If you've got a Trader Joe's in your neighborhood, chances are it's your go-to supermarket. It's cheap, convenient, and the snacks are unbeatable. It sounds crazy, but I often stand on the checkout line for 30 minutes and then take the subway home with my groceries just so I can have my favorite TJ's products during the week.
When I sent out an office poll about people's favorite items, I quickly found I wasn't the only one who can't get enough of what that grocery store offers. So much, in fact, that I had well over 100 "favorite" products to sort through. After painstakingly whittling down the list, I present you with our top Trader Joe's picks, according to R29 staffers.
Did we miss any of your faves? Shout 'em out in the comments!
Jalapeño & Honey Chevre
Talk about sugar and spice — this goat's milk cheese strikes the perfect balance.
Speculoos Cookies
These cinnamon-sugary cookies are the perfect dunking apparatus for your beverage of choice.
Traditional Tunisian Harissa
You don't need to shop at a specialty store for authentic Harissa — just pop over to TJ's for a jar of this spicy sauce.
Apple Pie Cheddar Cheese
For those of you that consider cheese the only food group, this one covers a couple of bases.
3 Cheese Wafers
These delightfully thin crackers are packed with cheddar, parmesan, AND mozzarella.
PB&J Bar
Keep one of these bars in your bag for any anytime snack.
Sweetened Dried Orange Slices
TJ's has a great assortment of dried fruit and we love when there's a new addition to the mix.
Hass Avocado Oil
Olive oil's new, trendy cousin avocado oil is here.
Chile Lime Seasoning Blend
This spice blend is good on everything. Try it on fish, chicken, or even watermelon!
Mango Sorbet Bon Bons
These mini frozen treats hit the spot on a hot, summer day.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Uncured Bacon Jam
No explanation needed. We've been putting this new savory product on EVERYTHING.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Raw Almond Butter
TJ's raw almond butter is the same price as its regular counterpart, but packs double the flavor.
Unsweetened Instant Oatmeal
Because sometimes we want breakfast to start as a blank canvas.
Lemon Meringue Tart
Nothing beats a $5 fancy-looking dessert that you can stash in the freezer.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Seafood Paella
Seafood paella might seem like the last thing you'd ever want to buy from the frozen foods aisle, but somehow Trader Joe's pulls it off.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's
Sweet Onion & Bacon Vinaigrette
We love our veggies, but we love them even more when they're topped with this bacon-y dressing.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's
Hatch Chile Mac & Cheese
Trader Joe's frozen mac & cheese options are so good we've got two of them in here. Hatch chiles add a smokey heat to this delectable version.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Milk Chocolate Crisps
Chocolate that you can essentially eat like a potato chip? Yes.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Crispy Crunch Chocolate Chip Cookies
The only unfortunate thing about these perfectly crisp cookies is that it's really easy to eat 3/4 of the bin without even noticing.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Edamame Hummus
Okay, so if we're being honest, we love all of Trader Joe's hummus flavors. The three-layer hummus is genius, right? But we'd never tried edamame hummus before this product, and it's so good.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Mini Dark Chocolate Mint Stars
These might actually be our favorite TJ's product. They're only around in the winter for a brief stay on store shelves (they go really quick), but we swear they're better than Thin Mints.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Frozen Black Bean & Cheese Taquitos
Anyone else grow up on these? They are the essential after-work or after-school snack, because you can eat a couple or make a meal out of them
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Spicy Chai Tea Latte Mix
We're not usually fans of drinks that start as a powder, but this chai latte mix is just as good as what you would buy at your local coffee shop, except you don't have to leave the house.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
BBQ Chicken Pizza
All of Trader Joe's frozen pizzas are good, but there's something about BBQ sauce, red onions, and gouda over a doughy crust.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Chile Spiced Mango
If we had room, we would have put all of Trader Joe's dried fruit options in this slideshow. They have every single fruit imaginable (where else can you find dried tangerines?!), but these spicy mango pieces are truly something special.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Hold The Cone Mini Ice Cream Cones
Perfect for when you just want a little dessert or, you know, a bunch of little desserts.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Speculoos Crunchy Cookie Butter
Trader Joe's helped start the cookie butter trend, so it only makes sense that it now carries the product in multiple flavors and forms. However, the original will always be our true favorite.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Unexpected Cheddar Cheese
Unexpected is right! This cheddar tastes as if it comes from a fancy cheese shop, but at TJ's it's super-cheap.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Tarte D’Alace
Trader Joe's has the best frozen options out there, especially when it comes to apps, and this cheesy flatbread is no exception.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Balsamic Glaze
This thick, rich balsamic sauce takes marinades and salad dressings to the next level.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Frozen Tikka Masala
We actually prefer the chicken tikka masala, but the paneer and vegan options are great, too. Not only are they delicious, but they're also so much cheaper than takeout.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Cilantro & Chive Yogurt Dip
Warning: Once you try this dip, there's no going back to your generic supermarket brand.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Spinach Tortellini
Sure, every supermarket sells a version of tortellini, but these guys are ridiculously cheap and they're ready in three minutes, which is more than we can say about 99% of our post-work meals.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Spicy, Smoky, Peach Salsa
The name of this salsa says it all, because it really is spicy, smoky, and sweet. It's much more exciting than your typical supermarket options of mild, medium, or spicy.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Gone Bananas!
Trader Joe's has no shortage of bite-size treats, but these are perfect when you need something sweet at the end of a long day. Plus, at least you're getting some potassium with that chocolate!
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Organic Silver Dollar Pancakes
Pancakes are one of those foods you wouldn't think would freeze well, but once again Trader Joe's proves us wrong. Stacks on stacks on stacks, with no effort whatsoever, sounds pretty good to us.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Gummy Tummies Penguins
These are definitely meant for kids, but who can resist an adorable gummy penguin?!
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Green Olive Tapenade
We love when condiments can do triple duty as a spread, a marinade, and a dip, and this flavorful marinade does just that.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Mochi Ice Cream
All of Trader Joe's mochi flavors are great, but the fact that they made a seasonal pumpkin pie version exemplifies why TJ's is our all-time favorite grocery store.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Savory Thin Mini Crackers
Yes, these are just plain crackers, but somehow they are mighty tasty. You'll just have to try them and see.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Candy Cane Joe-Joe's
Regular Joe-Joe's are good and all, but these seasonal peppermint-frosting-filled cookies are even better. They're definitely a cult favorite, though, so if you see them, stock up.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Dark Chocolate Speculoos Cookie Butter Cups
These are basically the evolved version of peanut butter cups. Try them frozen — trust us.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Chicken Tikka Samosas
You can't go wrong when combining two of our favorite Indian food dishes into one essential bite.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Roasted Seaweed Snack
It looks simple, but roasted seaweed is one of the best healthy snacks out there. Plus, you can make all kinds of fun "wraps." The possibilities are endless.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Corn and Chile Salsa
Another one of our favorite tomato-free salsas. We would eat this with pretty much anything, and it's great as a salad dressing, too.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Frozen Mac & Cheese
Mac & cheese is definitely one of our freezer staples, and this version is way better than a stovetop box.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Multi Grain Croissants
Croissants are another one of those foods that you wouldn't expect to freeze well, but TJ's has proved us wrong once again.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Cheese And Green Chile Tamales
As one R29 staffer aptly explained, "If you steam them for exactly 13 minutes, you will taste the truth."
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Fig Butter
We put this stuff on everything.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Chicken Cilantro Mini Wontons
Every time we make these, we end up doing double microwave duty because we always want more.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Frozen Quiches
We couldn't pick just one frozen quiche to feature, because we love them all.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Pretzel Slims
What's better than regular pretzels? Chocolate-covered pretzels, of course! And we love the flat texture of these.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Roasted Gorgonzola Crackers
With these crisps, you don't even need cheese to go with your crackers. Although it never hurts to put even more cheese on top.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Parmesan Pastry Pups
Just when we thought pigs in a blanket couldn't get any better, TJ's added parmesan.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Greek Honey Yogurt
We mix honey into Greek yogurt anyway, so this flavor does the work for us.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Blue Cheese Roasted Pecan Dip
It might sound a little odd, but once you try this dip, it'll be your new go-to snack.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Tempting Trail Mix
Forget chocolate chips — peanut butter chips make this trail mix crave-worthy.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Triple Ginger Snaps
These gingery cookies feel like a holiday party in your mouth.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Fruit Leather
These make for a great snack no matter how old you are!
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Spanakopita
You really can't go wrong with cheese-and-spinach-stuffed filo dough, and these manage to stay crispy on the outside despite the fact that they're frozen.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
Popcorn In A Pickle
Yes, it sounds really weird, but if you're a fan of pickles and popcorn separately, you have to try this seemingly odd snack.
Mini Cinnamon Sugar Churros
One of Trader Joe's latest products has quickly become a fan favorite. These mini-churros are a perfect snack to keep stashed in your freezer for anytime you're in need of an impromptu sweet treat.
Photo: Courtesy of Trader Joe's.
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