The pros:Â 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:Â If you like crisp cookies, then you won't want to pick this up. Box only contains 12 cookies.
The verdict:  If you saw the movie Bad Moms, then you know the scene I'm about to reference. It was about the school bake sale. The leader of the PTA had no qualms about giving everyone there a detailed list as to what not to bring to the upcoming bake sale. The list was ingredient specific. If you haven't seen it, then you can check out the first 10 seconds of this clip here.
As laugh out loud funny as that clip was, it isn't a laughing matter for some people. As a teacher in an area where food allergies were virtually unheard of at the beginning of my career, I have seen a tremendous uptick in food based allergies in just over a decade.
On top of food allergies, at my school we have kids who for various reasons can't eat certain foods. Every year we have multi-cultural day right before Thanksgiving. I pass around a list to get a sense of what people are bringing in and what the allergies and can't eat list to make sure we got everyone covered so they can have something.
If the food restrictions or allergies are something that resonates with you then, yes, this would be a reliable choice to bring in. This is vegan. This is gluten-free. This does not have wheat, milk, nuts, eggs, and soy.
But when I picked it up at Trader Joe's, I had my reservations (and that scene from Bad Mom's ran through my mind). I mean how good can it taste with all those things missing?
Well, I almost had to buy three boxes to review this. My husband consumed the first box after coming home from a late shift. I was looking all over my kitchen for the box, only to find it in the trash and emptied of its contents.
The second box I got to photograph and taste. After tasting this, I understood why the box disappeared. If you like soft cookies, these are almost cake like. They have a wonderful cinnamon sugar coating which gives them added texture. I brought the rest of the box to my students who help. They did not read the box. All I had to do was read their reactions. This box met with their approval.
It's one thing to have something available to check off boxes of people's needs. This does far more than that. This just tastes good. The box is small. It contains just 12 cookies. Otherwise, it is $2.99 well spent on something tasty. However, unless you are a crisp cookie fan, then you should pass on this.
Here is the visual run down of what you get if you buy this product:
The box of Trader Joe's Soft Baked Snickerdoodles:
The nutritional information:
The ingredients:
How Trader Joe's describes this:
Out of the package you get:
Would I buy this again? Yes, I like Trader Joe's Soft Baked Snickerdoodles. So did my husband and my students. All gave a thumbs up. In each instance the box seemed to be emptied in NASCAR type speed.
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!
Alek says
These are "enjoy life" brand cookies rebranded as TJ's. I agree with you. IT SO GOOD! AMAZING! I couldn't believe it was gluten free and vegan. Those are great for parties and no need to worry about allergens. Great for tea parties too.
becomebetty says
Hey Alek! Great call on those. I haven't had those cookies and therefore wouldn't recognize them. Thanks so much for sharing that!
Dag says
Wow- if I were just to look at the ingredient list I would not think they were yummy. And I'm not terribly fond of date paste. It's been used and just too many things I've grown tired of it. That said I may just have to buy these for work because if there is good as you say I don't want to eat the whole box myself. I work on a small team of people who always appreciate free food.
becomebetty says
Dag I read the list and wasn't too sure about these. My husband polished off half the box before I got into them. The ingredients don't sound that appealing but they are good (but you'll still need like really soft cake like cookies).
Alek says
You couldn't taste the date paste in there!! They did a excellent job masking that date paste but more of a cinnamony cookie experience. TJ's nailed it
becomebetty says
Alek I couldn't agree more. I had no idea that date paste was used until I read through the ingredients.
Lindsay says
I love these cookies! Two in my house eat gluten-free and these are the best soft-baked cookie that I know of.
becomebetty says
Hey Lindsay! I couldn't agree more. They disappeared in my household with no one gluten free. Thanks for taking the time and stopping by!
Dag says
Excellent Alek. Thanks for the information. I just bought the peanut butter wheels but on my next trip I will buy these cookies for work (and for me to try)!