This $6 Trader Joe’s Frozen Find Is the Most Underrated Dessert in the Grocery Store

A large portion of my personal food pyramid consists of things I merely categorize as “teeny tiny things.” I have no scientific evidence to support this, but I’m convinced eensy-weensy, adorably bite-and-a-half foods just taste better. My lunches and dinners are often a series of snack-sized stacks of my favorite things fanned out on a plate like I’m a benevolent giant, but my penchant for grazing on diminutive little morsels extends (and, dare I say, peaks?) come dessert time.

If you also enjoy feasting on tiny snacks like you’re Alice in Wonderland when she accidentally enjoys a slice of the “Eat Me” cake, you’re going to really love this treat you can get year-round at Trader Joe’s: A Dozen Sweet Bites. You’ve likely glanced at the box of these multi-flavored little cakes on your way to pick up a cheesecake or tiramisu, but don’t just glance! These make any dinner party (or Tuesday) feel just a little more deluxe, and you’ll find yourself wishing these were a Baker’s Dozen.

Dessert is just not the time to feel either indecisive or, worse, FOMO. Trader Joe’s A Dozen Sweet Bites basically safeguards you from either fate, thankfully. Each box of frozen bites contains four individual pieces of three distinct mini desserts: a light and crackly raspberry cake (macarons aux framboises), a chocolate & coffee “Opera”-style cake, and a chocolate & caramel layer cake reminiscent of a chocoflan. No matter the flavor, you’ll find that each slice is just the right amount of richness for a bite and feels like a perfect (and affordable) treat to set out instead of those often-overpriced pre-made desserts from the grocery bakery. 

Much like a chocolate box, there’s a bite here for everyone (although I typically high-tail it to the raspberry cake before anyone realizes). If you, like me, tend to hog one flavor, you’re in luck; you can often score the full-sized versions of the Macarons aux Framboises and Opera Cake during the holidays at Trader Joe’s, too. 

I’m usually all about thinking of the many ways you can riff on a grocery item to make it new, but the Dozen Sweet Bites need none of my help. Just simply pop these out of the box to defrost in the fridge a few hours before it’s Tiny Food O’Clock. If you really want to doll these up to fool your guests into thinking you’ve mastered the French pastry arts, a little garnish doesn’t hurt. I like to add raspberries and a mint sprig on top of the macaron cake (naturally), bits of shaved chocolate for the Opera cake, and a drizzle of salted caramel or dulce de leche for the chocolate & caramel cake. 

Find it in stores: Trader Joe’s A Dozen Sweet Bites, $5.99 for 9.16 ounces 

What’s the most underrated dessert at Trader Joe’s? Tell us in the comments below!