The pros: Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Mac and Cheese is new and the only gluten free pasta option currently in the freezer.
The cons: It still misses the mark compared to the non gluten free varieties.
The verdict: …
gluten free
Trader Joe’s Mango and Cream Bars
The pros: Trader Joe’s Mango and Cream Bars are light and refreshing.
The cons: No stick, but I’m not sure why these needed such explicit instructions.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Spicy Cheese Crunchies
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: …
Trader Joe’s Soft Baked Snickerdoodles
The pros: Trader Joe’s Soft Baked Snickerdoodles are delicious on their own, but it’s very clear there is also a targeted audience: people with allergies.
The cons: If you like crisp cookies, then you won’t want to pick this up. Box only contains 12 cookies.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Unsweetened Almond Cashew and Macadamia Nut Beverage
The pros: Trader Joe’s Unsweetened Almond Cashew and Macadamia Nut Beverage is a new addition to a growing line of shelf stable, vegan, soy free, dairy free, and gluten-free options.
The cons: Depending on how sweet you like your nut milk might dictate how much you might end up liking this.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Popcorn in a Pickle
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.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Peanuts Go On A Date Bars
The pros: Trader Joe’s Peanuts Go On A Date Bars are new, gluten free and keep it simple.
The cons: The dates on a warm date might not make an ideal snack.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Matcha Almond Beverage
The pros: Trader Joe’s Matcha Almond Beverage is new to shelves. This is a half way point between a the canned matcha beverage and a matcha latte in terms of sweetness.
The cons: If you are not a matcha fan, then this is probably a flavor you can skip.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Blueberry Lavender Flavored Almond Beverage
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.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Restaurant Style White Corn Tortilla Chips
The pros: Trader Joe’s Restaurant Style White Corn Tortilla Chips are sturdy and flavorful chips that are well priced.
The cons: While they may say restaurant style, they will still never match the just out of the deep fryer variety that is served in most restaurants.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Falafel Mix
The pros: Trader Joe’s Falafel Mix is a new mix that is vegan and gluten free and very easy to prepare.
The cons: You won’t be able to make this instantly as the box requires you to wait 30-60 minutes before cooking. You can’t skip this step.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Scandinavian Swimmers
The pros: Trader Joe’s Scandinavian Swimmers are available all year round. There have been other gummies available like Scandinavian Tidings and Gummy Xs & Os. These are also a different set of flavors than the seasonal variety.
The cons: These are pretty addicting.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Nutritional Yeast
The pros: Trader Joe’s Nutritional Yeast is relatively new and has the vegan community excited. This item is well priced for the size that you get.
The cons: If you have never had this or have no idea what to do with it, you might not end up liking it.
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 Cocoa Almond Cashew Beverage
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: …
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 Pumpkin Spice Caramel Corn
The pros: Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice Caramel Corn is a sweet and well spiced caramel corn that will make most pumpkin spice lovers happy.
The cons: Product did not look much like what came out of the bag.
The verdict:
…
Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Egg Fettuccine Pasta
The pros: Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Egg Fettuccine Pasta is excellent. Fresh pasta is always better than boxed, but this was the closest substitute for “real” pasta I’ve ever tried.
The cons: Price. Gluten free products seem to command a premium. With any pasta product, I disagree with the serving sizes. I think two servings is the realistic size expectations
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Spud Crunchies
The pros: Trader Joe’s Spud Crunchies are a new and fun product that seems to be a hybrid of a french fry and a potato chip.
The cons: This bag cannot be resealed, therefore it almost begs you to eat all four servings.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Zig Zags
The pros: Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Zig Zags are refrigerated, fresh, delicious, and a great substitute for real fries.
The cons: Doesn’t include oven directions, but it can be made in the oven. This is priced a bit at a premium as all the prep work has been done for you.
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 Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Baking Mix
The pros: Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Baking Mix is a perfectly good option for those who can’t have gluten. Only subtle differences between this and the regular variety of Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Bread mix.
The cons: This item is priced higher than the non-gluten free variety. The first ingredient listed is sugar.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Ts and Js Sour Gummies
The pros: Trader Joe’s Ts and Js Sour Gummies come in a resealable bag and are essentially Trader Joe’s answer to Sour Patch Kids. These are gluten free.
The cons: They aren’t an exact copy of Sour Patch kids, but are very addicting making the resealable bag almost unnecessary. These are shaped in the letters T and J which means they are probably more coated in the sour sugar (which might not be a bad thing).
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Crunchy Nutty Rice Bites
The pros: Trader Joe’s Crunchy Nutty Rice Bites might remind you of a more adult flavored Rice Krispies treat, just better. Gluten free and kosher if that is a priority for you. Bag can be resealed so you don’t feel obligated to eat the whole thing.
The cons: Nothing really jumps out.
The verdict: …
