I Tried Trader Joe’s Hot New Breakfast Item and Here’s What I Thought

In adulthood, pancakes have become one of those breakfasts that I get to enjoy less and less. I might be in a rush to get to work, or don’t have the right ingredients in my pantry, so pancakes have become a special-occasion meal — one that I only eat if we’re going out to breakfast. That’s why Trader Joe’s Pancake Bread is such an intriguing idea: What if all you had to do to enjoy a pancake is buy a loaf of bread? It’s simple, it takes significantly less time than actually making a batch of pancakes, and you can eat it on the go.

So did Trader Joe’s manage to pull off pancakes in bread form? To find out, I tried it myself.

On the label, Trader Joe’s Pancake Bread makes a couple of promises: First that the loaf is modeled after a “buttermilk short stack,” and that the bread will be both sweet and moist. A great concept in theory, and potentially easy to pull off since pancakes and bread have many of the same ingredients. Does TJ’s stick the landing?

In order to keep with the theme, I ate a slice with my breakfast, with a little butter spread on top. Right away, I noticed that the bread is indeed perfectly moist and soft. The texture of the Pancake Bread is spot on; there isn’t a hint of dryness to be found. Now onto the flavor. Drumroll, please! Yes, it does taste almost identical to a pancake. Not only did I taste that iconic breakfast flavor instantly, but I also felt a wave of nostalgia for the days when my mom made me pancakes at least once a week.

I was expecting a cinnamon sugar flavor, too, but the bread is hardly sweet at all, except for a hint of sugar in the crunchy crust. I was pleasantly surprised that the bread didn’t suffocate with sweetness. Buttermilk pancakes have a savory, buttery flavor and Trader Joe’s Pancake Bread imitates it perfectly. However, my favorite part of this bread is probably, as I mentioned, the texture: The slight crunch of crust, coupled with the soft, chewy bread makes for a very enjoyable eating experience.

My only issue? It’s a little tough to cut an even slice out of the pan because the bread is so soft. Otherwise, if you’re craving pancakes but don’t have time to make them, a slice of this bread will be enough to satisfy you.