Costco Has a $3 Starbucks Copycat—and Fans Say It’s Even Better

Costco may be known for its bulk groceries, cheaper pantry essentials, signature baked goods, and easy heat-and-eat meals, but a trip to the wholesale chain isn’t complete without a food court stop.

Slices of delightfully greasy pizza, the giant chicken bake, and a $1.50 hot dog combo are all Costco food court legends, but there are pretty great beverages, too. Costco now offers Coca-Cola fountain sodas (which make delicious floats) as well as smoothies and coffee drinks.

And the latest addition to the coffee lineup gives Starbucks some stiff competition.

Costco Debuts New Cold Brew Caramel Freeze

One of the most underrated Costco food court items is the Cold Brew Freeze, a blended frozen coffee drink that is perfectly sweet, coffee forward, and easily customizable. Following the success of the Latte Freeze and Mocha Freeze, Costco just added the new Cold Brew Caramel Freeze to its menu—and it looks strikingly similar to the iconic Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino. 

Just like the Mocha Freeze and Latte Freeze, the Cold Brew Caramel Freeze features Costco’s classic ice-blended cold brew combined with caramel syrup. The caramel syrup is the same salty sweet sauce used in the food court’s new Caramel Brownie Sundae, which also features Costco soft serve and brownie bites.

On Instagram, Costco shopper @morganchomps posted a video of the new frozen beverage, calling it a “cheaper version of the Caramel Frappuccino” and adding that it has a better texture than the Starbucks version. “This is super refreshing,” they said.

At just $2.99 for a 16-ounce drink, Costco’s take on a Caramel Frappuccino is less than half the cost of the same 16-ounce-sized Grande at Starbucks, so it makes sense that fans are totally thrilled by the new item.

Costco’s Caramel Cold Brew Freeze may also be a great option for fans who don’t love super sweet coffee beverages. “Even with the coffee flavor, you can still taste the saltiness from the caramel,” added @morganchomps in the Instagram video.

As someone who is already partial to the Cold Brew Mocha Freeze, I’m especially excited to try the new Cold Brew Caramel Freeze on my next Costco run. And, of course, I’ll be snagging a Costco hot dog while I’m at the food court, too.