Summer Officially Starts After I Buy This $10 Costco Staple

You know what they say: It’s not officially summer until you do a Costco run.

Okay, obviously this isn’t a saying — but it’s definitely true in my house. One of our beloved “school’s out!” traditions is hitting up Costco to stock our shelves for afternoons of everyone being home for the foreseeable future. I typically stick to a pretty tight list at Costco for the sake of my budget, but this first trip of the summer is a treat. 

The whole family piles into the minivan, everyone picks their frozen entrées, snacks, crackers, and cereals. We pile it all into the back of the van, and head home with our plastic cups of soft-serve from the food court. 

Last year on this annual trip, I bought a four-pack of Honey Maid graham crackers on a whim. We had a camping trip coming up, and I knew we were going to need s’mores fixings. Now, I like graham crackers just fine — but four boxes felt like a lot. 

But at less than $10, compared to about $5 for a single box at the nearby grocery store? I figured at some point between now and August, some kid would be desperately bored and hungry and our cupboards would be bare except for a dwindling pack of grahams. We’d get through them eventually. Into the cart they went!

I did not expect these crackers to come in so handy all summer. They of course worked great for the s’mores I had purchased them for, but I also ended up reaching for them for so many things throughout the season. 

Graham crackers do a lot of heavy lifting for many no-bake desserts, which is exactly the kind of thing I’m looking to bring to a last-minute summer get-together — pantry ingredients and no turning on the oven for the win! Use them for press-in crusts for pies, or try them in classic ice box cake. You can also crush them up and sprinkle them over berries and ice cream for a quick dessert to enjoy on the couch.

I am also quite partial to these graham cracker cookies. I’ve been making them since the recipe was first published in 2016. They’re a less-expected addition to a platter of s’mores ingredients if you’re serving a crowd. They’re perfect on their own for the people who aren’t that into the whole ooey-gooey s’mores thing. I think they’re particularly great with stone fruit for a little afternoon pick-me-up.

There’s also something a little nostalgic about a classic graham that goes hand-in-hand with summertime. Campfires, carefree afternoons playing outside in the sun, sandy crumbs reminiscent of sandy beaches. That classic s’mores scene in one of my all-time favorite movies, The Sandlot. 

Who knew this box of crackers was going to be a summertime savior? Needless to say, we made it through all four boxes well before Labor Day. I’ve already purchased my box for this year. 

Find it in stores: Nabisco Honey Maid Grahams, $9.79 for 4 boxes at Costco

What’s the one Costco item you buy to kick off summer? Tell us about it in the comments below.