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.
Amped Up Almonds
I actually had no intentions of trying this product, but a crew member was passing these out for free… so I couldn’t refuse! This definitely was not my cup of tea. The chocolate had a really powdery flavor to it, which threw off the entire product for me! I appreciate the fact that there’s a lot of protein, but I’d rather eat something else to get the 16 grams. The almonds were large and I enjoyed the chocolate to almond ratio! It’s a bummer that the pea protein left a weird taste in my mouth. Have you tried this product?!
Pumpkin Spice Espresso Beans
Honestly, who needs a PSL (pumpkin spice latte for you non-coffee people) when you can have these! I was nervous to try these at first but was pleasantly surprised. The pumpkin spice flavor wasn’t overpowering yet still was the star of the show. The white chocolate also paired nicely with the espresso beans. I took off one point because I personally find the beans hard to chew through (but clearly that is a personal problem). I would definitely pick these up again next year! This would make a perfect little gift… especially for the price. What’s your favorite fall seasonal item?!
Maple Leaf Cookies
As soon as you open box, you experience the most pleasant maple scent. The cookies are really subtle, which I appreciate since it’s a maple cookie with maple filling. There is an appropriate amount of filling and the cookies are larger than Oreo’s! I took off a couple of points because I really wished that there was a larger serving size. With that being said, I won’t hesitate to eat more than one in one sitting. What’s your favorite cookie from Trader Joe’s?!
Mint Chip Ice Cream
This product embodies everything I want in a mint chip ice cream. The mint flavor was really subtle and didn’t have an artificial taste. There was a plethora of chocolate chips, which I LOVE! I also enjoy that this ice cream isn’t green (like a typical mint ice cream). Mint isn’t normally what I grab for first when picking up ice cream, but this is one of the bests I’ve ever had! As I had said, it’s really subtle so if you’re looking to be punched in the face with mint, this might not be for you. The wildberry cheesecake is still my favorite! What’s your favorite ice cream?
A Dozen Sweet Bites
I’m disappointed in this variety of desserts. The chocolate and caramel cake had this weird jelly layer on top which was unappealing to me. The raspberry macaron cake didn’t have any raspberry flavor. I did enjoy the crunchy top because it reminded me of the exterior of a macaroon! Now the opera cake… it’s basically a tiramisu and I am obsessed with it. TJ’s used to carry the opera cake on its own, but my store hasn’t had it for a long time. It’s delicious but I wouldn’t buy this variety again.
I highly recommend the opera cake but that’s really the only highlight of the product as a whole. I didn’t enjoy the other two flavors and neither did my grandparents or sister. This was really convenient because I just left it in the fridge for a few hours before serving, but I’d rather try something else next time! What dessert should my grandparents, sister and I try next?!
Brownie Crisp Coffee Ice Cream Sandwiches
This has been one of my favorite desserts for years and I’m about to tell you why. The coffee ice cream is immaculate and the little specs of coffee bean add some chazzle dazzle. I also love that the brownie is soft. I know it’s supposed to be a “brownie crisp”, but I’m a soft cookie gal. Lastly, the portion control. Of course I can eat the whole container in one sitting (don’t tempt me with a good time), but I am always satisfied after eating one!
In case you didn’t already know, this is a staple dessert for me. Coffee flavored things are my favorite and I especially love that this requires no bowls or utensils (aka I don’t have to do dishes). What’s your favorite TJ’s dessert?!
Mango Mini Mochi
I’m so bummed about this product! My boyfriend is on this massive mochi kick so he’s been trying all of the flavors that TJ’s has to offer. This was next on his list and sadly it won’t be a repurchase. Let me start by saying that the mango flavor was really good. It wasn’t overly sweet but had the perfectly amount of mango flavor. The problem with this product was the sorbet consistency. I really enjoy sorbets but it was way too icy. I felt as if I was chewing on ice. I let the mochi sit out for 5 minutes and there was no change. Biting into the soft rice dough and then chomping on the sorbet was not enjoyable.
Sadly I won’t be repurchasing this product but I’ll definitely be picking up a carton of the mango sorbet. I unfortunately can’t get past the texture of this and am nervous about the other dairy free options. Is the Thai tea mochi the same consistency?!
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?!
Pumpkin Blondie Brownies
This was my first time trying these brownies and I am obsessed. I inhaled 3 pieces in one sitting, with no regrets. The pumpkin flavor isn’t overpowering and the pecans add some nuttiness. The white chocolate chips and the drizzle make this really light, contributing to the subtleness of the pumpkin spice flavor. I took off one point because I found the texture to be more cakey and less like a brownie. I’d definitely buy these again, but I bet I could make something really similar! Have you tried these?!
Strawberry Mochi
Another mochi flavor down, a few more to go! This frozen dessert is so refreshing, especially with the flavor being strawberry. I normally don’t like strawberry ice creams but I enjoyed this one. It didn’t have an artificial taste and wasn’t too strong of a flavor. Despite all of the good things I have to say, this one just doesn’t compare to the ube. As of now, the ube is still my favorite with the vanilla following. I’d consider the peanut butter mochi and this flavor to be tied! Which one should I try next?!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Mochi
I’m slowly making my way through the various mochi desserts at TJ’s! I liked this flavor but it’s not my favorite (out of the ones I’ve tried). I enjoyed how subtle the peanut butter was yet found the chocolate flavor to be nonexistent. These still were delicious despite the lack of chocolate, so I’d repurchase! All of the Mochi desserts are great for a little pre-portioned treat or snack, which is lovely considering I plow through cartons of ice cream like I’ll never eat again. As of now, the ube Mochi is my favorite with the vanilla coming in second place. Up next for me to try… strawberry! What’s your favorite Mochi flavor at TJ’s?
Super Sour Scandinavian Swimmers
This is one of my favorite candies from TJ’s. If I’m ever in a position where I need some reliable snacks, this is one of my top choices. The sourness is just right which allows the flavors to really shine. All of the flavors are amazing but the blue is my favorite! I’d love if they carried a bag of JUST the blue dolphins. Not only do these taste great, but the shapes are adorable! If you couldn’t tell by my rating and raving review, I’m obsessed. I can always count on this product to satisfy my sweet/sour tooth! What’s your favorite Trader Joe’s candy?!
Pumpkin Ice Cream
How could I possibly kick off the spooky season without trying the infamous pumpkin ice cream? This ice cream is light and super creamy. One thing I wasn’t expecting was how subtle it was. I thought it didn’t have enough pumpkin flavor, which was a tad disappointing. I found this ice cream to be yummy but it’ll be a one time a year purchase for me! I’ve tried other pumpkin desserts that I’d prefer to stock up on! What’s your favorite pumpkin dessert?!
Sour Jelly Beans
Finally, Trader Joe’s provided a product that is actually sour! They’ve tried in the past (**cough cough Tangy Turtles) and have left me disappointed. The flavors are apple, orange, lemon, blue raspberry and cherry… but don’t hold me to that in the case I’m wrong! I enjoyed all of the flavors but the sourness definitely overpowered it all. I couldn’t eat a ton in one sitting because I was wincing from the sourness.
Overall, I’d get these again but they aren’t my first choice! I’m sure I’m not alone in this, but the sour Scandinavian swimmers have my heart! Have you tried these?
Petite Pumpkin Spice Cookies
This is everything I want in a pumpkin spice cookie. The pumpkin spice wasn’t overbearing and it paired nicely with the yogurt coating. If you aren’t super into pumpkin spice but are wanting to try a seasonal treat, I’d recommend these! I enjoyed the texture from the little sprinkles too! This is a very short review but I don’t have much to say other than I love these! They are festive and delicious… what more could I ask for? Will you be trying these cookies?!
Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzel Slims
We all know how much I love dark chocolate, so it was time that I try out these pretzel slims. The proportion of dark chocolate to pretzel was perfect. The pretzels are quite large as well which is a plus. There could have been a little sprinkle of salt on the pretzels but they were still delicious. I wish there was more in the bag because I literally blinked, and then the bag was empty! This isn’t unusual for a TJ’s bagged product to be half empty, but come on… give me more! I would definitely get these again, but never in a situation where I’d be sharing with others. Hey, I need to take advantage of the single serving size.
Chocolate Brooklyn Babka
After trying the cinnamon babka, I knew this had to be the next dessert I try! I’ll be honest, I prefer the cinnamon but this was still an amazing product. The chocolate was so rich yet I could easily eat half the loaf and not feel super weighed down (aka danger). This babka was really flaky but it was difficult to cut and actually stuck to the container (last photo). And just like the cinnamon babka, 1/9th of the dessert being a serving is a scam. I ate half of it in one sitting… but I guess that’s my fault for eating right out of the container while watching Housewives. Overall, this was delicious and I’d get it again but I enjoyed the cinnamon babka a tad more! Which do you prefer?!
Ube Mochi
Behold, the ube mochi!! I finally got my hands on this product after endlessly searching. My local stores were always out of it… always. I ripped the box open in the car and honey, I’m not mad about it. These are phenomenal. I get vanilla meets cotton candy meets little bits of yam vibes. The rice dough was very sweet and chewy. The ice cream was unbelievably creamy. This is definitely a step up from the traditional vanilla mochi and I thought those were great!! Have you tried these yet? Or am I the last person on the planet to try it?!
Cinnamon Brooklyn Babka
Everyone raves about the TJ’s babka, and now I know why. This flaky dessert is addicting. Just look at all those layers! I loved how subtle the cinnamon was while still being the star of the show. I took off one point because I think 9 servings is a little unrealistic (for my life)! Despite the wishful thinking of this being 9 servings, I will most definitely be getting this again. My family also approved, so that’s a plus. Stay tuned for my review on the chocolate babka!
Cookie Butter Ice Cream
This was my first time ever trying any sort of cookie butter product! I don’t have an interest in the jarred butter so I thought that this would be the best option for my first experience. I thoroughly enjoyed this ice cream. The cookie butter gave me really subtle gingerbread vibes (equaling Christmas vibes). I liked the little specks of cookie included inside. I normally would like larger sized pieces, but there were so many that the little specks worked great. The cookie butter swirl was very very thick which I appreciated but I had to cut the swirls with my spoon or else it wouldn’t fit in my mouth. That sounds more like a personal issue here but it’s an important factor. I love the quantity of swirl but I wish it wasn’t as hard!
Cookie butter is a Trader Joe’s cult classic and I finally hopped on the bandwagon. I don’t see myself purchasing the jarred butter, but I will definitely get this ice cream again! What’s your favorite cookie butter product?!