Trader Joe's Sweet Chili Black-Eyed Pea Tempeh Chips

I've always been an adventurous eater. A lot of it was because of some food sensitivities I had when I was younger. I was constantly being fed alternative grains, milks, meats, and what my friends considered "health food." Some of it was definitely delicious...and some of it was downright disgusting.

But eating, for me, was all about the discovery of new things. While my friends stuck with old standbys, I was drinking goat milk, rice milk, and oat milk decades before they were cool. I was eating bison burgers while my peers were eating McDonald's for the fourth time in a week. As far as grains were concerned, wheat was forbidden by my parents for most of my childhood. I ate rice bread, millet bread, and pancakes made with amaranth flour, among other things.

Even so, I'd never even heard of foods like seitan and tempeh until I befriended a group of vegetarians and vegans while living in Wilmington, NC in my early twenties. They introduced me to dishes that included tofu and soybean-based tempeh. I can still count on one hand the number of times I've had tempeh since then, but I'll never forget my first time trying it. I liked it. Didn't love it—but I liked it.

Apparently, Trader Joe's Sweet Chili Tempeh Chips are made with black-eyed peas rather than soybeans. That's just fine with me. I just realized two things while researching basic info about tempeh: 1) tempeh is fermented and uses a "starter culture" somewhat akin to sourdough and 2) tempeh is a traditional Indonesian food—and this product is indeed imported from Indonesia.

That said, these are very tasty chips. They're gluten free, they come in a resealable bag, and they're surprisingly spicy. There's definitely a sweet chili flavor not unlike your typical sweet Thai chili sauce, although not quite as syrupy sweet. Underneath, there's a good bit of saltiness and the earthy, nutty essence of black-eyed peas.

They're crispy and crunchy and remind me a bit of other bean-based chips—like traditional chips or crisps but denser and a bit more hearty. There's a faint dusting of powdery garlic and paprika on the surface of the chips and they're just mildly oily, too. They've got coconut oil but I wouldn't say any coconut shows up in the flavor profile in any meaningful way.

$3.49 for the 3 oz resealable bag. Gluten free. Product of Indonesia. Sonia and I would buy this again, but we fully recognize this is a product that won't be for everyone. If spicy chips made with black-eyed peas sound intriguing, we say give 'em a try. I can't imagine these will be at Trader Joe's forever, but I wouldn't be upset if they were. Eight out of ten stars from both Sonia and me for Trader Joe's Sweet Chili Black-Eyed Pea Tempeh Chips.

Bottom line: 8 out of 10.

Trader Joe's All Mixed Up Ice Cream

When I look at the title of this product, I think of that old 311 song "All mixed up, don't know what to do/ Next thing you turn around and find the person is you." Anybody else? Just me? That song was probably before your time if you were born in the last 30 years or so.

As far as the ice cream goes, I like it. I like Trader Joe's All Mixed Up quite a bit, actually. I want to LOVE it, but there are just a few things about it that I have slight reservations about. But let's be positive and look at all the things that are working here.

First off, I'm glad they went with a vanilla ice cream base. Vanilla is the obvious choice when you're doing something weird and complicated, where the mix-ins are providing most of the flavor and interest. Those of you who've been reading for a while know that I love peanut butter and peanut butter-based desserts. There is an actual peanut butter swirl in here as well as mini chocolate peanut butter cups. Both elements are well-represented and balance out the vanilla sweetness with a rich, savory nuttiness.

I like the pretzels, too. They provide a nice carb-o-riffic crunch and a bit of brittle breadiness. I am not, however, a fan of the candy coating around the pretzels. To me, it's unnecessary to add a confectionery coating to something that is already highly indulgent and intensely sweet. It's like a Buddy the Elf move. There's a reason normal people don't add frosting to vanilla pudding.

The chocolate and vanilla creme sandwich cookie bits are fine but totally unnecessary IMO. The pieces are quite small for the most part, so they didn't really influence my enjoyment of the peanut butter elements either way. Similarly, the rainbow sprinkles are inconsequential aside from some potential visual appeal—if you're into that sort of thing.

I would have leaned into the peanut butter and pretzel elements and not messed around with sandwich cookies, candy coatings, and jimmies if it were me, but then we'd basically have Trader Joe's Chubby Hubby, which I'd be totally fine with. However, it's peanut buttery enough as it stands, so I'll give it a decent score.

$3.99 for the pint. Kosher. I would buy it again while Sonia would not. Eight out of ten stars from me for Trader Joe's All Mixed Up Ice Cream. Sonia likes the peanut butter in the ice cream, as well, but she thinks it's way too busy overall. She prefers simpler desserts in her old age. Seven out of ten stars from her.

Nathan's score: 8 out of 10.

Sonia's score: 7 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Basil & Garlic Monterey Jack Cheese

Trader Joe's Basil & Garlic Monterey Jack Cheese just sounds delicious, doesn't it? I wouldn't have minded more garlic, but nevertheless this is one tasty product. There's a surprising amount of basil flavor. It almost tastes like pesto...but it's cheese.

It also contains actual roasted garlic puree. My goodness. Why didn't someone think of that sooner? I mean, maybe somebody did, but this is the first I'm hearing of it. There is a reasonable amount of garlic flavor, but I think they could have amped it up, personally. But then Sonia and I are both oddly fond of garlic. Raw garlic. Roasted garlic. Black garlic. You name it. I think pureed garlic is a good choice for this cheese. Big chunks of garlic might have made the texture a bit funky.

We threw this cheese on our Italian subs with beef bresaola and turkey pepperoni. It was perfect. We put slices on our chicken burgers, too. Again, perfection. It adds not only the creamy, buttery milkiness of Monterey Jack, but also the peppery bite of basil and the umami herbaceousness of garlic. It worked on grilled cheese, in omelets, and on salads.

There’s something almost unfair about putting basil and garlic into Monterey Jack. Monterey Jack is already one of those cheeses that seems genetically engineered to get along with everybody—it’s mild and creamy and generally just happy to be here. Then along come basil and roasted garlic, giving the whole thing an Italian makeover. It’s like Monterey Jack went on vacation to Italy, came back wearing linen pants, and now won’t stop talking about how much better everything is over there. And honestly? I’m okay with it. This cheese has personality without becoming one of those aggressively flavored cheeses that tastes like somebody emptied the spice cabinet into a vat of dairy.

I went through a pepper jack phase some years ago, but I've since grown out of it. Let the days of basil jack begin. Five bucks for ten slices. Kosher. Would buy again. Sonia and I both give Trader Joe's Basil & Garlic Monterey Jack Cheese eight and a half out of ten stars.

Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Tater Bites

You get two tater bites for $3.49 and the whole package is only 280 calories. Just toss in the air fryer for 7 minutes at 375°F or check to make sure the internal temp of the bites is 165° or higher. Ours hit the mark at around 6 minutes.

Trader Joe's Tater Bites come out nice and crispy on the outside. On the inside, there's a souffle-esque conglomeration of cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, eggs, potatoes, and chives. They're moist but not to the point of sogginess. They hold their shape even after you've taken a few forkfuls.

Flavor-wise, it seems like the eggs dominate. I mean, we already have Trader Joe's Egg Bites in a few flavors, so...I was really wanting these to be more potatoey. I was hoping for something like a hash brown but with cheese and chives mixed in. But that's not what we have here. Egg lovers, rejoice. Potato lovers, lament.

Actually, now that I look at the ingredients, potato does outrank egg by a good margin. I think what I originally thought was all egg is actually cottage cheese and cheddar. Just visually, it looks like eggs, but I guess cottage cheese whirled up with cheddar cheese would resemble beaten eggs. Anyway, I digress...

The overall flavor is really nice. It's cheesy and chivey and there's a whisper of salt and pepper in the background. It's hearty and filling and fairly satisfying. I just don't get much of a potato vibe even though potato is the number one ingredient.

Still, it's a very convenient breakfast and not bad tasting at all. Three and a half bucks, found in the refrigerated section. Would buy again. The beautiful wifey gives Trader Joe's Tater Bites eight and a half stars. I'll throw out seven and a half.

Sonia's score: 8.5 out of 10.

Nathan's score: 7.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Spicy Queso Dip

I'm not gonna lie. This is some of the best queso dip I've ever had. From the white cheddar cheese to the jalapeño, chipotle, and bell peppers to the spices and seasonings in the background, Trader Joe's Spicy Queso gets a solid thumbs up from both Sonia and me.

The spice level is just about right for us. I think we might have wanted something spicier during our Los Angeles years, but time on the East Coast and Midwest have tamed our tongues just a tad. We still like spicy foods, but our tolerance has waned considerably. I have a theory that the relatively arid climate in SoCal dulls one's taste buds and requires picante provisions to wake them up. Anyway, this product has a nice moderate kick but doesn't come close to making us uncomfortable.

It's nice and smoky thanks to the chipotle flavors. It's creamy, thick, and it coats quite well. There are actually little pieces of pepper floating all throughout the sauce. Sonia and I made some loaded nachos with this, black beans, lettuce, chicken, and sour cream. You can see the product in its purest form by itself, though, so that's the pic we left you with above. Plus, it's plenty tasty enough on its own with nothing but tortilla chips. That's one of Trader Joe's Unsalted Organic White Corn Tortilla Chips up there...in case you were wondering.

There are heating instructions given on the little tub. It says to remove the lid and place a damp paper towel on top but they want you to keep the queso in the plastic and microwave for 30 second intervals. Since we didn't eat the whole tub in one sitting (though we probably could have) we just put our portion in another small bowl and nuked it for about 20-25 seconds. Also, we don't like microwaving stuff in plastic if we can avoid it, even if the container is microwave safe in theory.

And there's probably a lot more you could do with this stuff besides the obvious chips and cheese routine. I could see using it as a sauce for tacos, burritos, or enchiladas, drizzling it over a baked potato, or spooning some onto a burger or grilled chicken sandwich. It would also make a pretty killer dipping sauce for fries, taquitos, or just about anything else that benefits from being dunked into a vat of warm, cheesy goodness. We only scratched the surface with our nachos, but the tub didn't last long enough to do anything much more fancy.

$3.99 for 10 oz, comes refrigerated. Would buy again. Eight and a half stars from this guy for Trader Joe's Spicy Queso Dip with Jalapeños and Smoky Chipotle. Sonia will go with nine out of ten.

Bottom line: 8.75 out of 10.

Hardywood Tangerine Cream Ale

Unpopular opinion: Hardywood Tangerine Cream Ale tastes neither like dessert nor beer. After being pleasantly surprised by the last Trader Joe's Hardywood collab, the Joe-Joe's Vanilla Creme Stout, we decided to pick up a four pack of this happy summer libation, and we drank some on our most recent video review.

It's certainly not bad beer, but it's not really my thing in the end, either. Like other cream ales, there's a light crispness to the beverage, and with significant vanilla notes coming through, it does indeed taste "creamy" in the traditional sense in a way. There's a modest amount of citrus in the background, but not nearly as much as I was expecting or hoping for in a beverage that's putting out a distinct dessert vibe and gives the word "tangerine" top billing in its title.

It wasn't as sweet as I was expecting it to be. Nor was it anything like most ales I've had. Disclaimer: I haven't had many traditional cream ales or fruited wheat beers which, I'm told, is what this drink is most comparable to. Obviously, I wasn't expecting something as hoppy as an IPA or as malty as a stout or porter, but if it's not going to taste like dessert, I was expecting it to taste a bit more beer-ish.

With an ABV of 6%, this brew is slightly higher than your average ale, so a couple of the one pint cans might give you a little buzz. The price tag is a bit steep IMO at $3.75 for a single serving or $15 for the four pack. In terms of pairing with light warm weather fare, I'd point to the Josephsbrau Grapefruit Radler, in terms of overall taste and value, over this one. But that's just my opinion. I know it's like comparing apples and oranges—er, tangerines and grapefruits—as the case may be, but they're both popular fruity beers available at Trader Joe's in the summertime.

I will note this brew tastes and feels much better the colder you can get it—as is the case with most beers, to be fair. Sonia liked this beverage a bit more than I did. Ultimately, we'll both score this one a little lower than that recently-reviewed radler. Eight out of ten stars from the beautiful wifey. Six and a half stars from me for Hardywood Tangerine Cream Ale...which tastes nothing like the Tangerine Cream Bars.

Sonia's score: 8 out of 10.

Nathan's score: 6.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Deli Sandwich Style Potato Chips

Never been a huge fan of plain potato chips. I'll nibble on one or two if I want something salty, but I generally find them boring. I'll eat barbecue flavored chips all day long. Or give me something with onions or chives and some kind of sassy sauce—like Trader Joe's Ridge Cut Horseradish Chips.

That said, Trader Joe's Deli Sandwich Style Potato Chips are some of the best "plain" potato chips I've ever had. They have a "vegetarian deli style seasoning" on them. Neither Sonia nor I really know what that means, but we like the flavor of these chips quite a bit.

They're fried in vegetable oil, and they have a nice rich—almost buttery—feeling to them. "Milk" is actually listed in the ingredients. Not sure how common that is in potato chips, but it works here somehow. There's a modest vinegar flavor underneath the potato and oil, and Sonia likened these to salt & vinegar chips. I thought they tasted very similar to Trader Joe's Chips In a Pickle, but with noticeably milder pickle flavor. There's even a hint of mustard in the mix.

They're quite crunchy, but they're not obnoxiously hard. That butteriness lends itself to the mouthfeel just a bit, too. They're a little oily, but not in a bad way. These are honestly an outstanding companion to any deli style sandwich.

$2.99 for the 7 oz bag. Kosher. Would buy again. Trader Joe's Deli Sandwich Style Potato Chips are "plain" chips that are absolutely not plain. That flavor is rich, zippy, and uncommon. On the video review, upon first taste, I gave these chips seven and a half stars—a very good score for me for potato chips, but I think I'm going to have to raise that to match the beautiful wifey's score of eight out of ten. These are definitely "really darn good" potato chips.

Bottom line: 8 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Fresh Cut Watermelon Chunks

I'm the first one to admit Trader Joe's isn't always the best place to buy fresh produce. But Sonia was quick to point out that we've never even tried any of their pre-cut fruit options. Hey, there's a first time for everything, so we picked up a batch of Trader Joe's Fresh Cut Watermelon Chunks.

Hot take: this batch of watermelon was pretty good. At $3.99 for a full pound of pre-cut, fully de-rinded seedless watermelon, it was a great value. They were nice uniform cubes, none too big, none too small—perfectly bite-sized.

As is the case with most watermelons, certain pieces were a darker shade of red than the others. There was a sliding scale going from pale pink or almost white to that deep rich red that you want to find. I'd seek out the reddest piece, stab it with my fork, and pop it in my mouth. So good. There's nothing like cold watermelon on a hot day.

The paler pieces were, unfortunately, far less sweet and far less scrumptious than their deep red counterparts. They weren't awful—far from inedible. They were simply, predictably, not as good. Just a tad bland.

I'm pretty picky when it comes to fresh fruit in general, but especially with watermelon. I'd say about 2/3 of the plastic tub was up to my standards. I ate a few of the paler specimens just to convince myself that they weren't really up to snuff, and the beautiful wifey took one for the team and finished them off after dressing them up a bit with lime juice and Trader Joe's Chile Lime Seasoning.

All things considered, I think we'd buy this product again. It was at least as good as other batches of pre-cut watermelon I've had from other grocery stores. Product of the USA. Let's go with seven and a half from me for Trader Joe's Fresh Cut Watermelon Chunks. Sonia will go with eight out of ten.

Bottom line: 7.75 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Sliced Bresaola Uncured Beef Prosciutto

Pork purists may be appalled by this peculiar prosciutto product. Sonia and I were pleasantly pleased. We don't perpetually partake of pig.

Trader Joe's Uncured Beef Bresaola is the first bresaola I've ever had. It's very similar to traditional prosciutto in some ways, but it's made with very thinly-sliced beef instead of ham. It's dry aged, salted, and seasoned, and it gets dehydrated during the preservation process. The result is a very unique cut of meat. It's delicate like prosciutto, salty, and meaty.

The beautiful wifey and I have tried our hands at fancy charcuterie boards in the past, but this time we just went lowbrow. We treated these sumptuous slices of beef like common cold cuts and opted for Italian subs. We grabbed some basic hoagie rolls and stuffed them with this bresaola, Trader Joe's Garlic & Basil Monterey Jack Cheese Slices, some iceberg lettuce, as well as some Applegate Turkey Pepperoni. With just a touch of mustard and mayo, we were in business. They made very tasty little subs. I think they might have been even better if we'd drizzled them with red wine vinaigrette instead of traditional condiments. Oh well. There's always next time.

This bresaola is mostly lean, but there are swaths of fat running through the slices. Most bites are slightly firm and a tad chewy, not unlike the mouthfeel of a slice of pepperoni. It's not too far from the texture of regular prosciutto, but there's less fat overall and less melt-in-your-mouth softness.

It's saltier and more peppery than, say, a typical slice of roast beef. It still has the same red meat flavor, but the super thin slices make it feel lighter somehow. You can taste hints of the celery powder, cherry powder, nutmeg, and clove used in the curing process, but they're extremely subtle.

$6.99 is a little steep for about 15 thin slices of meat, but it's a very unique product. We might buy it again for a special occasion. Sonia was a little more enthusiastic than I was, so she'll spring for eight and a half stars. I'll go with seven and a half on Trader Joe's Sliced Bresaola Uncured Beef Prosciutto.

Sonia's score: 8.5 out of 10.

Nathan's score: 7.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Hard Cooked Eggs

Trader Joe's Hard Cooked Eggs will run you $3.49 for six eggs. They're found refrigerated near the other egg products and they come in a resealable bag. Obviously, you're paying for the packaging and the convenience since TJ's basic eggs are usually in the ballpark of three and a half bucks for a dozen.

The eggs in our bag were unblemished—nice smooth whole hard-boiled eggs. None were broken or pierced. There's a small amount of moisture in the bag, as you'd expect. There is a cautionary note on the packaging indicating there may be shell fragments in the product, but we found absolutely none in ours.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume that just about everyone reading this knows what a hard-boiled egg tastes and feels like, so I guess we'll skip over the part where I describe the flavor and texture to you. We ate a couple straight out of the bag and then Sonia made egg salad with the rest. See pic. Yes, those are Trader Joe's Pickled Red Onions in the egg salad. Yummy.

We hard boil our own eggs. I like eggs just fine and the beautiful wifey is downright obsessed with them. We just wanted to check out this product and assess the quality and value because that's what we do here. Been doing it for 16 years—in fact August 16th will mark the 16th anniversary of this blog exactly. Not gonna stop any time soon.

If you've got $3.49 burning a hole in your pocket and a hankering for hard-boiled...er hard-cooked eggs, there's no reason not to buy these. It's obviously cheaper to make them yourself, but if you're short on time or just plain lazy, these will do just fine. Would be a nice item to take on a picnic or road trip. Kosher. Sourced from cage free hens. Purchased on August 2 with a "best by" date of September 23. Eight out of ten stars for Trader Joe's Hard Cooked Eggs.

Bottom line: 8 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Chicken Burgers

Years ago, we had Trader Joe's Chile Lime Chicken Burgers. Enticed by the "chile lime" part of the product title, Sonia and I picked them up at least a handful of times back in the day. They came frozen and prepared easily, and they remained there in the freezer at TJ's for many, many years. However, we found the chile lime flavor wanting a bit. I think they could have amped up the spice and citrus in a big way to make those burgers more interesting. But they were popular until their discontinuation circa 2022 or so.

Apparently Trader Joe's offered a refrigerated product called Roasted Chicken Patties during 2008-2009. I guess those, too, disappeared around the inception of this blog in 2010. Never got around to reviewing them here. There was also a version with four cheeses, spinach, and artichoke smashed right into the patties. Not sure why that one went the way of the dodo either.

Enter: Trader Joe's Chicken Burgers 2026: The Next Generation. Love 'em. They don't advertise any fancy spices or citrus flavors, so I wasn't expecting anything special. Plot twist: the seasoning blend here is excellent. They have the same great texture as other chicken burgers I've tried from TJ's and elsewhere, but these also pack a pleasant savory flavor.

We're looking at sea salt, vinegar powder, garlic, onion, rosemary, basil, black pepper, and parsley. That's a beautiful seasoning combo. They paired perfectly with Trader Joe's Basil & Garlic Monterey Jack Cheese and made a delicious lunch for us the other day. We threw them on brioche buns with lettuce, mustard, mayo, and the above-mentioned TJ's brand cheese. Scrump-dilly.

We did eat the other patty plain. Sans fixins. Au naturel. Plain. Simple. Unadorned. It was not only very edible that way, but we think this might be a repeat purchase since it's such an agreeable way to get 19g of protein without many carbs. Not too chewy, not too tough. These burgers hit the spot.

$3.79 for two patties. Found in the refrigerated section. We heated one patty in the George Foreman and it came out great. The other one we cooked up in the skillet and it was just as good, really. Would buy again. I'll throw out eight out of ten stars for Trader Joe's Chicken Burgers. Sonia will go with eight and a half.

Bottom line: 8.25 out of 10.

Josephsbrau Grapefruit Radler

Apparently a "radler" is a mixture of beer and fruit juice, while a shandy is beer plus lemonade. Can't say they're really my thing, but a shandy can really hit the spot in terms of refreshment on a hot August day. I think Trader Joe's Grapefruit Radler is the first radler I've ever had, and it too is quite suitable for quenching one's thirst during these dog days of summer.

It's pretty grapefruit forward—sweet and citrusy like grapefruit juice. It's a little tart with a hint of grapefruit rind bitterness. Underneath the fruit flavor, there's a nice wheaty hefeweizen base. Hefeweizens tend to lend themselves to wedges of citrus fruits and this one blends pretty seamlessly with the grapefruit. I suppose you could add a wedge of ruby red or whatever you've got on hand to make the beverage even more fruitastic.

It paired quite nicely with Trader Joe's new Chicken Burgers and Trader Joe's Deli Sandwich Potato Chips. The citrusy sweetness would go well with anything salty, spicy, smoky, or savory I think. It's perfectly suitable for backyard barbecues and picnic fare.

The Josephsbrau beers are brewed for Trader Joe's by Gordon Biersch. We've also looked at:

Josephsbrau Plznr

Josephsbrau Oktoberfest

Josephsbrau Winter Brew

Josephsbrau Spring Prost

Josephsbrau Drive Thru Red

$7.99 for a box of four pint cans. 3.5% ABV. Would buy again. Eight and a half stars from the beautiful wifey. Seven and a half stars from me for Josephsbrau Grapefruit Radler.

Sonia's score: 8.5 out of 10.

Nathan's score: 7.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Chicken Breast Bites

This is one of those products that doesn't seem like it could possibly be impressive with just chicken and a bit of sauce and yet, somehow, Trader Joe's Chicken Breast Bites are actually shockingly good. At four bucks for just shy of four ounces, it's not exactly a steal, but as usual, you get what you pay for.

The quality of the chicken in this case is superb. Imported from Canada for some strange reason, this pollo is 100% pristine white breast meat. If you've been reading for a while, you'll know I'm a white meat guy when it comes to poultry, and this offering didn't disappoint. The seasoning blend is also top-shelf, featuring a rotisserie-esque combo of rosemary, vinegar powder, garlic, and black pepper.

When I first saw this item in the store, I thought I was looking at chicken with some kind of queso dip in the little reservoir. It's actually honey mustard, and it's also very good. Containing actual honey, mustard powder, and mustard seed, it's sweet, tangy, and turns the plain chicken into a satisfying snack all by itself. Sonia and I shared the small pack, and it was plenty of protein (22g) and sugar for an afternoon pick-me-up for both of us.

The pack comes with a little wooden skewer that Sonia was fond of using. I just made sure my hands were nice and clean and went in using my stubby fingers. There's just about the right amount of the sauce, and some of the chicken bites were surprisingly large and chunky.

We'd both buy this one again. $3.99, found in the refrigerated section near the wraps and salads. Product of Canada. Sonia gives Trader Joe's Chicken Breast Bites with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce a very impressive nine out of ten stars. I'll throw out eight out of ten.

Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Cookie Dough Ice Cream Bites

When I first looked at Trader Joe's Cookie Dough Ice Cream Bites, I made what I thought was a perfectly reasonable assumption: chocolate shell on the outside, cookie dough ice cream on the inside. You know...basically a miniature ice cream bonbon with a cookie dough identity crisis.

Nope.

Instead, Trader Joe's pulled a sneaky one. These little guys are actually made with a shell of chocolate chip cookie dough wrapped around creamy vanilla ice cream. If only all chocolate chip cookies had big globs of vanilla crème in their middles...

The cookie dough shell absolutely steals the show here. It's buttery, soft, and just a little chewy—the texture lands in that magical sweet spot where it's sturdy enough to keep the ice cream from escaping, but seldom feels tough or frozen solid. If they are feeling a little too firm, just let them thaw for a couple minutes and they get soft right quick.

There are chocolate chips mixed throughout, but they're refreshingly tiny. Rather than turning every bite into a dental obstacle course, they simply add little pops of chocolate without distracting from that glorious raw cookie dough flavor we all secretly know is the best part of making cookies anyway.

Inside, the vanilla ice cream is smooth, creamy, and pleasantly sweet without trying to overpower everything else. Honestly, I expected either the cookie dough or the ice cream to dominate, but Trader Joe's somehow found the Goldilocks zone. Every bite feels balanced, with neither component hogging the spotlight.

Sure, these aren't quite as sophisticated as that fantastic Lemon Tiramisu, actually imported from Italy. These bites aren't exactly transcendent or life-changing. But if we're talking pure enjoyment? This is probably the best sweet treat or dessert we've seen at Trader Joe's since that stellar citrusy delight.

They're poppable, dangerously easy to keep eating, and somehow manage to feel nostalgic without tasting gimmicky. Trader Joe's Cookie Dough Ice Cream Bites are simple, ridiculously satisfying, and proof that sometimes the best desserts don't need to be too fancy. Both Sonia and I landed on the exact same score without even comparing notes: eight and a half out of ten stars.

Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Chicken Salad Croissant Sandwich

If you've ever been standing in front of TJ's refrigerated grab-and-go section wondering whether Trader Joe's Chicken Salad Croissant Sandwich is the lunch hero you deserve, I've done the dirty work for you.

At first glance, this sandwich makes a pretty solid first impression. The croissant is buttery, flaky, and exactly the sort of bread that convinces you you're making a classy life decision. Unfortunately, you'll quickly find that the parts of the croissant touching the filling are noticeably soggy, creating a texture that feels less like a French bakery and more like yesterday's leftovers.

The chicken salad itself is nice. It's creamy without drowning in mayonnaise and there are plenty of respectable-sized chunks of chicken throughout. Our only complaint? We wanted more of it. The filling-to-bread ratio leaves the croissant doing a little too much of the heavy lifting.

Then there are the greens. The sheets of lettuce don't really contribute much besides a few stringy bites that make you wonder why they were invited to the party in the first place. They don't add freshness, crunch, or much flavor—just a minor obstacle between you and the chicken salad.

Overall, the flavor is genuinely enjoyable. The ingredients work well together, and it's tasty enough. The problem is the texture. Between the soggy croissant and the stringy greens, every few bites feel like a bit of a gamble. It's also quite messy, as the chicken salad wants to flee the croissant at the first sign of movement.

At $4.49, this chicken salad sandwich is an okay value, but it doesn't quite rise above the crowded field of convenient lunches. We'd happily eat it again if it magically appeared in front of us, but we probably wouldn't go out of our way to buy another one.

In summary, there's a good flavor, questionable texture, and a decent but not spectacular value. Sonia and I will both give Trader Joe's Chicken Salad Croissant Sandwich a perfectly respectable seven out of ten stars. Watch our video review of this sandwich by clicking this link.

Bottom line: 7 out of 10.

Haul & Oats, August 2026

image generated by Gemini

Time for another big Trader Joe's run. Yet again, we bought as many brand new products as we could get our hands on. We also bought dozens of classic items like salsas, drinks, and sauces. Sonia bought her favorite unsweetened instant oatmeal, too. That's why I've dubbed this one Haul & Oats, get it?

She likes Trader Joe's Unsweetened Instant Oatmeal for the multiple grains: oats, quinoa, and amaranth. She also likes that it's unsweetened in this case so she can use honey and berries to sweeten it herself. $3.79 for 8 packets. Gluten free. Kosher. She gives it 9 out of 10 stars. Looky here for nutrition info.

Let us know in the comments which products you'd like us to review first. We've already sampled a good many of these new items and have a few reviews coming down the pipeline, so stay tuned. Please check out the haul video in YouTube and like, share, hype, and subscribe! Thanks for watching.

Trader Joe's Pickled Red Onions

Trader Joe's Pickled Red Onions are all about the convenience factor. For $3.29, you get 12 oz of the tangy, crunchy condiment. Sure, you could make your own. But will you? For some folks the answer is yes, and they're already in the habit of chopping and pickling their own onions right in the kitchen. For others, the answer is "I could, but I know I won't."

Both answers are valid. Sonia and I sometimes buy a jar of pickles and then when we've finished the product within, we save the juice and pickle whatever else needs pickling: onions, cucumbers, jalapeños...you name it. I just don't trust myself to get the vinegar to salt to sugar ratio quite as perfectly as a company that's been pickling stuff professionally for decades.

Trader Joe's Pickled Red Onions are quite vinegary—more so than other pickled onions I've tried. That's certainly not a bad thing, especially if you like the acidic taste of vinegar. There's plenty of onion flavor and the garlic, salt, and black peppercorn adds a faint but noticeable background essence. I think I prefer the Lime Pickled Onions from Broken Taco when it comes right down to it, but they tend to be a bit more expensive.

These pickled onions add a nice tang to tacos, burgers, and salads. We're especially fond of putting them in beef tacos—see pic. They're also legit on hotdogs and avocado toast. I threw some on top of an omelette as a garnish and it worked just fine. The sky's the limit. The only question is: how will we use the leftover pickle juice once the onions are gone? If we throw little cucumber slices in the jar will we get oniony pickles?

Sonia and I would both buy this one again. Just as good as Trader Joe's Pickled Jalapeño Slices. The beautiful wifey will go with eight out of ten stars on Trader Joe's Pickled Red Onions. I'll throw out seven and a half.

Bottom line: 7.75 out of 10.