This month I picked up the phone and called my local Trader Joe’s to see if they had something I knew I had to try: the new Brown Sugar Non-Dairy Oat Creamer. And unlike nearly every other grocery store, a human answered and physically went to check the shelf, and the whole call was over in under one happy minute. People always wonder why Trader Joe’s is so culty—and it’s mostly the Mandarin Orange Chicken—but it’s also the small details like the wild idea to have a person answer the phone, not an automated recording. And good news: They had the creamer, and it’s delicious.
What else is new in May? Plenty of baked goods, snacks, and some frozen pancake puffs. Let’s taste and see.
A Bakery Bonanza
Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Muffins
The gluten-free muffins at Trader Joe’s are consistently amazing. They go hard on the sour cream and buttermilk to keep the muffins so moist you could see the condensation in my plastic container. The tops were elevating from the muffins like a soufflé. I prefer the cinnamon coffee cake ones to these chocolate-cake-flavored ones, but that’s personal. My cashier said, “Pro tip: Microwave them for like 20 seconds and the chocolate chips inside will melt, so you have a chocolate lava cake.” Genius. I did just that and so should you.
Sea Salt Brownie Bites
Sound familiar? These are a rebranded update on a Trader Joe’s staple, the brownie bites that were previously packaged in a round plastic bucket. They’re gooey and fudgy and veering on (gasp) too salty. But note: There were only two edge pieces in my box. Don’t love those odds.
Fig Cookies
This is yet another rebrand. These used to have a boring beige package and now they’re poppin’ in purple. That doesn’t change the fact that Fig Newtons are the white Hanes undies of cookies—they’re not turning me on. A bland and soft cookie melds with a seedy sweet filling, all of it sticking to the roof of my mouth as if the cookie itself knows there are better things worth swallowing. We both know: There are.
A Cheese Stands Alone
Blueberry Fields Hard Cheese
I appreciate the farmstand packaging and the concept of this cheese: It’s a cow’s milk cheese with a blueberry purée-bathed rind. However, the rind has a gray, rotted look and candy-like flavor (blueberry—no one’s favorite candy flavor). Every bite makes me hope it’s my last.
Ravioli Obscura
Gluten-Free Cheese Ravioli
Ever eat something so astounding you’re like, what sorcery is this? And then you flip the package over, see a two-inch list of ingredients smashed in there with a tiny font and virtually no line spacing and realize: oh, that sorcery. But this masterwork of food science prevailed! These gluten-free SpongeBob-looking pillows have the silky, slightly chewy texture of wheat flour ravioli but are made with a combination of corn, cauliflower, rice flour, and various starches. The filling is inoffensive ricotta and four other filler cheeses, a blank canvas for saucing up. Despite being 30 percent of your daily sodium intake, I regret to inform you that these need salt.
Vegan Spinach and Cashew Ravioli
Whoever is in charge of the ravioli department is crushing it; these are great. The spinach and cashew filling is neutral but pesto-ish enough that I just had them with butter and flaky salt. Trader Joe’s spicy Calabrian chile Bomba sauce would go great with these too. Unlike the GF ravioli, the wrapper is super delicate, so don’t cook them past the 3-minute mark or you’ll have some exploded comrades.
Brown Sugar Non-Dairy Oat Creamer
I saw my favorite upper body Peloton trainer Callie—who I believe mentions Trader Joe’s in 99.9% of her classes, usually during deadlifts—gush about this stuff on TikTok, so I was as psyched as a person who can get psyched about an oat-based coffee creamer can be. (Very.) There’s only a hint of caramel-y brown sugar flavor, and that’s fine because it’s sweet and creamy and perfectly emulsified. Please note: Like Callie, too much of it can be…a lot.
Organic Coconut Smoothie
This is coconut water and coconut milk in perfect balance—not too thin, not too chunky—for $2.29. It’s too rich to drink on its own, so I used it in smoothies and with iced coffee. I also see a tropical White Russian in my future. If you’re shopping at Trader Joe’s with the intention to get yourself a little treat, make it this.
Snacks
Papadums Lentil and Chickpea Crisps
Airy and light disks with crackly cumin seeds, this Indian-inspired snack is way too easy to lose count of while I’m eating them. I’m a fan.
Buffalo Style Seasoned Almonds
These are roasted almonds coated with a flavor dust approximation of Buffalo sauce. If you like barbecue and salt and vinegar chips, you’ll love these. Just spicy enough to tempt me back for another handful. Just mediocre enough that I won’t buy them again.
Lightly Smoked Salmon
The cutest tin o’ fish at TJ’s, but they’re not kidding with “lightly” smoked. This tasted like cold leftover roast salmon, but it is tender and flaky; a great pantry staple. If you want some special canned salmon, try Fishwife’s, which has a touch of brown sugar and an intense campfire smoky flavor.
New in Frozen Treats
Artichoke Timbales
Mmmmushy, cheesy spinach artichoke dip that’s been precooked into a cupcake-size lump with a tragic lack of crust. Bake ’em, flip ’em, peel the paper off, and eat the double-cooked mush. With some salt they’re decent.
Japchae Korean Glass Noodles & Vegetable Stir Fry
One of the better microwaveable airplane meals at TJ’s, the sweet potato noodles stay nice and chewy, and I swear I counted at least five pieces of spinach and four mangled carrot shreds. The light sesame broth is sweet, but it kept me coming back for more until suddenly the bowl was just seven floppy white onion slices. (Side note: Japchae is a Korean stir-fry that is relatively easy to make at home too.)
Maple Flavored Poffertjes
This is TJ’s version of the tiny, fluffy Dutch pancakes. Sadly, this execution is dense and bready, and I miss the crispy edges you get from flatties cooked in a cast-iron skillet. I do think kids would love these. They’re handheld and perfect for throwing at your brother across the table.