Trader Joe's Organic Freezer Pops

Otter Pops, Pop-Ice, Fla-Vor-Ice—whichever brand you grew up with, you know the drill. You get in from the hot summer weather and you start craving a plastic tube filled with high fructose corn syrup and Red 40. You grab some scissors, snip the top, and moments later you've got a sugar buzz and a brain freeze, and it's pure heaven.

This product isn't exactly seasonally appropriate, especially here in the Upper Midwest where we recently got a few inches of snow along with some very cold temperatures. But Trader Joe's sells these things year round, so I guess they expect some weirdos to eat them even when it's fifteen below.

Years ago, we saw some healthy freezer pops from TJ's. They were peach flavored, and we liked them quite a bit. They had little bits of actual peach in them, which was nice. This iteration doesn't have fruit chunks in it, but it's certified organic, it's made of real fruit juice concentrates, and it uses stuff like vegetable juice and turmeric for coloring.

Along those same lines, if you're expecting these to taste just like the aforementioned mainstream popsicles with all the chemicals and dyes, you're probably going to be disappointed. These taste like frozen fruit juices rather than fake stuff that's loaded with added sugar.

The berry flavor is my favorite by a good margin. It just has the best taste overall. I like the cherry limeade quite a bit, too, but it leaves an aftertaste that I'm not a huge fan of. The orange flavor tastes way more tart than I expected it to, but it's tangy and citrusy and is a bit like licking the block of frozen orange juice concentrate straight out of the can before it's mixed with water...not that I would know what that tastes like or anything...

$3.49 for ten pops. Would buy again when temperatures are above freezing. Sonia will give Trader Joe's Organic Freezer Pops eight out of ten stars. I'll go with seven out of ten.

Bottom line: 7.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Italian Confetti Almonds

I admit I complain a lot about certain Trader Joe's foods being too hard. It seems like other TJ's customers must have adamantium jaws, because I don't hear a lot of other folks making that same observation. Products like English Toffee, Mango Sticky Rice Crisps, and more than one of their sweet cracker "crisps" come to mind. When I eat those delicious yet overly rigid products, I feel like Trader Joe's has made some kind of sinister deal with the American Dental Association to help them drum up demand for extra crowns and fillings.

These almonds feel like they're coated in glass. Fortunately, it's a delicate sugary glass that melts in your mouth if you suck on it long enough. The candy is an interesting, sweet, vanilla-esque flavor. The almonds are flat and long, apparently by virtue of their status as Avola almonds, a species that's indigenous to Sicily, Italy. "Confetti almonds" are apparently a popular favor given out at Italian weddings.

Sonia loves the candy coating even though she, too, agrees that it's excessively hard. We both agree the flavor of the almonds themselves is very good. I think I'd have preferred to try the Avola almonds without the candy since I'm not familiar with them. The shell is okay in my book, but it detracts from the almonds in both taste and texture in the end. And just in case you're wondering, this product was still many months before its best by date when we consumed it.

$4.49 for the 6 oz resealable bag. Imported from Italy. Kosher. Sonia will give Trader Joe's Italian Confetti Almonds 7.5 out of 10 stars because she loves the flavor. I think the taste is nice, but it's not enough to make me ever want to buy these again in their current format. Unfortunately, comparable bags of plain Avola almonds will run you upwards of twelve bucks. Guess I'll wait until TJ's offers Avolas without the armor. Five out of ten stars from me.

Sonia's score: 7.5 out of 10.

Nathan's score: 5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Ranch Seasoned Cashews

Growing up, my mother always had this odd assortment of nuts lying around the house. In the kitchen, in the cluttered hallway, and even in her bedroom, there would be half-eaten tubs and jars of macadamias, pistachios, pecans, and filberts spilling out onto tables and floors all over the place. Among her favorites were, of course, cashews. I quickly learned to like them since they were virtually always available at our house and my food allergies limited what I could eat, especially throughout my younger years.

Back then, the only varieties of cashews I remember were salted or unsalted, raw or dry roasted. If they'd offered ranch cashews, I would have been begging my parents to try them. Whether they'd have indulged me or not would have depended upon whether my mother wanted to try them, too. My guess is she'd have given them a whirl.

Would she have liked them or not? I'm not sure. It's well within the realm of possibility that a cashew purist might be scared off by the sugar, garlic, and buttermilk slathered on this snack. I mean, Sonia and I like them quite a bit. We think the level of ranch-ish-ness is appropriate. Others may disagree.

Certain bites seem more ranchy than others, but the overall flavor is a good balance between the cashews' nutty goodness and the buttery, garlicky tang of ranch dressing. I must admit the taste seemed a little strange at first, but it quickly grew on me.

The nuts are mostly whole cashews with some halves floating around in the bag. Sonia liked their texture, stating that they're not too hard and not too soft, still crunchy like a nut should be but not overly firm.

$3.99 for the 8 oz resealable bag. Kosher. Would buy again. Eight and a half stars from Sonia for Trader Joe's Ranch Seasoned Cashews. I'll throw out seven and a half.

Bottom line: 8 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Pink Lady Apple Chips

Seems like red delicious and golden delicious were en vogue when I was a kid. Now, it's Honeycrisp and Pink Lady that seem to get all the attention in the red department. Granny Smith is pretty decent if you want a tart green flavor, but Pink Lady is a fine choice for a sweet chip kinda snack.

Let's go ahead and get the negatives out of the way first since there really aren't many of them. First, there's canola oil in the ingredients. I maintain that I don't consume enough canola oil for it to do me much harm, but it seems like it's popping up more and more in Trader Joe's offerings, and canola oil is literally engine lubricant.

Second, there aren't enough chips in the bag. It's deceptively large and not even close to being filled with the chips. I'd say it's shrinkflation or whatever, but it just seems like a cruel trick.

But now that we've gotten the unpleasantries out of the way, it's all smooth sailing from here on out...because these chips are delicious. There's a pleasant crispy crunch to each chip. They're not too hard and not chewy or weird at all.

Flavor-wise, there's a good bit of cinnamon and sugar, but it's mostly just a sweet juicy apple taste. It's very pleasant. Not too oily, not too tart. These chips are stellar in both taste and texture.

$2.29 for the 2.5 oz bag. Would buy again. Gluten free. Kosher. Eight and a half stars from me for Trader Joe's Cinnamon Sugar Pink Lady Apple Chips. Nine out of ten stars from Sonia.

Bottom line: 8.75 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Can you believe that despite reviewing more than 2,250 Trader Joe's brand food products that we've never looked at their classic peanut butter cups? We've reviewed multiple types of almond butter cups and even sunflower seed butter cups but never their tried and true milk chocolate or dark chocolate peanut butter offerings.

Time to change that. I know I've purchased their milk chocolate peanut butter cups at least once or twice many years ago, but I don't think I've ever even tried this product. I've heard nothing but good things. Let's dive in.

Sonia loves that the layer of chocolate surrounding the peanut butter isn't very thick. She loves dark chocolate but thinks a lot of peanut butter cups are ruined by drowning out the flavor of the peanut butter with too much chocolate. I love that the peanut butter is super creamy and sweet. There's even a hint of vanilla in the mix which works to balance out the rich dark chocolate.

The texture and firmness of the shell is just about perfect, and the flavor combo couldn't be better. We can see why this product has been around for so long. It's a big tub with 35 or 36 peanut butter cups. It'll last you a good long time I would think, although that depends on how big your family is I guess.

$4.99 for 16 ounces of dark chocolate and peanut butter bliss. Kosher. I definitely want to try the milk chocolate peanut butter cups again next time, but we would repurchase this product at some point. Eight and a half out of ten stars from Sonia. Eight out of ten from me.

Bottom line: 8.25 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Milk Chocolate Honeycomb Candy

So...actual honeycomb is perfectly safe to eat and some say delicious, so I was hoping this was, you know, actual honeycomb covered in chocolate. It's not. It's more like that Sponge Candy in terms of texture and maybe like the Honey Toffee Pecans in terms of packaging and beehive-themed allure.

It's a crispy, wafery crystallized sugar kinda situation here. The candies are much harder to bite into than I'd want them to be. Visually, the insides greatly resemble the filling of a Butterfinger bar but a tad more rigid in terms of texture.

Flavor-wise, there's a rich honey essence but also something unexpectedly buttery. I'd say chocolate plays second fiddle to the crunchy honey candy underneath, but it's definitely there, and it's definitely a sweet milk chocolate flavor rather than anything darker with rich, earthy cacao undertones.

I found sucking on the candies for a minute made them much more easy to chew. I really can't stand the texture of toffee for the same reason, but these candies get much more malleable after a spell in your mouth.

$3.99 for the 4.6 oz resealable bag. Product of Thailand. I like the flavor of these unique candies a lot, but I don't know if I'd buy it very often because I don't like dentists. Sonia feels similarly. We'll go with seven and a half out of ten stars each for Trader Joe's Milk Chocolate Covered Honeycomb Candy.

Bottom line: 7.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Teeny Tiny Pecan Pies

Let's kick the new year off right...by reviewing a seasonal product that's already done for the year! But seriously, this product was one of the highlights of our holiday goodies at the end of 2024, so let's cross our fingers this one comes back again for the fall/holiday season of 2025. 

This isn't the first pecan pie product we've looked at from Trader Joe's. In fact, these aren't even the first mini pecan pies we've seen. We've looked at chocolate pecan pie, pecan pie filling by itself, and even pecan pie ice cream. But this might be the very best pecan pie product we've ever had from Trader Joe's.

We've got built-in portion control with the tiny pies. While it's within the realm of possibility that you'd eat the whole box in one sitting, at least you're given a few chances to reconsider before you've polished off the entire package and left none for your friends and family and made yourself public enemy number one at those big holiday gatherings.

The brown sugar sweetness and nuttiness blend well with the wheat flour. There's just enough cinnamon and spices to keep it interesting. We really don't have much to say other than the fact that these are much more scrumptious than we expected them to be.

They tasted fresh and flavorful, especially after a few seconds in the microwave. A dollop of whipped cream didn't hurt, either. But consuming them at room temperature without fixings of any kind is perfectly viable as well.

We would absolutely buy again next year. You might get lucky and find a straggler at your local TJ's, but I'm pretty sure they're done for the season. $4.99 for four little pies. Nine out of ten stars from Sonia for Trader Joe's Teeny Tiny Pecan Pies. I'll go with eight and a half.

Bottom line: 8.75 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Stars

For a dude who doesn't really like dark chocolate or crispy cookies all that much, I sure eat a lot of dark chocolate and crispy cookies. But shoot, I do it all in the name of intrepid food reviewing.

I try to be objective and informative enough that even if I don't thoroughly enjoy a product, I give you enough info that you can guess whether you'd like it or not.

Click to enlarge

In this case, if you like crispy, crumbly shortbread and dark chocolate, there's absolutely no reason these won't be your favorite Christmas cookies ever. Me? Yeah, they're kinda exactly what I expected.

And I wasn't expecting to be thrilled. But hey, it's the holiday season and we're going to accentuate the positive and all that. These cookies have been an end-of-the-year mainstay at Trader Joe's for many years.

$4.99 for the 16 oz box. Wouldn't buy again, personally, but I totally get it if you're a fan. More dark chocolate stars for you, I say. 

I give Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Stars six and a half out of ten stars. Sonia will go with seven and a half out of ten.

Bottom line: 7 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Crunchy Italian Amaretti Cookies

So the presentation of this product is pretty...pretty. Nice box. Each piece comes in a beautifully-printed wrapper. What else jumps out at me? The ingredients—there are only three. Sugar and egg whites are no surprise. The third ingredient? Apricot kernels, AKA apricot seeds...which are poisonous...and also cure cancer. Go figure. Please don't hold WG@TJ's accountable for any health-related claims. Do your own research. I digress.

These are good. They taste like amaretto. I assumed they'd have, you know, almonds in them. They don't. Just apricot pits or whatever. They really taste amazing. They're crunchy like they say on the box. I'd almost always prefer soft cookies, but at least you know what you're getting here. They're amazing dunked in coffee, warm milk, hot cocoa, or even tea. The hot liquids help wake up the vibrant flavor of these cookies even more than when you eat them dry.

Serving size is three cookies and there are "about three" servings in the box. I'm no math whiz, but I might have assumed there were nine in the box, but there were only eight in ours. I guess that's where the word "about" comes into play. Certain specimens seemed stiffer than others. But still, they're quite delicious and pleasant to eat. I'm sure the whole box will be gone by the time we post this review.

$2.99 for the 3.5 oz package. Product of Italy. Would make a nice stocking stuffer. Would buy again. Sonia gives Trader Joe's Crunchy Italian Amaretti Cookies nine out of ten stars. I'll go with eight and a half out of ten.

Bottom line: 8.75 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Phyllo Crisps

We've seen our share of phyllo based foods here on WG@TJ's throughout the years: from Greek appetizers to spanakopita to camembert cranberry bites, the middle eastern and Balkan style dough is crispy, layered, and almost always delicious. This particular phyllo creation hails from Croatia.

And it's as unique as it is yummy. I don't think I've ever tried crackers made with phyllo dough before. I'm not sure why, because phyllo makes amazing crisps as well as pastries and hors d'oeuvres.

The bread part of these crackers is crispy and supple. It's moderately sweet just in and of itself, flaunting the taste of both sugar and honey. On top, there's a blend of delightful toppings including dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and oats. It's a hearty flavor that tastes natural and wholesome, almost like a flattened-out granola bar.

Both Sonia and I loved the crisps just by themselves. We did try them with Greek yogurt as suggested on the packaging, but both agreed they were at least as good on their own. I'm sure they'd pair nicely with Brie or goat cheese, too, but there's quite enough going on with the crackers as a standalone snack to keep us happy enjoying them straight out of the box.

Our only complaints: the package wasn't full and certain bites are hard enough that they irritate our sensitive teeth. $2.99 for the 2.8 oz box. Sonia and I will both go with eight and a half stars a piece on Trader Joe's Phyllo Crisps. They're seasonal and "limited" so get 'em while ya still can.

Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Boozy Bottles

To tell you the truth, I don't know that I've ever had cognac prior to these little candies. I always think of that old Tim Meadows sketch on SNL, The Ladies Man, where he'd sip his Courvoisier cognac. It's a French liqueur, and it's a type of brandy. Other than that, I don't know much about it.

Obviously, these boozy bottles are being presented a little differently, but they remind me quite a bit of Trader Joe's now defunct Brandy Beans. The dark chocolate is semi-sweet, and so is the liquor by my reckoning. Pretty interesting combo in both cases.

The box says the alcohol by volume is in the ballpark of 3%. That's apparently enough to give some folks a buzz, therefore this product can't be sold to anyone under 21 years of age. I don't know for sure, but I'd go out on a limb and guess that it's not even sold at the Trader Joe's locations that don't carry alcoholic beverages.*

I only had one or two bottles at a time, and as you can see they are quite small. I certainly didn't get buzzed, but there is definitely a strong alcohol flavor to the chocolates. I'd say they're about half full of cognac, and it will spill right out if you bite the candy in half. If you don't like booze at all, you probably won't enjoy these. The beautiful wifey and I do enjoy alcoholic beverages in moderation, so we thought these were pretty good.

Here's an occasion where I'll admit dark chocolate works better than its sweeter cousins. I think the flavor of milk chocolate might get lost underneath the strong punch of the cognac. Dark chocolate balances it out fairly well.

$3.99 for nine little boozy bottles. Imported from France. The novelty factor is very high with this product, and it tastes pretty darn good, too. We would buy again. Eight out of ten stars from me for Trader Joe's Boozy Bottles. Sonia will throw out nine stars.

Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's German Iced Gingerbread Soft Spiced Cookies

These were near the checkout area at Trader Joe's on our last run. "German Iced Gingerbread Soft Spiced Cookies." Awesome. Sounds delicious. And they're soft...it's like a dream come true!

Except by "soft," they mean totally not soft. Like they're the same texture as gingersnaps or run-of-the-mill crispy cookies. I mean, they're not super hard...but they're by no means "soft" and honestly, they're a little on the dry side.

It's too bad because they taste really good. The icing makes them nice and sweet. The ginger flavor is just about perfect—not too strong, not too weak. They go great with coffee. There are actually two individually wrapped "cookies" in the box which helps keep the second one fresher longer. They're quite large. Each pastry is three servings a piece. They're like the same shape as a Pop-Tart but just a bit bigger in every dimension.

I'm not sure we would have purchased them if they hadn't so boldly proclaimed themselves "soft," but in the end, that's really our only complaint. There are just so many cookies of every kind floating around at Trader Joe's and everywhere else this time of year, it takes something extraordinarily special to get top marks on this blog. Unfortunately, we can only recommend these if you don't mind crunchy cookies or if you're looking for a spiced international treat to dunk in your java.

Product of Germany. $3.49 for the six serving box. Might make a decent stocking stuffer or cheap gift. Seven out of ten stars from Sonia and me for Trader Joe's German Iced Gingerbread Cookies.

Bottom line: 7 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Covered Peppermint Cremes

Peppermint is seasonally appropriate this time of year, and I must admit it pairs up pretty well with chocolate. Still, it's never been my personal favorite. I'm usually underwhelmed by peppermint and chocolate combos, with a few notable exceptions, namely: Bittersweet Mint ice cream from the Berkey Creamery, and Trader Joe's Peppermint Hot Chocolate in the big green tin that's been available around the holidays for quite some time now.

Here's the part where I tell you I like milk chocolate more than dark chocolate and you look down on me and think about clicking over to another review. But you can't say I don't give it chance after chance after chance. I mean half of Trader Joe's offerings are slathered in dark chocolate. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. Maybe even occasionally I'll admit dark chocolate works better than milk chocolate for certain applications.

I think I'd still like to try a milk chocolate version of these, but dark chocolate gets the job done. They're more minty than chocolatey by my estimation, thanks to not only a generous glob of peppermint creme in their centers but also the little candy bits all over their outsides. Certain specimens seemed fatter than others, and those seemed to have a tad more minty creme in their middles than the flatter ones.

I was wondering what exactly "peppermint creme" would look and taste like. It's pretty much a dead ringer for the stuff that's in the middle of a York Peppermint Patty. I might even go out on a limb and say that if you like Peppermint Patties and dark chocolate, you'll enjoy these most definitely. The creamy center is our favorite part of the candy by far. Still, I'll tire of them after two or three pieces, but they were fun to try and would be something I'd keep in the back of my mind as a stocking stuffer or a contribution to an under $5 white elephant party or something like that.

$3.99 for 15 peppermint cremes. Kosher. Put me down for seven out of ten stars for Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Covered Peppermint Cremes. I might have gone with something higher if it had been milk chocolate. Sonia will go with seven out of ten as well, stating that they would have gotten an eight but that the candy cane bits hurt her teeth.

Bottom line: 7 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Coffee Panna Cotta

Dang. No wonder they want you to take that stuff out of the little cup and turn it upside down. It looks just like Fancy Feast sitting in there. Not particularly appetizing.

It wasn't quite the flavor extravaganza we were hoping it was, but it tastes a lot better than it looks. Coffee flavored, but not over the top. Sweet, but honestly it could have been a bit sweeter. Sonia wanted the syrup to be a lot thicker and wouldn't have minded more of it.

That's why I think it's better to eat it straight out of the cup. You don't lose any of the sauce that way. The presentation isn't nearly as nice, but unless you're trying to impress somebody, there's really no reason to flip it over and have the dark brown liquid slide all over your plate.

There was a peach and blueberry panna cotta at Trader Joe's years and years ago. Sonia and I both liked that one better than this one. I thought for sure the beautiful wifey would favor this one, but no. She agrees the fruit flavors worked better. She thinks maybe a true espresso panna cotta might be good with heavier coffee undertones and more sugar. She prefers good old Mexican flan to this stuff.

$3.49 for two single serving cups, found in the refrigerated section. It's not bad, but we probably wouldn't buy again. Italian-inspired, but not imported from Italy. Seven out of ten stars from both of us on Trader Joe's Coffee Panna Cotta.

Bottom line: 7 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Thanksgiving Stuffing Popcorn

Can you believe it's been over nine years since the debut of Trader Joe's Turkey & Stuffing Kettle Chips? Took them long enough to do a popcorn version.

But it was well worth the wait. They got this product right. Conceivably, it will be too salty for some. Unlike the recently reviewed Crunchy Pops, which were very salty with not much flavor otherwise, these fluffy popcorn kernels are bursting with the taste of onion, black pepper, parsley, thyme, and other classic Thanksgiving stuffing seasonings.

$2.99 for the 5 oz bag. Kosher. Would buy again. Trader Joe's Thanksgiving Stuffing Seasoned Popcorn is obviously seasonal, so if you're as big a fan as we are, stock up while you can.

 

 

Bottom line: 9.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Organic Iced Oatmeal Baked Whole Grain Bar

Organic whole grain oats are super duper healthy. And they taste okay. Nothing to complain about, right? But hey, let's face it: whole grain oats are kinda boring, bland, and plain.

That's where that icing comes in. There's a lot riding on that icing. That icing is tasked with taking something dull and turning it into something you'll actually choose to eat over a Snickers or a Twinkie from the vending machine when you get that mid-day munchies feeling at work.

And it does a pretty decent job in this particular case. There's a sweet, almost milky, taste to these bars. They're nice and soft, too. Very easy and pleasant to chew. 

A lot of the ingredients are pretty obvious: oats, rice, sugar. But there are some surprises as well: fig paste, vanilla chips, and cinnamon. They all come together for a unique flavor that can curb a sweet tooth or a mid-day snack attack without too much indulgence. I was impressed.

$4.69 for six single serving bars is a bit steep in my opinion. But hey, they're organic, kosher, gluten free, and have three grams of fiber in every bar. 

Another product of Canada. You'd think we could produce oatmeal bars here in the states, but Trader Joe has always been international like that. 

Sonia and I will throw out seven and a half stars for Trader Joe's Organic Iced Oatmeal Baked Whole Grain Bar.

Bottom line: 7.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Belgian Cookie Collection

First of all, THANK YOU to those who have followed, shared, commented on, and supported this blog for so many years. If you read this blog but haven't checked out our YouTube channel lately, I highly recommend doing so. From 2011 - 2022 we were doing just 4 or 5 video reviews a year for the heck of it. In July of last year, I decided to do a video for just about every single written post. I figured I already had a "script" from each of these blog posts and some visuals in the form of the product photos we were taking for each review anyway, so I began reading the review into a mic and then simply adding some background music and stock photos.

From there, we picked up the frequency of our "live action" video reviews where the beautiful wifey and I sample Trader Joe's food items on camera and have full discussions of those products. Although I still have far to go, I've gotten better at editing. I've worked in some very interesting AI generated songs into certain videos. Sometimes I write the lyrics and let the artificial intelligence do the instrumentation and other times I let the AI write the words, too. Some of the videos are quite watchable but it's difficult to stand out in the sea of quick cut TikTok'ers and young "Trader Joe's Haul" aficionados who've already amassed millions of loyal fans.

If we do the video review first, I generally want there to be a written companion, but doing a traditional blog post essentially doubles my workload—having to shoot and edit a video as well as a written review with still photos. So on one or two occasions, I simply copied the video transcript, cleaned it up a bit, and posted it as the written blog post here. For longer videos such as the one below, posting the transcript isn't really practical, so I'll simply post a few summarizing thoughts and let the video do most of the talking. All that to say that the meat of this review is in the YouTube video only and if you'd like to hear our thoughts, simply click "play." Many thanks to those of you who already watch, like, and subscribe.

TL;DR — Watch our YouTube videos.

Trader Joe's Belgian Cookie Collection in a nutshell: The presentation of this $11 import is stellar. Most of the 90+ cookies are fairly run-of-the-mill shortbread covered in various types of Belgian chocolate. Only 3 or 4 of the twelve varieties really stand out as unique. We'd buy again if we were headed to a big holiday shindig or buying a gift for someone who really loves Belgian sweets. For a cheaper and smaller option of comparable quality, see Trader Joe's Belgian Cookie Trio.

Bottom line: 7.25 out of 10.