It’s been a good year so far to be at Trader Joe’s if you are gluten-free. Now, I’m not gluten-free, but I do like to see how things taste. And if desserts are where you feel like gluten is missing the most then they have you covered with Trader Joe’s Fudgy Chocolate Quinoa Loaf and Cake Mix.
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Trader Joe's Baking
Trader Joe's sells a wide variety of baking items to make you look like a pro. But quality can vary, fortunately, that's why you have this site!
From Meyer Lemon Baking Mix to the Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Brownie Mix find dozens of reviews of Trader Joe's baking products and see which ones are worth your time and which ones you may want to consider leaving on the shelf!
Trader Joe’s Beer Bread Mix
Not a new product. Just a winter seasonal item that might not strike you as a winter seasonal item. With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, this might be a decent alternative if you hate caraway seeds and just happen to have a beer and some butter you want to get rid of.
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Trader Joe’s Bourbon Cake Mix
If there was on holiday food memory other than cinnamon rolls, it was making a rum cake with my mom. It was nothing fancy nor was it a family secret. Nope, it was the classic 1980’s Bacardi Rum Cake recipe. It was moist, boozy, delicious, and had the shelf life of a fruit cake. I loved making it with my mom. She let me handle the cake, but the making the glaze was on her. In either case, I loved it and was hoping for the same awesomeness in this box.
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Trader Joe’s Lemon Shortbread Bar Mix
The pros: Trader Joe’s Lemon Shortbread Bar Mix makes for a pleasant and lemony dessert which has a nice contrast between the shortbread cookie and the soft lemony filling.
The cons: Seriously, I don’t understand why Trader Joe’s hasn’t rolled out a no bake bar for the summer months. The thought of turning on the oven isn’t that appealing during the summer months. There were a few things unclear in the directions.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s 8 Mini Croissants
The pros: Trader Joe’s 8 Mini Croissants are new and replace the frozen ones you have to proof. Don’t worry though, the Chocolate and Almond croissants are still in the frozen aisle.
The cons: If you imagined (like I did) that these would be about the size of say a crescent roll, then you will be surprised by how much they puff up. This bag is not resealable. They are made in Belgium.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Meyer Lemon Cake Mix with Lemon Icing
The pros: Trader Joe’s Meyer Lemon Cake Mix with Lemon Icing is a very well done seasonal cake mix variety.
The cons: This is seasonal.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Banana Bread Mix
The pros: Trader Joe’s Banana Bread Mix is a quick and easy banana bread that won’t require you to possess any bananas to make.
The cons: Banana bread is relatively easy to make and you are paying for convenience here.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Buttermilk Pancake and All Purpose Baking Mix
The pros: Trader Joe’s Buttermilk Pancake and All Purpose Baking Mix works well for pancakes and waffles and is priced right.
The cons: Nothing really stands out.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Blondie Bar Baking Mix
The pros: Trader Joe’s Blondie Bar Baking Mix is a super quick and easy baking mix that makes a reasonable amount of blondies.
The cons: While the box does not mention it, these pair very well with nuts too.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Falafel Mix
The pros: Trader Joe’s Falafel Mix is a new mix that is vegan and gluten free and very easy to prepare.
The cons: You won’t be able to make this instantly as the box requires you to wait 30-60 minutes before cooking. You can’t skip this step.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Cookies are a nice balance between soft and chewy without being too soft or crumbly.
The cons: If you are a crunchy cookie fan, then don’t reach for these. Also, the hint of molasses is kind of misleading. Yes, there is molasses but isn’t brown sugar just sugar with molasses?
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Cinnamon Sugar Muffin and Baking Mix
The pros: Trader Joe’s Cinnamon Sugar Muffin and Baking Mix is a delicious and new to shelves mix that makes good muffins.
The cons: The directions are not 100% accurate and I’ll correct them below.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s It’s Sedimentary My Dear Cookie
The pros: Trader Joe’s It’s Sedimentary My Dear Cookie is a great gift idea that makes for a tasty batch of cookies.
The cons: This is a seasonal item. The brown sugar in mine had hardened to near sedimentary rock level making a my spoon have to do a bit of jack hammmering and scraping to get this out. This also requires a 2 hour rest in the refrigerator, so if you need cookies quick, then reach for something else.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s White Chocolate Baking Chips
The pros: Trader Joe’s White Chocolate Baking Chips will stand up to most cookie recipes and keep their shape. While I enjoy a good white chocolate bar more, these were well done baking chips.
The cons: This is a seasonal item, so if you discover you like these then understand they are not on shelves forever.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Sweet Potato and Marshmallow Pixie Pie Mix
The pros: Trader Joe’s Sweet Potato and Marshmallow Pixie Pie Mix is new to shelves this year. If you normally enjoy sweet potato pie (topped with marshmallows of course) then you’ll probably enjoy this easier boxed version that only needs, 1 egg, 1 stick of butter, and 3 tablespoons of water.
The cons: Dieters need not apply. If you only cut this pie into 5 pieces then each person would be consuming over 500 calories. You’ll also want to make sure you have an 8 pan for this otherwise the crust might not fit.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancake Mix
The pros: Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancake Mix is a good quality mix for those who can’t have gluten. Other than a mild textural difference, I probably would not have guessed that these are gluten free.
The cons: There is a price premium as compared to the non gluten free variety. No directions available for waffles.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix
The pros: Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix is seasonal and will cure your hankering for pumpkin first thing in the morning.
The cons: If you prefer your pancakes plain, then this is not for you. The Trader Joe’s Buttermilk Pancake mix would be better for those who want it plain.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Baking Mix
The pros: Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Baking Mix is a perfectly good option for those who can’t have gluten. Only subtle differences between this and the regular variety of Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Bread mix.
The cons: This item is priced higher than the non-gluten free variety. The first ingredient listed is sugar.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Maple Pecan Shortbread Bar Mix
Trader Joe’s has brought a lot of new products to the shelves. Some new, some returning from last year. Most of the items at your local stores seem to be pumpkin themed, or squash. However, in all the orange hued madness, there are a few new non-pumpkin Fall flavors out there. If you love the sweet flavor of pecans and maple, you are in for a treat. And yes, this year has yielded quite a few maple items as well ranging from Vanilla Maple Syrup to Ghost Pepper Maple Syrup to now Maple Butter.
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Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Mix
The pros: Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Mix makes dense and slightly crumbly bread with a nice spice combination. No need to open a can of pumpkin (or have leftovers from that can of pumpkin)
The cons: Not as good as homemade, but not bad.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice Scone Mix
The pros: Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice Scone Mix makes quick, easy, tender, and flavorful scones that are perfect for the Fall.
The cons: It’s seasonal, so if you discover you really like this then you really should stock up because you don’t know when or if you’ll ever see this one again.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Buttermilk Biscuits
The pros: Trader Joe’s Buttermilk Biscuits are basic biscuits in a can.
The cons: If you are hoping for lots of flakey layers here, you’ll probably be disappointed. You’ll also have to reshape these before baking to avoid oddly shaped biscuits. The can was a pain to open.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Grade A Maple Syrup
The pros: Trader Joe’s Grade A Maple Syrup is a lighter maple syrup with a good flavor profile.
The cons: Nothing comes to mind.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Organic Sugar
The pros: Trader Joe’s Organic Sugar is kosher, organic, and tasty. There are some noticeable differences between regular sugar and organic. It comes in a bag that can be resealed.
The cons: Organic sugar comes at a premium price. The last time I was at Costco, sugar (in a much larger and non organic package was about $0.40 cents per pound). This is about triple the price per pound.
The verdict: …
