The Costco Bakery Item That Gets Returned So Much You May Want To Leave It On The Shelves

Costco has a celebrated list of bakery icons, like legendary croissants and layer cakes, but not everything at the Kirkland Signature bakery is a hit with customers. Costco's pumpkin spice bagels and the rosemary parmesan cheese loaf landed on our list of Costco bakery items to avoid (don't worry, there are items worth buying). Kirkland Signature's Triple Chocolate Muffins have also gotten a bad reputation. Customers are sending them straight back to Costco (or tossing them in the trash) after trying a single bite. With that kind of reputation, many say you should skip them entirely.

The complaints started in late 2024, when Costco made changes to its once-popular chocolate muffins. The iconic muffins are now among the fan-favorite Costco bakery items that were discontinued, and the new version is a whole lot different. Costco's chocolate muffins are now smaller and are sold in an 8-pack for $7.99 instead of the old 12-pack for $10. Customers don't like the price increase, but they have a few other qualms as well. "They're tiny, expensive, overly-thick, dry, and have an off-putting taste to them. The wrappers are annoying too. It hardly even tastes like real chocolate," one Redditor said. "The old big muffins were a journey and an experience. Large enough to feel satisfied. Sweet enough, and still soft and bready. I hope they bring the old ones back as this new thing isn't edible."

Costco tinkered with the recipe for its chocolate muffins and it hasn't panned out. Customers say they can taste a difference in the batter, describing the texture of the chocolate as "gummy and chewy" while the muffin is dry and flavorless. Shoppers are dishing out quite a bit more cash for each muffin, too, just like other Costco food favorites that keep getting more expensive. The new muffins are 58% more expensive per ounce than the old muffins — all that extra cash for a lot more disappointment. "Old formula was easily a 8/10. Not the best, very far from the worst," one Redditor wrote. "New formula is a 6/10 at best. Factor in the terrible value proposition and we're looking at a 4/10 overall."

The switch from using seed oils to real butter in Kirkland Signature's new chocolate muffins means they spoil faster, too. Customers say they don't reheat as well in the microwave after being frozen, either.

Customers who loved the muffins of the past are disgruntled enough to take action. "My son was so disappointed that he asked to email the CEO to request the old muffins back," one Redditor wrote. "Still waiting on a reply." For some, the switch cuts deep enough to sever ties with the warehouse completely; like this Redditor, who posted, "I'm not renewing my Costco membership over this. The larger muffins have been a flagship product in Costco for years. They have shot themselves in the foot and just yesterday I noticed the bakery was stacked with these smaller muffins and nobody was touching them."