Costco Muffins Got Smaller And The Company Blamed It On Customers

Among Costco's many popular bakery goods, their muffins are often considered sacred to the store's loyal customers. So when the wholesaler made a drastic change to its freshly baked muffins, all hell broke loose. Costco's original muffins were massive, came in packs of six, and were only sold in pairs — meaning, you couldn't purchase just one six-pack. Customers could even mix and match two different flavors according to their preference. Then, towards the end of 2024, Costco's classic muffins were replaced by new, smaller muffins in larger eight-pack containers. To add insult to injury, some media outlets, like Better Homes & Gardens even reported that Costco made the swap specifically to mitigate customer complaints. 

In fact, to Costco's credit, many customers have actually been happy to see the massive muffins go. Some found the old treats too big for regular consumption, especially with the required two packages rule — which often left people unable to finish all 12 giant muffins before they went bad. Others have noted that the new, smaller muffins help them curb potential overeating habits. Plus, people are also rightfully pointing out that the new muffin size is much closer to a regular-sized muffin, meaning it doesn't need to be cut in half to eat. Despite the positives, there is still a significant pool of customers disappointed with the change.

Customers have many grievances with Costco's new muffins. While the size of the muffins is more of a personal preference, people seem predominantly upset by the fact that they're essentially paying more money for an overall smaller amount since this change was made. Originally, the price of muffins was set at $9.99 for a total of 12 large muffins (split between two mix-and-match six-packs). Now, the price is $6.99 for eight smaller muffins (that you cannot mix and match). This makes the new muffins over 50% more expensive per ounce, causing some Costco shoppers to call out the swap as shrinkflation — also known as the reason why many of your favorite foods keep getting smaller.

Then there are the flavor changes. Gone are fan-favorite classics like poppy seed, blueberry, and vanilla chocolate chunk, instead replaced by new flavor combos like butter pecan and lemon raspberry. While the jury is still out on these updated flavors, some are already loving the novelty while others find the new smaller muffins too dry for their taste. Change is often good, but when it comes to Costco's muffins, we can't help but wonder if the warehouse brand changed too many things all at once.