Costco Lemon Raspberry Muffins Review
Author’s Note: This is a completely unbiased and unpaid review. I have no affiliation with Costco.
Where’s the Lemon, tho?
These muffins are made with butter. And that’s why I bought them. Facts.
If you’re used to typical grocery store muffins with strong artificial flavors, loads of sugar, and the smarmy softness of soybean oil, you may find these not your cup of tea. I usually make my own muffins, and I loved them.
I’ve eaten a number of mass-produced muffins that were really just cleverly disguised cupcakes. Not so here. These dudes have a hearty, homemade taste, with an open crumb and a true “muffin” texture. The gentle tan color is from brown sugar, and they’re made with both sour cream and milk.
Weak Flavors
Unfortunately, there’s virtually no lemon taste. None. Zip. Nada. I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt, but I can’t discern any tangy citrus flavor at all, sorry. Oddly, the raspberry flavor is pretty weak, too. In fact, it’s so subtle, I can only taste “raspberry” when I bite directly into one of the elusive blobs of raspberry jammy-stuff.
(Looking for a Costco dessert that is bursting with citrus flavor? Perhaps you would enjoy my review of their Bakery Key Lime Pie.)
However, the small amount of raspberry flavor has a delicious natural taste and texture. There are even some crunchy seeds, although not enough to be irritating. The streusel has a soft, floury texture change, but little flavor. It’s a tad too doughy for my taste. But not unpleasant.
I personally enjoyed the restrained sweetness. This is exactly what I want from a muffin. Most commercial muffins taste more like dessert. Basically cake, but with creative marketing. These are juuuust sweet enough to please, but not overpower. They taste more like a true breakfast food than a dessert. I appreciate this. But not everyone will.
I also like the artisanal vibe from the brown parchment sheets. The folded paper creates a flower-like shape around each muffin. It looks hand-made. Or like an upscale boutique bakery product. I would never have guessed these came from Costco.
Ingredients in Costco Bakery Lemon Raspberry Muffins
Here is my best attempt at typing out the ingredients, from the label:
- Bleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid)
- Butter (Cream and/or Milk, Salt)
- Raspberries
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Brown Sugar
- Sour Cream (Grade A Cultured Cream)
- Whole Milk (Pasteurized Milk with Vitamin D)
- Contains 2% or less of the following: Corn Starch, Soybean Oil, Leavening (Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Modified Corn Starch, Natural Flavors, Enzymes, Egg Whites, Whey, Soy Flour.
Ok, Raspberries as the third ingredient is impressive! More raspberries than sugar. Wow. Although, I have to say, my muffins didn’t taste like there were tons of raspberries. The flavor was awfully meek. Just saying.
I don’t see any lemon listed. Just “natural flavors.” Boo.
I would definitely prefer unbleached (and unbromated) flour. And no soy flour. And no soybean oil. But, butter! Whoop. Butter is the second ingredient. In the grand scheme of things, this is a pretty decent ingredient list. Not perfect. But none of us are. Alas.
More Costco Muffin Flavors
Other (similar) Costco muffin varieties include:
- Banana Nut
- Blueberries & Cream
- Corn
Price and Servings
The 31 ounce package of 8 muffins cost $7 at my local Costco. Per muffin, that is about 88 cents. Since the package is roughly 2 pounds, each muffin weighs around 4 ounces. The price per ounce is about 23 cents.
This is a “Kirkland Signature” (Costco store-brand) product, and the item # is 1849265.
Shelf Life
The “sell by” date on my muffins was dated for about 3 days after purchase. I stored mine in the refrigerator, for maximum freshness, and ate them slowly over about a week. See below for how to maximize the taste.
Serving Suggestions
Although not stale tasting, Costco’s muffins did not have a fresh-from-the-oven crispness on the streusel top -or- the browned edges. Toasting each one (or even microwaving) before eating helps them taste fresher. Without reheating, these do taste somewhat stale by the third day.
If you’re serving all of them at once, it may be worthwhile to put them on a baking sheet and re-bake them in your oven at 350 for about 5 minutes. If you’re eating a single muffin, microwaving for 20 seconds will help. I heated mine in my countertop toaster oven at 350 for about 4 minutes on a plate. Huge improvement after warming them up. I also buttered mine generously before eating. Because, butter.
Dramatic Conclusion
They need more flavor. And more streusel crispness. Otherwise, these are fabulous. I love the real butter and the true muffin-ish crumb. Costco’s muffins could pass for homemade, or at least from an artisanal bakery. Although more expensive than I expected, the large size and quality ingredients make them worthwhile.
The End.
More Reviews You Might Like (or Hate)
Check out these other berry-filled reviews I’ve written. Or don’t. That’s fine, too:
