The Benefits of Passover Shopping at Costco [updated for 2024]

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Costco Passover Items

If you’re reading this blog, you already know that many traditional Passover foods are simply not healthy. They are either full of sugar, salt, oil and starch, or are overly processed. The Seder itself overflows with traditional foods, recipes passed down through families and desserts that evoke our childhoods. Furthermore, many of these foods are prohibitively expensive, which transforms a traditional series of meals into a financial headache.

If we are to avoid traditional foods, while reigning in our budget, then what is there to eat?

Luckily, there’s an astonishing array of healthy, minimally processed foods, as well as tons of fresh fruits and vegetables, to eat on Passover. You just need to know where to shop.

Costco to the Rescue

Costco is an incredible resource for health-conscious families looking to buy food for Passover without breaking the bank. I call it “shopping Consciously Costco.” Additionally, many of these items are available year-round, so there is no Passover price markup like there is at kosher markets and other major supermarkets. Furthermore, Costco’s partnership with Instacart means that you could get your Passover groceries delivered right to your door, to avoid the pre-Passover supermarket crush.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. Although Costco carries many prepackaged kosher for Passover items, this list focuses on healthful and clean items, raw materials and minimally processed foods that may be used for Passover, either with or without a special certification. It does not include many other items that do not fit the Consciously Kosher criteria. It also does not include fresh vegetables, many of which are available at Costco as well.

Items With No Additional Passover Certification Required

(according to the OU Passover guide, unless otherwise specified in the links)

  • Almond Flour (Kirkland), according to the CRC, as long as certification is by Kof-K or KORC. (However, one reader pointed out that their package still says “may contain wheat”, so perhaps this is a labeling error or an oversight on the part of the CRC. The ones that say “KORC” do have an additional Passover certification.)

  • Avocado Oil (Chosen Foods)

  • Baking Soda (Arm & Hammer)

  • Chestnuts (Gefen; organic)

  • Chia Seeds (Nature’s Intent)

  • Coconut Oil (Kirkland Signature; organic virgin)

  • Coffee (Kirkland Signature; unflavored non-decaffeinated, ground and whole bean)

  • Eggs (Kirkland; cage-free and pasture-raised eggs; purchase before Passover)

  • Frozen fruit (plain, frozen, unsweetened fruit pieces without anything added to them; includes Kirkland Organic Blueberries, Pitaya Dragon Fruit Cubes, Daybreak Blend, Live More Organic Antioxidant Blend)

  • Medjool Dates (specifically this variety; other types, like Deglet Noor, may be glazed with glucose and would require Passover certification, according to JSOR)

  • Nuts: Almonds, Walnuts and Cashews (Kirkland Signature; whole, unsalted and un-roasted, including the organic; the key is that it says “processed in a peanut-free facility,” so it’s free of kitniyot)

  • Olive Oil (Kirkland & Kirkland Signature; extra virgin, including the organic)

  • Parchment Paper (Kirkland Signature)

  • Salmon Skinless Boneless Wild Sockeye Portions, Chilean Sea Bass and Atlantic Farm-Raised Salmon (all frozen; Kirkland)

  • Spices (whole, including cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, bay leaves, et al); use a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle to grind these spices

Items With Additional Passover Certification Required

(according to the 2024 OU Passover guide, unless otherwise specified in the links)

  • Ground Turkey and Broiler Rock Chicken, Broiler Whole Chicken (Empire Frozen)

  • Honey (Kirkland Signature; organic raw, clover and wildflower; Regional Raw Pacific Northwest)

  • Maple syrup (as of 2021, the OU requires pure maple syrup to have a Pesach certification)

  • Salt (Kirkland Signature; Ground Pink Himalayan Salt)

  • Sardines (Season; wild-caught)

  • Sheep’s Milk Feta (Tnuva)

  • Smoked Alaskan Sockeye Salmon (Kirkland Signature)

  • Smoked Whitefish (Acme/Blue Hill Bay)

If you find additional Kosher for Passover items at Costco that are also unprocessed or minimally processed, please leave them in the comments below, and I will add them to this list.