6 Not-to-Be-Missed Trader Joe’s Groceries That Just Hit Stores, According to a Former Employee
I live in sunny, relatively temperate southern California, so I mark the seasons less by the weather outside and, more often than not, by the shelves at Trader Joe’s (namely, the overflowing stock of pumpkin-infused items that seems to take over the store when midnight strikes on September 1). If you’re anything like me (a slight pumpkin-spiced curmudgeon), you’ll be glad to know that the popular gourd is still very much enjoying its own summer holiday.
How is that? Well, Trader Joe’s has rolled out plenty of new items this month that aren’t even close to having a touch of fall flavor (I’m just not ready!). Here are six favorites that I’ll absolutely be enjoying until it’s solidly sweater weather — and beyond.
1. Coffee Mochi, $4.99 for 6.8 ounces
Across the board, Trader Joe’s coffee-soaked items have always been impressively good, and these coffee ice cream mochi are no exception. In fact, these are wow, it tastes like I just bit into a whole shot of espresso-level good, with a bold, yet still delightfully creamy coffee ice cream interior (that’s wrapped with a soft and chewy rice mochi exterior). It just might be able to double as your new afternoon pick-me-up.
2. Sweet Chili Mango Chopped Salad Kit, $3.99 for 11.23 ounces
I really was not confident this salad mix would stick its landing (would the dried mango have a tough texture? Would the dressing be too sweet? And why so many sesame seeds?). But, it’s a bona fide hit. All salad components are stunning: The dried mango is slightly juicy and chopped into delightfully tiny cubes, and the sesame seeds play off the dressing’s sesame oil backbone, adding plenty of crunchy, earthy flavor to this cabbage and kale blend salad.
And that dressing? It really earns its name, with a spicy sweetness that hits so many of the same flavor notes as another Thai classic: pad Thai. It would go so well topped with grilled shrimp or marinated tofu.
3. Gluten-Free Cheese Pizza with Cauliflower Crust, $5.49 for 11.6 ounces
This new pizza tastes just like Chuck E. Cheese pizza — and that compliment is not just nostalgia speaking. I’ve had the arcade pizza very, very recently (sorry to brag) and this gluten-free pie nails the thin, toasty crust made by one Charles Entertainment Cheese, adding a magical almost ranch-like herbiness. The crust, which is apparently made of cauliflower, also could have fooled me for a full-gluten pizza. It’s reasonably doughy and decadent-tasting, all things considered — especially when topped with the tangy marinara and blend of melty mozzarella and provolone.
If you’ve tried TJ’s previous iteration of this pizza (which has a more pronounced cauliflower flavor) and maybe weren’t into it, I think you should give this new version a shot, if not for the Chuck E. Cheese flavor-trip alone.
4. Panzerotti Pizza Bites, $3.99 for 11.29 ounces
When it rains, it pours — at least when it comes to Trader Joe’s rolling out new pizza options. If you’re in the market for a new movie-night snack, fancy-ish party snack, or sure thing for the kiddos in your house, look no further than these Panzerotti Pizza Bites. The crunchy petite bites are like if you magically shrunk down a saucy cheese calzone, and then fried them.
The result? A crunchy, doughy exterior that gives way to a fresh-tasting tomato sauce and a delightfully milky-creamy cheesy filling. While these might seem like glorified pizza rolls, I’d like to reiterate that each component of these snack-sized pizza bites does taste ever-so-slightly more deluxe as a whole. Eat a few with your pinkies up (and dip into even more marinara sauce).
5. Yuzu Miso, $3.99 for 7.37 ounces
My valiant tour of Trader Joe’s yuzu-based products continues (see: Green Tea Yuzu Spread, Yuzu Kosho, Sparkling Yuzu Coconut Water, Yuzu Ripple Coconut-Based Ice Cream) with this month’s newest addition: Yuzu Miso. One spoonful had me going, “Who gave you permission to be such a perfect food, Yuzu Miso?” The funky, deeply umami quality of miso is a natural partner for the sunshiney, tart yuzu; it made my taste buds stand at attention for a full triple exclamation point (!!!) experience.
Visions of swirling this into a salad dressing, brushing it onto grilled chicken skewers, or bathing it atop some seared scallops are still dancing in my head. Don’t sleep on it — especially if you want to break out a punch of summer-y, grill-friendly flavor in the dead of winter.
6. Freeze-Dried Tart Cherries, $3.99 for 1.2 ounces
My brother and I were notorious Cereal Mix-In Thieves; we’d eat all the best parts of our favorite cereals and leave the cereal-cereal behind. For him, that was all the Lucky Charms marshmallows, while I mostly focused my efforts on taking all the dried blueberries (heck, all dried fruits) out of a box of Blueberry Morning.
Thankfully, Trader Joe’s affordable dried fruit section has saved me from ruining cereal for everyone around me — especially with the new and wildly good Freeze-Dried Tart Cherries. If you’re a sour candy stan, you’re going to want to pick up a bag of these majorly tart cherries. While dried cherries have that juicy chewiness, these freeze-dried cherries crackle, crunch, and pop into a firework of sour brightness.
One could eat these straight out of the bag and have a great time, but I have other plans for them: coating in dark chocolate, crumbling into a strawberry shortcake bar-esque ice cream cake, and, yes, adding to cereal.
Which new Trader Joe’s items are you most excited about? Tell us in the comments below.