A Professional Baker Chooses Between Costco and Walmart and the Result Is Surprising

Alana Al-Hatlani, a professional baker, decided to try the chocolate chip cookies from four popular chains: Costco, Walmart, Kroger, and Safeway. With years of experience in baking, Alana had high expectations. But what she discovered between Costco and Walmart was a significant difference, and she recounted it a few months ago in Business Insider.

The Expectations of a Professional Baker

As an expert, Alana knows what a good cookie should have and doesn't like cookies that are too sweet. For her, the chocolate must balance the sugar. Texture is also important: the center should be soft, and the edges, crunchy.

When trying Costco's cookies, Alana was pleasantly surprised. The Kirkland Signature brand ones were the most balanced. From the first glance, she noticed the generous chocolate chunks.

The cookies had a soft center and slightly firm edges. Additionally, the vanilla flavor and golden color indicated the use of brown sugar. For Alana, these cookies were the closest to a homemade recipe.

Costco: The Best Option

Costco's cookies were Alana's favorites. They had a soft and chewy texture, with large chocolate chunks that didn't get lost in the dough.

The amount of brown sugar gave them a hint of toffee and molasses. Something that, according to Alana, is essential for a good chocolate chip cookie. The vanilla flavor was prominent, something many other commercial cookies fail to achieve.

Alana noticed that, although they were store-bought cookies, they had that homemade taste she values so much. The cookie was neither too sweet nor too bitter. It was the perfect balance.

Walmart: A Disappointment

In contrast, Walmart's cookies did not impress Alana, and although they were soft and moist, they were too sweet. The cookie's pale color suggested that Walmart didn't use much brown sugar, which took away depth. Additionally, the lack of chocolate made them seem more like a sugar cookie than a chocolate one.

Walmart's cookie had few chocolate chunks. This made the flavor very sugary, but without the complexity of dark chocolate.

Alana found that these cookies were not balanced. Although the texture was pleasant, the flavor did not meet her expectations.

Safeway and Kroger: Halfway There

When trying Safeway's cookies, Alana found that they were the crunchiest. They had a soft center, but the edges were thin and crispy. Although the cookies had a decent amount of chocolate, the flavor was quite sweet and monotonous: they weren't bad, but they didn't stand out either.

Kroger's cookies, under the Fred Meyer brand, were a decent option. Although they had a soft texture and a generous amount of chocolate chips, their flavor was too sweet.

They lacked the vanilla and molasses notes that Alana expected. While they were better than Walmart's and Safeway's, they didn't reach the level of Costco's.

The Final Verdict: Costco Wins

After trying the cookies from the four chains, Alana reached a clear conclusion: Costco has the best chocolate chip cookies. For her, the Kirkland Signature cookies were the closest to a homemade recipe. The soft texture, vanilla flavor, and large chocolate chunks made them stand out.

Kroger's Fred Meyer cookies were a close option, but they didn't surpass Costco's. Walmart's, on the other hand, were too sweet and lacked chocolate, making them disappointing. Safeway also fell halfway: crunchy, but too sweet.