We independently select these products\u2014if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Working for Trader Joe\u2019s means you inevitably become some sort of culinary librarian. You live by a seasonal item calendar, sample hundreds (perhaps thousands) of products, and inevitably develop a lot<\/em> of strong opinions on the absolute best-of-all-time items at the store. When it comes to Trader Joe\u2019s, there are a lot <\/em>of feathers to ruffle when naming your end-all-be-all, would-take-with-me-on-a-desert-island favorite items of all time, too.<\/p>\n Let it be said: It really took a lot of deep contemplation to narrow this list down to just 22 items. The process was not unlike filling out a March Madness bracket. So many permutations and combinations to consider! I had to apologize to a lot<\/em> of my besties in the process (namely, many seasonal faves) but these selections are, without a doubt, the 22 items I can\u2019t imagine going without when doing my weekly shop any time of the year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Maybe these are some of yours, too? If they aren\u2019t, let me know which Trader Joe\u2019s picks I need to try ASAP for myself!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n If you\u2019re unfamiliar with my cheese bestie, Comt\u00e9<\/a>, it\u2019s my absolute pleasure to introduce you both! While you might think that Brie is the #1 most popular cheese in France, it\u2019s time to set the record straight. Comt\u00e9 is the big cheese, so to speak, and Trader Joe\u2019s has some deliciously affordable bricks of this nutty, buttery, lightly fruity cheese.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n A close cousin to Swiss Gruy\u00e8re (they basically can wave at each other from over the Alps), Comt\u00e9 is my go-to when it comes to gussying up a cheese board, mac and cheese<\/a>, or omelet, or for simply snacking right off the rind.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n It\u2019s not often you can just crack open a can and, bam! Lunch is basically already halfway made. But these stuffed grape leaves will have you on your way to a bomb mezze platter with just popping off the top of their unsuspecting can. In a very scientific taste test I conducted (just eating lots of grape leaves, including those of my favorite takeout joint), I\u2019ve decided I truly cannot taste the difference between these grape leaves and that of a restaurant.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n This packed jar contains perfectly briny grape leaves, with tender rice and plenty of herbs, already basically ready to accompany your Mediterranean feast<\/a>. Please, by all means, do your own taste tests! I look forward to hearing your results.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cSwicy\u201d (which means sweet + spicy) is taking over TikTok now, of course, but these Trader Joe\u2019s nuts were on the trend way before it was the next cool food party to join. At any point in time, I always have an emergency bag of these in my pantry, ready to jazz up freshly popped popcorn or trail mixes. They\u2019re exactly as their name suggests: roasted pecans coated in the ideal 50\/50 coating of sugar, spice (in this case, cayenne, ancho chile, and paprika), and everything nice (that perfect sprinkle of salt). Think: freshly roasted nuts you\u2019d get at the mall on the weekend, but just a bit more elevated.<\/p>\n Just be sure not to make the same mistake I often do when it comes to these nuts: Buy two bags. One will quickly become your post-grocery snack, and the second is for this kale salad with apple and cheddar<\/a> I make on repeat just for this crunchy topper.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n I\u2019m not sure what kind of technology the Trader Joe\u2019s development team has in their lab, but somehow they\u2019ve taken the experience of lobster and shrunken it down to shrimp-form (and at shrimp prices). One bite of these luxurious little shrimps will have you wondering how you got a buttery, sweet lobster-esque meal at a fraction of the price.<\/p>\n Plus, they\u2019re much easier (and way quicker) to cook up. It\u2019s nearly impossible to mess these guys up: Grill these on skewers<\/a> with your favorite glaze, add to a creamy risotto<\/a>, or stir into your next seafood paella<\/a> ASAP.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Don\u2019t lie: You love it when a Trader Joe\u2019s employee compliments the contents of your cart<\/a>. Having worked at Trader Joe\u2019s, I, too, shamelessly complimented anyone who had this in their cart. With a thick crust of spices that makes it ultra-reminiscent of a honey-baked ham, this pack puts all of the other bacon in the section to shame (and trust me, I tried them all in my two years at TJ\u2019s).<\/p>\n This extra-thick-cut bacon improves basically everything it touches: shrimp and grits<\/a>, a BLT<\/a>, black beans<\/a>, and yes, breakfast tacos<\/a>. Don\u2019t toss that bacon grease, either! It\u2019s liquid gold \u2014 perfect for roasting vegetables<\/a>, frying burgers, or drizzling on popcorn.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Many people look forward to pumpkin spice latte season, but I wait all year for another, completely opposite season: Arnold Palmer season. I get all kinds of elaborate with my perfect iced tea-lemonade combos, and this lemonade is my all-star for when I want something classic. When I had a taste of this Fresh Squeezed Lemonade at Trader Joe\u2019s, I was shook.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n It tastes just<\/em> like the lemonades of my childhood (especially those sold at baseball fields and state fairs), with the right amount of sweet-to-tart flavor that comes from only lemons, sugar, and water \u2014 no powdery ingredients in sight. I love muddling this with a bit of mint or basil, but my summertime standby is mixing up a 1:1 ratio of lemonade and iced tea with this and freshly brewed Mango Black Tea.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n I can\u2019t be the first one to tell you that these gingery cookies pack the most memorable punch in the whole cookie aisle at Trader Joe\u2019s<\/a>. If I am, well, your tea time and midnight snacks are never going to be the same once you bring a tub of these home. Packed with three different kinds of ginger (fresh, dried, and crystallized), Trader Joe\u2019s Triple Ginger Snaps are not just for eating straight-up, although they\u2019re very well-suited to that as well.<\/p>\n Most notably, a crew favorite way of eating these involved sandwiching two of these cookies around a dollop of sweet-tart lemon curd. The kick of ginger mixed with the tang of lemon will send your tastebuds to the stratosphere. Plus, the texture of these cookies is 12\/10; crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, these cookies are perfect for crumbling up to make a pie crust or layering into icebox cakes, where they become soft and cakey and irresistible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n One magic trick I\u2019m sure we\u2019ve all noticed that Trader Joe\u2019s performs is how close it can come to nailing the flavors of those somewhat-secret family recipes. This jar of Organic Vodka Sauce is absolutely one of those sleight of hand tricks that\u2019ll fool anyone into thinking it\u2019s a homemade sauce. I first stumbled upon this after my friend (who has her own honest-to-goodness Italian American nonna) sang its praises. She couldn\u2019t believe how close it tasted to the jar brought to her by the aforementioned nonna. We did a taste test of both and could truly not tell much of a difference \u2014 it\u2019s really that good!\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n If you\u2019re new to vodka sauce<\/a>, it contains, yes, vodka in it (and no, you won\u2019t feel \u201csauced\u201d on this sauce!). It also traditionally includes heavy cream, onion, crushed tomatoes, and butter, which get emulsified by the vodka to create this iconic silky, creamy sauce. It\u2019s one of my favorite pantry \u201clittle luxuries\u201d<\/a> to break out when I\u2019m feeling like a fancy-ish dinner in. It\u2019s great when using it with penne pasta, but it\u2019s also a next-level ingenious move to use it for topping pizza<\/a>, dipping breadsticks<\/a>, or tossing with lobster ravioli<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n These chips are delicious proof that you, too, can wish your favorite snacks back from the Land of\u00a0Discontinued Items. As it turns out, it took just a bit <\/em>longer than usual for Trader Joe\u2019s to find a new supplier to keep up with the demand of producing this objectively perfect chip, leaving their space on the shelf to be empty for much of 2023.<\/p>\n I\u2019m so glad they didn\u2019t give up, because I certainly demand them for many things, like Spanish tortillas<\/a>. Roasted to an earthy crispy crunch, these hearty chips make chips and dip feel like an event<\/em>. Which it kind of is, right?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Unfortunately and<\/em> fortunately, living in Los Angeles has ruined me for any other tacos in my life \u2014 especially when it comes to good birria<\/a>, the savory, spicy Mexican meat stew that is often served at celebrations like birthdays and Christmas.<\/p>\n I\u2019m sure you could see why I had to truly celebrate when I spotted this beef birria in the Trader Joe\u2019s freezer section. It\u2019s truly so frighteningly spot-on that I had to corroborate my feelings with a Californian friend to make sure my tastebuds weren\u2019t tricking me. (She agreed.) The birria is ridiculously tender, brothy, and needs no embellishment outside of perhaps some fried tortillas, a bit of chopped white onion, and cilantro. Throw in a Michelada and it\u2019s basically like you\u2019re eating a street taco fresh from the stall.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n If there was anything I loved doing while working at Trader Joe\u2019s, it was hyping up products that were so very much overlooked. Peep in the dictionary under \u201csleeper hit,\u201d and you\u2019ll see a picture of this selection of little sweet bites. 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 and coffee \u201cOpera\u201d-style cake, and a chocolate and caramel layer cake reminiscent of a chocoflan.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n No matter the flavor, you\u2019ll 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. It also saves you from any dessert-related FOMO, and aren\u2019t we always trying to avoid that?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n You know how, in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding<\/em><\/a>, the dad always thinks Windex improves everything? Well, that\u2019s absolutely how I am with Trader Joe\u2019s Garlic Spread & Dip<\/a>. Also known as toum, this fluffy, white spread is likely a familiar sight at your neighborhood Lebanese takeout spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n More complex than the sum of its parts, Trader Joe\u2019s Garlic Spread is made with garlic, lemon juice, and oil, whipped into a light, mayo-esque spread. Trader Joe\u2019s Garlic Spread is great for topping kebabs and avocado toast, tossing with roasted vegetables or pasta, or stirring into rice or mashed potatoes. My new favorite use? Using it in a grilled cheese<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n1. Comt\u00e9, $12.99 per pound<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
2. Dolmas, $2.99 for 9.9 ounces<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
3. Spicy Sweet Pecans, $4.49 for 5 ounces<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
4. Raw Argentinian Red Shrimp, $11.99 for 16 ounces<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
5. Uncured Black Forest Bacon, $6.49 for 12 ounces<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
6. Fresh Squeezed Lemonade, $3.49 for 52 Fluid Ounces<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
7. Triple Ginger Snaps, $3.99 for 14 ounces<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
8. Organic Vodka Sauce, $3.29 for 25 ounces<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
9. Dark Russet Potato Chips, $2.99 for 7 ounces<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
10. Beef Birria, $7.99 for 16 ounces<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
11. A Dozen Sweet Bites, $5.99 for 9.16 ounces<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
12. Garlic Spread & Dip, $2.99 for 8 ounces<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n