11 Best Costco Foods Worth Buying Right Now in April 2026

April is one of the better months to show up at Costco. The spring haul includes a batch of genuinely exciting new launches, a couple of beloved items that just came back after long absences, and at least one seasonal item that disappears every year before people realize they should have stocked up.

I went through what’s been moving in the aisles, what’s new in the deli and bakery, and what’s actually worth your cart space this month. These are my 11 picks.

Key Takeaways

• Kirkland’s new Sparkling Energy Drinks are the most talked-about Costco launch of 2026 at roughly $0.70 per can
• The Brownie Walnut Pie and Tiramisu Cheesecake are both in the bakery right now and both are worth getting on the same trip
• The Chargrilled Chipotle Chicken from the deli counter is one of the best new finds of the year and everyone who tries it goes back for more
• Sumo Citrus Mandarins are seasonal and almost gone, so buy them before they disappear for the year
• The Kirkland Rotisserie Chicken is still $4.99 and is still the best food deal in American grocery
• The Kirkland Lightly Breaded Chicken Chunks are the best Chick-fil-A dupe available in a freezer bag
• These picks pair well with my best Trader Joe’s snacks and best Trader Joe’s frozen meals guides if you shop both stores

1. Kirkland Signature Sparkling Energy Drinks

$16.99–$19.99 / 24-pack | New 2026

This is the single most exciting new Costco product of the year so far. Three flavors, Tropical, Orange, and Peach, each with 200mg of caffeine, zero sugar, no artificial dyes, and seven vitamins, all for roughly $0.70 per can. Peach is the early fan favorite by a wide margin and I think it earns that ranking.

For context, a can of Celsius runs $1.40 to $2.00 at most stores. The Kirkland version is so directly competitive that Celsius stock dropped 7% when Costco announced the launch. That kind of market reaction tells you everything you need to know about the value here. If you drink energy drinks with any regularity, this 24-pack pays for itself fast. The flavors are clean, the caffeine hit is real, and there is nothing in the ingredient list that makes you feel like you are compromising on quality to save money.

2. Kirkland Signature Rotisserie Chicken

$4.99 / 3 lbs cooked | Year-round staple

A 3-pound fully cooked chicken for $4.99 has been the same price since 1985. Costco keeps it that way on purpose because it is the reason millions of people renew their membership every year. They reportedly lose money on every single bird and do it anyway because the chicken gets people through the door.

The uses are nearly endless: tacos, soup, pasta, enchiladas, salads, grain bowls, quesadillas, fried rice, sandwiches. I grab two when I am there. The second one pulls apart easily into a week’s worth of lunches with almost no effort. The skin is properly seasoned and the meat stays juicy even cold out of the fridge the next day. At $4.99, nothing else in any grocery store comes close to this value for a fully cooked protein. It is the most defensible item on this list and the one I would never leave without.

3. Flame Seared Chargrilled Chipotle Chicken

$11.99 / 2-lb bag | New 2026 deli find

This is the same diced chipotle chicken from Costco’s Street Taco Kit, now sold separately in the deli. It is fully cooked, comes vacuum-sealed, and takes about three minutes to heat up in a pan. The seasoning is smoky, slightly spicy, and genuinely well-balanced for a pre-cooked deli product.

The consensus from everyone who has tried it is basically the same: it tastes almost indistinguishable from an actual Chipotle bowl. I use it over rice with black beans, corn, and salsa and it holds up every single time. It works just as well in quesadillas, scrambled into eggs, or stirred into a grain bowl with whatever vegetables are in the fridge. At $11.99 for 2 pounds, you are getting multiple meals out of one bag. This is one of the strongest new deli additions Costco has made in a while and I expect it to develop a serious following by summer.

For more Chipotle-inspired order ideas, my best Chipotle order guide covers what is worth ordering at the actual chain.

4. Motor City Pizza Co. Double Pepperoni Detroit-Style Pizza

~$12–$14 / 2-pack | Ongoing cult favorite

This is the best frozen pizza I have had from any grocery store. Detroit-style means thick, airy dough with a caramelized cheese crust along the edges, and this one delivers on that every time. The double pepperoni does not hurt. The cheese goes all the way to the edge of the pan, which is what creates that crispy browned cheese ring that makes Detroit-style worth eating in the first place.

Each pizza cooks in its own tray, which is a small detail that makes a real difference in how the crust turns out. You are not fighting to transfer a floppy pizza onto a baking sheet. At roughly $6 to $7 per pizza, the value is hard to argue with. If you have been surviving on lesser frozen pizzas, this one will reset your expectations for what the category is capable of.

5. Kirkland Signature Lightly Breaded Chicken Chunks

~$15–$18 / bag | Ongoing cult favorite

This is the Chick-fil-A dupe that Costco members have been quietly obsessed with for years. The breading holds up well, the chicken inside stays juicy, and the texture is genuinely close to what you would get at a drive-through window. The seasoning is milder than Chick-fil-A’s signature flavor but the overall experience is close enough that I stopped buying nuggets anywhere else.

The air fryer is the move here. Six to eight minutes at 400°F and they come out properly crispy with no oil needed, no mess, and better results than the oven. If you do not have one yet, the Ninja 5 QT Air Fryer is the one I would go with. It has 1750 watts, a nonstick basket, and handles a solid portion of this bag in one round. These chicken chunks alone are reason enough to get it. They are also excellent dipped in honey, hot sauce, or any dipping sauce you like, and they reheat well the next day without going rubbery.

6. Brownie Walnut Pie

$21.99 / 3.75 lbs | New 2026 bakery

Graham cracker crust, chocolate ganache filling, and a toasted walnut topping. This launched in January 2026 and immediately became one of the most talked-about bakery items of the year. People who try it describe it as one of the best things Costco’s bakery has ever put out, and I have not seen anyone disagree after actually eating a slice.

The ganache layer is dense without being heavy, and the walnuts add a crunch and slight bitterness that keeps it from tipping into being too sweet. The graham cracker base holds its structure well even after a few days in the fridge, which matters when you are working through a pie that weighs nearly 4 pounds. It has been spotted across Texas, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and California. If your location has it, this is not a wait-and-see situation. It is a serious dessert and one of the best things in the bakery section right now.

7. Tiramisu Cheesecake

$22.99–$23.99 | Returned spring 2026

This came out in early 2025, disappeared almost immediately, and came back this spring to a genuinely enthusiastic reception. It has a graham cracker and cocoa crust, a cold-brew cheesecake layer, and mascarpone whipped topping over everything. The construction is smart because each layer brings something distinct, so you are not just eating cheesecake with a coffee note thrown in.

The coffee flavor is present without being overwhelming, which is what keeps this from being a niche purchase for tiramisu fans only. People who do not even like tiramisu have tried this and come back for it. The mascarpone topping is lighter than standard whipped cream and softens the richness of the cheesecake layer underneath in a way that makes the whole thing feel less heavy than it should at this size. Worth grabbing now because it has a history of disappearing fast.

8. Peanut Butter Monster Cookies

$10.99 / 24 cookies | New 2026

Chewy brown butter cookies with oats, chocolate chunks, peanut butter chips, and Reese’s Pieces baked in. The best way I can describe them is dangerously good, and that is not an exaggeration. The brown butter base gives them a depth that standard cookie dough does not have, and the mix of chocolate and peanut butter elements means every bite hits differently depending on what you land on.

Twenty-four cookies for $10.99 is solid value and they hold up well for most of the week stored in an airtight container. The texture stays chewy rather than turning dry or hard, which is often the problem with pre-made cookies at this scale. I have heard people recommend making ice cream sandwiches with the Costco vanilla ice cream and while I have not tried that specific combination yet, I believe every word of it.

9. Sumo Citrus Mandarins

$8.99 / 3 lbs | Seasonal, ending soon

These are available from January through April and they disappear every year before enough people realize they should have bought more. Sumo Citruses are large, completely seedless, and easy to peel in a single pass without getting juice on your hands. The skin is thick and comes off cleanly, which makes them a genuinely convenient piece of fruit rather than a project.

The flavor is where they really earn their reputation. They are sweeter and more complex than any other mandarin or clementine I have found at a grocery store at any price point. If you have ever been disappointed by a bag of citrus that turned out bland or dry, Sumo is the opposite of that experience. The Costco bag is also a better deal per pound than buying them individually at other stores. The window is closing on these for 2026. If you are reading this in April, go get them this week because they will not be there in May.

10. Kirkland Signature Organic Peanut Butter

~$10–$12 / two 28-oz jars | Pantry staple

Two ingredients: dry organic roasted peanuts and sea salt. Nothing else. This is the kind of peanut butter that makes standard jarred grocery store options taste like a different product category. The roasted peanut flavor is forward and clean, and the salt level is exactly where it should be without tipping into something that tastes overseasoned.

The oil separation is real and requires stirring when you first open a jar, but the flavor payoff makes it worth the thirty seconds of effort. Once stirred, I transfer mine into a large airtight canister to keep it easy to scoop and avoid the oil pooling issue on future uses.

While I am on pantry staples, the Kirkland Basil Pesto at $11.49 for 22 oz is just as strong a pick. It is DOP-certified Italian basil pesto and the quality is noticeably better than most grocery store versions. I freeze portions in an ice cube tray right after opening so nothing goes to waste and I have pesto ready to pull out through the whole summer.

For storing bulk Costco pantry items, the Chef’s Path Extra Large Airtight Containers (2-pack, 6.5L) are the cleanest option I have found. BPA-free, side-locking lids with silicone gaskets, and clear enough to see exactly how much is left without opening anything.

11. BBQ Chicken Mac and Cheese with Bacon

~$18 / serves a family | New April 2026 prepared foods

Cavatappi mac and cheese loaded with rotisserie chicken, shredded cheddar, bacon bits, and a tangy BBQ sauce layered on top. This just landed in the prepared foods section for spring 2026 and it is already one of the strongest options in that part of the store. The cavatappi holds onto the cheese sauce better than elbow macaroni does, which is a small but noticeable upgrade over the standard mac format.

The BBQ sauce on top adds a smokiness that cuts through the richness of the cheese sauce and keeps the whole thing from feeling one-dimensional.

The rotisserie chicken pieces are generous in size and stay tender rather than turning stringy after reheating. It is rich and filling in a way that feels intentional. A family-sized prepared dinner for under $20 is genuinely hard to beat right now at any grocery store, and this one earns its place in the rotation from the first serving.

Conclusion

April’s Costco haul has more going for it than most months. The energy drink launch changes the math on a beverage budget in a real way. The bakery is putting out some of its best work of the year with both the Brownie Walnut Pie and the returning Tiramisu Cheesecake available at the same time. The new deli chipotle chicken is the kind of find that quietly becomes a weekly staple once you try it. And the Sumo Citruses are running out of time.

If I had to pick just three things to grab on a single trip: the rotisserie chicken because it never stops making sense, the Brownie Walnut Pie because it is new and genuinely worth trying now, and the Sumo Citruses because the seasonal window is closing fast. Everything else on this list will still be there when you are ready for it.

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