#trader-joes

#trader-joes

A Nantucket Cranberry Pie isn't one of the unique items Trader Joe's dreamed up. It's a real New England specialty, and it brings a bracingly tart flavor you don't often get in overly sweet holiday pies. It's not even what you might normally think of as a pie, being almost a hybrid between pastry and cake. It features a mixture of cranberries and walnuts, cooked in a cake-like batter.

Trader Joe's is beloved for a whole host of unique snacks, spreads, and frozen meals. But, famously, nothing is more anticipated than its autumnal lineup. And the one Trader Joe's fall item we simply can't pass up is the pumpkin spice mini sheet cake. Not only is it a seasonal, pumpkin spice upgrade to Trader Joe's already popular mini sheet cake, but it's quickly become one of our favorite pumpkin products of all time. We're far from the only fans either.

Even though it's been a few years since I worked at Trader Joe's, I still cannot unsee many of the rude (and often quite bizarre!) behaviors that customers repeated on a near-hourly basis. I'm no grocery sociologist, but I do believe the combination of generally chipper employees, 1950s surf rock blasting, and free-flowing samples of your favorite desserts, seems to bring out something in Trader Joe's shoppers that has them, well, not on their best behavior.

When you're looking for a quick and easy meal to whip up on a weeknight, Trader Joe's might be the best place to go. The store is known for its variety of prepared fresh and frozen food that can help you get dinner on the table quickly. The chain's frozen dumplings are an excellent example of just that kind of product. Dumplings are generally filled with protein, veggies, or both, and they come together in a matter of minutes.

Leafy greens may often be key to a good salad (except for those salads that don't actually include any greens, of course), but when you really think about it, any good salad truly comes down to the dressing. This is the case for both greens-based salads and those that don't contain any lettuce, like macaroni salad or potato salad - a good dressing makes or breaks the whole dish.

Trader Joe's is known for carrying snack dupes that rival popular brands, and often, the TJ's version ends up being better than name brand. As it turns out, not all brands are too tickled by Trader Joe's copycat products, as proven by the fact that Smucker's is suing Trader Joe's over its alleged knockoff of Uncrustables. You may recognize Smucker's Uncrustables by their distinctive circular shape, crimped edges, lack of crust, and peanut butter and jelly filling.

This year, there was a lot of excitement surrounding TJ's fall items. I must have seen at least a hundred TikToks showcasing the grocery store's seasonal must-haves, and between all of them, there was one common thread: the Pumpkin Caramel Danish Kringle. Danish Kringle is an oval-shaped, flaky, buttery pastry filled with fruits, nuts, or cream cheese, topped with a sweet icing. It was introduced in the US by Danish immigrants who moved to Racine, Wisconsin, in the late 1800s.

While the chain grocery store has plenty of other amazing items that you can pick from, it still hurts to see a favorite go. It's worse because the items just vanish one day, totally unannounced; perhaps you ask a crew member about your favorite dessert, and they mention that it's been permanently pulled from the shelves; it has happened to us time and again.

If you've been craving cheesesteak but don't live anywhere near Philadelphia (or any of these other locations in the U.S. where you can find the best cheesesteaks), then all you have to do is head over to your nearest Trader Joe's and make your way to the meat department. There, in the refrigerated section, you'll find the Trader Joe's All Natural Shaved Beef Steak.

Whether we are talking about the chain's many frozen microwave meals, or the simple two-ingredient recipes that folks come up with, Trader Joe's is home to many options for easy meals on busy days - and this chicken tikka masala recipe is no different. Sure, it's a bit more complicated than just tossing a tray in the microwave, and requires a whopping four ingredients, but it makes several servings, and you can get on the table in about half an hour.

I'm a busy tech professional who regularly shops at Trader Joe's for my household of two. In my experience, the store has the best prices on gluten-free chicken nuggets and GoMacro bars. Trader Joe's smoked salmon and jasmine rice are perfect for when I don't have time to cook. A few years ago, I realized my grocery spending was out of control.

There's something oddly comforting about Trader Joe's prepared foods - like they're somehow "homemade" instead of store-bought. Maybe it's the interesting concoctions, or the comparatively "clean" ingredients, but I personally feel pretty good reaching for those refrigerated or frozen packages dotted throughout TJ's stores. That's especially true for quick-fixing breakfast or snack items like Trader Joe's egg bites. One in particular harbors an impressive 17 grams of protein per two-bite package, and it does so with only the whites - no yolks involved.

One commenter writes on Reddit, "I think it's a good Chobani dupe, [but] maybe a bit less sweet [in my honest opinion]." Another commenter mentions liking TJ's new creamer more because the Chobani version is a little too sweet for their palate. But a third commenter isn't sold on the product, feeling TJ's version runs thinner than Chobani's version. Others feel TJ's version is not as creamy and not sweet enough.

As both a fan of Trader Joe's and a fan of all things fall, I decided to put the store's new fall 2025 items to the taste test. I did the same thing with Trader Joe's fall 2024 items, highlighting some real successes like the pumpkin spice mini sheet cake and the savory squash pastry bites. This year brings about a new onslaught of fresh fall items, including a new flavor of egg bites, a maple-flavored cold foam creamer, and even an apple pie spread.

Circuit Judge Gabriel Sanchez said the strength of the Trader Joe's name, the chain's own sale of tote bags, and the "strikingly similar" marks featuring the same red color, similar fonts and concentric circles could confuse consumers. "This is not one of the rare trademark infringement cases in which there is no plausible likelihood that a reasonably prudent consumer would be confused," Sanchez wrote.

It would not be an overstatement to say fall is the greatest time of year at Trader Joe's when everyone's favorite comforting and cheesy treats return for their short seasonal run. While fall products at most places mean pumpkin spice and apple, Trader Joe's seasonal fall items embrace every flavor the season has to offer. There is plenty of pumpkin, of course, but fall also sees new maple products, unique cheeses, and any vegetable you could reasonably slap the word "harvest" on to.

I've been trying all the seasonal fall snacks I find at Trader Joe's to see which are worth buying. I love its Teeny Tiny apple pies, apple shortbread cookies, and pumpkin-spice batons. Trader Joe's This Pumpkin Walks Into a Bar bars and seasonal Greek yogurts have not impressed me. Trader Joe's is known for having fun seasonal snack items, and it's especially beloved for its fall offerings.

In the midst of a so-called "egg-calypse," you probably want to make sure you're getting the most bang (read: food) for your buck - and that, of course, will depend on where you're shopping. Trader Joe's, for one, is a grocery store beloved for its wide selection of frozen meals, slew of organic offerings, and ever-changing rotation of seasonal items that each seem to have their own cult following.

A trip through the frozen section at Trader Joe's always feels like a mini vacation. Maybe I'm just deeply entrenched in an ongoing love affair with the chain (I definitely am). But there's also something utterly blissful about walking through the freezer aisle at a grocery store and finding a plethora of budget-friendly selections. After all, Trader Joe's has a startling selection of sub-$5 products, especially in its frozen section.

Trader Joe's fans, ranch dressing enthusiasts, and Reddit users - it turns out most members of those communities hold strong opinions, and they aren't afraid to share them. While fans are eager to declare their love for Trader Joe's products, shoppers are equally ready to share what leaves them dissatisfied as well. Amongst the best and worst things to buy at Trader Joe's, the Reddit community has a resounding answer for their least favorite: The shelf-stable, organic ranch dressing.

The official Trader Joe's website describes its Grilled Sardines in Olive Oil as "wild-caught for us off the coast of Tunisia" with a firm, meaty texture in each deboned, split, grilled fillet. Upon peeling back the lid, the sardines were "flat, smushed, and already breaking up a bit. This was most likely due to the fact that they were grilled as opposed to steamed or smoked ..."

Trader Joe's is beloved for its range of snacks, beverages, baked goods, and other viral items (we're looking at you, mini canvas tote bags). But have you ever considered creating a grazing board solely from items you can find at the darling chain? As it turns out, it's quite easy to do because of the enormous range of products the store sells. Whether you're looking for nuts, olives, fresh fruit, or cured meats, the grocery chain has it all and then some.

From shopping there as a first-time homeowner to grabbing snacks for my kids as a new mom, Trader Joe's products have gotten me through each new phase of adulthood. For me, versatility is key, and I never know when my toddler's favorite food will become the mortal enemy of dinner time. So, it's great to have options. Luckily, these eight Trader Joe's items are easy to whip up into quick and easy weeknight dinners (with choices) that we all love.