The Single Best Thing to Buy at Trader Joe’s This Month

updated Oct 9, 2020

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We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.

There are a lot of things we highly recommend purchasing at Trader Joe’s on the regular: their Organic Frozen Brown Rice, Chicken Gyoza Potstickers, Zhoug Sauce, Unexpected Cheddar, Butternut Squash Zig-Zags, and Southwestern Salad Kit, just to name a few … ). You’ll find all of these standbys on TJ’s shelves year-round, so you can rest-assured that you’ll be able to toss them into your cart pretty much every trip.

Unfortunately, that isn’t the case for a lot of fan-favorite TJ’s items — especially those super-popular seasonal items. That’s why, if you’re going to buy just one thing at Trader Joe’s this month, we strongly believe it should be their frozen All-Butter Puff Pastry — and you should buy it in bulk!

Trader Joe’s frozen All-Butter Puff Pastry is special because it is made with (duh) all butter. This results in a much richer flavor than other store-bought puff pastry brands, which are usually made with vegetable shortening. Every time we use the stuff from Trader Joe’s, we always end up in awe of how the laminated layers bake up so golden and flaky, transforming everything from a few dollops of small-batch jams to leftover roasted vegetables into elegant and impressive showstoppers.

Credit: Patty Catalano

It’s super important to note, though, that this frozen puff pastry is a seasonal item at Trader Joe’s, so you’ll only find it in the freezer case during the fall and winter baking seasons. So while we can’t exactly encourage stockpiling any grocery item in excess, we do recommend stashing a box or two (or three) of this holy-grail grocery item in your cart next time you come across it. At $3.99 per two sheets of puff, it’s worth having on hand at all times.

Credit: Joe Lingeman

Wild Mushroom Tart

While you can make your own puff pastry at home, this frozen alternative is convenient and practically foolproof. Simply thaw the pastry overnight in the refrigerator to keep the layers of butter chilled and pliable. When the pastry is ready, use it to prepare breakfast treats, appetizers, main dishes, and desserts.