15 Trader Joe's Holiday Items We’re Adding to Our Carts ASAP

Hello, Iced Gingerbread Squares!

December is just around the corner, which means it’s already time to start thinking about the winter holiday season. With that in mind, Trader Joe’s has begun to roll out hundreds of festive products for customers to enjoy. While there are a total of 469 Trader Joe’s holiday items to choose from, like returning favorites such as Gingerbread Ice Cream and Jingle Jangle, some 86 of those products are completely new and have never been seen or sold in Trader Joe’s stores before. 

On the latest episode of the Insider Trader Joe’s podcast, co-hosts Matt Sloan, vice president of marketing at TJ’s, and Tara Miller, marketing director at the grocery store chain, took listeners through some of their favorites. We also threw in a handful of our preferred picks as well. Keep reading for a list of the Trader Joe’s holiday items you need to stock up on this winter!

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12 Days of Beauty - A Curated Collection

Consider this returning holiday item an advent calendar for TJ’s beauty products. “You open one window every day and you get a new prize, so to speak. This year, 11 of [the items] are new to this package,” Miller explained. The products you can find in this curated collection include a small bottle of the SPF 40 Daily Facial Sunscreen and the Vitamin C Firming Body Butter. As Sloan pointed out, the 12 Days of Beauty is actually a great way for Trader Joe’s to test out new beauty products, which is why the other items included here are not yet in TJ’s stores.

Shimmer Candy Cane Body Butter

Like the rest of Trader Joe’s body butters, this festive one comes in a tub and has a bright red top. While this hydrating beauty find definitely smells like candy canes, Miller noted that it’s not “overly perfume-y.” She also pointed out that the shimmer in the body butter comes from mica, which makes it subtle yet satisfying.

Chocolate Croissant Scented Candle

“This smells so wonderful,” Sloan declared. The “subtle” chocolate scent is akin to chocolate that has been baking, while there’s a bit of a buttery dough aroma as well. “It's made using a blend of soy wax, coconut oil, and beeswax and it has a lead-free cotton wick,” Miller shared. “If this is burning in your house during the holiday season, your house will really smell that much more inviting to anyone who walks in the door.”

Cinnamon Bun Inspired Pancake and Waffle Mix

This breakfast and brunch item is new this year, and only available during the holiday season while it’s in stock. According to a TJ’s product developer named Trang, this newbie has “all the spices in a cinnamon bun”, as well as little crispy bits of cinnamon candies that melt as you cook the breakfast treats. If you opt to make pancakes, expect them to be high-rising, very fluffy, and indulgent. Go ahead and top ‘em with salted butter and whipped cream, maple syrup, or even some of TJ’s Cinnamon Bun Spread.

Astounding Mutli-Flavor Mini Pretzels

“We know our customers love coated pretzels, and so we wanted to create a collection during the holidays that a customer could feasibly share with their friends or their family, and so we wanted to make it a giftable type of product, but also a very delicious type of product,” Trang said of this sweet and savory pretzel assortment. Inside each box you’ll find four different types of covered pretzels stored in separate bags, none of which are available at any other point during the year. The different pretzels include a jingle jangle-inspired pretzel that has a peanut butter coating and candy gems on it, a coffee-inspired pretzel, a peppermint dark chocolate pretzel, and a milk chocolate pretzel with rainbow nonpareils.

Pretzel Bread Pudding

This item, which you can find in the freezer section, is easy to make—all you need to do is put it in the microwave for less than a minute. Once it’s done being warmed, flip the cup that it comes in over a plate, and remove the cup after about a minute. The resulting pretzel bread confection that Miller describes as “absolutely extraordinary gooey, delicious, salty, sweet, soft bread pudding” is a great holiday dessert. Go ahead and top this with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a touch of sweetness.

Chocolate Dipped Danish Cookies

These cookies, which hail from Denmark and can be found in the bakery section, are sold in a single box. However, inside there are actually three separate treats. Per Sloan you’ll find marzipan-filled Napoleon hats, similar to a tri-corner kind of situation, coconut macaroons, and almond triangles. “They're really beautiful,” he said of the confections. “They are actually lovingly handmade.” The treats also have “really strong flavors,” and are partially dipped in chocolate.

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Petit Fours Mousse Cakes

If you’re headed to a holiday potluck this winter, this is the perfect dessert to bring. Expect “a little package of nine perfectly presented cakes, and they're sliced cakes, or slices of cakes, but they're in cube shapes and they're completely covered in a frosting,” noted Sloan. Each box of the “beautiful” French treats includes three different flavors—a chocolate cake with chocolate filling and a dark chocolate coating, a vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream and a white chocolate coating, and a coffee-coated chocolate cake with a coffee filling inside.

Shrimp Pouches of Many Colors

Each box of these “delicious” bites comes with three yellow, red, white, and green pouches. Sold frozen, you can steam, pan fry, or even microwave them and they retain their vibrant hues that are derived from various vegetables. Each pouch is packed with shrimp and aromatics, including ginger, onion, garlic, and a touch of sesame oil. Yum!

Figgy Cheddar

Made with Cheddar from the United Kingdom, this new cheese is blended with Spanish figs that have been marinated in white wine and rum. In each bite of this creamy, sweet and savory cheese you’ll also find a blend of warming spices, like coriander, cinnamon, ginger, fennel, nutmeg, and cloves. Serve it on a cheeseboard, enjoy it in a grilled cheese, or be daring and use a slice to top your next homemade apple pie. 

Non-Dairy Cinnamon Bun Oat Creamer

In the market for a vegan coffee creamer this holiday season? This is the perfect one! Made with the same oat milk used in TJ’s beloved Non-Dairy Brown Sugar Oat Creamer, this limited-edition version also includes plenty of cinnamon and sugar. You can obviously use this in a cup of coffee or tea, but it also works in a French toast recipe, drizzled over an apple crisp, and more.

Hark and Holly Glühwein Mulled Wine

This holiday wine comes from Germany, and is made entirely of Sangiovese grapes. “It's infused with cinnamon, clove, and orange and lemon peel,” shared Miller, who noted that this is a convenient option for those who enjoy making mulled wine at home. Serve warm, particularly on a chilly winter night, and enjoy!

Peppermint Flavored Baking Chips

Chances are you have a cookie exchange or two this season, or at least an excuse to whip up some baked goods. Stock up on a bag (or two) of these Peppermint Flavored Baking Chips to add a bit of festive flair to your treats. Each red and white morsel is made with peppermint oil, milk powder, cane sugar, and an edible, bright red glitter that gets its hue from vegetable juice.

Holiday Cheer Unexpected Cheddar Cheese Spread

Frequent Trader Joe’s shoppers know that the chain’s Unexpected Cheddar Cheese Spread is a great addition to mac and cheese, cheese boards, and sandwiches. The Holiday Cheer version, which is made with Cheddar as well as dried, sweetened cranberry bits, a touch of cinnamon, and a splash of Riesling, is an excellent holiday hors d’oeuvres when paired with crackers or crusty bread. Or, you can take a different approach and pair it with fresh fruit instead.

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Iced Gingerbread Squares

If you love gingerbread cookies, we highly recommend you give these flavorful squares a whirl. Each one is super soft and made with butter, brown sugar, and, of course, ground ginger. You’ll also find cinnamon, allspice, and a bit of lemon purée for extra zing. Plus, every square is topped with confectioner’s icing and a sprinkle of sanding sugar for a pop of sweetness. You can find this holiday treat in the freezer section, and when you’re ready to thaw ‘em simply leave them out on the counter for about an hour.

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