Trader Joe’s previewed a whopping 16 new and returning spring items on the latest episode of its Inside Trader Joe’s podcast. New items include TJ’s version of confetti cake and a Tomato Leaf candle. A few are limited time/limited buy, so keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks. Let’s get to the full list.
Chromatic Celebration Cake Mix — This confetti-esque cake mix comes complete with dry cake mix, frosting mix and sprinkles. You bring the butter, eggs and oil.
Mini Almost Everything But the bagel Sandwich Crackers – These round with a hole in the middle cream cheese filled crackers are “almost” everything because they exclude sesame seeds. Availability expected in the next “few weeks” – assumably late March/early April.
APRIL SPOTLIGHT CHEESE: Vanilla Cardona Goat’s Milk Cheese — Rubbed with vanilla sugar, this is hard goat cheese, not a soft spreadable like the Amarena Cherry one. The maker was unnamed in the episode, but it’s sourced from Wisconsin, so could it be this Carr Valley Cheese?
Coffee and Dark Chocolate Dipped Joe-Joe’s — These new Joe-Joe’s remind of the mocha ones we had a few years ago, but Trader Joe’s is taking it up a notch, with a dark chocolate coating and a coffee-vanilla drizzle. Just 8 cookies to a box. Will they be as good as the Chocolate & Peanut Butter version? Fingers crossed.
Mini Lemon Sheet Cake [LIMITED TIME ONLY]— It’s lemon on lemon on lemon with this sheet cake. Lemon cake topped with a lemony cream cheese frosting and topped with candied meyer lemon bits. Availability expected in the next week or two, according to the Inside Trader Joe’s podcast.
Blueberry-Lemon Handpies — We just had the strawberry version, now we’re getting Blueberry-Lemon. Two to a box, these have been making the rounds on social media in preview mode.
Small Lot Coffee: Ugandan Mountains of the Moon — Sourced from the Rwenzori Mountains. This one’s a limited purchase, should be in stores now or soon.
Bananas Banana Candy — I’ve seen this candy already making the rounds on social media with mixed reaction, depends if you like fake banana flavor or not! I’m not a banana flavor fan, so I won’t be reviewing this one.
RETURNING ITEMS
Spicy Mango Lemonade — Past versions packed a punch, great in cocktails or mocktails.
Coffee Bean Hold the Cone Mini Cones — A perennial favorite, you can get your caffeine jolt now. I saw them in the freezer case in my area last week.
Portuguese Custard Tarts (Pasteis de Nata) — Back again, these mini tarts were a hit when we had them. The TJ’s team is saying airfryer is the way to go. I baked them last time, definitely gonna try the airfryer.
Other returning items expected on shelves soon, if not already: Mini Chocolate Mousse Eggs (bakery), jalapeno limeade (shelf stable beverages), iced tea concentrate (shelf stable beverages).
NON FOOD ITEMS:
Tomato Leaf Candle – Like the rose candle that came out last month, this one is coming to shelves in a brown glass jar with dual wicks.
Waffle Weave Kitchen Towels — The team talked these up as more absorbent than the existing dish towels in stores. With the expectation that they’ll soften up over several washes. No hints on colors. We’ll see.
Bev
March 15, 2023 at 1:08 pmWhat happened to the double raspberry star cookies in the brown carton?
Michelle
March 15, 2023 at 1:34 pmHi Bev – If you mean the raspberry hearts, it looks like they’re seasonal, so they’re probably done for now if your local store doesn’t have them. In the last few weeks, TJ’s also had shortbread cookies with raspberry jam (with the other boxed cookies, not in bakery) that are worth checking out.