There is a Trader Joes nearby my house so my family and I often goes there to check out what kind of new products they have. I grew up buying stuff from Trader Joe’s and have always enjoyed their unique products. Since there are so many favorites I decided it would be interesting to do a short review of some of the recent stuff we bought.
I actually started writing these reviews one day (that was around half a year ago) and then totally forgot about updating it. Im not sure if some of these products are still being carried in stores, but even if they aren’t they might be restocked some day.
Also, some of these photos don’t belong to me although I did edit some of them. I googled and saved them into a folder a long time ago so I don’t remember where I got them from. I also couldn’t find photos for some of them :(...
Potato Trio 1.99
There are three types of potatoes in a bag; blue, Yukon, and red bliss. Im not a huge fan of potato chips, especially the ones that are not flavored, but this one is great. These are NO salt added… sounds a bit unappetizing, but it is actually perfect without salt because you can taste the true flavor of the potatoes. They are vacuumed dried so its not greasy like the Lays potato chips (yuck), but are rather very crispy. I recommend this to people who are looking for something more healthy and different. Being able to taste the original flavors of the potatoes is refreshing.
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Sweet potato fries – 2.99
My family is obsessed with this at the moment. This also has no sodium (but you can always sprinkle salt and pepper). They use high quality sweet potatoes that are full of flavor, the fried batter is yummy and crispy if you bake it well. It’s a quick and easy snack (just reheat in oven) and well worth the money for the amount you get.
Country potatoes with wild mushrooms – 2.99 (??)
As you can see, I love almost anything potatoes. This makes a great quick meal if you’re lazy to cook anything fancy. I believe you can also microwave to reheat it, but I prefer to heat it in a pan. It tastes good with anything- rice or pasta/spaghetti for example. There are different types of mushrooms, each has a unique flavor. I think it’s a nice meal for those who don’t like frozen food from Safeway or whatever, it’s definitely a few levels above that.
Mini Mint ice cream – 3.49
This is basically mint chocolate ice cream sandwiched between two oreos. It’s a bit pricey for a seemingly simple dessert, but it Is DELICIOUS. I love the bite size oreos with the not-too-sweet ice cream, the flavor of the mint chocolate chips and cookie is a perfect combo. I wasn’t expecting much from this when I bought it, but it has exceeded my expectations. I’ll definitely be restocking on these. It’s probably one of my favorite ice creams from Trader Joe’s at the moment (although I love their ice cream mochis too).
Petite Cocoa Batons - 1.49
The price was so nice I just had to give it a try. This definitely reminds me of chocolate wafer sticks, but lighter and crispier. They are in tiny bite sizes, shaped like a wrapped mini candy (a bit hard to describe). Very addicting and crispy, but not too sweet. The price is amazing for what you get, its definitely worth buying.
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Cassava Chips
I AM SO ADDICTED TO THESE. When I first tried them, I didn’t like it. The golden edges tasted a bit like burnt chips to me, but when my family started a second bag the taste grew on me. They are super addicting. The flavor is unlike any kind of chips I’ve had (I guess they kind of remind me of asian snacks), the flavor is kind of strong, but since its from Trader Joes, it is probably healthier than other chips out there. They are made from cassava, which im assuming is some kind of sweet potato type thing. They’re just so crispy, thin, and ADDICTING. It’s a must-try. Even if you don’t like it somebody else will. Its just the type of chips that some people find extremely addicting while others don’t.
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Chile Mango popsicles
My dad bought these thinking they were mango popsicles made in Chile -_-, but they were actually mango WITH chilies. Nobody in the house have the guts to try it (mainly because nobody can handle spicy food). The sound of mangos with chilies definitely reminded me of Mexican candies (which I haven’t had in YEARS and I crave for them often). So I decided to give this popsicle a try. It is extremely spicy at first bite…and even a few bites after that. The mango part is good and the spiciness adds a unique tangy flavor to it. It’s an interesting balance and strangely addicting. I think they are okay... not sure if I’ll be buying them again, but they are a fun try. If you like Mexican candies, you’ll probably enjoy this. The first few bite makes you want to throw it away, but it becomes less spicy and starts to grow on you after awhile.
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Charmingly chewy chocolate chip cookies
Naturally, my dad hates these because he only likes crunchy and crispy cookies. My sister and I both like chewy cookies, but she doesn’t like these. I personally think they make a good yummy snack. My sister doesn’t like the slight gingery taste. I don’t mind the ginger flavor. It kinda reminds me of good ol’ gingerbread cookies with chocolate chips. Overall, it’s a nice little snack with milk. They are a bit sweet on their own so I always end up drinking milk with it.
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Smores frozen sandwiches
Probably one of the more disappointing products I’ve purchased. It doesn’t taste like smores, or anything near marshmallows. I find it extremely sweet and there is nothing especially unique about the flavor. I can eat only half of one sandwich because I can’t handle the sweetness. The mini mint ice creams are much better tasting. These have around 23 grams of sugar while the mini mint ice creams only have 9 grams.
Mango Butter
I love mango and I love butter, it sounded like a yummy combo even though I usually hate any type of fruit jam/sauces. I think this is decent, nothing amazing because I still don’t like jams. But if you are a jam/fruit sauce lover, you’ll probably like this. The mango flavor is good, tastes natural and not too sweet. I like it on my pancakes and biscuits (perfect with biscuits). I definitely prefer this over any other type of jams.
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Gone Bananas – 1.99
I bought this because the box had sock monkeys on them (YAY!). I hate eating bananas but I’ve heard good stuff about frozen ones because they taste creamy and almost ice-cream like. They were only 1.99 a box with sock monkeys on them, so I had to give it a try. They are extremely simple (I could make them myself), basically just chocolate dipped in sliced bananas. It tastes decent, makes a nice cold snack. The only complaint I have is that the chocolate melts together and rather than getting nice little slices, you end up with a huge chuck of chocolate+banana. Its annoying to have to break them off because the chocolate melts easily. I won’t be buying these again, but they tastes good and is alright for their price so im not complaining.
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Veggie Stix – 1.99 (??)
I’ve been buying these for so many years I don’t even know what to say. Simply put, they are delicious, addicting, and healthy. Packed with good natural flavors and EXTREMELY crispy. YUM. If you haven’t had these then you are missing out.
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Buttermilk pancake mix – 1.99
BEST PANCAKE MIX EVER. Delicious! It’s better than all the overpriced pancakes I’ve had in restaurants. Its easy to make- just add egg and water (I use milk instead). The only time-consuming part is getting a smooth batter without lumps of flour, but I put everything into our Magic Bullet which saves me a ton of time. The flavor is just very nice and unlike any other pancakes I’ve had. Well worth the price.
Blueberry Muffin mix - $3.49 (forgot price)
I’ve been craving for warm blueberry muffins and decided to try a box even though they were a bit expensive compared to other baking mixes. I had some trouble following their recipe, which told me to pour melted butter into my mixture of egg and milk (which is cold), so I ended up with chunks of lumpy butter. I ended up baking it anyway and it actually turned out perfect. I ended up with around 2 dozens of blueberry muffins. It also came with dried blueberries, although it would be even tastier with fresh ones. Warm muffins with a crispy top straight out of the oven = heavenly.
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Trader Joes BBQ Chicken Pizza- $4.99
The taste was not bad (although I added more of my own toppings) but its kind of overpriced for a small frozen pizza. There were just not enough toppings (this is why I added my own) and the crust is quite thin. BBQ sauce and chicken on pizza sounds like the ultimate combo, but there were only several pieces of small chicken. There was also this one ingredient / herb that I didn’t like although I have no idea what it was, just tasted slightly bitter and strange. I’d buy it again if they lowered the price to $2.99 :P
Trader Joes potato tots - $1.99
DELICIOUS. Put on a baking pan, pop into oven for around 24 minutes, and tada delicious crispy potato tots. I also can’t believe how much you get for such a low price, it’s a pretty big bag of potato tots (can probably last 3-4 meals). The instruction tells you to turn them after 10 minutes, but im a lazy bum so I just let them bake until times up. Still tastes amazing!
Chocolate covered biscuits- $1.99
It’s a fairly small box but it’s still cheap for the quality you get. It’s made in France and the combination of biscuits and milk chocolate is delicious. The chocolate has a strong milk flavor and the biscuit is extremely crispy and light. They also have this in dark chocolate, which my family loves (I prefer milk chocolate). I think this would make a great part of a gift.
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Guilt-free Macaroni $1.99
I usually never buy anything that’s fat-free, sugar-free, etc. because im not trying to lose weight and they usually don’t taste as good. Decided to give this a try because it was only 1.99, its not bad but obviously nothing special.
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Butter Chicken $3.49 (?? Don’t remember)
Gotta say its pretty darn good for frozen Indian food. Im no Indian food expert, but I think the flavor was quite nice. Usually frozen food tastes really bland and includes the worse rice, but the rice was actually decent (not the best but still edible). Not many pieces of chicken, but the amount is still reasonable. I’d definitely be buying this again. Only complaint I have is, the box shows two pieces of naan and I thought it would be included…to my disappointment, there were none.
Trader Joe’s Expresso Pillows $2.94
These are delicious!! Its basically coffee bean sized chocolate covered toffees. The expresso flavor is especially strong and tastes almost like those chocolate covered coffee beans. Comes in a nice tin box too.
Chocolate chips brownie and oat bars $2.99
I personally thought they were average. It’s got a nice chewy texture and has a bit of a rum flavor which im not a big fan of. It tastes like a chewy, tough, brownie pressed together into a bar. To my surprise, my mom really enjoyed these and even asked me to get another box. I guess these are the types of flavor that really depends on one’s taste.
Raspberry macaron cake $ ???
My dad loves this cake. The cake comes frozen and tells you to defrost it in the fridge. The ‘maracon’ ends up kind of soft and sometimes soggy. The raspberry cream is quite good though. It’s a pretty small cake so a slice would be a nice treat for an afternoon coffee/tea/milk tea. It’s a very size nice for people who live alone/doesn’t each much cake.
French toast $???
Has a strong cinnamon flavor. Its not very sweet so I usually add butter and honey, but it’s also good on its own. It’s a good quick breakfast and doesn’t end up dry and rough after toasting. Nobody in my family likes the taste of cinnamon so it’s been sitting in the fridge for awhile. I’d say give it a try if you like French toast and the taste of cinnamon.
Dark chocolate bar – caramel and black sea salt $2.99 (?)
I have a strange interest in foods/snacks that have opposing flavors, like sweet and salty or sweet and spicy. I’ve heard good things about chocolate with salted caramel so when I saw this product I knew I had to give it a try. Im normally not a big fan of dark chocolate, but in this case I think it worked well with the salt and the caramel. The black sea salt is very salty and its actually on the outer layer of the chocolate rather than blended with the caramel. The flavor definitely grew on me after I put the chocolate in the fridge. Its hard to break apart without getting caramel all over your hands. The caramel is soft and oozes out when you don’t break the chocolate properly. I think it tastes 10x better after putting it in the fridge, its actually kind of addicting even though im not much of a chocolate lover.
NO PHOTOS ....
Tomato seafood sauce- $5.99
Its not terrible, but its kind of bland and sour unless you add your own flavoring to it (perhaps some salt or sugar). My mom added a lot of stuff to this so im not sure what it tasted like originally. According to my mom, it doesn’t taste good at all. It does have a decent amount of seafood in it, but they shrink into tiny pieces once cooked. Personally, I don’t think it’s worth buying.
Trader Joes onion honey mustard pretzels
Another disappointing product. I usually hate mustard, but I like honey mustard with my chicken nuggets. These pretzels just did not cut it for me. The pretzels itself were extremely hard and broken randomly so you get these HUGE chunks of broken pretzels (in different sizes) that are not particularly crunchy or flavorful. The honey mustard and onion flavor just did not work well with the pretzels. I felt like I was eating a spoonful of mustard and onion powder, the mustard also left a bitter aftertaste. My aunt enjoyed them, but she agreed that they were too hard. They weren’t disgusting, but they’re not worth the price and seemed badly made.
Trader Joes pad thai (in square box) – 1.99
I think this is probably one of the best frozen/quick pad thai I’ve had. It’s definitely not comparable to the ones you get at Thai restaurants, but for the price it is decent and filling. Would be better if it had some meat, but its vegetarian. I like to add a fried egg and stir fry (instead of microwaving) the pad thai to bring out the flavor. It doesn’t have that full fresh flavor you get when you order from restaurants, but hey we’re talking about frozen food here. It makes a quick, easy and good lunch or dinner.
Trader Joe’s Gummy Bear
No artificial flavor and no preservatives. Made from real fruit juices. I still prefer Haribo gummy bears, but these have its own unique flavor and density. They are extremely chewy, slightly hard. It’s a bit difficult to describe. The taste is not bad at all, but I personally I don’t like the density of it. It just feels strange to bite down on because its not exactly hard or soft or chewy. Heh, guess its just one of those things you gotta try for yourself. It’s worth a try because it might be the perfect gummy bears for some people. The natural ingredients are a plus as well.
To be reviewed later...
Cranberry bread mix
**Edited 2/15
I finally had a chance to try this cranberry bread mix. I didn't have a bread pan so I ended up baking it in a round circular dish. My family enjoyed it, but I personally felt that the cranberry flavor was a bit too strong and tastes sort of artificial. Maybe im just not a big fan of cranberries and any sort of fruit flavored bread/muffins (except for blueberry). The bread itself came out very nice and soft, its a very nice baking mix. If you love the taste of cranberry, this one might be for you. For me, it wasn't a favorite.
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