25 Vegetarian Costco Finds Worth the Membership

That tiny 1-gram jar of Kirkland saffron took about 150 to 170 flowers to fill, and every one of them was picked by hand.

Costco is full of surprises like that once you read the labels. The peanut butter uses a peanut that makes up less than 1% of the US crop. By law, the vanilla has to be at least 70 proof.

Some labels catch you out, too. The basil pesto jar contains cheese made with rennet, so it isn’t vegetarian. The “walnut halves” bag turns out to be mostly pieces.

Everything below is meatless, from the pantry shelves to the freezer case, and a few come with a catch worth knowing before you load the cart.

Here are the 25 finds worth pushing a giant cart around for.

1. Kirkland Signature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

In 2010, UC Davis tested store-bought “extra virgin” olive oil, and most of the imports flunked.

The UC Davis Olive Center, working with the Australian Oils Research Laboratory, bought 14 imported and 5 California brands from stores in three California regions. 69% of the imported samples failed the extra virgin standards. Of all the imported brands, only one passed the sensory tests with all three regional samples: Kirkland Organic.

That was 2010, and those were 2010 bottles. Nobody’s claiming today’s jug was in the lab. Still, it’s a nice thing to know about a 2-liter bottle that lives next to your stove.

2. Kirkland Signature Organic Pure Maple Syrup

Only two countries make maple syrup at commercial scale, and one of them makes most of the world’s supply.

In 2025, Canada produced more than 75% of the world’s maple syrup, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Quebec alone made 90.0% of Canada’s output.

Costco’s US page doesn’t say where the syrup in this 1-liter jug comes from.

The ingredient list is one line long: “Pure Organic Maple Syrup.” It’s Grade A Amber Rich and organic.

3. Kirkland Signature Organic Peanut Butter

This twin pack is listed as made with Valencia peanuts, and Valencias are a rarity.

The National Peanut Board says Valencias make up less than 1% of US peanut production. They’re grown mainly in Texas and New Mexico, they often carry three or more kernels per shell, and they have a sweet flavor. Runner peanuts make up more than 80% of the US crop.

The jars are dry roasted peanuts sprinkled with sea salt. You get two 28-ounce jars, which is a lot of toast.

4. Kirkland Signature Organic Spanish Saffron

One gram of saffron takes about 150 to 170 flowers.

Each saffron crocus has a trio of bright red stigmas, and every one of those flowers gets handpicked, with the stigmas pulled out by hand. UVM Extension puts it at roughly 4,000 flowers for a single ounce of spice.

Kirkland’s jar holds 1 gram. So that tiny container on the shelf is about 150 to 170 flowers’ worth of somebody’s careful work. Look for it if your warehouse carries it, because it doesn’t show up everywhere.

5. Kirkland Signature Organic Tofu, Extra Firm

Kirkland’s own tofu is a fairly new addition, and it fixes tofu’s most annoying bulk problem.

The four 16-ounce blocks are individually packaged. You open one, and the other three stay sealed in the fridge until you need them. The label lists 10 grams of protein per serving.

If your warehouse doesn’t have the Kirkland version yet, Costco also stocks brand-name organic tofu four-packs, like House Foods.

6. Kirkland Signature Organic Roasted Seaweed

A whole pack of this seaweed is five servings. Good luck stopping at one.

Each 0.6-ounce pack is labeled at 5 servings of 20 calories, so the whole thing is 100 calories if you eat it all standing at the counter. The box holds 10 packs, made in Korea, sesame flavored.

The ingredient list is short: organic seaweed, organic sunflower oil, organic sesame oil and sea salt. It contains no fish ingredients at all.

7. Dave’s Killer Bread Organic 21 Whole Grains and Seeds

Dave Dahl returned to his family’s bakery after serving 15 years in prison.

His family bought the bakery in 1955. Dave’s Killer Bread launched in 2005 at the Portland Farmers Market. In 2014, it expanded into Canada through Costco.

The company calls itself a proud Second Chance Employer, meaning it hires people with criminal records. The bread itself is 100% whole grain, organic and labeled “No animal products.” Costco sells it as a two-loaf pack of 27-ounce loaves, if your warehouse carries it.

8. Kirkland Signature Organic Hummus

Twenty little cups of hummus beat one big tub that turns fuzzy by Thursday.

The box holds 20 cups at 2.5 ounces each, 3 pounds 2 ounces total, organic and made in the USA. You grab one for lunch, and the rest stay sealed.

If you go through hummus fast, there’s also a 34-ounce tub of Kirkland Organic Roasted Pine Nut Hummus. Both are plant-based.

9. Kirkland Signature Pure Vanilla Extract

Your vanilla extract is legally required to be at least 70 proof.

FDA rules say anything labeled vanilla extract has to contain not less than 35% ethyl alcohol by volume. Double that and you get 70 proof, which puts your baking cabinet in the same neighborhood as a lot of liqueurs.

Kirkland’s bottle is 16 fluid ounces. That’s a pint of vanilla, which will outlast a lot of birthday cakes.

10. Kirkland Signature Organic Quinoa

Four and a half pounds of quinoa from Peru, in a resealable bag. That’s the whole pitch, and it’s a good one.

Shelf-stable grains are where bulk buying makes the most sense. Quinoa doesn’t wilt, doesn’t need the fridge and doesn’t care if you forget about it for a month.

11. Kirkland Signature Three Berry Blend

This frozen bag is raspberries, blueberries and blackberries, and it’s not organic.

The 4-pound bag is individually quick frozen, with no sugar added and no preservatives added. The label calls it a good source of vitamin C and fiber. Townsend Farms reportedly packs it.

If you want organic, Costco sells those separately, like a 3-pound bag of Kirkland Organic Blueberries and a 4-pound bag of Organic Strawberries.

12. Kirkland Signature Organic No-Salt Seasoning

There’s dried carrot in this shaker. Also orange peel and lemon peel.

It’s a blend of 21 organic spices packed in the USA, plus citric acid. The full list runs from onion, garlic and black pepper through bay leaves, savory, mustard seed, cumin, coriander, cayenne and rosemary.

There’s no salt in the blend, so you control that part. Shake it on roasted vegetables, potatoes, eggs or a pot of beans. The 14.5-ounce bottle lasts a long time.

13. Banza Chickpea Pasta

Banza’s pasta is made mainly from chickpeas, which makes it an easy way to sneak legumes into a weeknight bowl of noodles.

Costco has carried both rotini and cavatappi over time, usually in a jumbo multi-box or a bulk bag. Shapes and sizes rotate, so grab whatever shape your warehouse has that week.

14. Kirkland Signature Organic Pine Nuts

This 1.5-pound bag of pine nuts gives you plenty for homemade pesto and pasta.

The bag is organic and kosher. Pine nuts go into pasta and salads, onto roasted vegetables and into pesto.

Here’s the trap. The Kirkland Signature Basil Pesto jar a few aisles over isn’t vegetarian.

Its ingredient list includes Pecorino Romano DOP cheese made with rennet, plus Parmesan that lists “enzymes.” The animal rennet used in Pecorino Romano DOP is what rules this jar out, not the generic word “enzymes.”

Buy the nuts, skip the jar, and make your own with a cheese you trust.

15. Kirkland Signature Organic Greek Nonfat Yogurt

The label packs 18 grams of protein into a 170-gram serving, at 100 calories and 0 grams of fat.

The ingredient list is organic nonfat milk and live and active cultures. That’s it, no gelatin. It’s dairy, obviously, so vegan readers can skip this one.

The tub is 3 pounds, which is either a week of breakfasts or one very ambitious tzatziki weekend. Look for it if your warehouse carries it.

16. Tasty Bite Organic Madras Lentils

Eight pouches of lentils that sit in your pantry with no fridge needed. You just heat one up.

Inside are black lentils and red kidney beans with tomato, onion, cumin, chili and ginger. The box says vegetarian, organic and gluten free.

It also has cream and butter, so it’s not vegan. Check the box, because some Tasty Bite versions are made without dairy.

17. Kirkland Signature Organic Chunky Guacamole

Single cups solve guacamole’s oldest problem. You only open what you’re going to eat, so nothing sits there turning brown.

The box holds 16 cups of 2.5 ounces each, 2.5 pounds total, made with hand-scooped Hass avocados. It’s organic, with no artificial colors or flavors. Keep it in the fridge.

18. Kirkland Signature Organic Non-Dairy Oat Beverage

Every serving of this oat milk has 20 grams of rolled oats in it, according to the label.

You get six 32-ounce cartons in one box. It’s organic, fortified and labeled 100% vegan. Six cartons is a lot of cereal, which is the point.

19. Beyond Meat Plant-Based Patties

These patties are made with avocado oil and contain no soy or gluten.

The label claims 75% less saturated fat than 80/20 ground beef and 20 grams of protein per serving. A box holds ten 4-ounce patties, kept frozen.

Beyond Burgers first landed in select Costco stores in December 2019. Keep a box in the freezer and every guest at the cookout has a burger option.

20. Kirkland Signature Walnut Halves

“Walnut halves” on the front, “20% halves with pieces” in the fine print. So the bag is mostly pieces.

That’s fine for banana bread, oatmeal and salads. It’s less fine if you were picturing perfect halves on a cheese board.

The 3-pound bag holds about 12 cups of US #1 grade walnuts grown in the USA. Nuts keep longer in the freezer, which is where most of a bag this size should live.

21. Kirkland Signature Dried Mangoes

Turn the bag over. The sweetened version lists mango, sugar, citric acid and sodium metabisulphite as a preservative.

None of that is a problem. It’s just worth knowing, because a lot of people assume dried fruit is only fruit. The 35-ounce bag comes from Cambodia.

Costco has also sold unsweetened bags. Read the front before you grab one.

22. S&W Organic Black Beans

Costco’s organic black bean eight-pack is S&W, not Kirkland.

Eight 15-ounce cans, 120 ounces total, in cans with non-BPA linings. Beans you don’t have to soak, sitting in the pantry for whenever you need dinner.

23. Kirkland Signature Organic Broccoli Florets

Four separate 1-pound bags beat one giant frozen brick you have to chisel apart.

Each bag is microwavable. The broccoli is organic with no preservatives, and the label calls it a good source of vitamin C.

24. Kirkland Signature Organic Ancient Grain Granola

Nature’s Path reportedly makes this granola, so you may be buying a name brand in a Kirkland bag.

The ancient grains reportedly include Kamut khorasan wheat, spelt, quinoa and amaranth. The US label lists 6 grams of fiber and 30 grams of whole grains per serving, plus probiotic cultures. The bag is 35.3 ounces.

If you’re vegan, check the ingredient list for honey before you buy.

25. Kirkland Signature Organic Large Brown Eggs

Two dozen Grade AA large brown eggs, cage free, from hens given certified organic feed.

They’re eggs, so they’re not vegan. Some warehouses also carry a pasture-raised organic two-dozen pack.

The Cheese Wedge Is the Trap

The thing most likely to trip up a vegetarian at Costco isn’t in the meat case.

It’s the cheese. Kirkland Signature Parmigiano Reggiano lists rennet right on the label, and real Parmigiano Reggiano is made with animal rennet, so it isn’t vegetarian. Same story for the pesto jar.

You can fill a cart with the world’s most expensive spice, four bags of frozen broccoli and everything in between, all meatless. The fancy Italian wedge is the one that gets you.