You don’t need a brunch-specific cookbook. You don’t need to wake up at 6am to bake. You don’t need a Le Creuset Dutch oven and three cookbooks open on the counter.
You need a Costco run, 14 specific items, and about 25 minutes of plating time. The total damage: under $40 for 6 hungry people, including coffee and mimosas. That’s under $7 a person for a brunch that looks like you tried way harder than you did.
Here’s exactly what to grab.
Contents
- 1 ⚡ TL;DR — the 14-item cart
- 2 The Core 6 — the cheapest version of an actually-good brunch
- 3 The Upgrades (8 more items that turn it into THE brunch)
- 4 🍳 The 25-minute plating roadmap
- 5 💡 The pro tips that make it look effortless
- 6 👶 The kid-version (for under $25)
- 7 🎯 The “I’m hosting Mother’s Day next year” advance prep
- 8 🥐 What longtime members keep recommending that didn’t make this list
- 9 🥂 Bottom line
⚡ TL;DR — the 14-item cart
| # | Item | Approx. Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kirkland Egg Bites (Cheese w/ Roasted Red Pepper) | $14.99 |
| 2 | Kirkland Egg Bites (Bacon & Gouda) | $14.99 |
| 3 | La Terra Fina Quiche (Cheddar Broccoli) | $7.99 |
| 4 | Kirkland Plain Bagels (12-pack) | $5.99 |
| 5 | Kirkland Cream Cheese (3-pack blocks) | $7.99 |
| 6 | Kirkland Smoked Salmon (12 oz) | $12.99 |
| 7 | Kirkland Butter Croissants (12-pack) | $5.99 |
| 8 | Mixed Berries (organic, 2-lb clamshell) | $7.99 |
| 9 | Greek Yogurt + Honey + Granola Trio | ~$12 |
| 10 | Mt. Comfort Organic Peru Coffee (2.5 lb) | $14.99 |
| 11 | Orange Juice (Tropicana 89-oz) | $4.99 |
| 12 | Prosecco (La Marca, 750mL or pack) | $11.99 |
| 13 | Kerrygold Butter (or Kirkland salted butter) | $11.49 |
| 14 | Strawberry Preserves OR Bonne Maman Variety | $9.99 |
Wait — that’s more than $40. True. But you don’t buy ALL 14 every brunch. The “core 6” (items 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10) gets you a full-spread brunch for under $40. The other 8 are the upgrade options that turn a brunch into THE brunch.
The Core 6 — the cheapest version of an actually-good brunch
Items 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10. Total: ~$56 for the cart, ~$36 used per brunch (you’ll have leftovers).
Here’s how it plays:
1. Kirkland Egg Bites (Cheese w/ Roasted Red Pepper) — $14.99
Microwave 90 seconds. They taste like the Starbucks egg bites because that’s the same product idea — sous vide style, fluffy interior, cheesy. 12 bites per pack. Two bites per person = a quarter of the pack used.
4 + 5. Bagels + Cream Cheese — $5.99 + $7.99
Slice the bagels in half, toast them. Schmear cream cheese. Done. Costco’s plain bagels are softer than the chains and the cream cheese 3-pack is enough for several brunches.
6. Kirkland Smoked Salmon — $12.99
This is the upgrade item that makes brunch look fancy. Drape slices over the bagels with cream cheese — instant lox board. 12 oz feeds 6 people generously. Members consistently rate Costco’s smoked salmon as better than most grocery brands at 1/3 the cost.
8. Mixed Berries — $7.99
Dump in a bowl. Done. The 2-lb clamshell of organic berries is the cheapest “I tried” garnish you can put on a brunch table.
10. Mt. Comfort Organic Peru Coffee — $14.99 (lasts 5+ brunches)
The secret-weapon Costco coffee bag. Smooth, slightly chocolate-walnut, holds up to cream. Brew a full pot.
Total food + coffee for 6: under $40. Plate it on white plates, light a candle, brunch achieved.
The Upgrades (8 more items that turn it into THE brunch)
2. Kirkland Egg Bites (Bacon & Gouda) — $14.99
Buy both flavors. Set them out on a board. Lets your guests pick instead of being handed a single option.
3. La Terra Fina Quiche (Cheddar Broccoli) — $7.99
Bake 25 min, slice into 8 wedges. Adds the “warm savory anchor” that pure egg bites can miss. Cheddar Broccoli is the most-recommended flavor — Bacon Gruyere is the runner-up.
7. Kirkland Butter Croissants (12-pack) — $5.99
Slice them. Build mini sandwiches with the smoked salmon + cream cheese. Or just leave them in a basket — they’re better than 90% of bakery croissants in the US.
9. Greek Yogurt + Honey + Granola Trio — ~$12
Set up a yogurt bar. Big bowl of plain Greek yogurt, smaller bowls of granola + honey + the leftover berries. Lets the lighter-eaters in the group skip the egg/bagel route.
11 + 12. OJ + Prosecco — $4.99 + $11.99 = MIMOSA STATION
The single highest-ROI brunch hack. A pitcher of orange juice + a chilled bottle of La Marca Prosecco = mimosa station that costs under $20 and makes the entire brunch feel like a celebration.
13. Kerrygold Butter (or Kirkland Salted) — $11.49
The detail nobody expects. A small dish of good butter for the croissants and bagels separates “decent brunch” from “where did you get this butter?”
14. Bonne Maman Preserves (Variety Pack) — $9.99
Tiny jars of strawberry, raspberry, apricot, fig. Set them on the table. Looks gorgeous, tastes incredible, lasts forever.
🍳 The 25-minute plating roadmap
0:00 — Preheat oven to 350°F. Pop La Terra Fina quiche in.
0:05 — Microwave both egg bite packs (2 minutes each). Slice bagels and toast.
0:10 — Plate smoked salmon on a small board with capers (optional) and a wedge of lemon. Spread cream cheese into a small dish.
0:15 — Wash and bowl the berries. Set out yogurt, granola, honey.
0:18 — Slice croissants. Set out butter and Bonne Maman jars.
0:22 — Pour OJ into a pitcher. Chill prosecco in an ice bucket. Open bottle when first guest arrives.
0:25 — Pour coffee. Brunch served.
💡 The pro tips that make it look effortless
- Use white plates. Cheap, abundant, and they make every food photograph beautifully. If your everyday plates are colorful, this is the time to use the boring white ones.
- Cluster items in groups of 3. Salmon + cream cheese + bagels as one cluster. Egg bites + butter + croissants as another. Yogurt + granola + honey as a third. Makes the table look “designed.”
- A fresh herb garnish costs $2 at Costco. A clamshell of basil or mint scattered on the salmon board / quiche slice = “she went to the herb garden” energy.
- Pre-pour the first round of mimosas. When guests walk in and see filled flutes already on the counter, the energy shifts immediately.
👶 The kid-version (for under $25)
If your brunch is family-style with little kids, swap a few items:
- Replace smoked salmon ($12.99) with a sliced fruit board ($5)
- Skip the prosecco ($11.99), keep the OJ
- Add a stack of mini pancakes from the freezer aisle ($8)
You’re now under $25 for 4 adults + 2 kids.
🎯 The “I’m hosting Mother’s Day next year” advance prep
Pre-Mother’s Day Costco runs are a war zone. The hack: buy the shelf-stable + freezable items 2 weeks early (egg bites freeze great, croissants freeze great, prosecco lives in the wine fridge), then do a fresh-only run the morning of for the bagels, berries, and salmon. Cuts your Mother’s Day morning Costco trip from “30 minutes in line” to “10 minutes in produce.”
🥐 What longtime members keep recommending that didn’t make this list
If you want to expand beyond the core 14, these picks have strong member support:
- Cinnamon Roll 4-Pack (large rolls — heat and serve)
- La Boulangerie Brioche Loaf for French toast
- Kirkland Signature Maple Syrup (33.8 oz) — actual maple, not “pancake syrup”
- Tillamook sliced cheese — for breakfast sandwiches
- Applegate Naturals Sausage Links — uncured, no nitrates
Pick one or two and rotate.
🥂 Bottom line
Restaurant brunch for 6 in your city: easily $200+ before tip. Costco brunch for 6 with the core 14: under $40, ~25 min of work, and you control the coffee.
You don’t need to be a great cook. You need a Costco card and 14 items. That’s the whole game.
Subscribe to Costco Finds for the brunch finds, the recall alerts, and the Markdown Monday lists every week.
Related on RetailShout:
– What’s Trending at Costco This Week
– Top 10 Costco Grab-and-Go Meals That Taste Homemade
– Top New Costco Finds You Can’t Miss (5/8 – 5/14)
