Why You Should Only Buy Nuts at Costco

Nuts: Gloriously robust in flavor, filling, and oh-so-good for you. You can roast them, glaze them, smoke them, and even milk them. They can be a simple snack or a tastefully crumbly topping for a main entrée. Crumble them up, and sprinkle them in anything and everything to add the perfect crunch. Coated in a warm, cinnamon sugar glaze and wrapped up in little baggies—they make for the easiest holiday gift-giving. Explore all of the creative ways you can cook with nuts here. 

What drives me nuts about nuts? I probably don't even have to tell you—It's no secret that they're so painfully expensive. A friend of mine has a running joke that he will know he's "made it" in life when he no longer checks the price of nuts and beef jerky. 

But I'll let you in on a little secret:

You don't have to wait for a higher salary to afford high-quality nuts. With a Costco membership, you've already "made it".

Using Amazon for a price comparison, here are five tasty, nutritious nuts that are (practically) a steal at Costco: 

These are by far the most expensive nuts on the list—and the most likely to be used in a pesto—but if you must have them for a recipe, Costco is where you need to buy them. Grab a 24 oz. bag of these for $22.99 at Costco, or pay the excruciating sum of $31.98 for the same bag of pine nuts on Amazon. 

This Vegan Miso Pesto is so worth the purchase. 

Find this 3 lb. bag of walnuts at your nearest Costco for only $11.99. Pay $20.49 for an identical bag of walnuts on Amazon. I think you can do the math. 

Turn walnuts into a creamy, sweet sauce with our Hibiscus-Stuffed Chiles with Walnut Sauce recipe. 

Purchase a 2 lb. bag of pecan halves for $14.99 at Costco, or buy it from Amazon for $16.94. This is not a huge price difference, but if you're shopping for other healthy goods, it's definitely worth driving to Costco. 

Satisfy your sweet-tooth with our Bourbon Pecan Tassies (pictured below) or our Salted Chocolate Pecan Butter. Or opt for a lighter option with our Grilled Balsamic Chicken Salad with Spiced Pecans. 

32 oz. (2 lbs.) of these Mariani Sliced Premium Almonds can be purchased at your local Costco for only $7.99. If you're actually nuts, you could always just purchase these on Amazon for $16.99.

Use these to make our Mixed Grain and Nut Brittle for a sweet snack (or holiday gift) or toast these fancy—yet affordable—sliced almonds and toss them into our Prosciutto-and-Almond Green Beans recipe for a delightful side option. 

Get 3 lbs. of whole almonds from Costco for $12.99. The same size bag and brand of almonds will cost you $20.77 on Amazon.

Our Almond Butter Truffles recipe will help you recover from your Reese's breakup or serve as the perfectly bite-sized treat for entertaining.