Last week I posted 20 Reasons Why Trader Joe’s Is Awesome!, so I thought it was fitting that I follow that up with a post featuring some of my favorite products from Trader Joe’s.
I managed to narrow this list down to 25 products…which was no easy feat! Trader Joe’s is constantly coming out with new items and I’m always discovering new-to-me products so it seems like my favorites are ever-changing!
Just to clarify – this isn’t a list of my healthy Trader Joe’s picks. That’s a post for another day. Also, as a little bonus, I’ve included some Trader Joe’s-specific shopping tips at the end of this post.
Okay, let’s dive into my 25 must-try Trader Joe’s products!
1. Just Mango Slices. These are a great snack and the only ingredient is – you guessed it – (dried) mango! I like to eat them as they are or cut them (with kitchen shears) into bite-sized pieces and add to trail mix.
2. Organic Juice Shots. I take the whole shot or add some or all of it to water for flavoring. You can also freeze and thaw when needed!
3. Frozen Organic Mango Chunks. Mango is one of my favorite fruits so I love adding these frozen chunks to my smoothies.
RELATED READING: How To Make An Epic Charcuterie Board Using All Trader Joe’s Products
4. Frozen Organic Wild Blueberries. I add these frozen berries to oatmeal and smoothies.
5. Non-Dairy Oat Beverage. Trader Joe’s has a couple of oat milk varieties. One is shelf-stable and one (this one) is perishable and needs to be refrigerated. A few weeks ago, I was talking to a couple of employees about the two varieties and they both agreed that this one is much better in both taste and creaminess.
6. Organic Peanut Powder With Sea Salt. Yet another product I love adding to my smoothies. I especially like that this isn’t as messy as traditional peanut butter.
7. Onion Salt. Yes, the immensely popular Everything But the Bagel Seasoning is great but Onion Salt is far and away my favorite seasoning at Trader Joe’s. It’s a mix of onion, garlic, salt and dried chives. I sprinkle it on veggies, eggs, potatoes and more. Mix into sour cream or Greek yogurt to make an onion dip!
8. Organic Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup. This creamy and flavorful soup paired with a grilled cheese sandwich makes a perfect cold-weather meal.
9. Organic Bone Broth. Before going to bed, I’ll often have either a warm cup of tea or bone broth.
10. Vegetable Spring Rolls. These veggie rolls are an easy side dish and are pretty darn close to restaurant quality. They pair perfectly with TJ’s Sweet Chili Sauce. SO good!
11. Cauliflower Gnocchi. This is one of the most popular items at Trader Joe’s. There are several different versions – kale, stuffed and chocolate lava – but this is the OG. Whatever you do, do NOT follow the directions on the back of the bag or you’ll end up with mushy gnocchi. I like to cook it in the air fryer or simmer in marinara sauce on the stovetop.
12. Chocolate Hummus. I was so intrigued when I first saw this product. I couldn’t fathom it tasting good. Chocolate chickpeas?! I mean… Boy was I surprised – it was absolutely delicious! My tastebuds kept searching for the chickpea flavor, but all they picked up was chocolate frosting! This pairs great with strawberries, bananas, banana chips, apples, pretzels, graham crackers and cookies.
13. Cookie Butter. A cult favorite. So much so that it’s not uncommon it’s sold out and there’s often a purchase limit per customer. It’s basically a spreadable cookie and is DELICIOUS. It comes in both a Smooth and Crunchy version. I love giving it as a gift during the holidays.
14. Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. Reese’s who? These are way better! I like to keep these in the fridge or freezer. I’m not sure why but I think they taste better chilled.
15. Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups. See above ^ Essentially the same but with almond butter.
16. Caramel Popcorn. Caramel popcorn is one of my favorite sweet treats. This one is super tasty and is also dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan.
17. Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookie Baking Mix. I was really excited when I saw this product due to its usage of almond flour. This mix is delicious and super easy to make! You just add butter or oil, vanilla extract and milk to the mix. I’ve used both butter and oil and I think the cookies taste better using oil. (I use avocado oil).
18. Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches. They’re no Thelma’s (<–- T’s favorite), but they’re really, really good!
19. Mochi Ice Cream. These taste just like the mochi at Japanese restaurants. The strawberry flavor is my favorite.
20. Flowers. My happy place inside of my happy place, haha! Trader Joe’s has some of the best blooms at some of the best prices.
21. Greeting Cards. Don’t sleep on the greeting card section. The cards are super cute, creative and only 99 cents!
22. Seasonal Items. While Trader Joe’s is great all year round, it becomes even better during the holiday season from September to December. There are too many to list here but some of my favorite holiday items are: the Advent Calendar for Dogs, Spiced Cider, Maple Butter and Maple and Sea Salt Kettle Corn.
23. Dog Treats. Kevin, our Yellow Lab, has never met a dog treat he didn’t like, but these are a staple in his treat rotation. We break them in half to make them last longer.
24. Fruit & Vegetable Wash. I always thought fruit and vegetable wash was superfluous, but then I decided to try it awhile back and I saw how dirty the water was after soaking some berries. (Apparently vinegar works well, but I like how this wash has no scent).
25. Grapefruit & Lemon Hand Sanitizer Spray. I keep this in my purse since it’s pretty much a necessity these days!
I asked T what his top three favorite Trader Joe’s products are and he said the Organic Spicy Avocado Hummus, Organic Banana Chips and the Sweet Cream Coffee Creamer.
*BONUS TIPS!*
Here are some Trader Joe’s shopping tips:
- If possible, go right when the store opens so you can beat the crowd and be greeted to fully stocked shelves. Try to avoid going late at night. Whenever I do this, my store is almost always out of something on my list, especially produce items.
- If you’re new to Trader Joe’s and looking for somewhere to start, the sections that I think they do particularly well are: cheese, nuts, snacks, dips, nut butters, frozen foods, frozen fruit, floral and seasonal items.
- If there’s a seasonal item you want, I recommend buying it as soon as you see it and maybe pick up a few extra because you never know if the store will be getting another shipment, or if it’s gone until next year. Seasonal items at Trader Joe’s can really be ‘here today, gone tomorrow.’
- Also regarding seasonal items – keep in mind that many are sold out once the actual holiday occurs. You really have to shop ahead of time due to the popularity of these items. So for example, if there’s a Christmas-related item you want, you’ll want to nab it at the end of October or in November because once December 25th hits, it will likely be gone.
- During the holidays, when Trader Joe’s uses holiday-themed paper bags, upcycle them as Christmas wrapping paper or gift tags!
- If you’re an avid Trader Joe’s fan and time allows, check out other stores when you’re on vacation or visiting another city. It’s fun to see what other stores have that your home store doesn’t.
- Okay, if there’s one thing that can be hit and miss with Trader Joe’s, it’s the produce. I still purchase quite a bit of our produce there but I always make sure to check the expiration date and thoroughly inspect its appearance.
- Be sure to check out the awesome social media accounts Trader Joe’s fans have made over the years for everything from new product alerts to cooking tips. (There are a LOT of Trader Joe’s loyalists out there!) The comment sections are worth checking out as well for additional tips and ideas. Here are a few of my favorite fan accounts: Trader Joe’s List (the OG fan account), Trader Joe’s Flowers (combines my love of flowers and TJ’s), Trader Joe’s Food Reviews (her Instagram is good but her TikToks are top notch. She also sells a cookbook that uses the most popular items from Trader Joe’s) and Trader Joe’s To Be Discontinued (a sad account, but is helpful to know what to hurry and stock up on in case you see one of your favorite products show up on here).
I hope you enjoyed reading about some of my favorite Trader Joe’s products as well as the bonus shopping tips! If you’re a fellow TJ’s lover, leave a comment below letting me know your favorite product(s)!
Leave a Reply