The Best Costco Groceries to Freeze, According to Fans

Costco's super-size everything is excellent for stocking up on staples and feeding small armies (or just a house full of teenagers), but sometimes your eyes are bigger than your pantry and you're not able to get through everything you bought. These are the moments in life when the Costco Subreddit is your friend.

A recent thread that started with one person asking about the best foods to buy and freeze from Costco will help you deal with those leftovers—and may also inspire you to buy some groceries specifically for freezing. How cool is that?

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"What do you freeze from Costco?" asked u/Plauntie in the Costco subreddit. "I mean besides the obvious—meat and already frozen foods. I regularly freeze butter, bread products and gallons of milk."

Reddit didn't freeze up. They came through in a big way with their favorite Costco groceries to freeze, plus some super helpful tips on how to freeze and thaw everything.

Related: Oh Snap! Photos Are Going Back on Costco Membership Cards as Part of a Membership-Sharing Crackdown

The Best Costco Groceries to Buy and Freeze

Ciabatta Rolls

The light, chewy and slightly sweet Ciabatta rolls are great as a side or as a tasty sandwich builder. Costco fans also swear, "These things freeze really well."

Tips for Freezing and Thawing Ciabatta Rolls

• Use a vacuum sealer (if you have one). "I do two to four in a pack, seal it with vacuum sealer (not too much as it will smush them) and date it —so easy to thaw and the best bread for garlic bread," wrote another.

• Defrost on the counter. "I just take one out and wrap it in a paper towel, leaving it on my counter for a few hours before using [it]," one Redditor suggested. "These things defrost perfectly, maintaining that crusty, chewy texture."

• Or in the microwave. "I defrost them in the microwave for [about] 40 seconds, then pop them into the toaster," dished a fan. "[They’re] so good for egg sandwiches… slathering with butter and eating plain…[and] as ‘garlic bread’ to dip in pasta too."

• Or stick them into your favorite pandemic purchase (the air fryer). "I pop them straight into the air fryer with some butter and seasoning for a perfect portion of garlic bread," a person wrote.

Kirkland Signature Pesto

Sure, pesto is great on pasta, but it also makes a great sandwich spread or a dip (just mix it with some mayo, sour cream and a squeeze of lemon juice). You may think that because there's so much basil in the sauce it might not freeze well. Think again! In the Reddit comments, pesto was another top contender for "best item to buy and freeze at Costco."

Tips for Freezing Kirkland Signature Pesto

• Bust out the ice cube trays. "Pesto in an ice cube tray, then bagged," said one commenter. If you need a little more detail, just spoon pesto into ice cube trays, freeze until solid, then pop the little cubes into a freezer bag. Toss a couple of cubes into soup for an herby addition or pull out more if you're making pasta.

• Just bag it. No tray? No problem, per another Redditor. "I just pour it into a large Ziploc and freeze it flat," they wrote. "That way, it is easier to move around and store...with the amount of oil in it, it's easy to break off a piece the size I need."

• Consider cupcake liners. "Cupcake liners make slightly larger batches than ice cube trays," divulged a commenter, who basically changed the life of a fellow fan. "WHAT?" the person responded. "I need to try this immediately. I always end up having to throw it out because it molds before I finish the jar."

• Freeze it right in the jar. "The [Kirkland Signature] pesto can be frozen in the jar," said another. "It scoops like ice cream from its frozen state." (Side note: Is pesto ice cream a thing?)

Pies

Costco pies are a fan-favorite, but they also weigh nearly five pounds (looking at you, peanut butter chocolate cream pie). If you can't get through all of that or you just like to stock up on dessert, Reddit has some sweet tips for preserving those pies.

Tips for Freezing and Thawing Costco Pies

For this one, we'll defer to one Redditor, who offered their step-by-step method for freezing pies and eating them long after the holiday season ends.

1. Prep. The Redditor starts by slicing and freezing the pies in their kitchen freezer.

2. Vacuum seal. Then, the Redditor vacuum seals individual slices and places them in a Costco chest freezer.

3. Remove. When the Redditor is ready for a delicious slice of pie, they remove it from the vacuum seal.

4. Thaw. Put it on your counter and wait a few hours so it thaws (the most challenging part).

5. Enjoy. Even if the calendar says "February." "I can have pumpkin pie long after the season is over," the Redditor dished.

Another genius hack? "If you do apple pie, you can claim it's healthy because of the fruit," quipped a Redditor.

Related: 'I Tried Costco's Viral Peanut Butter Chocolate Cream Pie'

Costco Bakery Croissants

Costco's bakery has a massive following. Though seasonal items like Strawberries & Cream Bar Cake generate buzz (and feelings), old standbys like the buttery croissants are mainstays on people's dinner tables (and in their freezers).

Tips for Freezing and Thawing Costco Bakery Croissants

• Use the double-wrap method. "I double wrap each in plastic wrap [and] then put them in freezer bags," wrote a Redditor. "Just take one out when you need it, unwrap and put [it] in a 350 oven for 5-7 minutes....they reheat amazingly well."

• An even easier way. While Kirkland's plastic wrap is basically an endless roll begging to be used, you don't have to reach for it to freeze a croissant, one Redditor says. "I don't bother with the wrapping," the poster said. "I throw them into large freezer bags that I reuse."

Related: The Costco Pantry Buy That Has 'Outlasted Some Marriages'

Costco Bakery Plain Cheesecake

Costco pie isn't the only treat that does well in the freezer. Some Redditors were big fans of freezing the store's plain cheesecake. We love the idea of pulling a slice of cheesecake out of the freezer on a random Tuesday, and topping it with whatever berries we have in the house.

Tips for Freezing and Thawing Costco Bakery Plain Cheesecake

• Preserve the whipped cream topping. One Redditor who admits they haven't tried freezing cheesecake raised a key point about the whipped cream: "It may get smushed when vacuum sealed." Alleviate that with this simple trick: "You may just have to pre-slice and put [it] into Tupperware containers," the person wrote. "They won't last as long as the vacuum-sealed method and will start to develop ice/frost. But I'd say you'd be good for a few months at least."

• Icing on the cake. A commenter agreed with the poster above and added another hack: "If you have extra icing, you can ice the sides to help it from drying out," the Redditor commented. "I also unwrap [the cheesecake] still frozen so I don’t lose icing."

Related: Nine Costco Food Court Items You Need to Try At Least Once

Costco Muffins and Bagels

According to Reddit fans, tons of bakery items still taste fresh after being frozen. A couple of posters added tips for freezing muffins and bagels.

Tips for Freezing and Thawing Costco Bakery's Muffins and Bagels

• Muffins. One Redditor shared that they fill two bags with four to five muffins and keep the rest out for more timely indulging.

• Bagels. Make thawing and serving bagels easier by doing a little legwork beforehand. "It's better if you pre-slice so you can toast more easily by partially thawing in the microwave or counter," shared a fan.

Cheeses

Arguably, nothing is more disappointing than realizing your cheese has gone bad (or maybe that's just a personal opinion). Avoid the sadness with these tips from freezer-savvy Redditors.

Tips for Freezing and Thawing Costco Cheese

• Shredding. "Shredded cheese," one fan swears. "[It] takes a little time, but dividing the huge bags of cheese into 8oz bags and using one at a time is still much cheaper than getting the 8oz bags from the local grocery store."

• The more automated way. Skip shredding and prep cheese for the freezer with the push of a button. "I buy the block of Romano cheese and grind it up in my food processor," suggested a commenter. "Then, [I] put it in a freezer bag. I can scoop out as much as I need."

Kirkland Signature Walnuts

To keep nuts fresh, it's best to stash them in the freezer. This is especially important if you won't be using them quickly, which might be the case with that giant bag of walnuts you picked up at Costco. The store sells multiple types of walnuts—halves, pieces and organic among them. It's unclear which ones Reddit likes to freeze. What is clear? Kirkland-brand walnuts can be frozen. Here are Redditor's tips for freezing walnuts, but know that this advice applies to other types of nuts, too.

Tips for Freezing and Thawing Kirkland Signature Walnuts

• Opt for containers. "I poured them into small containers," said a fan.

• Vacuum seal them. "Another great candidate for vacuum sealing," shared someone else. "I do this with Costco nuts—Seal, freeze, take out what I need for a few weeks and reseal the same bag. I make the nut bags (sorry for the crude language!) longer and flat to minimize space in the freezer."

Related: 11 Types of Nuts to Mix Into All Your Meals

General Tips for Freezing Costco Groceries

Amid all the product-specific tips, someone who says they've been "freezing foods for over 20 years" shared their decades of field notes.

• To avoid smooshing soft items in a vacuum bag: "Pre-freeze them," the person advised. "Then, place [them[ in your bag and vacuum."

• For soups and chilis: "I like adding wax or freezer paper before sealing up," they continued.

• Regarding mason jars: The person warns people never to freeze these. "They will break if [the temperature] warms too quickly," the person explained.