Trader Joe's Crunchy Pops

Today, I'm gonna check out Trader Joe's Crunchy Pops. I really like snacks made with alternative grains and flours and ingredients. The only thing that makes me a little nervous is "pea." Yeah. I like peas okay but not necessarily in my crunchy snacks. I'm a little leery of pea protein in anything, be it any kind of smoothie or shake or protein bar so I'm not sure how it's going to work out here. I think the potato and corn will hopefully offset any weird pea flavor that I might not like.

Upon opening the bag, it smells faintly of peas and corn. They're bigger than I thought they'd be. They're very salty. Very crunchy. Hollow. 

They're like Chex but bigger and more rigid, more robust. You can taste the grainy flavors of potato, peas, and corn. The pea flavor doesn't turn me off at all. It's a pleasant flavor but I don't know if it would be the number one thing I'd reach for over potato chips or tortilla chips.

I wish they were dusted with some kind of flavor like barbecue sauce or something spicy. Even a cheddar cheese flavor would be interesting. A viewer on YouTube suggested sour cream and onion would work, and I totally agree.

$2.49 for the bag. Kosher. I don't know why they wouldn't be gluten free, but they're not listed as such. Maybe they were processed on the same equipment as wheat products or something like that. 

Would I buy them again? I don't think I would in this current format. If you like the taste of potatoes, corn, and peas and don't mind very salty snacks, you'd probably like these. The texture is excellent if you like firm, crunchy, crispy snacks. I like salty snacks a lot, but I feel like the saltiness overshadows everything else in this case.

I give Trader Joe's Crunchy Pops 7 out of 10 stars. Sonia will go with 7.5 out of 10.

Bottom line: 7.25 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Belgian Cookie Trio

Shoot, is it already time for Christmas cookies again? I guess you could have these at Thanksgiving, too. You're gonna need some dessert after that Turkey Day dinner.

This product was around last year, and it's back again for 2024. This rectangular box will run you about six bucks and it has two individually wrapped cookie trays. 

You get three types of authentic Belgian cookies: almond butter thins in milk chocolate, waffle cookies dipped in dark chocolate, and butter biscuits in dark chocolate.

They're crispy. Crunchy. Sweet. But not too sweet. 

I like the milk chocolate kind better than the dark chocolate ones. The almonds are a nice touch. Those cookies are nice and buttery. I like the texture of the waffle cookies a lot.

I wish the package were resealable somehow. Still pretty tasty, festive, and fun. Might buy again. Product of Belgium. I give Trader Joe's Belgian Cookie Trio seven out of ten stars. Sonia gives them seven and a half out of ten.

Check out our short video to see these cookies in action. There's no talking in this one. It's just beautiful chocolate-covered Belgian desserts and smooth jazz.

Have a great weekend. 

Bottom line: 7.25 out of 10.