Something About This Costco Bakery Favorite Seems Different Lately, According To Reddit
The list of in-house products adored by Costco shoppers seems endless, and the bulk-buying destination's chocolate chunk cookies are no doubt a fan favorite. They're beloved by many for their vanilla-forward taste, golden-brown hue, and chewy consistency, not to mention the generous dose of chocolate chunks. However, these days, customers swear the cookies aren't as good as they used to be.
Many Redditors claim that the texture is the main difference. "My guys say that they don't like the cookies anymore because they claimed that, a few weeks ago, the cookies were more firm. And now, they break up too easily," one shopper writes. "I have noticed they crumble real easy now," another responds. Others say the cookies are now too hard to enjoy, rather than brittle.
Some feel the quality of the bakery's chocolate chunk cookies started to plummet just as Costco brought the massive double chocolate chunk cookie to its food courts, controversially in place of the cult-favorite churros. "The dough is brittle and crumbles easily," one customer alleges.
Has Costco changed its chocolate chunk cookies and can they be made better?
If you've ever wondered why Costco's food court cookies taste different than the bakery version, an employee confirmed that the former are made with butter and the latter with oil. Butter has a shorter shelf life, but the food court cookies are meant to be sold immediately anyway. It's unclear if the bakery recipe has changed beyond that. Some shoppers believe rising costs for ingredients, such as cocoa, caused Costo to alter its lineup of baked goods. Like the chain's updated muffins, the chocolate chunk cookies have unfortunately become a Costco bakery item shoppers regret buying.
It's unclear just how widespread the texture complaints are, but a poster in the subreddit for residents of Japan is dismayed that the once-chewy treats they had eaten for years became harder to bite. Contrarily, another commenter feels the cookies had long been mediocre. "They've always been hard as a rock when I buy them, so I always heat them for like, 15 seconds first ... I prefer the variety pack, the oatmeal raisin cookies are so much moister," the Redditor suggests.
Some argue that store-bought cookies are always a mistake. "It's just mass-produced dough made at a local commissary and distributed to all the stores. The priority is shelf life, not taste or quality," one Redditor retorts. "Homemade cookies are so cheap, easy, and incredibly delicious compared to any store-bought." chimes another. Order the food court cookies for a fresher bite, or warm up the bakery cookies to see if it helps; if not, try a Costco copycat recipe at home.