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.
Instant Cold Brew Coffee
There was a request on my website to review this product and I can honestly tell you it’s become a staple in my life. I never thought that I would be so attached to a product like this. I generally drink coffee from my Keurig but find iced coffee to be superior (catch me in the winter drinking an iced coffee). This cold brew dissolves really well in water and is really smooth. The flavor is extremely bold. Now, that may be because I add at least 2 heaping tablespoons of cold brew… but I’m not complaining. The serving size is technically a teaspoon but that is a joke and we all know it. There is 100mg of caffeine per serving. I didn’t even believe the crew member when he told me that, so I got a print out of the sheet that contained that information (in case you are skeptical). Another thing I love about this product is that I can take it on the go! It such an easy way to bring coffee with you everywhere you go, without the hassle of liquid!
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
I love a good banana bread and chocolate chip combo so I was excited to give these a try! The muffins were tasty but they weren’t anything special. The chocolate chips were pretty scarce and the banana flavor could have been stronger. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed every bite of these but it’s not something I’d put in my cart again. I’d much rather make my own banana bread and add as many chocolate chips as my little heart desires! I will say, I enjoyed how light and moist these were (but definitely didn’t enjoy the nutritional info that came with it). What’s your favorite baked good from TJ’s?!
Everything but the Bagel Nut Duo
Once I started eating these, I couldn’t stop. I don’t normally eat nuts or trail mixes of any sort but these were sitting in my aunts pantry and I was intrigued. The EBTB seasoning stayed on the nuts (aka it wasn’t falling off), which I loved. Every bite had a little chazzle dazzle from the seasoning and I never realized how amazing of a pairing it made. I enjoyed the cashews more than the almonds, but that’s just my preference! I took off one point because the bag was 70% almonds with only 30% being cashews. I would have loved for a surplus of cashews over almonds. I’ll definitely pick these up when I’m going for a hike or on a road trip and want a little snacky snack. Have you tried these?!
Vanilla Mochi
Since I’ve failed to get my hands on the new ube mochi, I decided to give these a try. I’ve never had mochi before so this was a fun experience. I really enjoyed the chewiness of the rice dough paired with the creaminess of the ice cream. These are a perfect little treat because you can have one mochi and be satisfied! Or you can be like me and eat multiple because you don’t ever want the goodness to end. I took one point off because I would have loved for the vanilla flavor to be stronger (maybe if it were vanilla bean?). I will definitely get these again and will be trying all of the flavors that TJ’s has to offer! Which mochi makes an appearance in your cart most often?!
Carolina Gold Style BBQ Chips
BBQ or honey mustard? Either way, I enjoyed these. If you had to ask me what kind of chips these are, I can guarantee you that I wouldn’t say bbq. I really liked how thick these chips were because that let me know that this could be a quality shovel for a dip. I don’t think there’s ever enough seasoning on chips, so I definitely think there could have been more (and yes, I opened the bag upside down). These remind me of the honey mustard pretzels that TJ’s had last year and I’m living for it! Now if you’re looking for a classic bbq chip, I wouldn’t recommend this. If you are obsessed with honey mustard… stock up! Will these make it in your cart?!
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
This is my favorite chocolate candy, in a mini version. You all know what I think of dark chocolate (*cough cough* superior), so this should come as no surprise. This little $0.99 baggy allows me to indulge without having temptation. Who isn’t tempted by the big container of pb cups?! There are 3 servings in the bag which is equivalent to 1 MTJ serving. Perfect. Just kidding, I actually ate this in two sittings but I’d have no problem eating them all! I think having to unwrap them slowed me down. I would definitely pick these up over Reese’s. Have you tried these?!
Soft and Juicy Mandarins
This might be more unpopular, but unfortunately I was not a fan of this product. It was like cutie jerky! The mandarins were so dry that it had a weird texture that was super unappealing. There’s a lot of added sugar and honestly I thought these lacked sweetness. They didn’t taste terrible but they would never make an appearance in my cart again. Cuties/mandarins are one of my favorite fruits so this was disappointing. I would much rather eat the real thing than eat these. With all of that being said, I know people who swear by these! It all depends on personal preference. Have you tried them?!
Spinach & Kale Greek Yogurt Dip
My mom makes the BEST spinach dip and we both agreed that this is a great healthier version. The addition of the kale added a unique flavor that you wouldn’t normally get with a traditional dip. The greek yogurt wasn’t at all overpowering, which is great to note for those who dislike the taste! I took off one point because I would have loved if there were more water chestnuts included. They were chopped pretty fine so it didn’t any texture to the dip. I took off another point because this container is so large that if you only shop for yourself (like me), you have to commit to plowing through this before it goes bad! Now did I have a problem plowing? No… but I also had some help with finishing it! I will definitely pick this up again in the future. This is a great healthy alternative to a tradish spinach dip and I’m loving for it! Have any of you tried the normal spinach dip from TJ’s? Is it something I need to add to my cart?!
Coffee Bean Blast Ice Cream
Coffee is my favorite ice cream flavor so I knew I needed to try this out, especially given how many people have recommended it to me! It’s absolutely amazing. The coffee flavor is bold and creamy, and the little specks of coffee bean add extra chazzle dazzle. I managed to get 4 servings out of this, which is pretty shocking (I was expecting to plow through this in maybe 2 sittings). This is definitely one of my favorite ice cream products from Trader Joe’s so it’ll make an appearance in my cart again. Which ice cream should I add to my cart next?!
Italian Style Wrap
There are a few wraps from Trader Joe’s that I absolutely love but this one didn’t make the cut. There was no flavor in the wrap whatsoever, making the mustard the star of the show. It didn’t taste bad, there was just no flavor. I really enjoy a good Italian sandwich/wrap so this was disappointing. For 719 calories I would expect there to be some sort of chazzle dazzle. My favorite wrap is the pesto chicken with goat cheese one (with the buffalo chicken coming in second place). What’s your favorite wrap or prepackaged salad?!
Loaded Potatoes
I wasn’t overly impressed with this product. I don’t think it fits the category of side dish or entree. Side dishes don’t normally have meat but at the same time it was mostly potatoes so it’s not filling enough to be a full meal (at least in my experience). Despite that issue, I found these potatoes to have pretty good flavor for being a frozen item. I could easily taste the different components even though there was a plethora of cheese. I wish that the cheese wasn’t so liquidy because the photo on the box makes it seem like a potato casserole whereas the real thing was just potatoes smothered in cheese. I cooked this in the oven as instructed.
I probably wouldn’t get this again. It was flavorful but it wasn’t enough to be a complete dinner and I wouldn’t eat this as a side. I’d rather make my own version of a loaded potato over getting this again. Have you tried this?
Cacio e Pepe Pasta Sauce
I GASPED so loud in TJ’s when I saw this on the shelf. The frozen pepe pasta is one of my all time favorite frozen meals, but I don’t eat it as often as I’d like since I feed myself and myself only. This now makes it possible. And even better, with the heart of palm pasta. In my opinion, I found the sauce to be pretty similar to the frozen version. I might need to do a side by side taste test to be sure, but I was really satisfied after eating this. It had a nice kick from the excess of pepper (which I loved). I also enjoyed the sauce consistency. It wasn’t too thick or too runny (after I heated it up in a pan… it’s pretty pudding-like in the jar). I took off one point because I know I’ll have to devour this jar in a short amount of time before it goes bad! That’s more of a personal issue given that I’m only cooking for myself, but I felt that was important to note. Will you be trying this?!
Eggwich Sandwich
There’s nothing I love more than using other foods as bread substitutes so I was excited for this! This gluten free breakfast sandwich just hit the shelves last night and is selling for $4.99. I found that price to be pretty high considering how small the sandwiches are and how there’s only 2 in a box. I ate both of them and was still hungry. I was actually pretty impressed with how well the egg held up. It didn’t fall apart and wasn’t oily. The flavor profile was pretty basic but that was to be expected (aka you are just getting that plain sausage, cheese and egg flavor). I’m completely fine with the simplicity of the product, but the 1200+ mg of sodium for both sandwiches is atrocious. For something with that much sodium, you’d expect an explosion of flavor in your mouth.
I personally wouldn’t buy these again but I didn’t dislike the product! I wasn’t a fan of the sodium, price and size of the actual sandwich but the concept is on point. I enjoyed eating a breakfast sandwich with no bread, yet still getting those vibes. Will you be trying this?!
Peanuts for Chocolate Ice Cream
I knew I made a good choice in picking up two cartons at once! This new ice cream is for all peanut butter cup lovers… more specifically, Trader Joe’s peanut butter cups. This ice cream is a decadent chocolate flavor, with swirls of peanut butter and some crushed peanut butter Joe Joe’s. How could you go wrong? I could have easily eaten the whole carton in one sitting, but I managed to have some control. The peanut butter swirls were thick so I wasn’t missing out in any bite.
I took off a point because I feel like they dropped the ball on one aspect of this dessert - the iconic peanut butter cups! I would have much rather had mini cups in there than the Joe Joe dust (because they were crushed so finely, it nearly blended into the chocolate ice cream). I took off another point just because I didn’t find it to be phenomenal like some of my other Trader Joe goers. It was good but if I had an option between this or the wildberry cheesecake ice cream, I’d pick the wildberry. Have you tried this?!
Cheese Empanadas with Cassava Crust
I sadly wasn’t impressed with these. They were bland and mushy. I cooked them in the oven for 25 minutes and they wouldn’t crisp up. While I appreciate the quantity of filling, it had no flavor. All you can taste is the ricotta. These are also so small that the whole empanada fits in the palm of my hand. This may be a good option for those who are gluten free if you’re willing to add your own chazzle dazzle, but I wouldn’t purchase these again. Have you tried this product?
Big Soft Pretzels
I’m missing Disney extra today so I decided to give these pretzels a try and see how they compare to iconic disney ones. These obviously aren’t Mickey Mouse shaped, but they didn’t disappoint. I took me 5 minutes to prepare this which was perfect for a quick snack. These taste great and pretty similar to Disney’s. My only complaint is that the salt didn’t stick very well when I added water. A lot of it fell off! I think next time I’ll try brushing butter on and see how it sticks. This is an inexpensive snack that’ll make you feel like you’re back at the parks… that’s at least how I felt! Have you tried this?!
Hold the Dairy Cones
Behold, the first ever dairy free cones! Everyone has been raving about this product and now it’s time for my review. You may be shocked by my rating given that so many people are obsessed, but this review is factoring in a lot… which is based on my personal preference.
Let me start by saying that the flavor is great! You can’t taste the coconut at all which is nice for those that don’t enjoy the flavor of it. The consistency is more moussey than like an actual ice cream. Six cones is a serving size which you’d think is a massive quantity, but they are really small. Honestly, I burned off the calories of each cone just struggling to unwrap them all. That was inconvenient since they were melting so fast.
You’d think that six cones would leave you satisfied, but they didn’t leave me that way. I eat two Hold the Cones and am content, yet was about to reach for more after consuming SIX! Again, this is all based on personal preference. Another thing that is really hard for me to look past is the saturated fat. Because this is coconut based, it has a high quality of saturated fat.
I apologize for the long review today but I wanted to truly express how I felt! I think this is an amazing option for those who can’t have dairy or are limiting it, but I prefer the regular Hold the Cones. Which do you prefer?
Dark Chocolate Almonds
We all know that I find dark chocolate to be superior, but the ratio of chocolate to almond was too much. The chocolate coating was extremely thick which took away from the flavor of the almond. I do love that they carry $0.99 options so you can have a little treat in your bag or to bring to the movies (aka what I did). I also enjoy the sizing because then I don’t have to worry about plowing through a big container of them in one sitting! This definitely isn’t my first choice when it comes to the $0.99 options, but I could see myself picking this up again if I were heavily craving something dark chocolate heavy. What’s your favorite little treat item from TJ’s?
Strawberry Licorice Twists
This is one of my most favorite Trader Joe’s candy! It’s taken me months and months to review this product because I’ve never had the self control to take pictures before devouring the bag. This definitely is not like a Red Vine and is not like a Twizzler so I can’t make a comparison. But I can tell you that these are fantastic. I can easily eat a whole bag in one sitting. The strawberry flavor is so good without being too sweet! These are super thick so I consider them to be a two-biter… and that’s ME saying that.
If I weren’t clear enough, these are an all time favorite of mine. I can’t ever get enough of these! I eat them as a dessert, a sweet snack and I always bring them on trips. Speaking of, I just went to Disneyland and brought a bunch of TJ’s snacks! Check out my newest YouTube video where I show you all the snacks I brought! Have you tried this candy?!
Everything and the Elote Dip
If you couldn’t tell, I inhaled half the container before I could even sit down to take pictures. I tried to smooth out the dip but clearly it was too late for that. This dip is amazing. It has a super thick consistency from the Greek yogurt and went perfect with the corn dippers (aka the shovels for the dip). The little corn kernels added some chazzle dazzle and there was a little kick at the end of each bite. This might have just been me, but it gave me Boursin cheese vibes, in a great way. Am I the only one who thought that?
Whether I’m devouring this alone or with guests (just kidding, I don’t want to share), this will be in my shopping cart again. Have you tried this dip?

