I love a good coffee cake. In fact, I posted a recipe here for an easy crumb cake just the other night if you feel like turning your oven on. If you aren't in baking, here is a store-bought option for you. However, this Trader Joe's Pancake Bread isn't quite a coffee cake. It's not quite a pancake either.
Taste
Here is another hybrid food that has found its way onto shelves. Now, I love a good coffee/crumb cake. So this had some high expectations.
However, this is labeled as pancake bread. I'm not sure what that was supposed to mean.
So into my shopping cart, it went.
The servings sizes seem about right. And I didn't feel the need to binge on this either. One slice seemed sufficient for a breakfast item. My husband tried it too.
We both came to the same conclusion. It eats like a very light crumb cake, but on the back-end, it tastes like pancakes that you would get from a diner.
Maybe it's the maple syrup that is in this, or perhaps the buttermilk in it that lends the familiar pancake flavor. But be warned, there is a good amount of sugar in this, so watching your sugar intake, might not be for you.
Now, this crumb topping is sparse. And while it does lend a certain amount of cinnamon and texture to the top, I didn't feel like it made it much of a crumb cake at all. But then again, it isn't advertised as such.
Overall
For $3.99 it's a decent-sized loaf at a decent price. It's a mild hybrid food that does work in the combination it is presented in. Would it be well heated up? I don't see why not. Would I love less sugar in the bread? Absolutely.
But it is worth a try if you are curious. Just be warned, this doesn't have a long shelf life. But with this, I'm not sure that will be a worry.
Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
Packaging
The package of Trader Joe's Pancake Bread:
Calories
Ingredients
Would I buy this again? Trader Joe's Pancake Bread was pretty good for a store-bought item, but I don't know if I'll buy it again. It was fun to try.
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe’s for a searchable list.
Trader Joe's Pancake Bread
Product Name: Trader Joe's Pancake Bread
Product Description: Trader Joe's Pancake Bread is a twist on a buttermilk short stack baked into a sweet, moist loaf.
Price: $3.99
Summary
Trader Joe's Pancake Bread is a new bread to look out for.
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Taste
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Value
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Worthy of Repurchasing
Pros
- Has a lot of the flavor of a pancake but on a larger scale.
Cons
- Short shelf life
- Not much of a topping
H M says
I didn't care for this, yet I could not stop eating it. Its not very tasty, either of pancakes or as bread, but, again, I could not stop eating it. I took it back to the store....otherwise I would have eaten 2 of the loafs. I don't know what's in it, but be warned, it is addictive....and yet not really all that satisfying.
becomebetty says
Hey H M! I felt the same way! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing!
judilyn says
Made our not-very-often trek to Trader Joe's on Wednesday. I saw the pancake bread, but it didn't look all that interesting. Did buy seven bars of chocolate, a jar of umami, and a can of Green Jackfruit to see what the fuss is all about. No clue what to do with the jackfruit, but my curiosity got the better of me.
Any suggestions?
Virtual hugs,
Judie
becomebetty says
Hey Judie! If you check the comments, Ttrockwood shared a recipe that you might find helpful. That blog is a well known vegan blog. Did you get 7 of the same bar of chocolate or different ones? Thanks for stopping by and giving me the update!
Alek says
It a nice change for coffee cake. Maybe if it can hold up for French toast treatment.
becomebetty says
Hey Alek! I also picked up a Croissant loaf. I'm interest to see how that holds up to the French Toast treatment. Thanks again for stopping by and sharing!
Dagmar says
Thanks for reviewing this. I'm curious but not curious enough to buy it because I just don't need the extra sugar. If I'm going to eat sugar I want something super duper yummy LOL. That said, I can imagine it grilled in a cast iron skillet in a pool of melted butter!
Bill Silberman says
We loved the Pancake Bread and will buy it again! We liked it more than the usual crumb cake at TJ's. Shelf life is an untested theory, as the first loaf only lasted three days with my wife and I eating it for breakfast and at least one dessert. It is good heated - especially with ice cream - and we did not think it was too sweet, more like a pound cake with cinnamon. And as Jerry Seinfeld would say, "Who doesn't love cinnamon?"
becomebetty says
Hey Bill! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts on this! None went to waste in our house either. I just noticed I had about a week from when I purchased it to use it.
Ttrockwood says
The jackfruit is great turned into a shredded bbq sandwich filling! I followed this super easy recipe, it’s really delicious with the slaw. I served it in tortillas as a wrap with some sliced avocado too
https://minimalistbaker.com/bbq-jackfruit-sandwiches-with-avocado-slaw/
becomebetty says
Thanks for sharing this!
Ttrockwood says
This sounds like such a fun breakfast treat! I looked at it but was worried there’s too much dairy for my tummy and decided to pass.
I’ll pick it up for the next work breakfast meeting we have and have a taste of it, TJs is always good for fun stuff to share.
Btw, did you notice the new format of the fearless flyer with the menu suggestions and recipes?? Thought that was very clever! And it worked cuz i bought the almond butter tumeric dressing to make slaw with the cruciferous crunch blend which was really tasty!
becomebetty says
Hey Ttrockwood! Yes, I did notice. I believe the next flyer lands on Monday. The January flyer is usually recipes and this time around was digital only. It is absolutely clever and super helpful. Maybe the next one will feature products that way I can match them up with reviews. Sounds like you found a winner of a recipe. Thanks as always for stopping by!
judilyn says
Always the same one - The Super Dark 72% gigantic-sized bar in the red wrapper. DH feels comforted ONLY if there are least ten on hand in the freezer. Which is really funny, because it takes about a fortnight to consume one of them!
I melt down about nine squares and spread out on a piece of parchment bolstered by a foam meat tray and freeze. Then break into a bazillion thin little pieces that are kept in a container in the refrigerator for nibbling purposes after lunch to go with his tart cherry juice with fizzy water, roasted and lightly salted filberts. And, yes, he is massively spoilt!
Virtual hugs,
Judie
becomebetty says
Hey Judie! Yum. Sounds delish. And nothing wrong with being spoilt! Thanks as always for stopping by!
Jaye says
A friend of mine bought this and wanted me to try it out. I enjoyed the buttermilk flavor and I can see how it’s addictive, but it didn’t taste that sweet to me. I realize it’s high in calories but I would definitely buy it. I enjoyed it with my morning coffee.
becomebetty says
Hey Jaye! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts on this. I know all of our palates are different. So I'm really happy to hear how much you liked it. Feel free to stop by any time and share your thoughts on anything you see here!