I tried it so you don’t have to.
Brutally honest, occasionally dramatic, and always snack-obsessed—this is where I spill the tea on what’s worth your cart space and what’s better left on the shelf. No fluff, no filters, just real-deal reviews with a side of sass.
Autumnal Harvest Pasta Sauce
This is my new favorite pasta sauce! You all know how I feel about red sauce (if it’s not my grammas homemade sauce… I don’t want it), so I’m glad to find something that’s not an alfredo or pesto! This sauce is exactly like the autumnal harvest soup, minus the chunks. I really enjoy the soup because of the chunks but I LOVED the smoothness of the sauce. The pumpkin and butternut squash flavor is really subtle which is perfect for those who aren’t super into those ingredients!
I will definitely be stocking up on this sauce! It’s delicious and went perfectly with my princess pasta from @worldofpastabilities !! I can’t be the only adult who likes their pasta in the shape of princesses and tiaras! What’s your favorite pasta sauce from TJ’s?!
Cinnamon Bun Spread
This was my first time trying this spread and honestly, I shouldn’t have because I now have a new obsession. This spread is essentially a caramel type of product (at least to me), with some cinnamon chazzle dazzle. I tried this both heated and chilled, and I prefer the chilled version. This has a tapioca/jelly consistency which isn’t shocking since it contains tapioca syrup. I enjoyed how thick it was so the consistency wasn’t an issue for me. The cinnamon flavor was immaculate. Yes, immaculate. It had this glorious combo of brown sugar and cinnamon that truly reminded me of a cinnamon roll! Long story long, this is amazing and dangerous. I’ll be sure to stock up before it leaves the shelves. What do you put this on?!
Cold Brew Coffee BBQ Sauce
Let me start by saying that if it weren't for all of the requests to try this product, I probably would have never put this in my cart! I really didn’t know how much I’d enjoy this coffee and bbq combo… yet that is not the reason I’m giving it a 3/10. The amount of tamarind in this sauce is so overpowering, it was all I could taste. I don’t dislike tamarind but there was too much shoved into the bottle. I couldn’t taste anything else! I tried this sauce alone and then dipped a bite of chicken into it, and I came to the consensus that I would not be drenching my chicken thighs in the sauce. I just couldn’t bear to ruin my dinner for one photo.
Despite my review, I have read that other people enjoyed this product! If you enjoy excessive amounts of tamarind, then you may want to give this a try! I’m giving it a 3 because of the creativity and because it wasn’t inedible… it just did not blow my skirt up (at all). Will you be adding this to your cart?
Cacio e Pepe Pasta Sauce
I GASPED so loud in TJ’s when I saw this on the shelf. The frozen pepe pasta is one of my all time favorite frozen meals, but I don’t eat it as often as I’d like since I feed myself and myself only. This now makes it possible. And even better, with the heart of palm pasta. In my opinion, I found the sauce to be pretty similar to the frozen version. I might need to do a side by side taste test to be sure, but I was really satisfied after eating this. It had a nice kick from the excess of pepper (which I loved). I also enjoyed the sauce consistency. It wasn’t too thick or too runny (after I heated it up in a pan… it’s pretty pudding-like in the jar). I took off one point because I know I’ll have to devour this jar in a short amount of time before it goes bad! That’s more of a personal issue given that I’m only cooking for myself, but I felt that was important to note. Will you be trying this?!
Peri Peri Sauce
Price : $3.29
This might be one of the best sauces I’ve had from Trader Joe’s. I might even rate it higher than the iconic Bomba sauce (I said what I said). This sauce is very spicy and has a nice tanginess to it, which I’d imagine comes from the fermented chilies. The consistency of the sauce makes it so versatile. You could use it as a marinade for meat or as a drizzle on top of a dish to add some extra heat. I brushed this sauce on my chicken thighs and it was so delicious. I’ll be sharing the recipe here soon so stay tuned for that! I will definitely keep picking this up since I have a feeling I’ll be adding it to EVERYTHING! How have you used this sauce?
Spicy Cashew Butter Dressing
Unpopular opinion - this wasn’t my favorite. Of course it’s all based on personal preference, so you might love this! There’s actually many people who love this product which is why I was so excited to try it. I didn’t enjoy the consistency and found the spice mixed with cashew butter to be weird. It had a kick so if you’re looking to literally spice up your salad, this will do it!
I finished the bottle because I’m not a waster, but I wouldn’t get this again. The green goddess remains my favorite from this line of dressings! Have you tried the vegan Caesar dressing? I want to try that one next!