Costco Banana Nut Loaf Review
Author’s note: I was not paid or compensated for this review, and I have no affiliation with Costco.
A little bit sacrilegious.
You should probably try this Banana Nut Loaf from Costco. Probably.
(No, I don’t work for Costco.)
I mean. It’s not as good as my mom’s banana nut bread (what is???), but it’s pretty good for supermarket fodder.
Honestly, the ingredients were the reason I bought this. I’m impressed by how straightforward and, errr, “homemade” they are. Butter, bananas, and walnuts, without fake garbage or nasty oils. I’ve railed against the trashy ingredients in most grocery store desserts, so I was stopped in my tracks by how wholesome and simple Costco’s label is. This is surprisingly similar to homemade banana bread.
It feels sacrilegious to say that, but here we are.
The loaf itself is lightly sweet and fantastically moist. But also dense and substantial — like a pound cake. From the prominent brown texture within the crumb, it looks like very, very ripe bananas were used (just like mom!). My bread tasted freshly baked, with a slight crispness at the edges of the sugar-browned crust. There aren’t tons of walnuts inside — and they are finely chopped — but I was pleased to find them crisp and crunchy. Not flaccid or stale. I hate stale nuts.
(If you’d like to try another walnut-filled dessert, check out my review of Costco’s Carrot Bar Cake, which features whole wheat, pineapple, and raisins.)
The garnish walnuts are even better. I am not always a walnut fan — because rancid walnuts abound in many baked goods. But that wasn’t the case here. The top of my loaf was crusted with a generous layer of fresh, crispy, flavorful walnut chunks. Worthy walnuts. I respect these walnuts.
(You may also enjoy my review of Aldi’s Apple Walnut Cake — which is imported from Germany and available seasonally in the freezer section.)
Costco’s banana loaf comes in a metal pan inside a box. I was able to slice it inside the pan, and easily lift the servings out. BUT, I also discovered I could gingerly remove the whole loaf from the pan, which looks much nicer for entertaining. This is a sturdy loaf — it cuts crisply, and holds together without crumbling.
(If berries are more your speed, check out my review of the Costco Lemon Blueberry Loaf — sadly, NOT made with butter, but pretty tasty.)
Ingredients in Costco Banana Nut Bread
In the grand scheme of things, this is a meritorious ingredient list:
- Bleached Enriched Wheat Flour
- Sugar
- Bananas
- Eggs
- Whole Milk
- Walnuts
- Butter
- Natural Banana Flavor
- Baking Soda
- Sea Salt
- Vanilla Extract
The only item I’m not thrilled about is the “Natural Banana Flavor.” You can read more about where “natural flavors” come from in this article.
Price and Servings
Costco’s Banana Nut Loaf costs $6.99 for a two-pound package. I’d hazard you could get 8 servings at least from this loaf, which means each serving would cost 87 cents.
The Costco item # is 1759778. This is a “Kirkland Signature” (store brand) bakery item.
Shelf Life
My loaf had a sell-by date roughly 4 days after purchase, but I refrigerated it (in the metal pan), and it stayed moist and fresh for over week. The crust was no longer crisp, but didn’t taste stale, either. I like to warm my slices in a toaster oven or skillet, which helps them taste even fresher. I also enjoy this bread served with butter. Of course. Butter makes everything better.
The End.
More Reviews You Might Like (or Hate)
Check out these other reviews of Costco bakery desserts I’ve written:
