{"id":8483,"date":"2025-04-08T20:32:21","date_gmt":"2025-04-09T00:32:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/?p=8483"},"modified":"2026-01-17T15:47:29","modified_gmt":"2026-01-17T20:47:29","slug":"costco-cranberry-walnut-bread-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/2025\/04\/08\/costco-cranberry-walnut-bread-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Costco Cranberry Walnut Bread Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Author’s Note: Not a paid review. I have no affiliation with Costco<\/a>. These are my own nutty opinions. Of course.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raisin bread with an attitude.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Alright, so I finally tried Costco’s Cranberry Walnut Bread, after hearing about it incessantly for a couple years. Here’s what I think:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is shockingly moist<\/em> bread. Not quite “figgy pudding<\/a>” consistency, but ya know. Towards the center, it was just shy of “raw.” If you hate dry bread, you won’t have anything to complain about. Find something else!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s also an incredibly dense loaf. The package weight is 2 pounds, and I weighed mine on my kitchen scale at almost exactly<\/em> that. At the widest point, the round loaf is 8 inches in diameter. So, it’s not huge. Just heavy. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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For a yeasted loaf, this is jam-packed with walnuts. I’ve written about Costco walnuts before, in my reviews of the Banana Nut Loaf<\/a> and the Carrot Bar Cake<\/a>, and I continue to be impressed by the quality. Walnuts are notorious for going rancid or becoming flaccid in baked items. But Costco’s have (so far!) been remarkably crisp and fresh-tasting. Costco does walnuts extremely well. I salute you, Costco!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(I also enjoyed these oddly thick, fluffy pita pockets from the Costco bakery; here is my review<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Detail<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The dried cranberries are about what you’d expect \u2014 sweet-tangy, and soft-chewy. They appear to be chopped, rather than whole, and there are just enough here to lend satisfying brightness to the bread flavors. It’s like raisin bread, but with an attitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(For another fruity bread, check out my review of Costco’s new Cherry Fig Bread<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of those bread flavors, this isn’t<\/em> bland bread. It has a deep, earthy flavor from the whole grain rye flour, malted barley flour, and semolina. Still, the first ingredient is traditional unbleached wheat flour, so it’s not overly<\/em> heavy or fibrous.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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There is<\/em> added sugar in this bread. It’s not enough to turn it into a dessert, but it’s definitely not a savory<\/em> bread, either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(You know what else has a gentle sweetness? These soft dinner rolls from Costco<\/a>. Read my slightly eccentric review. You know you want to.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Detail<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The whole loaf is beautiful. It has a lovely scored triangle on top, and an artisanal vibe. If you’re headed to a dinner party, this bread will impress your host. Mine was crusty, fresh, and fragrant the day I bought it. But, when I got home, I put it in another plastic bag and stored it in the refrigerator, to prolong the lifespan. Costco packages their bakery loaves in paper bags with teeny-tiny air holes \u2014 to keep them crusty, I presume. But the bread needs to be transferred to a less-holy bag at home to prevent staleness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Looking for another festive cranberry treat? Check out my review of this White Cranberry Cheddar from Aldi<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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I need something<\/em> to complain about, so here it is: the slices have an odd gray color that I don’t enjoy. Although this bread is good freshly sliced, I also enjoyed mine crisply pan-toasted with some butter. I personally thought it tasted best sprinkled with a bit of salt, and smeared with salted butter. The bread just needs salt, somehow.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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After a week, I still had a lot of leftover bread in my refrigerator, so I cut it into cubes and froze it to make bread pudding later. I think this would also make some interesting herbed stuffing, if you are so inclined. Let me know if you try it.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Ingredients<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ingredients in Costco Cranberry Walnut Bread<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are the ingredients, from the label:<\/p>\n\n\n\n