I'm a professional baker. Here are 9 staple ingredients I recommend stocking up on at Costco.
I'm a professional baker shopping at Costco for my baking staples this holiday season.
It's convenient to buy common ingredients like flour, sugar, and pure vanilla extract in bulk.
Embrace the seasonal flavors with cans of pumpkin and bags of pecans.
I go through a ton of butter over the holidays.
Most of my baked goods, especially holiday cookies, start with several sticks of butter.
I always use unsalted butter for baking, and I can grab a big package at Costco for less money than if I bought smaller ones at the grocery store.
A pack of Kirkland's unsalted butter comes with four 1-pound boxes and costs $13.99.
The wholesale chain sells Libby's canned pumpkin in packs of three.
Pumpkin pie, bread, and cookies are always on the menu this time of year.
I love buying pureed pumpkin at Costco since I can get three 29-ounce cans for $8.99.
Flour is basically always on my shopping list.
A baking staple, flour affects the consistency and texture of cookies, pie crusts, cakes, and more.
I prefer to use unbleached flour, and I can grab a pack of two organic, 10-pound bags for $15.79.
Granulated sugar is another staple ingredient.
Sugar is a common sweetener that can also affect the texture of your baked goods, like when creamed with butter.
Costco sells a 10-pound bag of C&H's granulated sugar for $7.99.
Kirkland's bags of pecans are a great deal.
From making mini pecan pies to adding nuts to cookies, the cost of this ingredient can add up so I always snag a bag at Costco to take advantage of the wholesale price.
A 2-pound bag of Kirkland's pecan halves sells for $14.99.
Pure vanilla extract is my favorite thing to buy at Costco.
I wholeheartedly believe pure vanilla extract makes every baked good taste better.
People often opt for the artificial stuff since it's cheaper, but the pure ingredient is a great deal at Costco.
Stock up on a 16-ounce bottle of pure vanilla extract for just $11.99.
Brown sugar is a key ingredient in my favorite cookie recipes.
Brown sugar is the key to great flavor and a chewy texture in many cookie recipes.
I often combine it with granulated sugar to make the perfect chocolate-chip cookies, sometimes swapping out the chocolaty chunks for holiday-colored M&M's.
A 7 1/2-pound bag of organic brown sugar is $8.99.
I use Kirkland's semisweet chocolate chips in a variety of ways.
You can't make chocolate-chip cookies without this key ingredient.
I also will melt it and dip cookies, pretzel rods, and marshmallows in it for a fun, flavorful twist.
A 4 1/2-pound bag of Kirkland's semisweet chocolate chips costs $9.99.
I use plenty of powdered sugar for snowball cookies.
Powdered sugar looks a lot like snow, so I roll snowball cookies in it.
The ingredient is also great for making chocolate crinkle cookies and upgrading peanut-butter balls.
A 7-pound bag of C&H's powdered sugar is $7.29.
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