When I saw that Costco had launched a new s'mores cookie, I was all in — and I wasn't the only one. Social media was littered with raves for the new bakery treat. While I have been finding that more and more often I disagree with the eagerly posting masses on lots of things, this seemed like a pretty safe bet. They were cookies with chocolate chunks and marshmallows! They had to be good, right? And at $10 for 24, the price was right.
Appearance
I had forgotten my lackluster reaction to Costco's peanut butter pie, and maybe I shouldn't have been so quick to move on. For starters, they didn't look as if they'd been pulled freshly baked from the oven. I got a soft-cookie-through-the-miracle-of-science vibe. They looked OK, but they screamed processed in a way I didn't love.
Flavor
Look, I'm not expecting health food when I buy cookies. And the ingredients for these s'mores cookies weren't that bad. I could have done without the palm oil and the carrageenan (which has been a food additive since the 1950s), but no big deal. Nothing was a game changer.
While I didn't find anything in the ingredients that put my hair on end, my initial reaction was born out when I tasted one. These cookies were like s'mores-flavored Chips Ahoy and other packaged cookies I'd quickly skip at the grocery store.
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Texture
They had an unappealing texture and, though they looked like they had plenty of chocolate and marshmallows, I mostly tasted the ground-up graham crackers that make up the cookie base. And they weren't good graham crackers, but ones that tasted a little old and stale. I expected heating up these cookies makes them more s'mores-like, but I had no desire to find out. This didn't taste like a cookie I couldn't resist.
But then my kids found the package, and they felt differently. Very differently.
Related: Costco vs. Trader Joe's: Whose Key Lime Pie Reigns Supreme?
Costco S'Mores Cookies Verdict
The package of 24 cookies was gone within one day. One. And I only have two kids. My older kid actually opened the package and snaked a cookie before I'd even been able to take photos. And while I didn't care for them, at least I didn't have to worry about them hanging around the kitchen for any length of time. Processed-tasting or not, the kids loved these cookies.
So, would I buy them again? Sure. In a way, they're perfect. There's no temptation for me, and the kids love them. While I'm still suspicious of them, until I figure out a reason my kids shouldn't eat them (and honestly, my days of only letting them have food I recognize are long over), I guess I can toss another container in my cart the next time I'm at Costco.