Trader Joe's Chocolate & Peanut Butter Lover's Nut Mix

Well, this product was released around Valentine's Day and for some strange reason is still around. It's an unusual mix of nuts, cookies, pretzels, and mini peanut butter cups. At first, neither Sonia nor I were particularly enamored with it. It seemed dry and kind of boring.

But over time, it grew on both of us. I think for me it was the uniqueness of the elements and the plethora of almonds and cashews in the bag. For Sonia, it was the absence of "milk chocolate gems" which seem to make an appearance in nearly all of Trader Joe's snack mixes that put this blend over the top into winning territory for her. Let's break it down ingredient by ingredient, as we've done in the past.

First up, Trader Joe's Tiniest Chocolate Chip Cookies. They're probably the most unnecessary element in the mix. At least at one point, TJ's sold these by themselves in a resealable bag. They got a 6.5 out of 10 on this blog. So...they're just kinda "meh." Plus, this is a chocolate and peanut butter lover's mix, not a chocolate chip cookie lover's mix.

Next, let's look at the pretzel sticks. Also somewhat pointless, but some type of pretzels generally get thrown into every trek mix/trail mix/nut mix/snack mix in existence. They add crunch and saltiness, but again, do they really have a place in a chocolate and peanut butter mix?

Mini Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. Okay, now we're talking. With plenty of milk chocolate and peanut butter in every little cup, these things are great. They make up for the humdrum cookies and pretzel sticks. In fact, if there were too many of these guys in the mix, it might be a bit too much chocolate and peanut butter.

Almonds. Whole almonds, roasted, covered in sea salt. Very nice. I guess you have to love almonds in addition to chocolate and peanut butter. Fortunately, both the beautiful wifey and I do.

Cocoa dusted dark chocolate almonds. More almonds, but with a twist this time. They have a layer of dark chocolate on them. A bit of dark chocolate in the mix is interesting. It provides a slightly richer flavor and a bit more complexity to the overall flavor of the snack.

Cashews. It's getting pretty nutty in here now. Gotta love cashew halves. They just bring even more rich, nut-tacular flavor.

Finally, peanuts. Wait. There are no peanuts in a peanut butter lover's mix? Version 2.0 should totally have peanuts. If I were the mix master, I would lose the little cookies and throw in peanuts, for sure.

$5.49 for the 12 oz resealable bag. Kosher. In the end, the lack of peanuts and inclusion of a couple of superfluous elements will put me in the "not bad" territory. I'll spring for seven and a half stars out of ten on Trader Joe's Chocolate & Peanut Butter Lover's Nut Mix. Sonia will go with a full star more than me: eight and a half out of ten stars.

Bottom line: 8 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Strawberry Mochi

It seemed like for a long time, Trader Joe's mainly just carried Mikawaya brand mochi. In fact, Mikawaya mochi was the first ever non-Trader Joe's brand product that we reviewed on this blog. It was also the first ever dessert item we reviewed on this blog, a full 15 years ago this month.

Slowly, TJ's rolled out their own line of mochi with specialty flavors like mango and pumpkin pie. Mikawaya brand suffered from a few recalls of their products throughout the years and eventually, Trader Joe's just started offering their own classic flavors like vanilla and, of course, strawberry. 

This is the fist time we've tried Trader Joe's own strawberry, but we've had Mikawaya's version from TJ's many times throughout the years. Internet rumors suggest Bubbie's Ice Cream is Joe's supplier for their own line of mochi.

Well, shoot, these strawberry mochi are delicious...but maybe not quite as delicious as the Mikawaya strawberry..? The rice shell seems much stiffer on these for some reason. I guess we did experience something similar with the vanilla flavor we reviewed in 2019.

Odd that these and a few other flavors would be so stiff and starchy while products like Trader Joe's Blood Orange Mochi have both stellar taste and texture. It seems to bother Sonia a bit more than it bothers me. Pro tip: let the mochi thaw more than the five minutes suggested on the box.

$4.99 for six mochi. Kosher. Gluten free. Found in the frozen dessert section. Would probably opt for one of the newfangled gimmicky flavors or Mikawaya brand before purchasing this exact product again. Seven stars out of ten from me. Five out of ten from Sonia.

Nathan's score: 7 out of 10.

Sonia's score: 5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Tom Yum Seasoned Snack Mix

I've had Tom Yum soup from a legit Thai restaurant exactly once in my life. It was a vegetarian version, while traditional Tom Yum is usually served with shrimp. I remember it being somewhat spicy. There were lots of veggies and tofu swimming around in a thick, flavorful Thai soup. It was delicious. I've tried plenty of other Thai curry dishes, too, and in general, I'm a big fan.

If you'd have told me that there was a dry snack mix that flaunts all the complexity and richness of real Thai soup, I'd have told you that it wasn't possible. And if you'd have told me that said snack mix was even spicier than your typical restaurant Thai curry, I'd have said "I gotta try this snack mix!"

And in my opinion, this mix comes dangerously close to capturing the sweet, spicy taste of Thai Tom Yum. Of course, the format is totally different than a bowl of soup, but the flavors are all there: lemongrass, chili powder, lime juice, garlic, coconut, paprika, soy sauce, and shallots. 

The main chunks in the mix are cashews, fava beans, sticky rice, and peas. Of course, they're all dried and crunchy, in the manner of your typical snack mix or trail mix.

Please note: there are dried red peppers in the mix that are VERY spicy. I got one in my very first handful. Fortunately, I recognized the little bugger as something extremely hot and took the tiniest nibble of it. I may have falsely attributed a higher level of spice to the rest of the mix since my mouth was on fire after sampling the red pepper. 

I will admit, this mix would be terrible for taking on an actual hike since it makes you so thirsty and the risk of throwing one of those peppers in your mouth whole would stand to ruin your entire day. Perhaps it's for the best that there are only a few of them scattered throughout the bag.

All things considered, Sonia enjoys the mix too and thinks it's a good approximation of Tom Yum soup. She thinks it's something she wouldn't be in the mood for very often, however. Me? I think I found my new favorite snack mix of all time. I might not eat it every day, but I'd definitely like to have some on hand in the pantry on a full-time basis.

$3.49 for the 5.29 oz resealable bag. Product of Thailand. Would buy again. Nine out of ten stars from me for Trader Joe's Tom Yum Seasoned Snack Mix. Sonia will go with eight out of ten.

Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's S'mores Bars

Truth be told, I didn't do a lot of overnight camping as a kid. I went to day camps for various sports and crafts. I went out to friends' places—people that lived on farms or acreages—and we'd occasionally have a bonfire or a campfire of sorts. And of course there were church camps and family camps, but I was usually just a daytime guest.

Even still, someone would inevitably break out the s'mores. At block party barbecues and school field days, at least one person had to throw marshmallows on a smoldering charcoal grill even if there wasn't an open flame. Once they had browned just enough, you'd tuck them in between two Honey Maid graham crackers right next to a little square of Hershey's chocolate. The heat from the marshmallow would melt the chocolate just enough to make it gooey. I always managed to get some on my clothing. But other than dark brown chocolate stains on khaki shorts, it was pure bliss downing a fresh-made s'more on a hot summer evening.

Since then, we've seen a few offerings from Trader Joe's with the moniker "s'mores" slapped on them. Not a single one has done the name justice. And this product is no different, unfortunately.

Trader Joe's Campfire S'mores Bar

Trader Joe's S'mores Frozen Sandwiches

Trader Joe's S'mashing S'mores

Trader Joe's S'mores Ice Cream

We've got a run-of-the-mill, store-bought, pre-packaged brownie as the base for these "s'mores." There's a very thin layer of marshmallow creme at the top and an equally thin layer of honey graham on the bottom. Had they beefed up the top and bottom layers, we might have been looking at a decent score on this product, but as it is, too much rides on the brownie portion of the dessert, and it's just not special enough to warrant all the calories and sugar here.

We tried them at room temperature, simply removed from the freezer and thawed for three hours. We also threw them in the air fryer as per the instructions. I liked the room temperature version just as well as the air fried one, but Sonia preferred them warmed up. Alas, in the end, we both had the same overall sentiment towards the product.

$4.99 for six bars. Kosher. Found in the frozen section. Neither Sonia nor I would buy Trader Joe's S'mores Bars again. Six out of ten stars from me. Six out of ten from the beautiful wifey as well.

Bottom line: 6 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Strawberry Fields Gummy Candy

Well, the title of this product is clearly a reference to the famous Beatles song. Strawberry fields forever, indeed. Do these gummy candies taste like a field of strawberries? Sorta.

You get a nice whiff of sweet strawberry upon tearing open the plastic bag. It's not overwhelming, but it is distinctly strawberry-ish. You'll note that the ingredients list makes no mention of "strawberries" or "strawberry puree" or anything like that. The closest we'll get is "natural flavors." Shoot. That could be just about anything. I think they need to pass a law that forces companies to list said "natural flavors." I mean bugs could be considered "natural flavors," right? I'm not saying that's what they used here, but I mean...who really knows?

Flavor-wise, they're similar to the way they smell. They taste like a sugary strawberry candy. Both Sonia and I want them to taste more like actual strawberry. I guess we wanted something that was made with strawberry puree or something like that. I mean, the Strawberry Doodle Cookies had strawberry puree in them, and we loved those...

There are two distinct shapes/sizes of the candy. They both taste more or less the same, but I feel like the larger pieces are a tad softer and squishier than their tiny counterparts. The texture on these candies is well above par, particularly those big strawberries.

Sonia is always pining for good sour candy. She wishes there were a truly sour version of these gummies. I mean, there is a faint tartness in them in the same way real strawberries can be somewhat tart, but by and large, these are simply sweet and sugary.

$2.29 for the non-resealable 7.05 oz bag. Product of France. Summer seasonal product. They're not bad, but we probably wouldn't buy again if they come back next year. Seven out of ten stars from both Sonia and me for Trader Joe's Strawberry Fields Gummy Candy.

Bottom line: 7 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Brioche Style Liège Waffles

These waffles are individually wrapped in cellophane. I didn't see that coming. I figured they'd all be sitting in a plastic tray. They're fairly soft and moist and I guess the individual wrapping is meant to keep them that way.

You can eat them straight from the wrapper in the manner of a cookie, or you can remove them from their packaging, toss them into the toaster, add a bit of syrup or what have you, and eat them like miniature waffles. We've tried them both ways and both are pretty tasty. 

Of course the convenience factor is a little higher when you're just snacking on them out of the little baggie, but the indulgence factor is higher when you heat them and add some fixins. We're eager to try them with some vanilla ice cream on top.

They're a tad sticky. I guess it's the "pearl sugar" on them. They're also a bit oily and buttery, too, even before adding any toppings—they do indeed contain both egg and butter. They're nice and sweet, dense and slightly chewy.

The waffles are shelf stable for a couple months. They do come with a "best by" sticker despite being individually wrapped. They'd probably just get a little stale if you let them hang around too long, but for most of you, that won't be a problem.

$3.99 for six waffles, imported from Belgium. Pretty good value. Would probably buy again. Sonia will go with eight out of ten stars for Trader Joe's Brioche Style Liège Waffles with Pearl Sugar. I'll throw out seven and a half stars.

Bottom line: 7.75 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Strawberry Doodle Cookies

I didn't know if this would work when I first heard about it: strawberry snickerdoodle cookies. They have the same dimensions, ingredients, and texture of original snickerdoodles for the most part except they substitute the cinnamon elements with strawberries.

Although looking at the ingredients list right now, I notice that the fruit pieces are actually both apple and strawberry puree mixed with sugar and pectin and a few other things. There's really no discernible apple flavor. It all just tastes like strawberry flavored sugar cookie. The strawberry flavor comes through for sure, but it's not overwhelming. I think they nailed the balance of berry to baked good brilliance.

The texture of these cookies is superb. They're some of the softest cookies we've tried from TJ's in quite a while. They're crumbly and slightly fluffy, but they're rigid enough to make the perfect "bread" for an ice cream sandwich.

We tried strawdoodleberry sandwich cookies with both vanilla and strawberry ice creams. I preferred vanilla, for sure. Strawberry ice cream yielded a decent dessert, but it was a bit of strawberry overload. I'm sure any flavor of ice cream would work just fine.

There are two individually wrapped cellophane packages within the box. Each one contains three cookies. The product did get markedly more stiff and stale after being opened for a couple days. Since it's just the two of us, we usually can't finish products like this in a single day. The flavor was still just fine, but the soft cookies became a bit more crispity crunchity.

$5.49 found with the baked goods. Would buy again. Sonia and I will throw out eight and a half out of ten stars for Trader Joe's Strawberry Doodle Cookies.

Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Tres Leches Cake

Tres leches is without a doubt my favorite style of cake, so we actually picked up this specimen from Trader Joe's for my birthday last week. It comes frozen, but it's quite simple to prepare: thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for three hours.

Predictably, I was ready for cake before the beautiful wifey, so I simply started eating the product straight out of the cardboard container that it comes in. It was still a bit frosty on the inside, so I had to wait a bit longer to finish my piece. Like the recently reviewed macarons, this is another one you actually want to thaw fully before consuming.

Sonia skipped the part where she scolds me for eating straight out of the product packaging since it was my birthday and all, and she managed to salvage an only slightly mangled piece from the cardboard container. She's been eating tres leches pretty much her whole life, while I only came to know and love the spongy Latin milk cake as a young adult.

We both agree this selection from TJ's is great. It's not the number one best tres leches we've ever had, but it's definitely up there. 

Considering the convenience and price: $8 for four servings, it's definitely something to check out if you're not familiar with tres leches or if you need an easy dessert for a small gathering or family meal.

Kosher. Found in the frozen section. Would buy again. Sonia and I will go with eight and a half out of ten stars for Trader Joe's Tres Leches Cake.

Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Teeny Tiny Strawberry Rhubarb Pies

Does rhubarb actually exist outside of berry pies? I don't think I've ever even seen a rhubarb plant. I've never laid eyes on rhubarb in a culinary context either except for little red bits inside already-made baked goods. I mean, I've gathered that rhubarb is red, so it's hard to tell where the strawberries end and the rhubarb begins.

I guess it's more sour than a strawberry. Strawberry rhubarb is always nice and tangy. This product is no exception. It's sweet, tart, and like all of TJ's mini pies, there's a soft, flaky, buttery crust around the outside of the pastry.

I found my pies to be oddly lacking in filling. Other Trader Joe's mini pies seemed to absolutely burst with fruit filling. These? They had enough fruit juicy sweetness to still be delicious, but I wanted more berries and 'barb.

We air fried ours and they came out great. Three minutes at 350° seemed to do the trick. We added vanilla bean ice cream to our sweet little treats and as you might have expected, they were even better a la mode.

$5.49 for four small pies. Kosher. Found with the baked goods. Supposedly they'll be in and out of stores until the onslaught of fall stuff later in the year. We'd buy 'em again. Eight out of ten stars from Sonia and me for Trader Joe's Teeny Tiny Strawberry Rhubarb Pies.

Bottom line: 8 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Raspberry, Vanilla & Blueberry Macarons

Not to be confused with macaroons, the macaron is a French sandwich cookie made with egg white, almond flour, sugar, and some creamy or fruity filling. We've seen a bunch of different macaron offerings from Trader Joe's steadily over the course of this blog's tenure. One highlight: the pumpkin macarons. Those are probably still our favorite (although we haven't had them in many years. Let's hope they didn't change suppliers or recipes or anything like that) but these would have to be a close second.

Preparation: you simply thaw the entire pack at room temperature for an hour or in the fridge for four hours. Pro tip: actually let them thaw the whole hour. As much as I love cold desserts and iced treats, the flavors of these macarons hit just a little nicer when they're fully unfrozen.

The blueberry flavor was our favorite by a pretty solid margin, the raspberry our second favorite, and vanilla—though not bad by any means—fell in third. The fruity flavors actually tasted like their namesake berries thanks to the inclusion of actual raspberry and blueberry puree. There's apple in there, too, since apple tends to just lend sweetness and rarely overshadows the tart intensity of something like blueberry or raspberry.

The vanilla cookies tasted nuttier and creamier than their fruit-based counterparts but perhaps not quite as sweet or indulgent somehow. Again, nothing to complain about, but if I had the opportunity to buy a dozen blueberry macarons all by themselves, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

Texture-wise, like most good macarons, these were meringue-esque but also soft and slightly chewy. You could feel the almond meal, too, but they never came across as gritty or unpleasant in any way. Very pleasant mouthfeel.

$5.99 for 12 macarons. Product of France. We'd give the blueberry flavor nine out of ten stars. The raspberry and vanilla flavors would get eight and a halfs and eights, respectively. So, in the end, averaging all three scores, both Sonia and I would give Trader Jacques' <ahem> Trader Joe's Raspberry, Vanilla & Blueberry Macarons eight and a half out of ten stars. Would buy again.

Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Crispy Jalapeño Pieces

Crispy jalapeños? Are they a topping? Or are they a snack? Trader Joe's is quick to let us know that they're whatever you want them to be. I mean, Sonia and I like spicy foods, but I don't think we or a whole lot of other people would be content simply noshing on these crispy critters straight from the bag.

Yeah, they're jalapeños, so they're hot. I mean, they're not Carolina Reaper hot, but that spice builds up on the tongue if you gobble down more than just a handful of these babies. You might be tempted to, however, because they're pretty tasty. They're lightly battered and slightly oily but there's plenty of jalapeño flavor. There's a nice crunch in each bite, too.

Certain pieces are much bigger than others. Some specimens look and feel like they might be a whole dehydrated jalapeño pepper and others seem to be little more than crumbs. They're quite versatile and add a bit of flavor and texture to everything from soup to sandwiches, salads to pizza.

Plus, they're imported from the land of jalapeños, Mexi...wait. What? Thailand? Who ever heard of a Thai jalapeño? Anyway, Sonia and I both agree Thai jalapeños aren't bad.

$2.99 for the resealable bag. Imported from Thailand. Would buy again. We'll go with eight out of ten stars for Trader Joe's Crispy Jalapeño Pieces.

Bottom line: 8 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

A few months back, we looked at Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups for the very first time. They're just about as classic as it gets. The only product I can think of that might rival them in terms of enduring the test of time and maintaining a place in Trader Joe's candy aisle might be these happy morsels. I've only had them once before—and that was many years ago. I'm excited to try them again and see if they're as good as I remember.

About a hundred Dubai chocolate type fads will come and go while these peanut butter cups just sit quietly on their shelf outlasting and outshining and standing the test of time year after year, decade after decade. Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against Dubai chocolate. Pistachio and chocolate is almost as stellar a combo as peanut butter and chocolate.

If you want our take on Trader Joe's Dubai Chocolate, we'll have one soon enough. Until then, everybody and her sister has put up a TikTok vid explaining why Trader Joe's four dollar Dubai chocolate isn't as good as the $80 version they had while partying with the Kardashians but it's still pretty good.

Know what else is pretty good? These milk chocolate peanut butter cups. For six bucks, you get a pound of milk chocolate and peanut butter goodness. Each one is just about exactly the size of one of Reese's miniatures—a great bite-sized snack. Or, if you're like me, you bite them in half and get two little bites out of each one. They've got the perfect peanut butter to chocolate ratio, and neither element is overly sweet or overly bitter. It's just nutty chocolatey bliss in every cup.

Sonia likes them a lot, too. She's a bigger fan of dark chocolate than I am, so she gave the dark chocolate peanut butter cups a slightly higher score than I did. But even she has to admit that the milk chocolate peanut butter cup is a timeless combo that's hard to beat. We both agree that they're just a tad bit better than the reigning champ Reese's. That's saying a lot.

$5.99 for the resealable tub. Kosher. Would buy again. Sonia and I will each throw out eight and a half out of ten stars for Trader Joe's Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.

Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Rolled Oats & Chocolate Chips Fiberful Granola Bars

Let's face it: granola bars are boring. Ones that advertise how much fiber content they have are even more boring. Sure, there's always some mention of peanut butter or chocolate or honey or something else to make them sound moderately exciting, but in the end, they're rarely memorable or tasty enough that they can truly compete with a full-fledged candy bar.

That said, Trader Joe's granola bars are rarely awful. We've seen our fair share over the past decade and a half on this blog—in the ballpark of a few dozen different varieties, at a quick glance. Just off the top of my head, one of the few truly notable selections would be the ABC Bars. I'm pretty sure they're still available. We've definitely purchased those more than once. We're on the hunt for another product along those lines: something healthy, hearty, convenient, and tasty enough that it'll keep you from reaching for anything more indulgent or diet-derailing.

Trader Joe's Rolled Oats & Chocolate Chips Fiberful Granola Bars are not only filling, but they taste surprisingly good, too. They're dense, chewy, and rather than tasting like cardboard with a few chocolate pieces tossed in as an afterthought, they're more like chocolate bars with just a faint grittiness to them that attests to their fiber content. Apparently, they were recently reformulated by the supplier and are now smaller than their predecessors and have a slightly different taste. Many say they prefer the old flavor, others say they enjoy the new version more. I couldn't tell you because I never tried the old formula.

There's plenty of oats in the mix. If you're not a fan of oats, you might wanna sit this one out. But really, as far as fiber-rich snacks go, these are quite palatable. Boasting nearly a third of your daily fiber intake in each bar, they're just as filling as you'd expect them to be. These are ideal as a mid-day pick-me-up type snack.

$2.99 for five bars. Kosher. Would buy again. Seven and a half stars a piece from Sonia and me for Trader Joe's Fiberful Granola Bars, Rolled Oats and Chocolate Chip flavor. Let us know if you tried the old formula and how you like this one in comparison.

Bottom line: 7.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Teensy Candy Bars

These little candy bars are not individually wrapped, in case you were wondering like I was. That's good because it would be an incredible waste of materials since there are so many of the baby candies in the package. But it's also bad because the wrappers kind of slow you down as you're shoveling the chocolate into your mouth. In this case, it's just candy bar after candy bar flowing seamlessly from the plastic bag right into your belly. At least the bag is resealable.

They are indeed "teensy" candy bars. They're even smaller than your typical "fun size" candy bar like the kind you give out to kids at Halloween. These are maybe half that size.

They've got a really nice soft, chewy texture and a nutty, chocolatey flavor. Peanuts are the second ingredient, as a matter of fact, coming in just after sugar on the list. There's a healthy amount of nougat and just a touch of caramel flavor. They're not a far cry from Snickers in terms of overall flavor.

We've got palm oil in the mix, so there's a good chunk of your daily saturated fat. But hey, they're chocolate bars. They're not claiming to be diet food.

$2.99 is a pretty decent price for the amount of candy you're getting. And they're quite tasty. We'd buy 'em again. Product of Germany. We all know those Deutsch folk love their chocolate. We'll both go with eight out of ten stars on Trader Joe's Teensy Candy Bars.

Bottom line: 8 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Crispy Oatmeal Cookies with Sea Salt

Why does Trader Joe's hate soft cookies? We've reviewed obscene amounts of cookies on this blog and very few have been truly soft and chewy. I mean, it is possible to make non-crispy pre-packaged cookies. Just ask Keebler and Nabisco.

That said, we keep buying their crispy cookies because once in a while there's a product that breaks the norm and impresses us. The most recent example of that would probably be the seasonal Italian Amaretti Cookies. They kinda need to be dunked to be amazing, but they're really freaking unique and tasty when served with java.

I think dunking improves any crunchy cookies, honestly. Whether it's coffee, hot cocoa, or just plain milk, dunking makes crispy cookies softer and often wakes up their flavors a bit, too. These oatmeal rounds are no exception.

Sonia and I both thought the sea salt concept was a little weird, but I mean "salty and sweet" is a thing, and if you like that combo...well, that's what we have here. You can taste the salt for sure, but it's not totally overbearing. If you dunk the cookie in coffee, the flavor of the beverage tends to overpower the saltiness.

All in all, this isn't a terrible product to nibble on here and there, but it doesn't do anything super special in our opinions. I would eat these again if they magically appeared in our pantry, but I wouldn't go out of my way to pick them up a second time.

$3.99 for the 7 oz box. Sonia will throw out seven and a half stars. I'll go with six and a half for Trader Joe's Crispy Oatmeal Cookies with Sea Salt.

Bottom line: 7 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Blood Orange Mochi

This mochi flavor is absolutely superb. If you enjoy sweet-tart citrus desserts, then this treat is for you. We've got the typical stretchy rice-based shell that we've seen many, many times before from Trader Joe's and other fine mochi retailers—in this case, it's a lovely shade of orange. And on the inside, we've got pink ice cream flaunting the delightful flavor of blood oranges.

It's such an interesting balance of intense orange and creamy sweetness. This might be my favorite flavor of mochi ice cream to date. I really wanted to down the whole box in one sitting. Since I'm not a complete monster, I saved half for my lovely wife. She enjoyed them at least as much as I did.

The box will run you $4.99 for six mochi. That comes to about 84¢ per ice cream ball. Considering how scrumptious they are, that's not a bad value. Gluten free. Kosher. Would definitely buy again. This product is marked with that "Limited Time" label on TJ's website, so I wouldn't sleep on it unless you want to wait until 2026 to try these. Nine out of ten stars from me for Trader Joe's Blood Orange Mochi. Sonia will go with nine and a half.

Bottom line: 9.25 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Soft Pretzel Twists

Everybody in the US is familiar with soft pretzels, but those of us who grew up in Pennsylvania know them just a bit better than the rest. With a high percentage of German-Americans and a huge Pennsylvania Dutch community, PA produces 80% of the nation's pretzels. I even went to college with a guy whose aunt...is actually Auntie Anne, founder of the famous pretzel chain.

All that to say, my standards are pretty high. So how do Trader Joe's Soft Pretzel Twists hold up? Considering they're pre-packaged and shelf stable for a few days at least, they're not terrible. If you're just snacking on them straight out of the bag, you might not be blown away. But if you take great care to moisten them, heat them per the instructions, and apply the big, coarse granules of salt with precision, they're certainly passable.

Once again, we used our air fryer to heat the pretzels instead of the conventional oven. I just can't justify preheating the real oven just to stick a couple of pretzels in it for three minutes. At any rate, it worked. I was fine snacking on the pretzel by itself with maybe a dab or two of mustard. Sonia wasn't into the plain twists by themselves very much. She made pretzel dogs and quite enjoyed them that way, though. I did, too. If we'd had some pub cheddar on hand, they'd have been great dunked in it.

$3.49 for six soft pretzels. Kosher. Put this on the might​ repurchase list. Seven and a half out of ten stars from Sonia, who wishes the pretzels were bigger and came with regular salt rather than the oversized granules. Eight out of ten stars from me for Trader Joe's Soft Pretzel Twists.

Bottom line: 7.75 out of 10.