Costco’s Holiday Cookies Ranked Worst to Best

Costco has a way of making the holidays feel instantly doable especially in the cookie aisle. But not every festive tin or tray hits the same once you get it home. We tasted a lineup of Costco’s seasonal cookies with one question in mind: which ones feel most worth your cart space right now? The ranking below weighs flavor, texture, freshness, and overall “giftability,” from the cookies that are more of a cute idea to the ones that disappear fastest at parties. You might disagree, so consider this a starting point for your own holiday cookie debate.

Holiday House Cookie Tin

These little house-shaped speculoos-style cookies win big on looks. The tin is charming, and the spice aroma gives instant cozy vibes. But the eating experience can feel less magical: the texture tends to be extra crunchy, and some batches taste flatter than you’d expect from such a fragrant cookie. It’s not a total miss, more like a “buy for the tin, enjoy a few, then move on” situation. If you’ve tried them, did your batch taste better than ours?

Gille Swedish Cookies

The packaging here screams “holiday hostess gift,” and the variety inside sounds impressive; ginger snaps, oat rings, drizzle cookies, and more. In practice, though, these can lean dry and crumbly, likely from the long import journey. There are bright spots, but the collection as a whole feels more nostalgic than craveable. Still, some people love that old-school, tea-cookie vibe. Are these comforting to you or just okay?

Stockmeyer Butter Cookie Music Tin

This one is pure holiday theater: a wind-up tin that plays “Let It Snow” while spinning. The cookies inside are buttery biscuits with caramel, individually wrapped, so they keep their snap better than most tins. Flavor-wise, they’re pleasant and mellow, but the caramel-to-cookie ratio can feel shy, especially if you’re expecting a gooier bite. It’s a great gift if you value presentation, but would you rebuy for taste alone?

Chateau Du Monde Raspberry Jam & Crème Cookies

These feel like a classic holiday cookie done neatly. The butter base is tender-crisp, the raspberry jam tastes real and bright, and the individually wrapped pieces stay fresh. The only knock is that the jam layer could be a touch more generous, depending on your sweet tooth. Still, they’re easy to snack on and easy to share. Linzer fans will probably rank these higher, where would you place them?

David’s Butter Pecan Meltaways

These are the “quiet crowd-pleasers.” Nothing flashy, no fancy tin; just soft, powdery shortbread-like cookies with pecans that live up to their meltaway name. The balance is the win here: buttery without being greasy, nutty without tasting heavy, sweet without a sugar overload. They’re a safe pick for almost any cookie table. But are they exciting enough to crack your top three?

Bakery Street Soft-Baked Gingerbread Cookies

If you like gingerbread that’s more chewy than crunchy, this one’s your lane. The molasses smell hits first, then you get a warm ginger kick that lingers without being sharp. Texture is plush and soft, the kind that feels bakery-fresh even from a container. They’re not heavily frosted or over-sweet, which makes them easy to eat in multiples.

Kirkland Signature European Cookies With Belgian Chocolate

For sheer variety and value, this tin is hard to beat. You get a big mix of wafers, crisps, rolls, and butter cookies, many finished with rich Belgian chocolate. The flavors rotate between caramel, mocha, and deep cocoa notes, so it never feels repetitive. It’s basically a holiday dessert tray in a tin. The only reason it’s not #1 is because our top pick feels more “special occasion.”

St. Michel French Pastry Collection

These are the cookies people hover around. They’re more cake-like French pastries; madeleines, almond cakes, and chocolate-covered bites — each individually wrapped and consistently moist. The chocolate tastes high quality, the sponge texture feels delicate, and every piece seems designed for slow snacking with coffee or hot chocolate. It’s the tin that actually feels like a treat, not just a seasonal tradition. If you’ve tried this set, is it your #1 too?

Conclusion

Costco’s holiday cookie lineup is a reminder that “best” depends on what you want: gift-ready tins, nostalgic flavors, or cookies that vanish the second you open the box. The good news is even the lower-ranked picks can shine in the right moment. Sometimes the tin is the present, sometimes the cookie is. And if you’d rather skip tins entirely, Costco’s rotating holiday bakery trays keep getting love too.  So… what’s your personal #1 Costco holiday cookie, and which one do you think is overrated?