Trader Joe's Just Released A Ton Of New Winter Items, So I Reviewed 6 Of Them (And Some Missed The Mark)
Welcome, one and all, to the final month of the year. The air is getting chilly, the days are getting shorter, and my local Trader Joe's smells like pine trees and chocolate croissant candles. Even though I shudder at the sight of a pitch-black sky at 4:30 p.m., there's nothing quite like TJ's this time of year to cheer me up (or stress me out if I'm headed there on a weeknight at 5 p.m.).
And if you follow as many TJ's accounts as I do, you know that they've been dropping seasonal holiday items left and right. So, naturally, I had to grab a few and give you all an honest review of what you should run to grab and what you can definitely skip.
Here's everything I tossed in my basket:
I know you're dying to know how it all tastes, so let's dive right in...
1.Figgy Cheddar, $10.99/Pound
One thing about me: I will never pass up a new Trader Joe's cheese, especially if the packaging is this cute. TBH, there are very few cheeses from TJ's that I don't like. And since we're all putting fig jam on our cheese boards anyway, this felt like a really smart combo.
Oh, Figgy Cheddar, I was rooting for you. Honestly, I can see the vision behind this, but something just felt off.
The cheddar itself is super mild, and you can see actual chunks of figs when you slice into it (which I loved). Even as you're eating it, you bite into tiny granules of fig, which was definitely an interesting experience. Unfortunately, I think there were a few misses with this.
The fact that the figs are marinated in white wine, rum, and warm spices made the taste really overwhelming, and the cheddar-cinnamon flavor combo was just not for me. I also don't think sweet plus cheddar is necessarily the right way to go in the first place, especially for a mild cheddar. Figs are so sweet, particularly if they're dried, and pair better with a strong, salty cheese. Now, if TJ's wanted to make a habanero or Hatch chile cheddar, I'd be all for it.
Overall rating — 7/10: This wasn't necessarily a product I couldn't stand, and I'll probably still find a way to finish it (please give me suggestions), but this flavor combo was a miss, in my opinion.
2.Stollen Crisps, $4.29
Trader Joe's fans know that their crisps have a cult following. Between the Fig and Olive, Strawberry Jalapeño, Pumpkin Cranberry, and Raisin Rosemary, everyone has the one flavor they stick to. Well, now we have Stollen to throw into the mix.
Named after a traditional German yeasted bread typically baked with dried fruits, candied citrus peel, nuts, and spices, these crackers claim to emulate some of those classic holiday flavors. Personally, I'd never tried stollen prior to this, but the flavors kind of remind me of the bolo rei (king's cake) we have in Portugal.
These crisps are so lovely, with some of those classic holiday flavors — but be prepared for the sweetness.
I'm not sure if you can tell from the photo, but these are absolutely covered in powdered sugar (which makes sense, considering that stollen gets dusted with a generous heap of it). I kid you not, they tasted exactly like grown-up Froot Loops. I'm not sure if that's what TJ's was going for, but I actually really liked it.
I could still taste the citrus, raisins, and spices despite the sweetness, but definitely could have used some savory elements in there. I know stollen typically includes nuts, and sometimes even marzipan, which I think could've worked well to give these just a bit more balance. But trust me, that didn't stop me from snacking on them all day.
Overall rating — 8/10: These were definitely the sweetest of all the TJ's crisps, and even though I'm a Fig and Olive gal through and through, I can see them working on a holiday charcuterie board with some saltier meats and cheeses.
3.Cinnamon Bun Inspired Truffles, $4.99
Alright, TJ's, you got me again with the most adorable package imaginable. I don't really have any strong feelings about TJ's truffles (TBH, I never really buy them), but I have been seeing more and more cinnamon products pop up this season, which is super exciting to me as a cinnamon lover.
I mean, c'mon, how cute is this vintage candy–like box?
Cute packaging aside, I was once again thrown off by yet another strange TJ's combo.
I love cinnamon buns and I love chocolate, but I can't say I love them together. The "shell" of this truffle was a really soft milk chocolate, and I'm almost positive that the filling is TJ's Cinnamon Bun Spread. The filling was caramelly, cinnamony, and VERY sweet, which is why I don't think it worked with the equally sweet milk chocolate.
The powdered sugar on top was also overkill. Maybe a dark chocolate could've worked better here, but I think if TJ's really wanted to go all out on the cinnamon this year, this filling would've been lovely in between their shortbread cookies. Similar to the Figgy Cheddar, this was another instance of liking the individual components but not the combination.
Overall rating — 7/10: Trust me, I'm still finishing this box, but I found this to be another big swing and a miss when it came to flavor combos. That being said, the TJ's Cinnamon Bun Spread is incredible on its own, so definitely grab it if you see it.
4.Iced Gingerbread Squares, $4.99
While I love the spicy sweetness of a gingerbread cookie during the holidays, I don't always love biting into a super-hard cookie, so I was thrilled to find these. I assumed they would have a similar texture to a chewy blondie, not unlike the seasonal S'mores Bars TJ's had during the summer (which were a 9/10, by the way).
Alright, Trader Joe's, keep the seasonal frozen bars comin'. These were delicious.
The package instructs you to thaw these at room temperature for one hour or in the fridge for three to four. Because I'm impatient, I didn't follow either of those directions and threw them in my (turned off) oven for a few minutes after baking the last two items on the list. I probably wouldn't recommend doing this, because I feel like it slightly dried them out: The inside was still nice and chewy, but the outside felt a little too crisp.
Either way, I thought they were delicious, with a nice balance of those classic gingerbread spices. I'm also usually not a fan of icing or frosting, but I really loved the thin layer of crisp icing on top.
Overall rating — 8/10: I'm not sure if the crispy edges were purely user error, but I was missing a bit more of a fudgy center on these bars. That being said, I still loved them and think they'd make a great set-it-and-forget-it dessert for a holiday gathering.
5.Artichoke Bread Pudding, $4.99
This savory bread pudding was way too intriguing to pass up. It can sometimes feel as if Trader Joe's focuses so much on ready-to-bake desserts during the holidays that they often overlook more convenient savory items. Now, I'd never had a savory bread pudding before, but I assumed it would have a texture similar to stuffing. And from the photo, I was expecting some crispy, chunky pieces of bread.
The bread pudding comes frozen in a black plastic tray that gets tossed directly in the oven for 20–25 minutes. Right off the bat, I wasn't loving how it looked.
Unfortunately, this was a letdown, and I felt bamboozled by the photo on the packaging.
First of all, this needed WAY longer than 20–25 minutes in the oven. I think I left mine in for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees, bumping up the temp in the last 10 minutes or so to get the top crispy (in hindsight, I should've broiled it but was nervous due to the plastic tray). Sadly, the texture of this bread pudding was not at all appetizing. It was so soggy and mushy, which I'm assuming is due to the artichoke hearts, too much liquid used in the pudding itself, or a mix of both.
There was some decent cheesiness, and I liked being able to see (and taste) whole artichoke pieces, but I was disappointed that I couldn't see individual pieces of bread — it was just one big block.
The flavor wasn't bad, but it was a little bland, with random spicy bites. That's when I noticed that hot sauce was listed as an ingredient, which felt a bit...random. Maybe throwing in TJ's Bomba Hot Pepper Sauce would've worked better if they wanted to give it a kick.
Overall rating — 5/10: I was really hoping this would be a great option for an easy dinner side, but between the texture and flavor, I was a little disappointed. If you love artichokes, I'd recommend trying to re-create this on your own.
6.Pretzel Bread Pudding, $4.49
As a sweet-and-salty dessert gal, this Pretzel Bread Pudding was calling my name. And if you obsessively follow as many Trader Joe's accounts as I do, you'll know that people are going nuts over this. It definitely reminds me of the Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Pudding, which was a 10/10 winner in my eyes, so I was beyond excited to dig in.
Similar to the Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Pudding, the box comes with two individually wrapped pudding cups that get tossed in the oven for 15–18 minutes.
Salty, sweet, buttery — these are a dream. Run and buy them. Like, right now.
This is a true sign that TJ's should maybe stick to the sweet bread puddings — this was delicious. The pretzel chunks were super soft and moist, with a great level of saltiness to balance the sweetness of everything. I saw some people mention that they actually found this to be too salty, but I'd definitely have to disagree there.
The caramel sauce was super sweet, so the added salt was 100% necessary. And unlike with the Artichoke Bread Pudding, you could see actual chunks of the "bread" rather than having it just clumped together. Overall, I loved this, but I still have to give the edge to the Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Pudding, which I found to have a more buttery and flavorful toffee sauce.
Overall rating — 9/10: If you're a fan of sweet-salty desserts, you'll love and devour this (as I did). Do I wish it had some more flavors going on? Sure, but I also love the simplicity of it.
Have you tried any of these new products? Let me know what you think of them in the comments!
