I can easily attest that dropping whatever money this Costco classic costs when it shows up is well worth the expense.

I'm not alone in this belief, obviously, or this pie wouldn't have achieved the legendary status it has, no matter the price. With so many variations on homemade pumpkin pie, Redditors call out the potential for disappointment delivered by family cooks, which is easily avoided with a simple spin through the Costco bakery department. It may only show up for a few weeks, but the enjoyment tops the list of sweet experiences far better than the fresh stuff can.

Garlic Parmesan bread takes three whole ingredients to achieve, and yet my take on garlic bread is usually struggling, even when made from freshly-baked bread. Either the bread is too thin or too thick, or the garlic-Parmesan combo too zesty or too weak, or the butter is too salty or not salty enough. I've pretty much given up on fine-tuning the process in favor of grabbing a Costco loaf, which requires only my ability to turn on an oven to achieve success. It makes my life easier and the lives of anyone dining with me a much happier phenomenon.

Not only does Costco rise above homemade garlic Parmesan bread possibilities, but there are some Reddit users who say it's better than any other garlic bread, bar none. Some even prefer it to the high-end bakery loaves they've tried. Isn't it good to know that you can always swoop into your favorite bulk shopping outlet for bread that's not going to turn your Italian supper into a Greek tragedy? I think so.

Years of shopping at Costco for items to replace my failed homemade dishes has clued me in on the best purchases for a host of occasions. While I'm not pleased to admit my limitations in the world of cuisine, I'm more than happy to know that the wholesale warehouse in my neighborhood has fantastic replacements at great prices waiting to help me out. It's the kind of service I don't find at chain grocery stores, and it's well worth the cost of admission.

I knew I wasn't alone in my opinions here; all it took was a little online research to uncover others who call out the better-than-homemade quality of many Costco items. Some were so enthusiastic about depending entirely on the Costco version instead of even bothering with homemade versions anymore. That sort of loyalty arises from the dependable nature of Costco foods and instills a sense of confidence that says no matter how sketchy your home cooking may be, there's a solution that's always ready to save the meal.