Trader Joe’s Just Leaked Info on 18 New Groceries Hitting Stores This Spring

It’s been a few weeks since we first spotted the buds of the season’s tried-and-true flavors. Now that our daylight hours are officially longer, we can practically taste spring. (We can certainly see it on the horizon!) If TJ’s has anything to do with it, soon enough, we will! 

The latest episode of the Inside Trader Joe’s podcast dropped earlier this week, and hosts Tara Miller and Matt Sloan are bringing their own basket of sunshine in the form of 18 new and returning grocery items. A trio of returning drinks! Coffee-flavored cookies, ice cream cones, and, well, coffee! Baked goods galore! There’s even a new set of dish towels we can’t wait to get our hands on.

Some are already on shelves, others won’t be out until April. But you know what that means … weeks of new goodies to look forward to. Here are the groceries they’re most excited about.

Tara sums this tiny sandwich cracker up best: “It’s an everything bagel with cream cheese, but lots of them in a little bag.” Well, almost. The crackers are missing one component of that classic seasoning mix — sesame seeds. (They’re made in a sesame seed-free facility.) According to the duo, though, we won’t miss them.

These “new-ish” Sweet Italian Chicken Sausages have been at TJ’s for a minute — since late last fall. But as we gear up for grilling season, Tara and Matt want to give them their moment in the sun. Specifically on a grill and paired with a Thai-inspired salad …

Another returning standout, this salad kit will be back on shelves around the beginning of April, according to Tara. Great on its own, Matt also thinks “a little bit of that smoke and char flavor [from the sausages] works really nicely with the slightly sweet [and] tangy peanut dressing that’s in this salad.” 

This isn’t your typical goat cheese log! For starters, it’s not a log at all. It’s a hard cheese, delicately mild, explains Matt, “and it’s rubbed with vanilla sugar.” (!!!) He calls it “sweet-ish” and says it “would be wonderful at the end of a meal” and “with any kind of fruit.”

Some people wait all year for this bottle to appear on shelves. Fellow TJ’s employee Michael, is one of those people. It’s a personal favorite of his “because it pairs exceptionally well with tequila.” Take a page from Tara’s invisible cocktail book and add the Chili Lime seasoning to the rim of your glass instead of salt.

Another returning favorite, this 16-ounce bottle makes one gallon of tea — just add hot or cold water. You can also take things a step (sip?!) further by adding sugar (hello, sweet tea), flavors (like raspberry or peach), or milk. (When making milk teas, the TJ’s team recommends swapping out the water for milk.)

Rounding out the trio of popular beverages making their comeback, you’ll find this bottle in the fridge cases. (All three of these beverages will be back in stores “mid- to late-April-ish,” says Tara.) Take a tip from Matt and make lemonade ice cubes to use in sparkling water or any other beverage of your choosing. Vodka Spicy Mango Lemonades, anyone? For extra kick, he sprinkles Chili Lime Seasoning in the cubes when they’re halfway frozen.

Easter is around the corner, which means we’re approaching the peak of egg-shaped treats. Arguably the best shape, these are covered in chocolate and filled with a “mousse-y goodness.” They’re back for another season and sold by the half dozen, so snag ‘em while you can.

The R&D team at Trader Joe’s is on a banana kick. First with the promise of mousse cakes and now with these banana-shaped chocolates filled with banana-flavored creme and cocoa nibs, for added crunch. They’re just “like the frozen Gone Bananas, but a candy version,” says Matt, and they’re already in select locations!

By the time you’re reading this, these cookies should already be in stores. (If not, they’re on their way!) A new twist on the beloved Mocha Joe-Joe’s, this cookie is filled with cream, then coated with dark chocolate and drizzled with a coffee-flavored vanilla drizzle on top. “I actually think of this as the cookie form of an expertly-pulled long shot of espresso,” says Matt.

Wondering what to sip with one of those decadent Joe-Joe’s? This limited-edition medium roast, made with beans grown in the Rwenzori mountains, aka the mountains of the moon, should also be on shelves now. Coincidence?! Yes, and it’s the best kind. Just note: The coffee is part of TJ’s small-lot coffee program, which means it’ll be gone before you know it. 

Coffee lovers, you’re in for a(nother) treat. TJ’s is bringing back these coffee-laden cones … right about now. (Let us know if you’ve already spotted them). It’s giving mocha creaminess. It’s giving chocolate crunch and crackle. It’s also giving quite the kick, so you may want to enjoy yours well before bedtime.

Hear that? That’s the sound of your neighbors peeling out of their driveways to restock their tart stash. Our TJ’s contributor says these rich, eggy custard tarts have one of the flakiest crusts she’s ever stumbled upon in a freezer section, and she knows crust! Grab your keys and we’ll see you in the freezer aisle.

Citrus for spring? We are here for it! These mini sheet cakes are joining their chocolate and vanilla counterparts in the bakery section in “the next week or two,” says Tara. “The cake is lemony, the cream cheese frosting is lemony and, on top, [you’ll find] sprinkled little bits of candied or crystallized lemon zest,” adds Matt. It’s another seasonal drop; blink and you might miss it.

We’ve yet to find a blueberry and lemon baked good we wouldn’t want seconds of, which is why we’re doubly excited to learn these all-butter crust hand pies are baaaaack. Sold in packs of two, you can eat one right out of the box (preferably after paying for it) and save one for later. Tara recommends popping it in the air fryer for added crispiness. 

This new cake mix is all the excuse you’ll need to celebrate. It comes with cake mix, frosting mix, and packet of rainbow sprinkles, so you decide when and where to add the edible confetti. Mixed into the batter? Sprinkled on top of the frosting? Both?! Note: You’ll need eggs, oil, and butter to take this mix from batter to baked (and fully frosted) good. 

Just like the festive Crackling Red Fruits in the Forest candle that dropped over the holidays, this comes in a brown glass jar with a silver metal lid (not the silver tins we’re accustomed to) and has a dual wick inside. It smells more like a tomato plant — think verdant, garden vibes — than tomatoes themselves. Matt warns, it may get you excited to grow a tomato plant of your own.

Could it be? The least edible item on the list is the most exciting! These totally new and, dare the TJ’s staff say, improved kitchen towels are more absorbent and get really soft over time, according to the hosts. They’re “way better at drying dishes than the ones we were offering,” adds Tara. “They kind of break in like a sweater.” Our eyes are officially peeled.

Which of these are you most excited about? Tell us in the comments below.