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: …
Bread
Trader Joe’s 27 Layer Sesame Croissini
The pros: Trader Joe’s 27 Layer Sesame Croissini is new to shelves and if you enjoy snacking on breadstick, you’ll find this enjoyable.
The cons: I’m not sure why the package says eat while warm. It was good warm, but the flaky layers were much improved at room temperature. Not many of my croissinis were twisted out of the box. I’m not sure if this is a defect or something to expect.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Sprouted Whole Grain Pizza Crust
The pros: Trader Joe’s Sprouted Whole Grain Pizza Crust is a thin and healthy alternative to a regular pizza crust.
The cons: Can be an awkward size if you are going to store this for any amount of time.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Cream Cheese Brioche Pastries
The pros: Trader Joe’s Cream Cheese Brioche Pastries are new, frozen, and delicious if you appreciate a treat on the sweeter side. These are a solid choice for breakfast or dessert.
The cons: Why do they ever assume you are going to be sharing these? Just be honest with the calories and say how many are in each. For some reason Trader Joe’s decided that each pastry is two servings.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Brioche Toasts
The pros: Trader Joe’s Brioche Toasts are a two to three bite size slice of brioche that are crisp and delicious. At under $2 it’s a great deal. It also might have some interesting other applications beyond just appetizers.
The cons: If you are using this in place of crackers, then consider making sure you have napkins or plates because there will be crumbs from this toast.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Pain Au Lait
The pros: Trader Joe’s Pain Au Lait is a nice light French bread that while perfect for breakfast, I can totally justify eating this during other meals as well.
The cons: Nothing jumped to my mind.
The verdict: …
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 Habanero Lime Tortillas
The pros: Trader Joe’s Habanero Lime Tortillas sound intimidating but they are flavorful and just hot enough.
The cons: True spice junkies will likely be disappointed in the heat level in this product. I did not find this product to be very hot. They only come in the larger size.
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 Cheese and Garlic Croutons
The pros: Trader Joe’s Cheese and Garlic Croutons have a good cheese and garlic flavoring to them. Comes in a very pretty packaging.
The cons: Considering this bag only four ounces of croutons, these are very overpriced. Some of the croutons were not bite sized.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Artisan Brioche Rolls
The pros: Trader Joe’s Artisan Brioche Rolls are just as magical as Trader Joe’s Brioche Bread. If you’ve tried the brioche bread, then this is just as good.
The cons: At $3.99 for six rolls, it is a bit pricey, but well done.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Classic Hamburger Buns
The pros: Trader Joe’s Classic Hamburger Buns are basic buns.
The cons: These are completely average hamburger buns.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Plain Bagels
The pros: Trader Joe’s Plain Bagels are very basic plain bagels.
The cons: These do not do bagels justice.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Tandoori Naan
The pros: Trader Joe’s Tandoori Naan is quick and tasty bread straight from the freezer.
The cons: It’s plain, but odds are you aren’t eating this by itself.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Pizza Dough
The pros: Trader Joe’s Pizza Dough is inexpensive, can be frozen and is a good item to keep on hand.
The cons: Watch the shelf life. It’s a fresh item and won’t last forever. This item can be frozen if you are not going to use it right away.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Handmade White Tortillas
The pros: Trader Joe’s Handmade White Tortillas are super tasty and very fresh tasting. These are imperfectly shaped which makes them seem a bit more homemade.
The cons: I wish these were available in more sizes and I wish I could find this on a more consistent basis.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s French Brioche
The pros: Trader Joe’s French Brioche is a delicious, light and buttery bread. It was buttery bread that was as fresh as can be. Toasted it was light as a feather with a sublime taste. While I haven’t tried it as French Toast, I image it will be quite good.
The cons: Sharing this product will lead to the bag being emptied almost immediately.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Multi Grain Slims
The pros: If you are a fan of Arnold’s Sandwich Thins, Trader Joe’s Multi Grain Slims is pretty darn similar. High fiber and only 100 calories.
The cons: High fiber, so if you aren’t used to much fiber in your diet these might be a shock to your system.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Garlic and Herb Pizza Dough
The pros: Trader Joe’s Garlic and Herb Pizza Dough is inexpensive, quick, easy, little wait time, you are only limited by your own creativity.
The cons: Short shelf life but can be frozen.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Italian Breadsticks with Olive Oil
The pros: Trader Joe’s Italian Breadsticks with Olive Oil are light and airy. These are perfect for snacking.
The cons: If you like very dense breadsticks, you might not like these. Some of mine came out of the package broken. The problem was addressed by immediately eating all of them first.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Golden Round Crackers
The pros: If you like Ritz Crackers, then Trader Joe’s Golden Round Crackers are pretty close to the same product. They are a good size so if you are looking to serve them as an appetizer they will work unlike Trader Joe’s 3 Cheese Wafers which were tasty but not practical as an appetizer.
The cons: None come to mind.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Soft Handmade Pretzel
The pros: Trader Joe’s Soft Handmade Pretzel is everything you would hope for in a big soft pretzel…
The cons: …except for the salt (but that is a matter of preference). This big pretzel is four full servings if you are counting calories, be sure to share with someone. However, it should be noted that if you are truly missing the salt you could add Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Seasoning and have an everything pretzel. Just saying.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Chocolate Brooklyn Babka
The pros: Chocolate lovers unite for Trader Joe’s Chocolate Brooklyn Babka. So chocolatey that if it weren’t for the layers, you would think you are eating a decadent chocolate brownie.
The cons: Addicting if you like chocolate. Tofu is a surprise ingredient here, so if you have a soy allergy, be aware it’s present here.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Canadian White Bread
The pros: Makes for a fantastic grilled cheese, seems more like real bread, very different from something like Wonderbread. Good taste for a white bread and good texture. Will keep on your countertop for about a week. Freezes well if you don’t need it right away. It’s Kosher, it’s made in the USA even though it’s called “Canadian.”
The cons: No preservatives so don’t expect a nuclear shelf life.
The verdict: …
