The pros: Trader Joe’s Hummus with Freshly Ground Horseradish is a recent addition to the dips of the refrigerated aisle.
The cons: Does not bring the heat that you might expect.
The verdict: …
Kosher
Trader Joe’s Sparkling Pressed Apple Juice Beverage
The pros: Trader Joe’s Sparkling Pressed Apple Juice Beverage is new to the canned drinks.
The cons: This was not very sparkling or delicious.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Green Dragon Hot Sauce
The pros: Trader Joe’s Green Dragon Hot Sauce is a delicious condiment that is super versatile.
The cons: Don’t let the cartoonish dragon fool you. The dragon on the Sriracha sauce looks meaner, but this probably has more fire to it.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Dukkah
The pros: Trader Joe’s Dukkah is back on shelves after a hiatus. It also makes for a flavorful dip in addition to olive oil.
The cons: If you do not like the taste of anise or fennel, then it is best to skip this product.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Chocolate Whole Milk
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chocolate Whole Milk fills a gap in the dairy section.
The cons: It is much pricier than buying regular milk and doing it yourself.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Organic Italian Artisan Pasta Gigli
The pros: Trader Joe’s Organic Italian Artisan Pasta Gigli is one of three new pastas that are organic and artisan.
The cons: This is a premium priced pasta, but is still affordable. A few pasta pieces lost their cool shape.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Organic Italian Artisan Pasta Orecchiette
The pros: Trader Joe’s Organic Italian Artisan Pasta Orecchiette is one of three new pastas on Trader Joe’s shelves. All three are labeled as organic and kosher.
The cons: Mine took closer to 18 minutes to reach an al dente texture. Be sure to test before draining these.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Organic Italian Artisan Pasta Capunti
The pros: Trader Joe’s Organic Italian Artisan Pasta Capunti is a new and tasty pasta in a fun shape.
The cons: Other than the fun shape, there was nothing stand out about this pasta.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Mini Heart Cookies
The pros: Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Mini Heart Cookies are another seasonal continuation of the super successful Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Stars. Five cookies to a serving for only 130 calories.
The cons: If you are looking for plain shortbread because that’s what the box makes it sound like, then you might be a touch disappointed. This is likely a seasonal product.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Organic Quinoa and Rice Hot Cereal
The pros: Trader Joe’s Organic Quinoa and Rice Hot Cereal is a new item that is mixed in with all the other decadent flavors of the holiday season. This was ready in about 2 minutes.
The cons: You’ll want to add your own mix ins to this. It’s extremely bland on its own.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Lemon Elderflower Soda
The pros: Trader Joe’s Lemon Elderflower Soda is lemon soda with the added twist of fragrant elderflower. Could probably be used as a solid drink mixer.
The cons: The floral fragrance might not be for everyone.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Organic Midnight Moo
The pros: Trader Joe’s Organic Midnight Moo is chocolate syrup that is good for sundaes or making chocolate milk (whatever your definition of “milk” happens to be) or any dessert that you can think og.
The cons: This was a previously discontinued item. It would be nice to see this on the shelves on a regular basis.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Rhubarb and Strawberry Soda
The pros: Trader Joe’s Rhubarb and Strawberry Soda is new, actually contains rhubarb and strawberry juice and is something fun to try.
The cons: I would still reach for Trader Joe’s French Berry Lemonade to get my strawberry soda fix over this.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Italian Linguine
The pros: Trader Joe’s Italian Linguine is well priced but otherwise completely average pasta.
The cons: The plastic bag saves space but can also lead to more breakage.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Mini Dark Chocolate Mint Stars
The pros: Trader Joe’s Mini Dark Chocolate Mint Stars are tasty little cookies. These almost reminded me of girl scout cookies with a few notable exceptions.
The cons: If you like these, then stock up as they are a seasonal item.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Almond Nog
The pros: Trader Joe’s Almond Nog is soy free, gluten free, diary free, vegan, kosher, and seasonal. Best of all, it does a very good job of replicating the flavors that you might expect in a regular egg nog.
The cons: Why is there not a recipe on this carton to make this boozy egg nog? Isn’t that what egg nog is supposed to be about? It’s also not quite as thick as a regular nog.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Mashed Sweet Potatoes
The pros: Trader Joe’s Mashed Sweet Potatoes taste pretty darn close to homemade mashed sweet potatoes and were perfect from the microwave.
The cons: This is a seasonal item, so if you enjoy it then you’ll want to pick up a few. I wished they had packaged this in a resealable bag.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Bamba Peanut Snacks
The pros: Trader Joe’s Bamba Peanut Snacks is a popular snack in Israel that Trader Joe’s has brought to you. This is very full of peanut butter flavor and you can have quite a few in one serving.
The cons: It’s a completely different type of snack so it might take some adjustment.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Milk Chocolate Lovers Chocolate Bar
The pros: Trader Joe’s Milk Chocolate Lovers Chocolate Bar has the familiar flavor of milk chocolate that brought me back to my childhood. There are no strange ingredients in this. Just the ones you would hope to find in a chocolate bar.
The cons: The packaging looks very close to Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Lovers Chocolate bar. If you shop sleep deprived or without glasses, just be aware that the packaging is only slightly different however the tastes are miles apart.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Sriracha Hummus
The pros: Trader Joe’s Sriracha Hummus is a nice hummus with a kick.
The cons: My container was emptied in about two days.
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 Organic Frosted Pumpkin Toaster Pastries
The pros: Trader Joe’s Organic Frosted Pumpkin Toaster Pastries are on par with the other varieties of Organic Frosted Toaster Pastries.
The cons: This is a seasonal flavor, so if you see it or like it, you might want to stock up.
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 Organic Fair Trade Cacao Powder
The pros: Trader Joe’s Organic Fair Trade Cacao Powder is new to shelves as is Trader Joe’s Maca Powder. This is rich and has solid chocolate flavor.
The cons: Nothing really stands out.
The verdict: …
