Seasonal Costco Guide

What's available when, what to grab before it disappears, and what's worth waiting for.

Costco rotates seasonal items with the quiet ruthlessness of a nature documentary. One week the shelves are full of pumpkin pie, the next it's gone — replaced by king cake and Valentine's chocolate. This guide helps you plan ahead so you never miss the good stuff.

Spring (March – May)

The produce section wakes up, the bakery gets fruity, and grilling season starts to whisper.

What to Watch For

• Strawberries hit peak quality and peak Costco pricing. The big clamshells are at their sweetest. Stock up — they freeze beautifully (see freezer guide).
• Asparagus — fat, fresh bundles at a fraction of grocery store prices. Roast with olive oil and salt, or grill alongside your first burgers of the season.
• Key Lime Pie appears in the bakery. It's seasonal, it's enormous, and it disappears without warning.
• Easter candy and bakery items — hot cross buns, lamb-shaped cakes, and enough Cadbury eggs to fill a bathtub.
• Patio furniture and grills — not food, but this is when the selection is best. By summer, the good ones are gone.

Spring 2026 Bakery Highlights

The bakery is going off right now. New and returning items on shelves:

• Twice-Baked Chocolate-Filled Croissants ($9.99/6-pack) — crispy, flaky, molten center
• Peaches and Cream Pastries (8-pack) — croissant exterior, peach filling, yogurt-cream cheese blend
• Lemon Custard Pie ($18.99) — returning classic
• Strawberries and Cream Dessert ($14.99) — fresh strawberries layered with cream
• Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Cake ($14.99) — basically a Ferrero Rocher in cake form
• Cranberry Orange Bisconie — Kirkland's scone-biscotti hybrid invention

The Rotisserie Chicken Enchilada Bake is back in the deli (~$23-26 per tray). Grab it before it rotates out again.

Internationally: Japan's sakura (cherry blossom) bakery items are on shelves, UK and Australia have hot cross buns, and Korea's strawberry tarts are in full swing.

Recipes to Make

• Bruschetta — fresh tomatoes are starting to get good
• Caprese Salad — mozzarella + tomatoes + basil, peak simplicity
• Berry Crumble — those strawberries need a purpose
• Quinoa Power Salad — light, fresh, and full of spring energy
• Greek Salad — spring vegetables at their crunchiest
• Lemonade Concentrate — those 5 lb lemon bags are calling
• Grilled Chicken Thighs — first grilling weekend of the season

Summer (June – August)

Peak Costco season. The produce section is overflowing, the meat department is stacked for grilling, and the freezer aisle is your best friend.

What to Watch For

• Berries everywhere — blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries are all at their cheapest and best. Buy extra and freeze for smoothies all winter.
• Corn — sweet corn shows up in huge bags. Shuck it in the parking lot like a Costco veteran.
• Watermelon — seedless, enormous, and perfect for backyard cookouts.
• Grilling meats on sale — this is prime time for tri-tip, ribs, chicken, and steak. Costco knows you're grilling and they price accordingly.
• Stone fruit — peaches, nectarines, and cherries in bulk. Eat fast; they're ripe and ready.
• Ice cream and frozen treats — the Kirkland vanilla ice cream tubs and frozen fruit bars are summer essentials.

Recipes to Make

• Smoked Tri-Tip — best time of year to buy tri-tip
• Baby Back Ribs — low and slow, all afternoon
• Steak Kabobs — colorful and crowd-pleasing
• BBQ Chicken Sandwiches — quick weeknight grilling
• Southwest Chicken Salad — too hot to cook, perfect for summer
• Cookie Skillet — topped with that Kirkland vanilla ice cream
• Street Corn Dip — peak corn means peak dip
• Classic Smash Burgers — the obvious summer essential
• Grilled Salmon — seafood on the grill for when you're feeling fancy
• Agua Fresca — watermelon + lime + ice, the ultimate summer drink
• Broccoli Crunch Salad — the BBQ side salad everyone goes back for

Fall (September – November)

Costco's bakery enters its final form. Comfort food season is here.

What to Watch For

• Pumpkin Pie — $5.99 for a pie that weighs nearly four pounds and serves 12. This is widely considered the single best deal in the Costco bakery. It appears in September and runs through Thanksgiving.
• Apple Pie — the other heavyweight. Not quite the cult following of pumpkin, but deeply excellent.
• Pecan Pie — rich, sticky, and enormous. One pie could feed a small village.
• Butternut squash — perfect for soups and roasting.
• Stew meat — beef chuck goes on sale as the weather cools. Time for the slow cooker to earn its counter space.
• Halloween candy — the big variety bags for trick-or-treaters (or, let's be honest, for you).

Recipes to Make

• Butternut Squash Soup — fall in a bowl
• Beef Stew — the slow cooker was made for this weather
• Chicken Wild Rice Soup — cozy and hearty
• Dump-and-Go Chili — football food
• Mississippi Pot Roast — set it, forget it, devour it
• Banana Bread — for the bananas you forgot about on the counter

Thanksgiving — A Special Section

Thanksgiving at Costco is its own sport. Here's what to grab and when.

2–3 Weeks Before

• Turkey — Kirkland fresh turkeys appear in early November. Don't wait until the week of — they sell out. If you're going frozen, buy even earlier.
• Cranberry sauce — the canned stuff or fresh cranberries for homemade.
• Butter — you'll need more than you think. Buy an extra pound and freeze it.

1 Week Before

• Pumpkin pie — or two. They stay fresh for days and freeze well.
• Dinner rolls — the Kirkland Signature dinner rolls are soft, fluffy, and come in packs of 36.
• Mashed potato supplies — russet potatoes and heavy cream.
• Green bean casserole ingredients — green beans, cream of mushroom soup, fried onions.

Day Before

• Fresh flowers — Costco's floral arrangements are a fraction of florist prices.
• Last-minute cheese and charcuterie — for the appetizer spread while the turkey rests.

Tip: Costco is closed on Thanksgiving Day. Do not learn this the hard way.

Winter (December – February)

Holiday entertaining season, followed by comfort food hibernation.

What to Watch For

• Prime rib — Costco's USDA Choice and Prime standing rib roasts are holiday centerpiece material. Order ahead through the meat department if your store offers it.
• Holiday cookie platters — the bakery's giant cookie trays are clutch for parties and gifts.
• Raclette kits — if your store carries them, these are a winter entertaining gem. Melted cheese over potatoes and charcuterie.
• King cake — appears around Mardi Gras (February/March). A colorful, cinnamon-sugar ring that's a New Orleans tradition.
• Citrus — mandarins (Cuties/Halos), navel oranges, and cara cara oranges are at their peak.
• Wine and spirits — holiday-season deals on Kirkland Signature wines and spirits for entertaining and gifting.

Recipes to Make

• Charcuterie Board — holiday party essential
• Baked Ziti — feeds a crowd with minimal effort
• Chicken Tikka Masala — warming and rich
• White Chicken Chili — a cozy bowl for cold nights
• Chocolate Lava Cakes — impress your Valentine without a reservation
• Tres Leches Cake — celebratory and decadent

Year-Round Staples

Some things at Costco never change. These are always available, always reliable, and always worth buying.

A Final Note

Costco's seasonal items are a "blink and you miss it" situation. If you see something you love, buy it that trip. The warehouses don't hold inventory for sentimental reasons. That jalapeño artichoke dip you fell in love with last March? It might not be back until next March. Or ever.

The only constant at Costco is the $4.99 rotisserie chicken and the $1.50 hot dog. Everything else is a beautiful, unpredictable adventure.

Want a month-by-month breakdown? See What's In Season for specific recipes and bakery/deli highlights for every month of the year.