13 Groceries to Help You Break Out of Your Trader Joe's Rut
In a Trader Joe's rut? That need not be a thing—the grocery store is chock-full of one-of-a-kind snacks (Spicy Chakri Mix, anyone?), delicious pre-packaged meals and chocolate that would make Lady Godiva swoon.
But even the most adventurous Trader Joe's shoppers can feel like they need to spice things up every once in a while—and the Trader Joe's subreddit is here to help.
Recently, a thread was started by a first-time Trader Joe's shopper who is crossing the Canadian border just to step foot in the iconic grocery store. The user hoped to get some inspiration from super-fans in the Trader Joe's subreddit and boy did they deliver. Read on for their thoughts (and feelings) and get ready to add more items to your TJ's shopping list.
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Whether you've been shopping at Trader Joe's for years or just getting started, the super fans responded in droves with gems to add to your Trader Joe's bucket list.
As a bonus, one commenter also dropped a pro tip on exactly how to walk down a Trader Joe's aisle to ensure you don't miss any items. And another person basically shared their shopping list in its entirety. You're welcome.
Related: The 19 Best Trader Joe's Road Trip Snacks
13 Items to Get You Out of Your Trader Joe's Rut
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1. Cashew Butter Cashews
When it comes to nuts, Trader Joe's has a deep bench. Their trail mix is legendary and their single bags of nuts are a great value and great for snacking and baking. Some of those points came up in the comments, but there was also an impassioned testimonial for these nut butter-covered nuts. "The Cashew Butter Cashews are my favorite things ever," they said. This snack doubles down on the nutty flavor by covering toasted cashews with a cashew-butter based coating.
2. Joe-Joe's Vanilla Sandwich Creme Cookies
The chocolate version of these cookies get a lot of love, but one Redditor reminded everyone that the sandwich cookies also come in other flavors. "The Joe Joe Vanilla Oreos are tasty," they said. And they're right. The combo of the vanilla cookie and the vanilla bean-flecked filling is a nice change-up from the chocolate. We have heard news that these cookies (and other Joe-Joe's flavors!) have been discontinued, but there is a rumor going around that it's just a temporary loss and that once they have a new vendor in place the fan-favorite cookies will be back.
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3. Super Sour Scandinavian Swimmers
This is another spot where the original product (straight up Scandinavian Swimmers, in this case) often gets all the love. But one Redditor called out the sour version of this popular gummy candy in their must-buy list. Just like the original Swimmers, the sour version is soft and tender (vs. sticky) and colored with fruit and vegetable juices. The sour version has a tart, tangy coating and is available in slightly different array of flavors and creatures: red berry starfish, huckleberry dolphins, orange tang fish and strawberry clam shells.
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4. Brookies
This brownie-cookie mashup also made the comment list, and we can see why. With a fudgy brownie on the bottom and a tender chocolate-chip cookie on the top, this dessert is the best of both worlds. The TJ's website suggest topping your brookie with a scoop of French Vanilla Ice Cream, which is a move we fully support.
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5. Vanilla Chantilly Cake
Yeah, there was some chocolate on the list, but those comments were more wide-reaching ("Chocolate! They have an amazing selection at very reasonable prices," said one Redditor.). The vanilla fans, however, were very specific about their picks. The Vanilla Chantilly Cake, which recently made its triumphant return, was name checked in the comments. This mini sheet cake isn't always available, but when you see it you'd be wise to grab one (or three). You may also want to consider adding berries or your favorite fruit to the cake, as many frequent buyers do, to dress it up quickly.
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6. Tandoori Garlic Naan
There were broad mentions of TJ's frozen Indian food in the comments, but none of those meals would be complete without some naan, which one commenter nominated as a favorite item. TJ's hand-stretched bread is baked in a traditional tandoor oven, so it gets blistered in spots. It's frozen, which means that you don't have to worry about it going stale in the cabinet. Warm some up in the oven for a take-out style meal at home. The bread comes in plain and garlic, but we're going for garlic every time.
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7. Mini Vegetable Samosas
Speaking of Indian food, these little pastries were also nominated by a commenter who's a big fan. "The vegetable samosas are very good," they said. "I eat the entire box for lunch." The two-bite triangular snacks are stuffed with Indian-spiced potatoes, peas, carrots, lentils and onions, which sounds like a filling (and delicious) lunch to us. They also make great party bites, of course.
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8. Brown Sugar Non-Dairy Oat Creamer
People like what they like and one commenter really likes this creamer. The Brown Sugar coffee creamer is a must-get," they said. "It’s so much cheaper than what we have here, and it’s delicious." The sweetened creamer is a nice way to wake up your regular coffee routine and the Trader Joe's site also suggests using it to make milk tea or an iced latte when you're not feeling like a hot drink.
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9. Ghost Pepper Potato Chips
These lattice cut chips are kettle cooked until crispy and there are flames on the bag, which hints at their spice level. The TJ's site calls them "seriously spicy," although the commenter who recommended them said, "They're not too spicy." That discrepancy alone has us intrigued enough to give them a try. Is Trader Joe's overselling the heat factor or is this Redditor a serious chile head? There's only one way to find out.
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10. Sparkling Watermelon Juice
"I really enjoy the Sparkling Watermelon Juice in the summertime," wrote a fan. The bubbly beverage is made from fresh watermelon juice with no added sugar, which means it's a nice light option for warm weather. This is a limited edition product, so when you see them, pick up a few boxes so you can really savor the season. Pro tip: Pour a can over a few scoops of vanilla ice cream for a fancy pants ice cream float.
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11. Bulgogi Beef Fried Rice With Kimchi
This freezer item popped up in the comments as a great thing to add to your cart. The Korean-inspired product is a mix of rice, thinly sliced marinated grilled beef and chopped vegetables. It heats up in 5 minutes in the microwave or a hot skillet. You can serve it as a side dish or a main. It makes a great rice bowl based. Just add a fried egg on top and dinner is served!
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12. Maple Poffertjes
Staying in the freezer section, we have this mini pancakes, which are inspired by the breakfast treats serve in the Netherlands. This limited edition item gets its maple flavor from maple sugar and it takes less than a minute to heat them up in the microwave. All of this isn't news to the commenter who nominated the bite-size breakfast, calling them "a mainstay" for their daughter. Lucky kid!
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13. Dog Treats
"Their dog treats are delish (so says my dog anyway), and the price is amazing," says one commenter. They didn't call out a specific product, but while you're at Trader Joe's your pets are waiting patiently at home, so make sure you grab a little something for them, too. May we suggest the Deli Style Corned Beef Flavor Dog Treats?
And a Bonus Tip on the Best Way to Browse Trader Joe's Aisles
Overwhelmed by the number of hidden gems you've been missing out on? In this same Reddit thread, a commenter dropped this gem of a tip.
"I will die on this hill; Trader Joe’s small aisles must be browsed up one side and back down the other," someone wrote. "People who go down the middle and look both ways are evil."
"This is a great tip," concurred another. "Especially in the frozen aisles, make sure you look up and at eye level cause that’s where a lot of the candies/goodies are kept."