The Gluten-Free Costco Haul: Is a 63-Mile Drive Worth It for a Gluten-Free Costco Haul?

Deb, the Musing Baker, with her gluten-free Costco haul

It had been many months since we made the 63-mile trek to our nearest Costco.

There is no avoiding the crowded highway connecting Dallas and Austin—unless we want the trip to take even longer! At a bare minimum, visiting Costco requires about four hours of driving and shopping.

I know. Modern problems of inconvenience. Boohoo!

For years, I had two Costco locations within twenty minutes of my home. Now that we live in Central Texas, Costco is no longer a quick stop on the way home. We shop there much less frequently, but when we do go, we stock up.

Gluten-Free Snacks at Costco 

Simple Mills and Crunchmaster crackers, two gluten-free favorites

Costco carries several gluten-free favorites in packages large enough to make the drive worthwhile. Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers are one of my favorites. They are a wonderful substitute when I want something similar to a saltine—and I think they taste much better. 

Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers are another excellent all-purpose cracker, especially with cheese. Naturally, we needed cheese, too, so a Tillamook variety pack found its way into our cart.

I always buy baking staples such as pecans, walnuts, semisweet chocolate chips, and dark chocolate chips. Purchasing the larger packages makes sense for me because these ingredients rarely sit untouched for long in the Musing Baker kitchen.

We also brought home Costco-size jars of Better Than Bouillon in chicken, beef, and vegetable varieties, along with a box of organic diced tomatoes. Since autumn marks the start of soup season—even here in Texas—those tomatoes will become chili, soups, sauces, and cozy dinners during the coming months. Product formulas can change, so always check the current label for the gluten-free designation before purchasing.

Honestly, I am trying to snack less. If I weren’t, Aussie Bites and Heavenly Hunks would have landed in the cart. Of the many available treats, those are two I have enjoyed for their recognizable ingredients. Costco also has entire aisles of candy, chips, protein bars, and snacks, but I cannot responsibly guide you through that wilderness!

When I need a convenient protein boost, I reach for a gluten-free peanut butter Perfect Bar. They are kept in the refrigerated section near the cheese—because apparently the middle of Costco is where both good intentions and cheese live.

Other Worthwhile Gluten-Free Costco Foods

While I considered the wine selection, Jeff shopped for fruit. Costco carries a wide range of wine at reasonable prices, especially if you are flexible about labels and varieties. Prices seem higher everywhere lately, but I still found six bottles worth bringing home.

The final gluten-free Costco haul

The holidays are coming. Hahaha!

Then came my happiest discovery of the day: beef shanks.

I have had trouble finding them since moving to Texas, and they are perfect for the Italian meat sauce on my “to make” list. Each package contained three thick shanks, so I’ll use one for sauce and freeze the other two separately. I have substituted oxtails in the past, and they are delicious, but they contain more fat than I want for this particular sauce.

By the time we finished shopping, Jeff was officially hangry. We had left home late after his meeting, driven more than an hour, and wandered through Costco until dinnertime.

The only sensible solution was Torchy’s Tacos.

We stopped at one of our favorite taco places on the way home and turned our Costco expedition into a date. The pantry was restocked, the freezer had beef shanks, six bottles of wine were waiting for the holidays, and no one was hungry anymore.

We lived happily ever after!