Costco Kirkland Walnut Halves Review
Author’s Note: Not a paid review. I bought these walnuts with my own dad-gum money. I have no affiliation with Costco.
I’m weird about walnuts.
I previously reviewed Costco’s Pecan Halves, which were kind of “meh.” They were great for baking, but not-so-great for snacking. Given a choice, I wouldn’t buy them again.
I’m weird about my walnuts. I love great walnuts, but despise bad ones. In fact, I hate bad walnuts so much, I often avoid foods made with walnuts, simply because I don’t want to risk the disappointment. Walnuts go rancid faster than other nuts, and there is just something about a bitter, rancid walnut that is so much worse than any other kind of nut.
HOWEVER, I’ve noticed whenever I buy a Costco Bakery item with walnuts, the nut quality is “above average.” So, I was excited to see if their bulk store-brand walnut halves would be better than their pecans.
I’m going to say, “yes.” Yes, these are pretty dang good walnuts. Mine were fresh and plump. And huge. There were a few shriveled, nearly black ones, and some that were suspiciously lightweight. But the vast majority were in excellent condition. Here are a couple of the rotten offenders:
I did, of course, refrigerate my walnuts. In fact, the first thing I did when I walked into my house with my groceries was put the walnuts in the fridge. And then I froze the bag after opening. Because it will take me longer than a month to use them all.
I don’t mess around with my walnuts, and you probably shouldn’t either. Did you know even the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Science says walnuts should be refrigerated, like fresh produce? It’s true. Do it.
Which begs the question, should Costco be stocking their nuts, especially walnuts, in their walk-in refrigerators? Well, it would be “cool” if they did. Just saying.
What did I make with my Costco walnuts?
I’ve had an insatiable hankering for Levain-style cookies. In fact, I bought these walnuts simply so I could make cookies. Big ‘ol cookies. Nutty, gooey, ridiculous cookies. Here they are:
I chopped my Costco walnuts in a food processor first, because they were mostly whole or large pieces. The food processor turned some of the nuts into powder, but I think this only enhanced the overall taste and texture of the cookies. Here’s the recipe I used, if you also have a hankering. (Not my recipe! And I don’t know this person. But it turned out pretty scrumptious. Good recipe.)
I used Aldi Dark Chocolate Baking Morsels, which I previously reviewed. And I used Costco’s natural, unrefined Brown Sugar (also reviewed…check it out). I swear I don’t work for Costco!
(For a run-down of the baking supplies I buy from Costco, check out my review.)
Ingredients in Costco Kirkland Walnuts
Kind of silly, but here ya go:
- Walnuts
Yep. That’s it.
These are grown in the USA.
Nutrition Facts
A serving is 1/4 cup (30 grams) of walnuts and contains 200 calories. You get 20 grams of fat (2 grams of saturated fat) and 5 grams of protein. There are 4 grams total carbohydrates, of which 2 grams are fiber and 1 grams are sugars (0 grams “added sugars”).
Did you know walnuts have Omega-3 fatty acids? A 1-ounce serving contains 2.5 grams (2500 mg!) of Omega-3 ALA per serving, according to California Walnuts. Additionally, Michigan State University says walnuts have twice the antioxidants of other types of nuts. Eat up.
Price and Servings
Costco only sells these in 3-pound bags. Given the volatility of walnuts, I’d prefer a smaller sack. This is why I opted to freeze mine. Can’t risk losing my nut investment!
ANYWAY. A 48-ounce sack is $15. You get 45 servings per bag, which means each serving is a frugal 33 cents. Per pound, these walnuts are $5.
For baking decisions, there are approximately 12 cups of walnuts per bag. My Levain cookies required 2 cups. So I can bake 6 big batches of cookies. No one can stop me.
This is a “Kirkland Signature” (Costco store-brand) product, and the item # is: 36285.
Shelf Life
The “best by” date on my bag allowed about 8 months to consume. I was mega-suspicious of this, for all the reasons I’ve mentioned about rancid, stale nuts. Depending on who you ask, walnuts should used within a month of opening, or frozen for up to a year. In fact, Epicurious thinks nuts should be stored frozen, by default. So, again, freezer for me!
Dramatic Conclusion
I am happy with this purchase. These are good-quality walnuts. They’re fresh-tasting and in great condition. The price is reasonable, although I did have to buy a lot at once. On my highly-scientific “Awesome-o-Meter,” these score a “Yaaas.”
The End.
More Reviews You Might Like (or Hate)
Check out these other walnut-laden reviews I’ve written. Or don’t. We can still be friends.
