Trader Joe's blog and cooking.
The average Trader Joe's store stocks a few thousand products, most of which bear its name. But quality in the chip and snack sections can vary, fortunately, that's why you have this site!
From White Truffle Potato Chips to the Speculoos Cookies you'll find more than a hundred of reviews of Trader Joe's products and see which ones are worth your time and which ones you may want to consider leaving on the shelf!
I’m pretty sure every candy sale that I’ve ever done or witness that involved a case of chocolate, ended with the packs of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups being sold out first. And there is good reason for it: it’s just delicious. On the shelves of Trader Joe’s we’ve seen the addition of two new “cups” style candies: sunflower seed butter, and this almond butter.
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Behold! A perfectly timed product gracing shelves in time for Valentine’s Day that is chocolate, but quite different. The color you are seeing here is not the result of coloring of any sort. And apparently, this is a new type of chocolate you can be sure that you’ll be seeing more of whether you find it at Trader Joe’s or available commercially.
I guess Trader Joe’s was feeling many people’s resolve about New Year’s Resolutions. They knew we would cave. So they came out with a long list of sugary items to expedite this process. They’ve welcomed vegan cookies, sunflower seed butter cups, and now these.
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Vegan cookie review part deux. I figured these cookies need separate reviews. This cookie right here has certain similarities to the lemon variety like the fact it’s vegan, the cookies are huge, and they are new to shelves. However, the taste on these are quite different.
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Consider this a brief lemon theme between these cookies and a recent review of a candle. But on my most recent shopping trip there were a few new items hiding in the fresh breads and desserts aisle. In my local store, that happens to be right when I walk in. So grabbed both and hoped for the best. The other variety is a brownie cookie, but that will have to wait for a different review.
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There is something special about the holidays and Trader Joe’s. I’m not mentioning this because Valentine’s Day is coming up. I’m reflecting on this past holiday season. As a foodie, going in there was almost as exciting as going into FAO Schwartz as a kid. Now kids won’t even know what that is. Alas, Trader Joe’s has found a way to extend the holidays for just a bit longer. And perhaps your waistline too. …
Does anyone else celebrate Taco Tuesday? I think we celebrate it on a lot of days during the week. I have a soft spot for nachos in particular. Who doesn’t love cheesy chips? I adore them. Just not Trader Joe’s Queso Dip. One of the cardinal rules of a dip is that it should never be watery or thin. This vegan dip does a better job of being cheesy than queso.
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Oh Trader Joe’s, you know most people won’t keep the New Year’s Resolution. So they are giving us another popular product double. And yes, this adds to a long list of product doubles that I’ve tried, especially in the snack food section. Behold, Trader Joe’s answer to the popular snack: Takis.
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So in case you didn’t have enough sweets and cookies and candies yet, I figured I’d cover this item before New Year’s Day arrives when healthier eating seems in order. Yes, this is another example of a hybrid food much in the way a Cronut is kinda donut and kinda croissant.
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So the Fall brought us Trader Joe’s Apple Caramel Granola, this winter we have been graced by yet another seasonal granola variety. This is Trader Joe’s Gingerbread Spice Granola. But if you loved the sweetness of the Fall’s seasonal granola, I’m not sure you are going to like this. And yes, this granola is vastly different from the Peanut Butter variety that is on shelves year round.
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If I were to admit to the food pairings that I like most, it would probably be chocolate and peppermint. If I stop at a Starbucks, there is a peppermint mocha frappuccino in my future. If I go to the movies, I reach for Junior Mints. There is something about the pairing of those flavors that make my taste buds very happy.
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Donuts. There is a food item that has such powerful food memories attached to them. Done right they can instantly make you smile. In fact, donuts instantly make me think of certain pop culture icons: Homer Simpson and Fred the Baker from the Dunkin Donuts commercials instantly come to mind. It’s those cultural icons to which we have to thank for phrases like “Mmmmm….Donuts” and “Time to make the donuts.”
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So far, I haven’t tried too many pumpkin items this year. I like pumpkin, but it has to be done right. I like pumpkin in a more subtle about. Now, this cookie is basically Trader Joe’s answer to Oreos, however there are some key differences between this and an Oreo.
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Every now and again, I pick up a product that I’m not totally into trying. But for the sake of public information, I put it out there. And every now and again, I get something I love and something I absolutely hate. Now, even though I have over 900 Trader Joe’s reviews, I can’t say that I’ve done too much of a deep dive into the salsas. Some people can say they’ve tried them all….
If I had to pick one line where every flavor is pretty much on point, I would say the Hold the Cone! series is pretty darn near perfect. Unless you despise pumpkin, Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Ginger Hold the Cone Mini Ice Cream Cones rounds out some good flavors that one can only hope that they continue adding to.
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If this packaging seems familiar, then you aren’t wrong. This is the same packaging that comes on Trader Joe’s birthday cake candy bar. That bar comes and goes at random points in the year. This is five ounces of popcorn with a candy coating on it, while the candy bar is 2 ounces. If you’ve never tried that candy bar, then let me get you up to speed.
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Trader Joe’s has expanded my horizons with their gummy line. It seems like now they have a gummy for every season. I’ve tried all of them over the last two years. For the most part, they’ve been pretty good.
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Behold, the second Hot Cocoa themed item of the year (possibly the third if you count the return of the salted caramel hot cocoa). The previous appeared in the Hot Cocoa Toaster Pastries but one thing was missing: the marshmallows.
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Just in time for school to start are Trader Joe’s ABC Bars. I’m not sure if they chose the letters to coincide with the start of school or it just is one big Jackson 5 reference that they were running with based on the fact that these are Almond Butter Cocoa Bars….
The pros: Trader Joe’s Candy Corn Popcorn is a new seasonal item hitting shelves for this autumn season.
The cons: If you truly believe that candy corn is the most revolting Halloween candy, then you will find this revolting as well.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Big Soft Pretzels are new to shelves and have the salt package already in the bag so you decide how much or how little is best for you.
The cons: Four pretzels in a bag, but the bag can’t be resealed.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chunk Cantuccini are new to shelves and are priced under $2. These are a hybrid between the traditional biscotti and a chocolate chip cookie.
The cons: Bag is not resealable. If you are nut free, you need to skip this product.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Neapolitan Joe Joe’s is the newest flavor of Joe Joe’s to hit store shelves.
The cons: The pairing here might not be everyone’s favorite.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Spicy Cheese Crunchies are meant to be a healthier alternative to the similar to Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. These are also listed as gluten-free.
The cons: This is not quite an exact copy to the original.
The verdict: …
