We are now pretty much in the middle of summer. If you are on the coasts of the U.S. it seems to have been a particularly hot one. At least that is what my electricity bill tells me. So when in doubt reach for ice cream, right? Well, if Neapolitan is what you would normally reach for then you can get similar flavors in a cookie.
But today's review is about a flavor pairing that is most commonly found in ice cream. But Trader Joe's likes to be anything but basic, so why put this as a flavor of ice cream when you can make the pairing into a cookie.
Taste
Here you have two basic cookie shells: the classic Joe Joe's, which are their answer to Oreos, and the Vanilla Joe Joe's. What is completely different about this one is the filling.
Strawberries can go one of two ways: it can be very artificial tasting or it can be quite pleasant.
Trader Joe's made up a third way: interesting.
Now, I don't use the word interesting lightly. I use it when I'm not sure what to make of it good or bad.
This probably sounds strange, but let me explain. There was something about the filling that was a touch weird. I opened these up, in the same way, I would an Oreo. These seemed well-filled like double stuff.
I go after the filling in the same way that my mom's dog would go after a jar of peanut butter.
I came across a product I'm pretty familiar with: tiny chunks of freeze-dried strawberries. If you've never had them, then allow me to explain.
They have the texture of a rice cake. They taste like concentrated strawberries. I keep them in the house for baking and oatmeal. Both of those applications require some level of hydration to bring them back to their former selves (and tasteless like astronaut food).
So for some, this is going to be an off-putting element. The bits of freeze-dried fruit did not seem to rehydrate in any way and lent an unusual element to the texture here.
Overall
However, if you love the classic pairing of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry these are at least worth a try, but not a must-buy. But be warned, if you like to twist these to see which side the creme lands on, it seems to stick to the chocolate side more.
For $2.99 these are priced in line with the rest of Trader Joe's Joe Joe's cookies.
Product photos
The box of Trader Joe's Neapolitan Joe Joe's:
The nutritional information:
The ingredients:
How Trader Joe's breaks down this product for you:
Out of the package you get:
A closer look at the filling here:
Would I buy this again? While I didn't mind munching on Trader Joe's Neapolitan Joe Joe's, I'm not sure they will be a repurchase in my cart.
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe’s for a searchable list.
Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
The Bottom Line
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Trader Joe's Neapolitan Joe Joe's
Product Name: Trader Joe's Neapolitan Joe Joe's
Product Description: Trader Joe's Neapolitan Joe Joe's are a summer seasonal variety of Joe Joe's.
Price: $2.99
Summary
Trader Joe's Neapolitan Joe Joe's are a limited-time offering of cookies.
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Taste
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Value
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Worthy of Repurchasing
Pros
- Trader Joe's Neapolitan Joe Joe's are a new flavor of Joe Joe's to hit store shelves.
- Anything Neapolitan is a seasonal variety which means if you love it you'll want to stock up.
Cons
- The pairing here might not be everyone's favorite.
- I felt like some flavors overpowered others, unlike the ice cream variety that uses balance.
Alek says
WOW!!! Tjs is ahead of the game. Hope they do a cookie butter joe joe. I like that they used different wafers to mirror that Neapolitan experience and using freeze dried strawberries.
becomebetty says
Hey Alek! I think it's a great format to have some fun with. Best of all chocolate or vanilla seem to pair with a lot of flavors. Thanks so much for stopping by!
judilyn says
I sometimes get behind in reading your posts, but I can't seem to find the PREVIOUS button lately. Hints?
Virtual hugs,
Judie
becomebetty says
Hey Judie! I don't have a previous/next posts button. But if you hit the homepage, it displays everything in chronological order. I hope that helps! Here is the home page: https://www.becomebetty.com/
Thanks as always for the comments and support!
judilyn says
Thanks - I'll snag those back ones I missed - only a few!
Dag says
OOh my gosh! When I first saw this I thought they were frozen ice cream treats and got all excited. I could certainly use any form of frozen treat right now because it hit 94° about an hour ago. Stlll these sound really interesting and I might have to buy some just to try them.
becomebetty says
Hey Dag! This is one heck of a long heat streak for you guys. I hope you get some relief soon! These are just ok in my book. Fun to try once. I'm waiting for the Candy Cane ones to come back. Those were hands down my absolute favorite. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Ttrockwood says
I’ll certainly try them if the tasting station is giving out samples, but i predictably hate anything strawberry flavored (yet love actual strawberries) and the joe joes just aren’t my cookie of choice. (The triple ginger snaps are my forever love)
becomebetty says
Hey Ttrockwood! I love strawberries but I prefer fresh (although in this format it would never hold properly). Believe it or not, I haven't tried the triple ginger cookies yet. I tried the quadruple almond cookies and ate the whole thing before I could photograph and post it. I've been avoiding the cookie aisle. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Dag says
Hey BB- I was reading back on some of the reviews and saw the above response that you've never tried the triple ginger cookies! Oh my gosh you have to try those and review them. I absolutely love them and so has everybody I've ever known that has tried them. You do have to love ginger though.
becomebetty says
Hey Dag! I'll have to try them. I'll wait until work starts back up to make sure I have extra people who are willing to share them with me :). I know I probably won't want to share, but it is probably best for all involved!