It’s no secret that Costco is a desired ice cream destination; from its food court to frozen aisles, you can find your perfect ice cream flavor to take home. This includes super popular items like the Kirkland Signature Vanilla ice cream or brand-name ice cream sandwiches. Have you ever thought about what company is behind Costco ice cream and all these delicious options? We forget that Costco is a wholesale supplier rather than the company making each item. If you’re curious about what we mean, check out these six Costco ice cream products made by another company

Related: Ranking Costco Ice Cream by Brand and Flavor

Who Makes Costco Kirkland Products?

Costco has many options in its warehouses, especially regarding Kirkland Signature products, but you may not realize that many are outsourced to other companies. For instance, Kirkland’s coffee is made by Starbucks, and Duracell makes Kirkland’s batteries; just a few of Costco’s products are manufactured by other companies. 

What can you expect from the Kirkland Signature brand then? Even though they outsource, Costco ensures quality control often setting up partnerships with these companies. As a result, you get brand-level quality for less. This process allows Costco to keep Kirkland products priced low — and we all love a bargain

Companies Behind Costco Ice Cream Products

In addition to Kirkland, here are some Costco ice cream brands and the companies producing our favorite frozen treats.

6. Wells Enterprises

Halo Top ice cream

Halo Top Creamery offers several ice cream flavors with lower calorie counts than other brands. Costco has held sales on this product before, so keep an eye out for delicious flavors at low prices. Halo Top Creamery is owned by Wells Enterprises, which also owns ice cream brands such as Blue Bunny, Bomb Pop, and Blue Ribbon Classics. 

5. Brothers Desserts

company behind Costco ice cream: Brother's desserts

You may know Brother’s Ice Cream for their ice cream bonbons, but they provide several other frozen treats, too. Brother’s Desserts produces this Costco favorite, which creates brands like Natural Choice, Absolute Fruit Sorbet, and Nutrifreeze. 

Check Out: What Company is Behind Costco Frozen Food?

4. Casper’s Ice Cream

Fat Boy ice cream sandwiches

One of the classic ice cream sandwich brands at Costco is Fat Boy, selling thick and creamy ice cream pressed between two cookies. If you want to enjoy more of Fat Boy’s frozen treats, all of their products come from the company Casper’s Ice Cream. 

3. Froneri

company behind Costco ice cream: Nestle drumsticks

Along with making candy bars, Nestlé delves into the ice cream industry with their famous drumsticks and ice cream bars. While you can enjoy all types of Nestlé ice cream products at Costco, another brand is behind the scenes. Froneri is the company behind Nestlé products for the U.S. and Europe. 

2. General Mills

Haagen-Dazs ice cream

Häagen-Dazs is a popular brand for ice cream connoisseurs thanks to its creamy texture. While you can buy several flavors from Costco, they actually come from the major food processing company,  General Mills. Known for brands like Annie’s, Betty Crocker, and Cocoa Puffs, they are the machine behind Häagen-Dazs.

Also Read: Who Makes Costco Kirkland Signature Products?

1. Humboldt Creamery

company behind Costco ice cream: Kirkland Signature Vanilla

Last but not least, the best-selling ice cream from Costco is their Kirkland Signature Premium Vanilla ice cream. Interestingly, this is the only Kirkland ice cream made by Humboldt Creamery. Known for its rich and smooth texture, Humboldt’s signature ice cream translates perfectly to Kirkland’s cartons. As of right now, the vanilla ice cream is the only flavor made by Humboldt and continues to be a fan favorite for all Costcoholics. Other Kirkland brand ice cream flavors have not been revealed yet. 

FAQs

Who Makes Costco Brand Ice Cream?

companies behind Costco ice cream

While it is not confirmed which companies make all of Kirkland Signature’s ice cream, there is one product in particular everyone is talking about. A favorite for Costco customers and ice cream fans alike is Kirkland Signature’s Super Premium Vanilla Ice Cream. With its rich and creamy texture, the ice cream is a constant presence at family gatherings and birthday parties. 

After a lot of speculation and research, Costco confirmed Humboldt Creamery as the brand behind Costco’s famous vanilla ice cream. They have been making it since 2006 and provided the milk for Costco’s food court ice cream bars until they were discontinued in 2013. 

Check Out: 10 Breakfast Essentials You Need from Costco

Why is Costco Vanilla Ice Cream so Good?

What is the secret ingredient that makes Costco vanilla ice cream so irresistible? For Humboldt Creamery, it all comes down to location. Humboldt Creamery is located on the north coast of California, an area known for huge dairy and ice cream companies. 

Humboldt’s plant manager Mike Callihan emphasizes this, pointing out the impact of the region’s six rivers. The cows spend most of their time grazing in mineral-rich soil carried downstream from the mountains, affecting the milk’s taste. With over 60 inches of precipitation in the area too, Humboldt’s land is the perfect environment to create delicious milk and ice cream. 

Why Did Costco Discontinue Ice Cream Bars?

Costco hand dipped ice cream bars

Do you remember the delicious hand-dipped ice cream bars sold in Costco’s food court? Not to be confused with Kirkland Signature’s Ice Cream Bars, this food court special was discontinued in 2013. Costco members all over the country have wondered why their favorite food court treat has disappeared from the menu. 

Since Costco has kept quiet, there has been lots of speculation about why the bars were taken away. One possible reason is due to price increases in dairy and almonds. Since the bars were ice cream dipped in a thick layer of chocolate and covered in almonds, the price increase could have put a strain on the company which transferred to the bars. 

While Costco has since tried to implement other food court items, shoppers continue to push for their beloved ice cream bars. Some have created petitions with over a thousand signatures, and others have created Facebook pages to commemorate the food court bars. The only consolation is Kirkland Signature’s Ice Cream Bars in the frozen food section.

No matter which brand is behind Costco’s ice cream products, all of them are delicious in their own ways. Whether you want an ice cream bar or a fresh scoop of vanilla, make sure to check out all the frozen products sold at Costco the next time you shop.

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