Trader Joe's Teeny Tiny Pecan Pies

Let's kick the new year off right...by reviewing a seasonal product that's already done for the year! But seriously, this product was one of the highlights of our holiday goodies at the end of 2024, so let's cross our fingers this one comes back again for the fall/holiday season of 2025. 

This isn't the first pecan pie product we've looked at from Trader Joe's. In fact, these aren't even the first mini pecan pies we've seen. We've looked at chocolate pecan pie, pecan pie filling by itself, and even pecan pie ice cream. But this might be the very best pecan pie product we've ever had from Trader Joe's.

We've got built-in portion control with the tiny pies. While it's within the realm of possibility that you'd eat the whole box in one sitting, at least you're given a few chances to reconsider before you've polished off the entire package and left none for your friends and family and made yourself public enemy number one at those big holiday gatherings.

The brown sugar sweetness and nuttiness blend well with the wheat flour. There's just enough cinnamon and spices to keep it interesting. We really don't have much to say other than the fact that these are much more scrumptious than we expected them to be.

They tasted fresh and flavorful, especially after a few seconds in the microwave. A dollop of whipped cream didn't hurt, either. But consuming them at room temperature without fixings of any kind is perfectly viable as well.

We would absolutely buy again next year. You might get lucky and find a straggler at your local TJ's, but I'm pretty sure they're done for the season. $4.99 for four little pies. Nine out of ten stars from Sonia for Trader Joe's Teeny Tiny Pecan Pies. I'll go with eight and a half.

Bottom line: 8.75 out of 10.

The Art of Trader Joe's

It's hard to put my finger on all the things that drew me to Trader Joe's in the first place. Do they have delicious foods? Of course. Do they have reasonable prices? Yes. Are the employees enthusiastic and friendly? Check. Are there exotic choices from around the world that are hard to find in mainstream grocery stores? You know it.

But there's also an ambience to each location that draws in the quirkiest of customers, seekers of novel experiences, and appreciators of fine art. It's not just the product packaging. It's not just the signage in the stores. It's everything about the Trader Joe's experience that draws us back over and over again.

And this new book by Julie Averbach nails that intangible appeal with such depth and expertise that I might not have thought it possible prior to opening up my copy of The Art of Trader Joe's. It's written in such a manner that it's accessible to even casual Trader Joe's shoppers and fans of whimsical illustrations, but the mind-blowing insights the author weaves into each and every page put it on the same level as a doctoral thesis in art history.

Each chapter is laden not just with photographs of actual Trader Joe's art installations, package designs, and store signs, but also pictures of the famous artworks from around the world which may have inspired them in the first place. It's carefully curated into categories such as "Victorian Cartoons," "Famous Art References," and "Pop Culture."

Julie Averbach traveled to more 150 TJ's locations throughout 20 states as part of her research. Sonia and I have been to Trader Joe's in 26 states, but Julie's got us beat on total number of locations by a good bit. Add to that her general knowledge of art and art history, and she's got the credentials to pull this off—but honestly, I never thought I'd be quite as impressed with this publication as I am now that I've started reading it.

It would make an ideal gift for any art lover or Trader Joe's shopper, or it could function as a coffee table book that's sure to impress guests and start conversations. I'll be reading it from cover to cover. Sonia is a professional graphic designer and lifelong art buff—watch our video review to hear her reaction to this book.

The book retails for $29.70 in paperback or $42.45 in hardcover on Amazon. You can also pick up copies at the world famous Strand Book Store in NYC or various other retailers on the east coast. Please check out theartoftraderjoes.com for more details. It would be hard to give this book anything short of a perfect score. This is one of my favorite Christmas gifts this year. The Art of Trader Joe's gets ten out of ten stars from both Sonia and me.

Bottom line: 10 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Something Spritzy Sparkling Beverages

If you're here to read about the festive version of Something Spritzy, then happy holidays! If you're here at some point in the future to read our thoughts on the original beverage in the blue can, then welcome! Happy Easter or 4th of July or whatever magical time of year you happen to be reading this.

Once again, there's a video review at the bottom of this post with more info than I'll be writing here, but I'll still throw you a bone and drop some bullet points. First, neither beverage is super sweet. Neither one is bursting with flavor. They're both quite subtle. You'll note that they're relatively low in calories, the red can with 80 and the blue can with only 60, respectively.

They both have fruit juices and cane sugar. The blue version is a faint pineapple and orange flavor, with Sonia noting that there's a grapefruit-esque essence and slight aftertaste. The red can tastes like orange to her while I note more cranberry flavor and a faint blend of holiday spices—like Wassail Punch, but not quite as good or as flavorful.

Each can is $1.99. I give Trader Joe's Something Spritzy original and festive editions seven and a half out of ten...and that might be a feel-good holiday-style don't-wanna-be-a-Scrooge kinda score. Sonia gives the red can a generous eight out of ten and the blue can seven and a half.

Bottom line: Something Spritzy Original: 7.5 out of 10.

Bottom line: Something Spritzy Festive: 7.75 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Stars

For a dude who doesn't really like dark chocolate or crispy cookies all that much, I sure eat a lot of dark chocolate and crispy cookies. But shoot, I do it all in the name of intrepid food reviewing.

I try to be objective and informative enough that even if I don't thoroughly enjoy a product, I give you enough info that you can guess whether you'd like it or not.

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In this case, if you like crispy, crumbly shortbread and dark chocolate, there's absolutely no reason these won't be your favorite Christmas cookies ever. Me? Yeah, they're kinda exactly what I expected.

And I wasn't expecting to be thrilled. But hey, it's the holiday season and we're going to accentuate the positive and all that. These cookies have been an end-of-the-year mainstay at Trader Joe's for many years.

$4.99 for the 16 oz box. Wouldn't buy again, personally, but I totally get it if you're a fan. More dark chocolate stars for you, I say. 

I give Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Stars six and a half out of ten stars. Sonia will go with seven and a half out of ten.

Bottom line: 7 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Crunchy Italian Amaretti Cookies

So the presentation of this product is pretty...pretty. Nice box. Each piece comes in a beautifully-printed wrapper. What else jumps out at me? The ingredients—there are only three. Sugar and egg whites are no surprise. The third ingredient? Apricot kernels, AKA apricot seeds...which are poisonous...and also cure cancer. Go figure. Please don't hold WG@TJ's accountable for any health-related claims. Do your own research. I digress.

These are good. They taste like amaretto. I assumed they'd have, you know, almonds in them. They don't. Just apricot pits or whatever. They really taste amazing. They're crunchy like they say on the box. I'd almost always prefer soft cookies, but at least you know what you're getting here. They're amazing dunked in coffee, warm milk, hot cocoa, or even tea. The hot liquids help wake up the vibrant flavor of these cookies even more than when you eat them dry.

Serving size is three cookies and there are "about three" servings in the box. I'm no math whiz, but I might have assumed there were nine in the box, but there were only eight in ours. I guess that's where the word "about" comes into play. Certain specimens seemed stiffer than others. But still, they're quite delicious and pleasant to eat. I'm sure the whole box will be gone by the time we post this review.

$2.99 for the 3.5 oz package. Product of Italy. Would make a nice stocking stuffer. Would buy again. Sonia gives Trader Joe's Crunchy Italian Amaretti Cookies nine out of ten stars. I'll go with eight and a half out of ten.

Bottom line: 8.75 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Brewed Ginger Beer

Nate's Notes: This post was originally published on May 20, 2015. This is an instance where Sonia and I are in nearly complete agreement with the standing review, so we have nothing to add or subtract except: this product is now available in cans. Each beverage is still 12 oz and the ingredients and nutrition info are extremely similar. We didn't see that other ginger brew at our TJ's this year, so we grabbed these instead. Seems like it was originally introduced as a spring/summer beverage and is now year round..? Trader Joe's Brewed Ginger Beer is still a very good product. Still a buck for an individual can or four bucks for a four pack. 

Need a cool, refreshing drink for a hot summer day, and something like maple water sound a little too silly and hipstery for ya? Well, how about some ginger beer?

Trader Joe's Brewed Ginger Beer is neither ginger ale nor is it alcoholic. Ginger ale, although occasionally delicious, is your basic ginger-flavored soda, of course. Ginger beer, on the other hand, is a beverage produced with via brewing and fermentation and the whole nine yards. Here's a guide on how to make your own to give you an idea of the process involved.

As for the outcome: delicious. Both Sandy and I are pretty big fans. There's very little carbonation, if any, which makes for a cool, crisp flow. Although not as harshly ginger-tinged as some other TJ's brews, there's still a good, solid ginger bite underflow adding lots of bitterness. Yet, there's plenty of tart sweetness to counteract it all, thanks mainly to the limes and sugar.

The taste isn't perfectly balanced or smoothed over, though. The first bottle we drank, it almost tasted like we were drinking two different drinks at the same time. When we looked a little closer at the bottom of the bottle, we saw some cloudy floaty stuff, which I'm guessing was some sort of combination of the lemon/lime juice and ginger that kinda settled after fermentation. Although the bottle says nothing about doing so, for the second time around both Sandy and I gave the bottle a slight shake and swirl to try and mix it all back up, and we both agreed that it tasted a little better after that.

Still, this is one pretty delicious drink for those warm, sticky nights up ahead. Plenty of ginger bite with some citrus-y zing is never a bad combo. If you insist on some boozy additions, I have heard (but not yet personally verified) that this ginger beer is a great choice for either a Dark & Stormy or a Moscow Mule. That's definitely on my agenda, and Sandy is even more eager to try that than me. And for this ginger juice, if your mind is on your money (or your money on your mind), you can buy these either separately for a buck each or grab a four pack for $3.99 - math geniuses, them. Definitely worth the try. Matching fours from the wifey and me.

Bottom line: Trader Joe's Brewed Ginger Beer: 8 out of 10 Golden Spoons.

Trader Joe's Jingle Jangle for Dogs

After the release of Trader Joe's classic Jingle Jangle, which of course contains copious quantities of chocolate, there was such an outcry from the nation's canine community that Big Joe could simply no longer ignore all the clamorous quadrupeds that felt left out of the jingly jangly jamboree.

At long last, Jingle Jangle for Dogs is a reality. Featuring peanut butter, carob, and bacon, these pretzels, balls, bones, and stars are nearly as festive and fun as the tasty morsels in the people version of the product.

Alfred and Sadie make a special guest appearance on our YouTube channel for the first time since July, joining us for what is not simply a dog treat review, but what we're calling "The What's Good at TJ's Holiday Special." We hope you'll join us for some snacks, pretty music, and good times.

Alfred, Sadie, Sonia, and Nathan collectively give Trader Joe's Jingle Jangle for Dogs eight out of ten paw prints. $4.49 in the dog treats section of Trader Joe's. Would make a great gift for a dog owner. Would buy again.

Bottom line: 8 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Phyllo Crisps

We've seen our share of phyllo based foods here on WG@TJ's throughout the years: from Greek appetizers to spanakopita to camembert cranberry bites, the middle eastern and Balkan style dough is crispy, layered, and almost always delicious. This particular phyllo creation hails from Croatia.

And it's as unique as it is yummy. I don't think I've ever tried crackers made with phyllo dough before. I'm not sure why, because phyllo makes amazing crisps as well as pastries and hors d'oeuvres.

The bread part of these crackers is crispy and supple. It's moderately sweet just in and of itself, flaunting the taste of both sugar and honey. On top, there's a blend of delightful toppings including dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and oats. It's a hearty flavor that tastes natural and wholesome, almost like a flattened-out granola bar.

Both Sonia and I loved the crisps just by themselves. We did try them with Greek yogurt as suggested on the packaging, but both agreed they were at least as good on their own. I'm sure they'd pair nicely with Brie or goat cheese, too, but there's quite enough going on with the crackers as a standalone snack to keep us happy enjoying them straight out of the box.

Our only complaints: the package wasn't full and certain bites are hard enough that they irritate our sensitive teeth. $2.99 for the 2.8 oz box. Sonia and I will both go with eight and a half stars a piece on Trader Joe's Phyllo Crisps. They're seasonal and "limited" so get 'em while ya still can.

Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.