Trader Joe's blog and cooking.
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.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Sweet and Spicy Mango Vinaigrette is seasonal.
The cons: If the name were honest, it would be sweet and cilantro-y. Would make for a better marinade than actual dressing.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Popcorn in A Pickle is a return favorite that if you are a pickle fan, you may love these. Others will be repulsed by these.
The cons: This is a seasonal offering. This item isn’t exactly low-fat, so if you are hoping for this to be a healthy snack you might want to double-check the nutritional information.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Blueberry Lavender Flavored Almond Beverage is a new seasonal gluten-free, vegan, dairy free, kosher, shelf stable almond beverage flavor that has nuances of both blueberry and lavender that are very subtle.
The cons: There is a direct correlation between how much blueberry flavor you are expecting and how happy you will likely be with this product.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s BBQ Seasoned Spatchcocked Chicken is an easy and delicious pre-seasoned item that comes out very moist.
The cons: This item is likely seasonal. But the package also mentions that it can be frozen. Keep in mind this is BBQ seasoned, but not BBQ flavored.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Key Lime Tea Cookies are a seasonal flavor variety that isn’t shy on the key lime flavor.
The cons: They are seasonal. So if you like them, you might want to pick up a few boxes to get you through the season.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Milk Chocolate Truffles have a nice shell and a soft interior that might remind you of something close to a Lindor truffle.
The cons: Wrapped this looks more like the Death Star than an Easter candy. No option for Dark Chocolate fans.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Brie En Croute makes for a pretty tasty and melty appetizer. This came out of the oven in a more attractive way that the mini brie en croute did.
The cons: Mine was not as melty as the package makes it appear. This is not a quick appetizer either.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Glazed Walnuts with Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup was a seasonal discovery that I wish I had picked up more bags of. It’s something past candied, it’s delicious.
The cons: This is a seasonal item
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Gummy Xs and Os are a fun spin on Trader Joe’s Scandinavian Swimmers or the seasonal Scandinavian Tidings.
The cons: These are seasonal.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Cheesy Trees are new, delicious, and full of cheese flavor.
The cons: This is a seasonal item. If you see them, then grab one (or a bunch) because they are already hard to find. A lot of my trees were broken.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Jingle Jangle is a nice sized tin of chocolate candies that is perfect for snacking and gifting at a reasonable price.
The cons: This is a seasonal item.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Truffle Salt with Black Truffles is one of the least expensive truffle salts I’ve seen. The last jar of truffle salt I purchased cost about $10. This jar is a fraction of the price.
The cons: This is a seasonal item so if you see it and are curious about it, grab it. If you were a fan of the hard to find Black Truffle Butter, then this would make for a decent substitute.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Colorful Carrot Coins is one of many colorful carrot options available at Trader Joe’s. This item is heavily seasoned with thyme, so you’ll want something plain to go along with it.
The cons: This is a seasonal item. If you want yours to look more like the bag, then you’ll have to use your oven (and there were no directions for these to go into the oven).
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Almond Danish Kringle is not actually a Trader Joe’s branded product, but a well done one. It freezes well and this flavor was delicious. It can be ordered online through the company, however buying it at Trader Joe’s is the most cost effective.
The cons: The flavors of the Kringles can be seasonal. Might be too sweet for some.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s 7 Salts of the Earth is a gift set that has returned again this year to Trader Joe’s.
The cons: This is a seasonal item and your local Trader Joe’s may have limited availability.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s This Cranberry Walks Into A Bar is a seasonal flavor of the successful line of “This (Fruit) Walks Into A Bar…” line.
The cons: This is a seasonal flavor. This is also the only “This [fruit] walks into a bar” that is not labeled OU Kosher.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Pitted Amarena Cherries are new and perfect for the cherry lover in your life. This jar is a nice size. Would make for a good stocking stuffer.
The cons: This is a seasonal item and there is no telling if this will be back next year.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Turkey Pot Pie Bites has made an appearance just after everyone has finished their turkey dinners. This is a decent appetizer.
The cons: Not one of the best appetizers that Trader Joe’s sells. Also, this item is seasonal.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Roasted Rainbow Potatoes make for a beautiful presentation for those who don’t have the time to do the prep work.
The cons: This is a seasonal item. Does not come in a resealable bag.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Chocolate Mousse Cake Topped with Ganache is a decent chocolate cake that comes straight from the freezer and is ready to go.
The cons: This is a seasonal item. Getting this unwrapped caused me to get more chocolate on my fingers than I would have liked. Mine wasn’t quite as pretty as the picture either.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Baked Lemon Ricotta is a unique seasonal offering that is sweet, savory, and citrusy which sets it apart from most other ricottas I’ve tried.
The cons: This is a seasonal item.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Uncured Bacon Wrapped Porchetta Pork Roast is a great seasonal find that makes for a presentable roast.
The cons: This is a seasonal item so if you want to try it, grab one as soon as possible because when they are gone they are gone.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Tea Party is a somewhat different variety pack of teas than last year’s Tasting of Ten Teas.
The cons: This does not come with its own infuser, you’ll want to have one ready. This is cheaper than last year’s tea gift set. Trader Joe’s does not currently sell the flavors individually. Directions are a bit unclear as to how much tea to water you should be adding.
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