As the holiday season approaches, many people are starting to think about holiday baking. One of the most classic holiday treats is gingerbread cookies. With their sweet molasses flavor and fun shapes, gingerbread cookies are a quintessential part of many holiday celebrations. This leads to the question – does Costco, the popular warehouse store, make and sell gingerbread cookies? Let’s take a look at what kinds of holiday baked goods Costco offers.
An Overview of Costco’s Holiday Baked Goods
Costco is known for selling items in large quantities at wholesale prices. Their bakery section offers sheet cakes, muffins, danishes, pies, and other baked goods. During the holiday season, Costco bakeries often expand their offerings to include more festive treats.
Some of the holiday baked goods typically available at Costco include:
- Pumpkin pies
- Pecan pies
- Apple pies
- Yule logs
- Panettone
- Fruitcake
- Gingerbread cake
- Sugar cookies
The availability of specific baked goods can vary by location. Offerings are usually announced in Costco mailers leading up to the holidays. It’s a good idea to check with your local Costco bakery to confirm what holiday baked goods they have in stock.
Do Costco Bakeries Make Gingerbread Cookies?
When it comes to gingerbread cookies specifically, Costco does not make and sell these from their in-house bakeries. The holiday cookies offered at Costco bakeries are usually limited to sugar cookies or shortbread cookies cut into seasonal shapes.
Why doesn’t Costco sell gingerbread men or gingerbread houses from their bakery?
There are a few likely reasons:
- Gingerbread cookies would be difficult to make in the large quantities required at Costco.
- The process of decorating gingerbread is time consuming and labor intensive.
- Gingerbread doesn’t keep as well as sturdier cookies like sugar or shortbread.
- There isn’t enough demand compared to other holiday baked goods.
The bakery at Costco focuses on producing sheet cakes, pies, muffins, and other treats that can be made efficiently and sell quickly. The hands-on process of decorating individual gingerbread cookies doesn’t quite fit their business model.
Purchasing Gingerbread at Costco
Even though Costco doesn’t make their own gingerbread, you can still find gingerbread products for sale at many Costco locations during the holiday season.
Some of the gingerbread options you might find include:
- Packaged gingerbread house kits
- Boxes of pre-made gingerbread men
- Gingerbread baking mixes
- Tubes of gingerbread cookie dough
- Gingerbread syrup or extract
These gingerbread products are usually made by third party brands and sold at Costco on a seasonal basis. Stock can vary, but you might find them on endcaps or in the baked goods section.
Gingerbread Options at Costco
| Product | Details |
|---|---|
| Gingerbread House Kit | Includes pre-baked gingerbread pieces and candies for decorating |
| Gingerbread Men | Box of 14-20 ready-to-eat gingerbread cookies |
| Gingerbread Mix | Baking mix to make homemade gingerbread |
| Gingerbread Dough | Pre-made refrigerated dough to cut and bake |
| Gingerbread Syrup | Flavored syrup for making gingerbread lattes |
Around the winter holidays, be sure to browse the seasonal sections at your local Costco warehouse to see what types of gingerbread products they have in stock.
Ordering Gingerbread from the Costco Bakery
While Costco doesn’t make gingerbread cookies in-house, some locations may be willing to take special orders for larger quantities of customized gingerbread cookies or houses.
If you need several dozen gingerbread men for a holiday party or want a large gingerbread house for a store display, consider calling your local Costco bakery to ask about placing a special order.
Keep in mind that lead time and pricing will vary, and not all Costco locations decorate gingerbread. It depends on staffing and availability at each individual warehouse. But it can’t hurt to ask if you need a large quantity of decorative gingerbread!
Buying Gingerbread at Other Stores
If you’re looking for high quality decorative gingerbread cookies, houses, or kits, you may want to check your local grocery stores, craft stores, or bakeries. Stores known for their gingerbread selection include:
- Trader Joe’s
- Whole Foods
- Joann
- Michaels
- William Sonoma
- Pepperidge Farm
- Local bakeries
These retailers tend to carry more variety when it comes to packaged gingerbread cookies, baking ingredients, and decorating supplies compared to Costco.
Making Gingerbread at Home
Rather than buying pre-made gingerbread, you can also make gingerbread from scratch at home. This allows you to customize the flavors and shapes.
Here is an easy homemade gingerbread recipe to try:
Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
Ingredients:
- 3 cups flour
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup molasses
Directions:
- Whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and cloves.
- In a separate bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in egg and molasses.
- Gradually mix in dry ingredients until combined.
- Chill dough for 2-3 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4″ thickness.
- Cut into shapes using cookie cutters.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until set.
- Cool and decorate with frosting and candies.
This makes 2-3 dozen cookies. The recipe can be doubled for larger batches. Get the kids involved in rolling out and decorating the cookies for a fun homemade treat!
Gingerbread Alternatives
If classic gingerbread isn’t your thing, consider one of these fun alternatives:
Maple Gingerbread
For a fall flavor twist, substitute maple syrup for some or all of the molasses in a gingerbread recipe. It gives the cookies a nice maple-ginger taste.
Lemon Gingerbread
Add lemon extract and lemon zest to gingerbread dough. Ice the cookies with lemon royal icing for a bright citrusy flavor.
Chai Gingerbread
Stir a tablespoon of chai tea powder into the dry ingredients for gingerbread cookies. Top with chai icing made with powdered sugar, milk, and extra chai powder.
Peppermint Gingerbread
Add a teaspoon of peppermint extract to gingerbread dough and decorate cookies with crushed peppermint candies. Or sprinkle cookie tops with coarse sugar for a sparkly finish.
Conclusion
Costco may not offer gingerbread cookies and houses from their in-store bakeries, but you can find packaged gingerbread products at many Costco locations during the holidays. Check for gingerbread kits, cookie assortments, baking mixes, and decorating supplies. For customized, freshly baked gingerbread, try placing a special order through your local Costco bakery or purchasing from a grocery store, craft store, or bakery that specializes in gingerbread. Of course, baking gingerbread from scratch at home can also be a fun seasonal activity. Whether you get it at Costco or make it yourself, enjoy this iconic holiday treat!