The Best And Worst Trader Joe's Snacks

If you're a snackivore like myself, you know Trader Joe's is where you go to stock your kitchen with munchies. The company has a well-deserved reputation for value and innovation. From Trader Joe's soup dumplings to their pickle corn dogs, the California-based chain develops most of its products in-house.

This gives TJ's the latitude to try out creative snack recipes and cuts out the middleman, passing the savings onto the customer. But not all snacks are created equal. For all the creative (and sometimes outlandish) snacks that line the shelves of your local Trader Joe's, there are bound to be some misses.



I cover the best snacks first, rounding out the list with those that may be better off left on the grocery store shelves. Best: Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Pretzel Nuggets I know, the name is a mouthful, and you won't be able to finish saying it, because you'll be too busy eating these salty, chocolatey morsels. The lightly sweet dark chocolate exterior gives way to the malty, roasted taste of pretzel, which is studded with salt crystals that provide a perfect contrast to sugar.

And inside a core of creamy, gently floral almond butter that rounds out the snack and prevents it from being too dry. Best: Jalapeño Seasoned Corn & Rice Puffs You may not think these puffs are spicy at first, but give it a few minutes. Better yet, these puffs are made with rice, corn, and quinoa flours, so they're vegan and gluten free, not to mention organic.

Put a bowl of these crunchy, puffy snacks out at your next party and they'll get eaten in no time — but be ready with glasses of water. Best: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups If peanut butter and chocolate invited me to their wedding, I'd be the guest of honor. My faith in the union is so strong that I can't resist picking up a little bag of Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups in the checkout line.

There's also a milk chocolate version for those who like their peanut butter cups a bit sweeter. Each bag contains just a handful of them, which is perfect for me, because they won't last long in my pantry. Best: Chile & Garlic Cashews But these spicy nuts are not for the faint of heart.

Chile and garlic are hardly subtle flavors, and these cashews leave a funky heat in your mouth that may make you less than kissable. The cashews are roasted, so you get a satisfying crunch that gives way to the nut's signature buttery richness. Cashews are the perfect vessels for the dusting of seasoning — their mellow, fatty flavor enhances the experience of the salt and spice.

By the time I finished the bag, I was reaching for a glass of water and wishing I had another bag of these cashews. Best: Dolmas If you like Mediterranean food, these dolmas are one of the . They're packed in oil, which makes them super soft and they fall apart in your mouth.

They come in a can, but they look super fancy when you plate them up and serve them as a snack or appetizer. Best: Strawberry Lemonade Joe-Joe's I'm a longtime fan of Joe-Joe's, Trader Joe's' answer to Oreo cookies, but when I saw the strawberry lemonade version, I was suspect. How could Trader Joe's turn these classic beverage flavors into a solid sandwich cookie? But I was pleasantly surprised when I took a bite, revealing a spot-on representation of strawberry lemonade.

There were even flecks of real strawberry. The cookie's sweetness was balanced out by the natural acidity of lemon and strawberry, which gave the cookie a gently tart edge. Best: Oven-Baked Cheese Bites Straight from the cheese-loving nation of Italy, these oven-baked cheese bites are strictly for those who love a seriously pungent salty crunch.

Since they're made with cheese and only cheese, they're a little greasy, even though they're oven baked. That said, they're packed with protein. You can eat them on their own or if you want to give your mac and cheese a little extra flavor, try crushing some up and sprinkling them on top.

Best: Mee Krob Snackers I'll admit, even being the foodie that I am, I'd never heard of mee krob before. The attractive pink and orange packaging caught my eye and I'm so glad I went for it. Tamarind makes them a tad sweet and vinegar and lime juice gives them a pleasant tartness.

While they're a little pricier than the average TJ's snack, the adventure is worth it (and so is the garlic breath). Best: Sour Cream & Onion Rings When I bit into one of these rings, my mouth was bursting with sour cream and onion flavor. This means they've got less fat and more fiber and protein, not to mention a unique, intense taste.

The earthy flavor of the lentils comes through and the rings are so crispy that every bite feels deeply satisfying. The brown color is not the most attractive, but don't judge a ring by its cover! Best: Scandinavian Swimmers If you're a fan of Swedish Fish, you'll probably like Scandinavian Swimmers from Trader Joe's. While not all the flavors were entirely discernible, they each had a sweet fruitiness that satisfied my sweet tooth.

These undersea sweeties are also free of artificial coloring and they come in a big bag and offered at a super low price. So if you're looking for a chewy, sugary, nautical-themed good deal, look no further. Best: Greek Lowfat Yogurt No list of Trader Joe's snack would be complete without old reliable: a tiny tub of lowfat Greek yogurt.

This simple snack is exactly what is seems like, which is why I love it so much. are strained, which is why they're thicker and more tart that most American yogurts. In terms of quality, the Trader Joe's brand ranks among Greek yogurt powerhouses like Fage and Chobani, but is priced significantly lower.

Quality snacking doesn't have to mean junk food! Best: Chips in a Pickle Seeing these pickle potato chips at Trader Joe's confirmed what I already knew to be true: . A strong taste of vinegar hits your tongue, followed by the mellower, grassy aroma of dill. The pickle flavor isn't overwhelming, but definitely conjures the taste of a jar of full sours.

If you're a pickle lover, a chip lover, or both, then get your hands in a bag of these crunchy delights. Best: All Butter Shortbread Sandwich Cookies with Raspberry Filling I feared the worst with these raspberry filled shortbread cookie sandwiches. Would the jam be too sweet? The shortbread too dry? The ratio all wonky? But One bite of these divine little sandwich cookies and my fears evaporated.

The package only comes with 10 cookies, which is why I ate only 10 cookies. These would be a perfect accompaniment for tea time, an afternoon pick me up, or a light dessert. Best: Peanut Butter Overnight Oats Some people are allergic to peanuts, but I'm allergic to prep work, which is why I never make overnight oats.

Luckily, the overnight oats at Trader Joe's are super affordable and can be eaten immediately. I've tried all the flavors of these oats, and peanut butter is my favorite. The snack is vegan, gluten-free, and has a balance of complex carbs and protein that makes it an ideal mid-morning munch.

Stock your fridge with a few of these perfectly portioned cups to fuel your day. Best: Roasted Seaweed Snack If you're looking for a healthy, low-calorie snack to keep on hand, then maybe . The catch: You have to like seaweed, and the taste is not for everybody.

The flavor is vaguely reminiscent of a tide pool, which works for some people, myself included. These thin sheets of seaweed are delicious on their own and they also pair well with rice. Best: Dark Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter Cups For snackers with peanut allergies who look longingly at ads for Reese's, you've found your alternative.

You can grab a two-pack of these delightfully dainty dessert snacks on your way out of the store (they're usually near the checkout lines). While you can also get a larger bag of mini cups, I prefer the two-pack, because no amount of these luscious chocolatey cups would last long in my kitchen. Best: Jerk-Style Plantain Chips Plantain chips are not for everybody.

With the starchy earthiness of a potato chip and the dry crunch of a banana chip, the texture can be a bit elusive. Plantains are a staple of Caribbean cooking, so it follows logically that spicy jerk seasoning would be a fitting flavor. But make no mistake: Once I started eating these chips, I had to seal the bag off and put it in a different room so that I wouldn't eat the whole thing.

If you're into spicy Caribbean flavor, you'll love these chips. Best: Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets It's great news when a salty snack packs a bit of protein. Flavor-wise, this is a star snack, but the peanut butter core and the pretzel shell are both dry and eating a bag of these without a glass of water at hand would be difficult to say the least.

The bag is large (16 ounces!) and a great value, and these morsels make a great afternoon snack. Worst: Mini (Almost) Everything Bagel Sandwich Crackers With its line of "everything but the bagel" seasoning and snacks, Trader Joe's filled a hole in the market. The mix of seeds, spices, and salt is a crowd favorite, but in this context, it fell flat.

These little sandwich crackers are filled with cream cheese, and , but here it was just too sweet. I'll be skipping these in favor of other everything bagel snacks available at TJs. Worst: Chile Seasoned Dried Mango Dried fruit and nuts are some of the most remarkable deals at Trader Joe's.

I've been buying their dried mango for years and I love a spicy snack, so I decided to mix it up with this fancier-looking Chile Seasoned Dried Mango that's made with organic Kent mango. A dash of chile really makes this shine in all its chewy glory, but there just wasn't enough, and I felt like I was eating a regular bag of dried mango, which comes at a significantly better deal. Worst: Organic Elote Corn Chip Dippers I chose these chips because of my deep love for elote.

The Mexican street snack made with corn, lime, mayonnaise, cheese, and chili powder has roots all the way back to the Aztecs. They taste quite a bit like Fritos, and they definitely deliver the strong taste of corn chip. I could see these curly, crunchy chips paired perfectly with a creamy dip, but on their own, they weren't enough for me.

Worst: Grecian Style Eggplant with Tomatoes & Onions Eggplant can take many forms. It can be smoky, leathery, meaty, or, in the case of the Grecian Style Eggplant, slimy, shapeless, and drowning in tomato sauce. When you open the can, it's difficult to discern what's eggplant and what's sauce.

Maybe it's better if you dump it on some pasta and use it as a sauce, or top it with grated Parmesan cheese, but as a standalone snack, it doesn't sing. Worst: Pizza Seasoned Crackers One of the newer snacks on this list, Trader Joe's Pizza Seasoned Crackers are undeniably cute. But while these crunchy mini pizzas would be perfect for a teddy bear pizza party, the flavor doesn't match up to the visual appeal.

All of the elements are pretty dry, so without a moist topping of some kind, they turn your mouth into a desert in no time. I'll skip them next time and get a real slice down the street. Worst: Norwegian Sourdough Rye Chips These rye chips had all the makings for greatness.

A rich dark brown, they came all the way from Norway and are studded with seeds and nuts. The bag implores wise eaters to enjoy these chips with smoked salmon or cream cheese, and I see why. They're a little too salty and oily to enjoy on their own.

So if you pick these up on your next grocery run, be sure to grab some accouterments to go with them. Worst: Super Seedy Cheese Snack Bites Just thinking about the savory crunch of a baked cheese bite makes my mouth water. The crispy, puffy texture of these little squares was ideal, but they contain whole peppercorns, which competes with the sharpness of the Parmesan cheese.

If you want a piquant, protein-rich cheesy crunch, I'd stick with the regular oven-baked cheese bites, which provide a similar taste, but respect the majesty of cheesy flavor. Methodology Compiling a shopping list for this tasting was a process near to my heart. As a lifelong Trader Joe's fan, there are some snacks that I've been eating since I was a kid.

Others I've never even heard of since the store is constantly churning out new products. I got a mix of sweet and savory snacks that struck an even balance between classics and new releases. I ended up with a diverse bag of snacks that represented the legendary grocery store chain in all its glory.

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