The Worst Kirkland Signature Sweet Snack At Costco Isn't Worth Buying Bulk

Costco stocks its shelves with bulk-sized food items from many manufacturers. If you're someone with a sweet tooth, a membership is worthwhile for the amount of money you'll save on sweet snacks and candy alone. Plus, you won't have to run to the grocery store to restock your dessert cabinet as often. Need 180 Oreos? They've got you covered. Thirty-six Ferrero Rochers? In the candy aisle. Even Costco's house brand, Kirkland, has quite a few sugary offerings, and some give the bigger brand names a run for their money. Kirkland Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies beat any other grocery store cookie and Kirkland Pecan Pralines are unique to the store. But we tested and ranked seven Kirkland sweet snacks, and understandably, not every Kirkland product is a winner. Cute as they are, the Organic Animal Crackers came in last.

This is a four-pound container, so you're really committing when you buy it. The crackers are kid-friendly, but to more sophisticated palates they're just a bit dry — bland in flavor and in texture. There's just a hint of sweetness to them, which might be a plus to avoid giving your kiddos a sugar rush, but they aren't going to satisfy a true sweet craving. You won't find yourself reaching for these over literally any other treat; they just can't compare.

Perhaps you snagged the large container of animal crackers at Costco and were disappointed by the contents. Luckily, animal crackers have many creative uses besides just snacking on them. And bland as they are on their own, the little guys are enjoyable when mixed with other goodies. Throw some into your bowl of popcorn for a satisfying contrast of salty and sweet flavors. Cover them in chocolate to give them that something extra they so desperately need. You can squish a spoonful of ice cream between two of them to make mini ice cream sandwiches. Or crush up some animal crackers to use as a base for dessert bars, like lemon bars or millionaire's shortbread. Think: graham cracker crust, but animal crackers.

Otherwise, leave the animal crackers at the warehouse. Costco's Kirkland brand has plenty of other sweets that deserve to crowd your pantry with their extra large packages and containers.