The Best French Foods to Buy at Trader Joe’s (in Honor of Bastille Day)

Kelli Foster
Kelli FosterSenior Contributing Food Editor
Kelli is a Senior Contributing Food Editor for Kitchn. She's a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and author of the cookbooks, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls, The Probiotic Kitchen, Buddha Bowls, and Everyday Freekeh Meals. She lives in New Jersey.
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updated Jun 3, 2019
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Take a holiday — any holiday, big or small — and you can be sure Trader Joe’s has your back with an assortment of yummy and appropriate things to eat. And Bastille Day is no exception. Trader Joe’s has so many French-inspired options, execs may want to consider changing the company’s name to Trader Jacques!

Here are 10 of my favorites.

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  1. Vanilla Eclairs with Chocolate Fondant, $3 for four: Skip the pricey French bakery — TJ’s freezer section has your dessert needs covered. These irresistible pastries are stuffed with sweet vanilla custard, gilded with a slick of rich chocolate fondant, and come at a great value.
  2. Chocolate Croissants, $4 for four: No matter how hot it gets this summer, it’s worth turning on your oven for buttery, flaky pan au chocolat from Trader Joe’s freezer section.
  3. Cultured Salted Butter, $3 for 8.8 ounces: As someone who has previously spent large sums of money on fancy butter, let me be the one to tell you that this is amazing — it’s the very best butter you will get for your money. It has just the right balance of creaminess, tartness, and saltiness.
  4. Dijon Mustard with White Wine, $2 for 13 ounces: I dare you to show me a jar a Dijon mustard that packs as much flavor and comes with as low a price tag as this one. It just can’t be done.
  5. Quiche Lorraine, $5.50 for 12 ounces: This classic French quiche, studded with cubes of cured ham and melted Swiss, is your answer to a fast and fancy weeknight dinner or impromptu weekend brunch.
  6. A Dozen Macarons Variés, $5 for 12: It’s impossible to think of French desserts without thinking about macarons, so don’t forget to grab a box of these sweet treats as you swing through the freezer section. Each box has a little bit of everything with a mixture of flavors including apricot, coconut, fig, salted caramel, lemon, and pistachio.
  7. Tarte aux Champignons, $4.50 for 9.5 ounces: Call it what you will — a tarte, pizza, or flatbread — but know that when you serve a French-inspired app topped with creme fraiche, rich Emmental cheese sauce, and a mix of woodsy wild mushrooms, it’s going to go fast. It’s a good idea to pick up two.
  8. Le Delice de Bourgogne, $13 per pound: Attention, cheese lovers! You need this soft, French cheese in your life; it will make you totally weak in the knees. It’s a triple-cream, Brie-style cheese with a luxe, buttery flavor that’s ridiculously decadent.
  9. Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce, $3.50 for 10 ounces: Drizzle this glossy sauce over your dessert, a stack of French toast, or a decadent cup of coffee and you will not be disappointed. It’s not too sweet and not too salty, which makes it just right.
  10. Lemon Meringue Tarte, $5.50 for 17.6 ounces: TJ’s take on the classic French lemon tart tastes like a cool slice of sunshine. It’s a simple yet elegant dessert good for any occasion.

Your turn: What are your favorite French-inspired foods to pick up at Trader Joe’s?

P.S.: This post (and indeed, all other Trader Joe’s posts) are not sponsored or affiliated with Trader Joe’s in any way. We just love the store, and our readers do too. If there are other grocery stores you’d like to see similar coverage of, please tell us! Grocery shopping is a huge part of the cooking experience and we focus a lot of our editorial attention upon it.

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