Trader Joe's blog and cooking.
It’s been over a year since I last review Trader Joe’s Chocolate Lava Cakes. While both Trader Joe’s Chocolate Salted Caramel Mug Mix and Lava Cake desserts go into the microwave and yield a similar outcome in terms of texture, this mug cake won’t take up any space in your freezer.
…
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 Hot Cocoa Organic Frosted Toaster Pastries is new and dressed up for cooler weather.
The cons: Seasonal based on the appearance of the packaging. Depending on your feeling on frosting, mine were not evenly frosted. Some would prefer if the frosting was left off.
The verdict: …
The pros:Trader Joe’s Milk and Dark Chocolate Butterscotch Bits Bar is basic chocolate. It’s inexpensive.
The cons: This bar is terribly designed. The ridges are too big for most mouths. I could not break off just a piece without reaching for a knife. The use of the word bits here is an understatement.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie and Cocoa Swirl is a hypnotic mix of cookie butter and spreadable chocolate.
The cons: I’m still not sure how they figure there are 27 servings in this wee little jar.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chocolate Covered Wafer Cookie are new and inexpensive. They are pretty decent.
The cons: I hoping for this to be Trader Joe’s copy cat Kit Kat. I did not rise to that level. They can’t be split easily for sharing or portion control. If you have allergies, this too contains a long list of possible allergens.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Bite Sized Crispy Cookies filled with Belgian Chocolate might remind you of another cookie, but improved.
The cons: The allergy list on this on is pretty long for cookies.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Gone Berry Crazy are the perfect addition to the freezer aisle. If you loved Gone Bananas! then this will probably be a hit for you.
The cons: Milk chocolate fans need not apply here. This product does have dairy in it so it is not vegan. The box is small on this as well. I’m deeply hoping this isn’t a seasonal flavor.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Vanilla Ice Cream Bon Bons are a small and portion controlled dessert that might satisfy a sweet tooth.
The cons: Vanilla ice cream could be better.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Toasted Sesame Caramels are new and are a very different flavor combination than what is one the shelves currently.
The cons: I’m not sure this is a knock it out of the park flavor pairing.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Ruggedly Adventuresome Cowboy Bark is uniquely named and very rich.
The cons: This product isn’t really bark and it isn’t appropriate for cowboys. Maybe if this were chocolate covered jerky the name would be more fitting.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chocolate Pecan Pie Bar is a solid option in the baked good aisle. It’s a reasonable sized dessert if you are having company.
The cons: Like most Pecan Pies, this one does not shy away from the calories. However, one serving is quite a generous size. Would be better if this had some bourbon flavoring to it.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Mini Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups are addicting and a better balance of peanut butter and milk chocolate than the full sized ones they sell.
The cons: Addicting. It’s not hard to sit and eat the whole container.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Crunchy Cinnamon Squares Milk Chocolate Bar is new to shelves, adds to a line a fun candy bars that are well sized and under $2 each, and has good texture.
The cons: This is a very sweet bar which in the end just did not make me want to go back for more.
The verdict: …
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.
The verdict: …
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: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chocolate Sunflower Seed Drops reminded me of peanut M&M’s except these are much smaller, more filling, and well, no peanuts in them but…
The cons: While they taste like peanut M&Ms, the allergy warning does mention some possible cross contamination. Don’t leave these in direct sunlight as the natural food coloring will fade extremely quickly.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Sea Salt and Turbinado Sugar Dark Chocolate Almonds is a nice balance of sweet, salty, and nutty.
The cons: The more you eat of these, then more addicting they are.
The verdict: …
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: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie is 2000 calories in all, but makes for a pretty good dessert.
The cons: C might be for cookie, but this is not good for your diet. Then again if you picked this up, I’m sure diet might not be on your mind.
The verdict: …
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: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate filled with Speculoos Cookie Spread bar is an inexpensive and decent candy bar.
The cons: This could be vastly improved.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Cocoa Almond Cashew Beverage is a fantastic substitute for those who can have nuts but are dairy free, soy free, gluten-free or vegan. It’s also darn good if you also want to change. This is ultra pasteurized so it is shelf stable.
The cons: Not as smooth as chocolate milk, but this isn’t a milk product. Price. This is more expensive that buying Trader Joe’s Almond Beverage by the half gallon.
The verdict: …
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: …
