Trader Joe's Products (2017–)

[rotuts]

this cookie seems to be new :

 

 

of note , some of the tubs had cookies baked longer than other tub\s.

 

avoid this cookie at all costs ! 

 

they are delicious and lethal.

 

if you try them , have some ice cold milk available 

 

these are soo sooo soooo good

 

they had a similar cookie many many years ago.

 

then it disappeared .   maybe this one will disappear soon ?   they are irresistable 

 

on the sweeter side , very good crunch and flavor.

 

caution advised.

[Shel_B]

1 minute ago, rotuts said:

this cookie seems to be new :

 

 

these are soo sooo soooo good

[...]

on the sweeter side , very good crunch and flavor.

 

These were available at the sample table not too long ago. Overly sweet.  Cookie description according to Trader Joe:

 

The base is a butter Cookie. (We do mean this literally!) Butter is the second ingredient (after flour), and makes up 24%—almost a quarter of the recipe. A variety of fun, multi-textured Things are mixed into the Cookie dough before baking, including corn flakes, pretzels, marshmallows, semisweet chocolate chips, and crispy rice. Once baked, these circular, golden-brown confections entice with a sweet, buttery aroma. Each crunchy bite may lead to a piece of salted pretzel, or a cluster of rich chocolate chips. The marshmallows have taken on an almost toffee-like candy character. And the corn flakes and crispy rice bring a lighter, crisp crunch to the whole experience. 

 

This cookie is excessive in so many ways. It exemplifies the lack of subtlety and the style of excess that so many foods have taken on. If some is good, then more - much more - must be just right. Demasiado!   

 

[Vapre]

Anybody else getting Milk Bar Compost Cookie vibes from these?

[blue_dolphin]

1 hour ago, Vapre said:

Anybody else getting Milk Bar Compost Cookie vibes from these?

Very much so. The marshmallows are different but the vibe of salty crunchy bits in a cookie with a ton of mix-ins certainly fits. 
 

Here's Christina Tosi's Compost Cookie recipe for those interested. 

[rotuts]

These are not salty .

 

 

butter-ry , brown sugar-ry , toasted pecan-ish ,  the sweetness comes from the white chocolate chips I think.

 

make sure you look for a bin that's ' well done !

 

not for those trying to loose weight .   

 

Im stocking up next trip , and getting some vanilla ice cream to go with.

 

N.B. :   these cookies are not intended for pedestrians .  Connoisseurs Only.

 

P.S.:  @blue_dolphin  you are correct .  marshmallows , not white choc-chip

 

 

Edited July 29 by rotuts (log)

[rotuts]

following current social trends 

 

 

More for Me !

 

and pedestrians ?  keep on walking .

[Katie Meadow]

She had me at butter, she lost me at glucose, potato chips and pretzels. I would suggest trying the TJ's version before making your own. It's a labor of love. Or a waste of good potato chips. Compost indeed. I once went to the original Milk Bar and tried the cereal milk ice cream. Fawful, but then I was over thirty. I'm sure my four year old granddaughters would think they had died and gone to heaven. I shudder to think what would happen in the evening when the coffee grounds and the sugar take wing. Christina Tosi doesn't have a sweet tooth. She has fangs.

[blue_dolphin]

I paid a visit to TJ's this morning.  Of course, I picked up a container of All the Things cookies, following the advice of @rotuts to avoid the paler specimens and choose a box with more “well done” cookies.  
I agree with his assessment that they’re on the sweet side but I don’t find them overly sweet at all.  I saw comments elsewhere that they were too dry but I found them pleasantly light and crisp. Nice with a cup of coffee. They won’t replace the Triple Ginger Snaps as my favorite TJ's cookie but I don’t think I’ll have any problem finishing them off. 
Edited to add one more comment on the cookies. I’m a nibbler, so I take tiny bites to make my treats last long as possible. What’s fun about nibbling on All the Things cookies is that each little bite is different.  I like that.
 

I also got a box of the All Butter Apricot Shortbread cookies. I believe they had an apple version last year. There's 15 cookies/box @ $3.49.  I like these a lot and probably will grab a few boxes before they disappear. 
 

I’m not usually a fan of strawberry ice cream but I was curious so I got a pint of this new item.  It’s quite good with little strawberry chunks that have a nice, tangy flavor. 
 

I also picked up the following:

 

Clockwise from the top:

I usually get fried shallots at an Asian grocery but it’s nice to have a more local source.  
I’m not sure how I feel about greige pasta but I always like trying new shapes and this line of Italian pastas tends to cook up almost like a fresh pasta so I bought a box of the Black Pepper Barilotti. Not sure what I’ll serve it with. Seems like it would work in a cold pasta salad with salami, tomatoes, etc. 
The salsa macha has a chili crisp look in the labeling and the consistency of the contents.  The salsa macha I make (with the customary peanuts) is a bit more pulverized while the seeds here are all intact, floating in the oil.  I’ll try this on roasted Brussels sprouts or maybe Romano beans….
The organic, dry-farmed Early Girl tomatoes are grown in California so I’m not sure if they’re widely distributed but they are nice little tomatoes. They’ve been offered at my TJ's for a couple of years but just for a short period. I forgot to get tomatoes at the farmers market so these are a decent sub. 
 

 

Edited August 1 by blue_dolphin (log)

[weinoo]

6 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

The organic, dry-farmed Early Girl tomatoes are grown in California so I’m not sure if they’re widely distributed but they are nice little tomatoes. They’ve been offered at my TJ's for a couple of years but just for a short period. I forgot to get tomatoes at the farmers market so these are a decent sub. 

Definitely not available here.

[Maison Rustique]

I can't wait until I get time to go to TJs. I really wish they'd open one nearer me. I seldom go during the summer anyway--35-40 minutes each way and even with a cooler, I'm leery of buying anything frozen.

[blue_dolphin]

7 hours ago, Maison Rustique said:

I can't wait until I get time to go to TJs. I really wish they'd open one nearer me. I seldom go during the summer anyway--35-40 minutes each way and even with a cooler, I'm leery of buying anything frozen.

I can’t say that I’d drive that far to Trader Joe's but I drive a similar distance to Asian markets, as do my Asian friends.  If you’ve got a decent cooler with frozen ice packs, then frozen foods should be OK. My friends always bring 2 coolers, one with ice packs for the frozen stuff and another one (or insulated bags) for refrigerated stuff that shouldn’t freeze. 
 

Finding the time? Unfortunately, I can’t help with that!

[Shel_B]

On 7/18/2025 at 7:23 AM, Shel_B said:

Recently, Trader Joe's was on the errand run. I picked up a few items, including

this feta, thanks to an earlier mention by @blue_dolphin. The last time I purchased brined feta at TJ's, I purchased another style, also with the TJ's brand on the container. It'll be nice to compare the two.

 

I finally got around to opening and trying the Israel feta. I much prefer the other brined feta that TJ's carries as shown below.

 

The somewhat milder flavor and softer texture makes the above feta my preference. Also, removing the top and opening the conainer of the Israeli feta was, for me, more difficult than it should have been. It won't find its way into my shopping cart again. Glad I tried it, though.

Edited August 6 by Shel_B (log)

[blue_dolphin]

14 minutes ago, Shel_B said:

I finally got around to opening and trying the Israel feta. I much prefer the other brined feta that TJ's carries as shown below.

The TJ's Greek feta is my preference as well, though for slightly different reasons. If they’re out, the Israeli is an acceptable option. 

[weinoo]

As mentioned previously, some good melons and stone fruits at TJ's here:

 

 

Dulcinea 

 

KANDY

 

Quote

Martori Farms’ popular Kandy “Lemon Drop” Melon is truly one-of-a-kind. Exclusively released by Martori Farms in 2013 with sole production rights, the Lemon Drop Melon is a Galia-type melon with a golden and lightly netted rind that when opened, shares the pale green fruit known for its signature lemon tartness with subtle flavors similar to honeydew. This famous melon is a good source of Vitamin C and B6 as well as potassium and fiber.

 

[rotuts]

my local Tj's , via circular , is pushing Sugar Sweet melon.  

 

Ill try one should I remember.

 

I grew up in California,  melons , in season were plentiful , and perfectly ripe

 

if you know what you were doing.

 

then came Gala , originally from Israel .

 

then planted locally.  finest melon Ive ever had .

[JAZ]

We were in the mood for Southwest/Mexican food but didn't want to cook, so I picked up a few of TJ's entrees to try.

 

Chicken chile verde enchiladas:

 

Chiles Rellenos:

 

The enchiladas were okay, but we didn't think they were worth buying again. The chiles rellenos were surprisingly good -- light, fluffy batter; nice sized, fresh poblanos; and plenty of cheese. We heated them in the oven, but I'd recommend the air fryer directions -- the batter wasn't very crisp out of the oven. The only negative was the sauce. It was a very thin, tomato-based sauce without much flavor. I added a half cup of good jarred salsa and it was much improved. Definitely worth buying again.

[Jacksoup]

I really like the chile rellenos not a big hot/spicy fan so these work for me

Edited yesterday at 02:55 AM by Jacksoup (log)

[Smithy]

I blame @JAZ for yesterday's extravaganza. 

 

Her post above got me thinking about how much I like Trader Joe's and wish I had access to them. Then I realized that from Iowa, where I was reading her post, I'd be driving home right through the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area. And I needed groceries. And I really love chiles rellenos but hate trying to make them.

 

I think I knew ahead of time that it wouldn't be just the above-mentioned chile relleno package. I think I knew that.

 

 

It was still a challenge to find freezer space for all that when I got home. Not shown: the predictable groceries (salad greens, bread, yogurt, etc.)

 

I broke into one of the chiles rellenos packages for dinner last night, and it's every bit as good as she described. I don't have an air fryer but I used my Cuisinart countertop oven on convection mode at 425F for 30 or 40 minutes, flipping the chile halfway through.

 

 

She's right that the sauce is thin. I'd forgotten that the chile is supposed to go atop the sauce when I took this photo.

 

 

I had some of my good salsa set to go, but decided I didn't really need it. Thin sauce was good enough for me last night.

 

The layers were good, the cheese was good. The spicy heat was just at the top end of my preferred range. The coating was crisp, and I'm glad I took a hint from her to use the convection setting.

 

 

I can't decide whether to be glad I don't have to share any of this purchase or sorry I don't have anyone nearby to help with the taste-testing! My usual dinner companions include one who thinks catsup is hot, and this would be too spicy for her. So it goes. I won't need to cook for quite a while, if I don't want to.

[Shel_B]

@Smithy Great writeup and useful pics. I've a TJ's run planned for tomorrow, and I have freezer space and a freshly loaded card in my wallet ...

 

I've wanted to try the Chiles Rellenos, so that'll definitely come home with me.  You mentioned salsa ... I tried this one a few weeks ago and was quite pleased with it. Taste, heat, and texture were to my liking. Generally, I don't buy salsa, but it's always nice to have a jar in the pantry.  It made a nice salsa rice side for a mild chicken dish I made, and it goes well with TJ's dipper corn chips.

 

 

 

I'd like to try the green chili chicken and the chicken mole as well. Maybe the birra, too.

Edited 6 hours ago by Shel_B (log)

[BeeZee]

@Smithy, please post (if you remember) when you try the beef birria and chicken mole. I need to find easy to reheat proteins for DH, who is most comfortable using the microwave when I'm not home.

[JAZ]

@Smithy, glad we inspired you!

 

@BeeZee, I forgot that we also tried the chicken mole (I didn't take a picture, so it slipped my mind). We had it over rice, and it was good, but I think it would be much better in a taco with something crunchy -- maybe pickled vegetables, or lettuce and radish slices.