Trader Joe's Cinnamon Buns with Cream Cheese Frosting

Last year we looked at some Danish pastries that made cardamom the star of the spice show. I wasn't particularly smitten with those, but Sonia liked them pretty well. I simply prefer good old American cinnamon buns.

And you might expect this product to be exactly that: a classic Cinnabon-esque dessert treat. However, this too is an actual product of Denmark. I'm not sure how that works. Baked fresh in Copenhagen? And then...teleported to Trader Joe's all over the USA?

This product is almost like if you split the difference between the above-mentioned Brown Sugar Cardamom Buns and your classic American cinnamon bun. I could have sworn I tasted cardamom or clove in ours, but there's nothing like that listed in the ingredients. It's just molasses, brown sugar, and cinnamon in terms of spices and sweeteners.

There's a tartness to these buns that's atypical of most cinnamon buns I've tried. It's unexpected but not entirely unwelcome. I see "citrus fiber" and "cheese culture" in the ingredients. It could be either of those elements providing the tang.

All things considered, though, these treats are sweet, bready, and indulgent. They're much better when warmed up for a spell. I was worried they'd dry out in the oven, so we nuked ours for 12 seconds the first time. They were even better when zapped for about 20 seconds. The cream cheese frosting—arguably the best part of the product—melts and dribbles all over the buns and wakes up a lot of the pastry's more subtle flavors.

As decent and unique as these baked goods are, I think both Sonia and I would opt for other fall treats before picking up this product again. I'll throw out seven out of ten stars for Trader Joe's Cinnamon Buns with Cream Cheese Frosting. The beautiful wifey will go with eight out of ten.

Bottom line: 7.5 out of 10.