The ultimate Costco baby shower shopping list: What to buy, how much to get, and what to skip

You’re hosting a baby shower and your budget is doing that thing where it keeps climbing every time you add another item to the mental list. Before you book an expensive caterer or spend hours making everything from scratch, consider this: one Costco trip can handle your entire food situation for a fraction of the cost.

The key is knowing what to buy, what to skip, and how much you actually need so you’re not stuck with three leftover party platters on Monday. This is your complete Costco baby shower strategy—the bulk-buying game plan that feeds 20-25 guests without breaking the bank or your sanity.

The order-ahead party platters (worth it)

Costco’s official catering menu requires 24-hour advance notice. You’ll fill out a paper form at the deli counter, then pick everything up the day of your shower. No online ordering exists, which feels very 2005, but the quality and price make it worth the extra trip.

Fruit, Meat & Cheese Platter ($39.99, feeds 18-24)
This is Costco’s most popular party platter for good reason. You get Italian salami, soppressata, red and green grapes, aged cheddar cubes, and aged Gouda cubes. The only thing missing is crackers, so grab those separately. Put this on a nice serving board and nobody will know you didn’t spend an hour arranging everything yourself.

Shrimp Platter ($49.99, feeds 24-28)
Four pounds of cooked, peeled shrimp with tails on, plus lemon wedges and three containers of cocktail sauce. This is the fancy option that makes your shower feel upscale without the upscale price tag. The shrimp are already cooked, so you’re literally just opening a container.

Skip: The Artisan Bread Sandwich Platter ($49.99). It’s fine, but baby showers tend to be lighter on the heavy sandwiches and heavier on the snack-and-graze situation.

The grab-and-go deli section heroes

These don’t require advance ordering—they’re sitting right there in the refrigerated cases waiting for you.

Taylor Farms Vegetable Tray (4 pounds, around $10)
Carrot sticks, broccoli florets, grape tomatoes, and snow peas with Everything Ranch dip included. This is your vegetable requirement handled in one container. Put it out, walk away, feel good about offering something green.

Fresh Cut Fruit Bowl (3 pounds, around $10)
Cantaloupe, honeydew, strawberries, pineapple, and grapes already cut and ready. For the amount of fruit and the time saved not cutting everything yourself, this is one of the best values in the store.

Small Fruit, Meat & Cheese Platters
If you want more variety than one big platter provides, Costco’s refrigerated section often has smaller versions. Grab two different ones to give guests options without ordering the massive catering tray.

Bakery section: The sweet stuff

Half Sheet Cake ($24.99)
This is the move. Costco’s sheet cakes are legendary—white cake with vanilla cheesecake mousse or chocolate cake with chocolate mousse. They serve 48 people, which sounds insane until you remember that shower guests take tiny slices because they’re also eating seven other things. Give the bakery 48 hours notice for custom messages. “Welcome Baby [Name]” costs exactly zero extra dollars.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies (24-count, around $10)
These aren’t your standard cookies—they’re bakery-style, oversized, and packed with massive chocolate chunks. Stack them on a plate and they look expensive. They cost 42 cents each.

Mini Cupcakes or Regular Cupcakes (12-count or variety sizes)
If cake isn’t your thing, Costco rotates through different cupcake options. Recent flavors have included vanilla, chocolate, and cookies and cream. These work well because guests can grab one easily without needing plates and forks.

Kirkland Butter Cookies (if in season)
When available, these come decorated for different seasons and are universally loved. They’re simple, not too sweet, and perfect for guests who don’t want chocolate.

The smart beverage strategy

Kirkland Organic Lemonade (2-pack of half-gallon bottles, around $6)
This is pulp-free, made with organic lemon juice and organic sugar, and tastes like real lemonade. Two bottles give you a gallon, which is plenty for 20-25 guests when you’re also offering other drinks.

Waterloo Sparkling Water Variety Pack (24 cans, price varies)
Lemon-Lime, Raspberry Nectarine, and Blackberry Lemonade. The pregnant guest of honor will appreciate having something fizzy that isn’t just plain seltzer, and everyone else will too. Zero sugar, zero calories, actually refreshing.

San Pellegrino Sparkling Drinks (24-count variety pack)
If you want something slightly sweeter, the Blood Orange and Lemonade variety pack feels more special than regular soda but costs less than buying individual bottles elsewhere.

Skip: Individual juice boxes unless your shower includes kids. For adult-focused showers, lemonade and sparkling water cover it.

The snack aisle additions

Kirkland Mixed Nuts (2.5 pounds)
Put these in small bowls around the room. They look elegant, they’re filling, and the 2.5-pound container is enough to scatter across multiple surfaces without running out.

Crackers (any Kirkland or name-brand variety)
You need these for your meat and cheese platter. Get two boxes—one plain water crackers, one something fancier like rosemary or everything seasoning.

Olives
Costco’s Kirkland pitted olives come in large jars. Pour them into a pretty bowl and suddenly your snack spread looks Mediterranean and intentional.

What you actually need for 20-25 guests

• 1 fruit, meat & cheese platter OR 2 small platters from the deli case
• 1 vegetable tray
• 1 fresh cut fruit bowl (or make your own fruit platter if this isn’t available)
• 1 sheet cake OR 2 dozen cookies OR cupcakes
• 1 case of sparkling water (24 cans)
• 2 bottles of lemonade (makes 1 gallon total)
• 1 container mixed nuts
• 2 boxes crackers
• Optional: 1 shrimp platter if you want to add protein or make it feel fancier

Total estimated cost: $150-$200 depending on whether you add the shrimp platter

The stuff that’s actually not worth it

Pre-made sandwiches from the deli: They’re fine for office lunches, but for a baby shower where people are mingling and standing, finger foods work better.

The massive cheese blocks: Unless you’re also using them for something else, buying the pre-cut cheese on the meat and cheese platter saves you from having to cube everything yourself.

Costco’s rotisserie chicken: Great for feeding your family dinner. Not great for a baby shower unless you’re specifically planning a chicken salad situation, and even then, there are easier options.

Fancy appetizers that need heating: Baby showers often happen in homes without easy access to ovens. Cold foods that taste good at room temperature are your best bet.

The day-before checklist

Visit Costco 24-48 hours before the shower to pick up your pre-ordered platters and grab everything from the bakery and deli sections. Buy beverages, crackers, and nuts a few days earlier if you want to spread out the trips.

Set up your serving area the night before with plates, napkins, and serving utensils in place. The morning of the shower, you’re just opening containers and arranging food—not cooking, not stressing, not wondering if you made enough.

The real value of the costco strategy

You’re spending $150-$200 to feed 25 people real food that actually tastes good and looks presentable. A catering company charges that much per person. Your time is worth something too, and the Costco route buys you back hours you would have spent cooking or arranging individual snack plates.

The secret to making Costco party food look elevated is simple: transfer everything to nice serving dishes and add small touches like fresh herbs on the meat and cheese platter or colorful napkins. Nobody’s going to ask where you bought the shrimp. They’re just going to eat the shrimp and tell you the shower was lovely.

Sometimes the smartest entertaining move is knowing when to let Costco do the heavy lifting.

source https://www.mother.ly/food/costco-baby-shower/