Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Spread

We used to buy Trader Joe's Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread pretty regularly in the 2010s. We reviewed it 13 years ago on this very blog. Sonia and I took a long break from purchasing the product and now we're back at it trying this one. They've added the word "spice" to the title: Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Spread.

The Google search AI informed me that it's basically been the exact same product all along...except it totally isn't. It's similar, but if you click that link in the first line of this review, you'll see that the ingredients, while comparable, are not exactly the same. The nutrition information is different, too. This current product has the exact same serving size yet contains more calories and fat per two tablespoons.

Sonia and I both remember the version from 13 years ago being nearly whipped in consistency while this one is much denser, more like traditional cream cheese spread. It's got a nice balance of creamy tanginess and pumpkin spices. I'd say flavor-wise, it's very similar to that spread we reviewed all those years ago.

It doesn't overdo the pumpkin or the pumpkin spice. There's enough of both to know exactly what you're eating, but neither one comes across like it's trying to kick you in the face with a pumpkin spice latte. The cream cheese itself still comes through, which I appreciate. Sometimes these seasonal spreads can get a little too carried away with the flavor-of-the-month thing and forget they're supposed to be cream cheese.

We've mostly been using it on toast and bagels, although I'm sure there are plenty of other ways to put this stuff to work. It's sweet enough to feel a little indulgent but not so sweet that it becomes dessert. And with that creamy, tangy cream cheese underneath all those familiar fall spices, it's a pretty easy thing to keep reaching back into the fridge for. Basically, if you're a pumpkin spice person, this one makes sense. It pairs nicely with the pumpkin sourdough toast in case you were wondering.

$2.79 for the 8 oz tub. Kosher. Would buy again. Sonia will throw out eight out of ten stars on this one. I'll spring for eight and a half.

Bottom line: 8.25 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Plum Torte

So apparently, tortes and tartes are totally different things. They're both baked goods that can prominently feature fruit, but tortes often contain decadent fillings like ganache, mousse, or chocolate. A torte is a type of cake, while a tarte is a type of pastry. Tartes are French in origin, while tortes hail from Austria and Germany.

Trader Joe's Plum Torte, however, comes to us from Canada. Unlike traditional tortes, this one uses a wheat flour base instead of ground nuts. This is, in fact, the very first torte that Sonia and I have ever had, so we really can't vouch for its authenticity.

But we can vouch for its scrumptiousness. Absolutely divine. From frozen, bake for 20 minutes at 350°F and you've got a stellar dessert for six people.

The crust gets a little firm and almost crunchy on the outside, yet it's soft and moist on the inside. It's sweet and oh-so-buttery. It's just fine by itself...but the plum filling is even better. The beautiful wifey and I were both skeptical that the texture of the plums—particularly their skins—would be melt-in-the-mouth delicious. We feared something leathery, chewy, and/or stringy that could ruin the mouthfeel of the dessert. One bite and we realized our fears were totally unfounded.

The plum filling is at least as good as the breading. It's like a sweet jelly with real plums baked right in. Please watch the video review embedded in this post to see tons of close up shots of the torte in action. Certain bites feature what appear to be entire plums. Delicious.

Our biggest complaint? Not every bite contains plums. Once you've had a bite or two with huge amounts of the plums and the filling, you suddenly want every bite to be bursting with the fruit, but they're just not distributed very evenly. They're tart and sweet and almost reminiscent of a berry medley in terms of flavor.

This toothsome treat does not need any help in our humble opinions, but if you were so inclined, we're quite certain whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream would make this dish even more delectable. We'll try it that way next time. It's nearly plum perfect as is.

Eight bucks for this big 1 lb 2.7 oz box. Product of Canada. Kosher. Would buy again. This is a Thanksgiving Dinner caliber dessert by our reckoning. I wouldn't be ashamed of bringing this as my contribution to the dessert table alongside Turkey Day legends like apple pie and pumpkin pie. The beautiful wifey and I both gave Trader Joe's Plum Torte eight and a half stars out of ten during the recording of our video review. Having reheated and re-tasted it, in retrospect, I'd give it a nine.

Bottom line: 8.75 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Fiesta Guacamole

I certainly didn't grow up eating a lot of guacamole, but I love it. I'm not sure if I'd consider myself a connoisseur of fine guacamole, but here are a few of my credentials: I've eaten it at more than a few decent Mexican restaurants. Sonia and I (emphasis on Sonia) have made our own guac before. We mashed avocados and added our own onions, tomatoes, lemon juice, salt, and a few spices. We've eaten and/or reviewed:

Trader Joe's Spicy Mango Habanero Guacamole

Trader Joe's Chunky Spicy Guacamole Autèntico

Trader Joe's Reduced Guilt Chunky Guacamole

Trader Joe's Avocado Mash

So you know, I'm at least a casual guac fanatic as I'm sure many of you are, as well. Sonia's been eating it since she was a kid, so her guacamole roots go back even farther than mine. And not only are we fond of guac, but we're quite fond of roasted corn and black beans, including any and all corn & bean salsas that we've tried. So Trader Joe's Fiesta Guacamole with Black Beans & Fire Roasted Corn seemed like it'd be right up our alley.

It's good, but it could be better. The corn and beans add a little bit of texture to the guac, but not a whole lot of flavor. And since the guac is so full of corn and beans—which would normally be a good thing—there's not a lot of room for all the pico de gallo type ingredients which give other guacamoles a lot of their flavor.

Don't get me wrong, the product still has some onion, garlic, and pepper flavor, but it needs more of it. It lacks that punch that a lot of excellent guacamole dips provide. It lacks sass. I want to love it, but I just can't help but compare it to the above-mentioned mango habanero guacamole. That stuff was spicy and potent and it brought a wonderful, bright tropical flavor that was totally unique. Corn and beans just don't have the pungency required to punch through the dense earthiness of avocado.

We put it in tacos, we used it as a dip with tortilla chips, and we did a few other fun things with it in the kitchen. And that's probably where this Fiesta Guacamole works best. It's versatile enough to add some creaminess, corn, beans, and a little bit of flavor to whatever you're making. I could see it working nicely on nachos, burritos, quesadillas, or even alongside some grilled chicken or steak. So it's not like this stuff is useless by any means. It's just that when we ate it straight up as guacamole, we kept wishing it had a little more personality.

We'll finish the tub, no problem, but we probably wouldn't go out of our way to purchase again. $3.49 for the 10 oz container. Found in the refrigerated section. Kosher. Product of Mexico. Seven out of ten stars from both the beautiful wifey and me for Trader Joe's Fiesta Guacamole with Black Beans & Fire Roasted Corn.

Bottom line: 7 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie Spice Donut Holes

Considering that Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie Spice Donut Holes are gluten free and dairy free, I guess it's hard to shaft them completely. But there have been so many gluten free offerings from Trader Joe's throughout the years that have been just as good, if not better, than their traditional glutenful counterparts that it's hard for me to garner much enthusiasm for these little do-dads.

Yes, we've tried the gluten free pumpkin muffins and liked those quite a bit. I think those are head and shoulders better than these donut holes—and the muffins aren't even pretending to be a dessert treat. Right? I mean donuts are supposed to be more indulgent than muffins. Maybe I'm just getting old, but I'll take those muffins over these donut holes any day of the week. Although I'm guessing they're out of season right now, the gluten free strawberry muffins were even better still.

These donut holes are dense, cakey, and somewhat soft, though they don't quite achieve the mouthfeel of a traditional donut hole in my opinion. There's just a hint of something stiff—a whisper of something not-fresh-baked. The glaze is fine, providing a slightly firmer outer layer and a sugary sheen to the appearance of the spherical treats, though Sonia says it rubs off too easily on the inside of the package. They're bite-sized and convenient.

The flavor is good. There's rice and tapioca flour in the mix, and honestly they taste more like classic wheat flour donuts more than they feel like classic wheat flour donuts. The spice blend is inoffensive with an appropriate amount of sweetness. There's actual pumpkin puree adding a bit of warm, rich earthiness.

Despite the positive buzz about these donuts, I'd steer any gluten free folks toward Trader Joe's Gluten Free Pumpkin Streusel Muffins before these particular gf confections, but that's just my take on the matter. In the end, most folks are just fine with this product if not rabidly fanatical about it. Each to his own.

$3.49 for the 6 oz package. Gluten free. Dairy free. Kosher. Sonia liked these a tad more than I did. She'll give Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie Spice Donut Holes seven and a half stars. I'll go with six and a half.

Bottom line: 7 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Apple Pie à la Mode Ice Cream

Well, folks, apple season has officially arrived at Trader Joe’s, and this time they’ve taken one of the greatest combinations known to mankind—apple pie and vanilla ice cream—and stuffed the whole thing into a pint. If apple pie a la mode is really just apple pie with ice cream, then wouldn't this technically be Trader Joe's Apple Pie with Ice Cream Flavored Ice Cream..? I mean, it's kinda redundant, no? Meh. Semantics.

This applicious frozen dessert starts with a rich vanilla ice cream base, then adds sweetened spiced apple pieces, pie crust pieces, and an apple cinnamon and nutmeg swirl. Basically somebody took a slice of apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on it and said, “Yeah, but what if we just eliminated the plate?”

I’ve seen some people complain that this doesn’t have enough cinnamon and spice and everything nice. I respectfully disagree. I thought the cinnamon level was pretty much perfect. You definitely get the cinnamon-spiced apple flavor, but it doesn’t completely overwhelm the vanilla ice cream. And the overall flavor is outstanding: milky vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, and sweet apple all working together very nicely.

The apple pieces are particularly good. They taste like actual sweet apples rather than some weird artificial apple-flavored substance. They also pick up some of that cinnamon-spiced apple flavor, which makes them taste even more like the filling from an actual apple pie.

Our biggest complaint? Sonia and I both wish there were more apple and more pie crust pieces. The pie pieces that are in there have a nice texture: not too soggy, not too hard, and just enough chewiness to remind you that, yes, there is supposed to be pie in this ice cream.

We did encounter a few sections of the pint that seemed a little icy, which was weird. Thankfully, those spots were pretty sparse and didn't ruin the experience. The vanilla ice cream itself is good, sweet, creamy, and basically nothing to complain about. It provides a nice backdrop for all the apple pie goodness without getting in the way.

At $3.99 for the pint, Trader Joe’s Apple Pie a la Mode Ice Cream is a pretty easy recommendation if you’re an apple cinnamon fan. It’s also kosher. The beautiful wifey gives it eight and a half out of ten stars. I’m giving it eight and a half as well. We’re tough graders, especially when it comes to ice cream, so anything above an eight from us means this one is definitely worth checking out. Get some more spiced apple and pie crust pieces in there, and this would be Pantheon material, easily.

Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's PB&J Filled Crepes

Peanut butter and jelly. Is there a more universally beloved combination of foods? Maybe pizza. Maybe tacos. Maybe those little chocolate covered pretzel dealies that somehow disappear from the pantry overnight. But PB&J is pretty much the comfort food equivalent of a warm blanket and sweatpants.

So naturally, when Trader Joe's came out with PB&J Filled Crepes, Sonia and I were interested. For $3.99, you get six individually wrapped crepes. They're ready to eat as is, although Trader Joe's recommends giving them a quick zap in the microwave for 6-8 seconds. We went with 10 seconds because we're rebels like that, and they came out hot and ready to eat. No thawing, cooking, or other nonsense required.

As a quick breakfast or little pick-me-up, these aren't bad at all. The peanut butter and strawberry jam combination is tasty, and there's something inherently comforting about eating a PB&J in crepe form. It's basically taking a childhood sandwich and giving it a passport.

But these suffer from the same maladies as Trader Joe's Hazelnut & Cocoa Filled Crepes. The crepe itself is a little too chewy and doesn't exactly melt in your mouth. More importantly, there's simply not enough filling. I want that peanut butter and jelly to make its presence known. I want it squishing out the sides a little. Instead, there's considerably more crepe than filling.

And while I have nothing against strawberry jam, I'm just going to say it: I would have preferred classic grape jelly. Peanut butter and grape jelly is the OG. But whatevs.

Still, Sonia and I like these just a little more than the Hazelnut & Cocoa version. Maybe it's because we're in the mood for peanut butter and jelly more often than we're in the mood for Nutella. Whatever the reason, these are a perfectly decent little grab-and-go breakfast or snack. Six and a half stars from both Sonia and me for Trader Joe's PB&J Filled Crepes.

Bottom line: 6.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Cinnamon Bun Oat Creamer

All right, fall fanatics. Here's a limited time seasonal product review for you. Trader Joe's Cinnamon Bun Non-Dairy Oat Creamer is back by popular demand for the autumn 2026 season. I'm pretty sure this is the third annual appearance of this nondairy cinnamon roll flavored creamer. It's sweet and scrumptious and makes plain old coffee taste like a freshly baked cinnamon roll.

For just two bucks, you get 16 ounces of this oat-based kosher vegan coffee additive. The sugar and oats combine for a pastry-esque essence that does bring at least the suggestion of a real cinnamon bun. The spices are warm and aromatic and not overbearing in any way.

It's silky and smooth—just thick enough you can froth it up a bit. There's some pea protein in the ingredients, but it doesn't show up in the flavor profile, thank goodness. It's agreeable enough with coffee, but I suppose you could have it with tea or even cold brews. The beautiful wifey liked putting a splash or two on her oatmeal.

If I'm going to have coffee, I still prefer traditional dairy creamers, but I must admit this stuff isn't bad. I grew up with alternative milks and have had plenty of oat milk and nondairy foods and desserts throughout the years. This is great for folks with many dietary restrictions: it's dairy-free, lactose-free, gluten-free, kosher, and vegan. If you're sensitive to seed oils, you might wanna sit this one out.

Also check out: Trader Joe's Non-Dairy Brown Sugar Oat Creamer.

As many of you know, my wife Sonia is the resident coffee aficionada and is, predictably, far more into this product than I am, so we'll just let her score this one solo. She would buy Trader Joe's Cinnamon Bun Oat Creamer again. She'll throw out eight and a quarter stars for this buzzworthy alternative to conventional coffee creamer.

Bottom line: 8.25 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Passion Fruit Guava Bars

More popsicles? Yes. Summer doesn't end until September 22 and it's still friggin' hot. In no way is pumpkin spice appropriate just yet...unless we're talking about Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice Sheet Cake. That's good enough to eat anytime.

Trader Joe's Passion Fruit Guava Bars are still available at our local TJ's as of the time of writing this review, but I know they're already done for the season at many locations. I'm thinking we'll see them again next year, but then again, we're talking about Trader Joe's, so your guess is as good as mine. They really hit that passionfruit and guava hard this summer. I hope some of those fun items return for 2027.

Trader Joe's Organic Guava Fruit Spread

Trader Joe's Sparkling Guava Juice Beverage

Trader Joe's Passion Fruit Orange Guava Juice Blend

Trader Joe's Organic Guava Nectar

Trader Joe's Passion Fruit Granola

And I think there were some tarts we missed this time around, but hey like I said, there's always next year...maybe. At any rate, I like these tropical popsicles almost as much as the recently-reviewed Trader Joe's Pineapple Coconut Bars. At $2.99 for the box, this product is a little cheaper overall, but you're only getting four bars as opposed to six. Each bar is bigger, however, yielding a slightly greater overall net weight.

I really enjoyed the creamy texture of the aforementioned pineapple coconut bars, but here there's guava puree in the top section, which does render a thicker liquid than juice. The guava section (the top) is a pinkish color while the bottom part is orange-colored passionfruit juice. They're very similar in flavor, but if you pay attention, there is a slight difference. The guava part is a bit sweeter, and the passion fruit is a little more tart.

There's something kind of fun about getting two popsicles in one here. It's like Trader Joe's couldn't decide which tropical fruit to go with, so it just said, "Screw it, do both. Two tropical fruits are twice as nice." It's a happy little reminder that summer isn't over yet, despite the pumpkin spice industrial complex trying its darnedest to convince us otherwise.

Three bucks for four bars. Kosher. Vegan. Sonia gives Trader Joe's Passion Fruit Guava Bars eight out of ten stars. Like I said, I'd repurchase the pineapple coconut bars before these, but they're certainly not bad. Seven and a half stars from this guy.

Bottom line: 7.75 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Pineapple Coconut Bars

Ryan Hall says September is going to be abnormally hot for most of the USA. If you're like Sonia and me that means it's still tropical popsicle season. Apple, pumpkin, and sweet potato can wait a few more weeks until the air gets a bit cooler. But if you're one of those poor, misguided individuals that just has to get your PSL on the moment the kids are back at school, then sit back, relax, and click play on our Ultimate Fall Foods Playlist on YouTube. Or take a gander at some classic written reviews of fall stuff—much of which has already returned to Trader Joe's—right here on our blog.

For the rest of you, we're here to tell you that Trader Joe's Pineapple Coconut Bars are refreshing and tasty, and they've got pretty decent ingredients and non-threatening nutritionals. At just 90 calories per bar, I'd say they're worth checking out.

They're pretty pineapple forward. That might be our biggest complaint. The coconut cream gets overshadowed by the pineapple juice concentrate in the flavor profile. Sonia wishes there were coconut shavings throughout the bar to add more coconut flavor and some texture. I don't disagree.

The coconut adds a nice thickness to the texture and a greater level of creaminess than I expected. These are not just frozen juice popsicles. They're sweet and smooth, and they really hit the spot for any "beat-the-heat" type situation. I just wish the actual coconut flavor were there in a bigger way. It's not really a piña colada vibe. It's more like PINEAPPLE with a whisper of coconut cream.

There is something undeniably satisfying about eating a frozen treat when it's 95 degrees outside and the humidity is doing its best to turn you into a damp towel. These are particularly good for that kind of weather because they're not so heavy or rich that you feel like you've made a terrible mistake halfway through eating one. Grab a couple, sit outside, and pretend you're on a tropical island instead of standing in your backyard watching your neighbor mow his lawn.

Sonia and I would both buy Trader Joe's Pineapple Coconut Bars again. $3.79 for six individually-wrapped popsicles. Gluten free. Kosher. Vegan. I'll throw out eight stars once again. The beautiful wifey will spring for eight and a half.

Bottom line: 8.25 out of 10.

Trader Joe's All Mixed Up Ice Cream

When I look at the title of this product, I think of that old 311 song "All mixed up, don't know what to do/ Next thing you turn around and find the person is you." Anybody else? Just me? That song was probably before your time if you were born in the last 30 years or so.

As far as the ice cream goes, I like it. I like Trader Joe's All Mixed Up quite a bit, actually. I want to LOVE it, but there are just a few things about it that I have slight reservations about. But let's be positive and look at all the things that are working here.

First off, I'm glad they went with a vanilla ice cream base. Vanilla is the obvious choice when you're doing something weird and complicated, where the mix-ins are providing most of the flavor and interest. Those of you who've been reading for a while know that I love peanut butter and peanut butter-based desserts. There is an actual peanut butter swirl in here as well as mini chocolate peanut butter cups. Both elements are well-represented and balance out the vanilla sweetness with a rich, savory nuttiness.

I like the pretzels, too. They provide a nice carb-o-riffic crunch and a bit of brittle breadiness. I am not, however, a fan of the candy coating around the pretzels. To me, it's unnecessary to add a confectionery coating to something that is already highly indulgent and intensely sweet. It's like a Buddy the Elf move. There's a reason normal people don't add frosting to vanilla pudding.

The chocolate and vanilla creme sandwich cookie bits are fine but totally unnecessary IMO. The pieces are quite small for the most part, so they didn't really influence my enjoyment of the peanut butter elements either way. Similarly, the rainbow sprinkles are inconsequential aside from some potential visual appeal—if you're into that sort of thing.

I would have leaned into the peanut butter and pretzel elements and not messed around with sandwich cookies, candy coatings, and jimmies if it were me, but then we'd basically have Trader Joe's Chubby Hubby, which I'd be totally fine with. However, it's peanut buttery enough as it stands, so I'll give it a decent score.

$3.99 for the pint. Kosher. I would buy it again while Sonia would not. Eight out of ten stars from me for Trader Joe's All Mixed Up Ice Cream. Sonia likes the peanut butter in the ice cream, as well, but she thinks it's way too busy overall. She prefers simpler desserts in her old age. Seven out of ten stars from her.

Nathan's score: 8 out of 10.

Sonia's score: 7 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Basil & Garlic Monterey Jack Cheese

Trader Joe's Basil & Garlic Monterey Jack Cheese just sounds delicious, doesn't it? I wouldn't have minded more garlic, but nevertheless this is one tasty product. There's a surprising amount of basil flavor. It almost tastes like pesto...but it's cheese.

It also contains actual roasted garlic puree. My goodness. Why didn't someone think of that sooner? I mean, maybe somebody did, but this is the first I'm hearing of it. There is a reasonable amount of garlic flavor, but I think they could have amped it up, personally. But then Sonia and I are both oddly fond of garlic. Raw garlic. Roasted garlic. Black garlic. You name it. I think pureed garlic is a good choice for this cheese. Big chunks of garlic might have made the texture a bit funky.

We threw this cheese on our Italian subs with beef bresaola and turkey pepperoni. It was perfect. We put slices on our chicken burgers, too. Again, perfection. It adds not only the creamy, buttery milkiness of Monterey Jack, but also the peppery bite of basil and the umami herbaceousness of garlic. It worked on grilled cheese, in omelets, and on salads.

There’s something almost unfair about putting basil and garlic into Monterey Jack. Monterey Jack is already one of those cheeses that seems genetically engineered to get along with everybody—it’s mild and creamy and generally just happy to be here. Then along come basil and roasted garlic, giving the whole thing an Italian makeover. It’s like Monterey Jack went on vacation to Italy, came back wearing linen pants, and now won’t stop talking about how much better everything is over there. And honestly? I’m okay with it. This cheese has personality without becoming one of those aggressively flavored cheeses that tastes like somebody emptied the spice cabinet into a vat of dairy.

I went through a pepper jack phase some years ago, but I've since grown out of it. Let the days of basil jack begin. Five bucks for ten slices. Kosher. Would buy again. Sonia and I both give Trader Joe's Basil & Garlic Monterey Jack Cheese eight and a half out of ten stars.

Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Deli Sandwich Style Potato Chips

Never been a huge fan of plain potato chips. I'll nibble on one or two if I want something salty, but I generally find them boring. I'll eat barbecue flavored chips all day long. Or give me something with onions or chives and some kind of sassy sauce—like Trader Joe's Ridge Cut Horseradish Chips.

That said, Trader Joe's Deli Sandwich Style Potato Chips are some of the best "plain" potato chips I've ever had. They have a "vegetarian deli style seasoning" on them. Neither Sonia nor I really know what that means, but we like the flavor of these chips quite a bit.

They're fried in vegetable oil, and they have a nice rich—almost buttery—feeling to them. "Milk" is actually listed in the ingredients. Not sure how common that is in potato chips, but it works here somehow. There's a modest vinegar flavor underneath the potato and oil, and Sonia likened these to salt & vinegar chips. I thought they tasted very similar to Trader Joe's Chips In a Pickle, but with noticeably milder pickle flavor. There's even a hint of mustard in the mix.

They're quite crunchy, but they're not obnoxiously hard. That butteriness lends itself to the mouthfeel just a bit, too. They're a little oily, but not in a bad way. These are honestly an outstanding companion to any deli style sandwich.

$2.99 for the 7 oz bag. Kosher. Would buy again. Trader Joe's Deli Sandwich Style Potato Chips are "plain" chips that are absolutely not plain. That flavor is rich, zippy, and uncommon. On the video review, upon first taste, I gave these chips seven and a half stars—a very good score for me for potato chips, but I think I'm going to have to raise that to match the beautiful wifey's score of eight out of ten. These are definitely "really darn good" potato chips.

Bottom line: 8 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Hard Cooked Eggs

Trader Joe's Hard Cooked Eggs will run you $3.49 for six eggs. They're found refrigerated near the other egg products and they come in a resealable bag. Obviously, you're paying for the packaging and the convenience since TJ's basic eggs are usually in the ballpark of three and a half bucks for a dozen.

The eggs in our bag were unblemished—nice smooth whole hard-boiled eggs. None were broken or pierced. There's a small amount of moisture in the bag, as you'd expect. There is a cautionary note on the packaging indicating there may be shell fragments in the product, but we found absolutely none in ours.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume that just about everyone reading this knows what a hard-boiled egg tastes and feels like, so I guess we'll skip over the part where I describe the flavor and texture to you. We ate a couple straight out of the bag and then Sonia made egg salad with the rest. See pic. Yes, those are Trader Joe's Pickled Red Onions in the egg salad. Yummy.

We hard boil our own eggs. I like eggs just fine and the beautiful wifey is downright obsessed with them. We just wanted to check out this product and assess the quality and value because that's what we do here. Been doing it for 16 years—in fact August 16th will mark the 16th anniversary of this blog exactly. Not gonna stop any time soon.

If you've got $3.49 burning a hole in your pocket and a hankering for hard-boiled...er hard-cooked eggs, there's no reason not to buy these. It's obviously cheaper to make them yourself, but if you're short on time or just plain lazy, these will do just fine. Would be a nice item to take on a picnic or road trip. Kosher. Sourced from cage free hens. Purchased on August 2 with a "best by" date of September 23. Eight out of ten stars for Trader Joe's Hard Cooked Eggs.

Bottom line: 8 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Coconut Cashew Candy Clusters

During our initial taste test, Sonia likened Trader Joe's Coconut Cashew Candy Clusters to the Girl Scout classic: Samoas. I guess it's a fairly obvious comparison. Both have coconut, caramel, and chocolate. The most obvious differences are that these have cashew nuts like another recently-reviewed candy offering from TJ's and these come in a "cluster" format rather than neat, uniform circular cookies.

It's been a hot minute since I've had a box of Girl Scout Cookies, but I'd say these are significantly sweeter than Samoas. Honestly, they're a little too sweet for me. I'm glad Trader Joe's went with milk chocolate rather than dark chocolate for once, but the presence of several different types of sugar and caramel pushes these happy morsels way past the mark in my opinion. I mean, the nuts themselves are "coconut cashews" that already contain cane sugar. It's sugar on sugar on sugar with a whisper of nuttiness.

Also, Samoas have an actual cookie element that adds structural stability. These candies are much gooier. There is a slight crunchy element in the mix which I assume is the coconut cashews. It almost feels and tastes like little pieces of toffee, but I don't see mention of toffee in the ingredients. Not my favorite texture in the world, either.

Still, most folks will find these palatable if not downright delicious. I would have gone absolutely mad for these in my younger years. These days, I'm looking for something a little more balanced, a little more restrained. I would have liked significantly more coconut flavor and cashew flavor. Furthermore, this summer heat makes candy like this a sticky mess. The chocolate and caramel melt instantly upon contact with fingers and hands. Makes me want to put on latex gloves before reaching into the bag.

But even grumpy old men can appreciate super sweet chocolatey candy once in a while. As long as I only eat one or two pieces at a time and wash them down with a swig of milk, I'll easily put a dent in the bag. With a little help from the beautiful wifey, we'll polish off the 6.3 oz package in a few days. Thankfully, it's resealable so we don't have to eat the whole thing at once.

$4.99 for the five serving bag. Kosher. Probably wouldn't buy this one again, personally, but there are plenty of people out there who rave about it. Sonia gives Trader Joe's Coconut Cashew Candy Clusters seven and a half stars. Once again, I'll go with seven out of ten.

Bottom line: 7.25 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Covered Cashews

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Covered Cashews are the latest in a very, very long line of random things covered in dark chocolate. Don't believe me? Other things they've covered in dark chocolate throughout the years include:

Corn Nuts
Almonds
Graham Crackers
Pistachios
Bacon
Gummy Bears
Coffee Beans
Espresso Beans
Pretzels
Mango Sorbet
Dried Mango
Cookie Sticks
Elephant Dung

Okay, that last one may have involved an element of creative license, but all the others have been totally real, actually-available products at Trader Joe's at one point in time. And that's just a short list off the top of my head. There have been dozens and dozens more that aren't even listed above. Thankfully, most of them have disappeared never to return.

This product falls nearer the top of the list than the bottom I think, in terms of overall edibility. I love me some cashews. Thankfully, these cashews are nice and soft and creamy. They're nothing like the oddly hard and crunchy cashews we found in the Garlic Butter Nut Mix. It may have something to do with the well-above average temperatures we've been having, but I feel like these were among the softest cashews I've ever had. They're very high quality and taste great.

Unfortunately, most of that natural cashew flavor is drown out by copious quantities of dark chocolate. Even Sonia agrees. She'd prefer a greater nut to chocolate ratio. Also, I'd prefer milk chocolate—though I'm quite certain I'm in the minority on that point. And I must admit that as dark chocolate goes, this stuff isn't particularly bitter. I just generally prefer milk chocolate to dark chocolate, but I'm consistently outvoted when debates arise. After all, milk chocolate makes your teeth rot out while dark chocolate is a healthy superfood rich with antioxidants. I digress.

The resealable bag is nice. Nuts are expensive, so five bucks for a 6 oz bag is fine I guess. They're kosher. They're salty and sweet. They're perfectly snackable. Sonia would buy them again. I won't hate on Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Covered Cashews any more than I already have. If you like dark chocolate covered things and cashew nuts, you'll most likely enjoy these quite a bit.

Sonia's score: 8.5 out of 10.

Nathan's score: 7 out of 10.

Trader Joe's BBQ Flavored Potato Chips

As much as I love novelty and uniqueness, there are certain things a consumer should be able to rely on year after year, decade after decade. I was raised on two outstanding potato chip brands, both with outstanding barbecue flavor offerings. The first you've likely heard of: Utz. Based in Hanover, PA, they offer a widely-available sweet and mild barbecue potato chip that's easy to appreciate and much more interesting than a plain potato chip in my humble opinion. Some Redditors speculate that this Trader Joe's product is simply Utz in disguise.

The other barbecue chip I loved as a kid was Gibble's, made right in my hometown, Chambersburg. Fried in lard rather than vegetable oil, Gibble's offers a much richer flavor with a hearty crunch.

Trader Joe's BBQ Flavored Potato Chips have a softer, lighter crunch more similar to the Utz chips I know and love. They have a good bit of sweetness to them, but there's also a subtle hint of bite thanks to the presence of onion, garlic, paprika, black pepper, cinnamon, and clove. That's quite a spice blend for a simple potato chip.

But back to the reliability factor for a moment. These are the fourth or fifth barbecue chip we've seen from TJ's over the years, but most of those previous iterations aren't available anymore. If you've been shopping at Joe's for a long time, you'll no doubt remember Trader Joe's Hickory Barbeque Potato Chips. Those were a mainstay in our pantry for years and years.

In 2013, we saw Trader Joe's imitate the popular PopChips with their Barbeque Popped Potato Chips. I REALLY liked those, but of course, they vanished just as quickly as they appeared. Later, we saw a strange potato and corn snack with barbecue flavor. And in more recent years, we've had the Carolina Gold BBQ Potato Chips which I believe, shockingly, are still currently available. I like those a bit more than my erstwhile blogging colleague that penned that review seemed to, although I have to say I like these a bit better than the Carolina dealies despite being on record saying I prefer ridge cut potato chips.

$2.99 for the 10 oz bag. Pretty decent value. Kosher. Gluten free. Would buy again. Fingers crossed they keep these around for a while...or at least bring back those wannabe PopChips. Eight out of ten stars from the beautiful wifey for Trader Joe's BBQ Flavored Potato Chips. I'll think I'll match her score this time.

Bottom line: 8 out of 10.