Trader Joe's Winter Food Review 2023

The holiday season is here once again, which means Trader Joe’s has reintroduced special, limited edition holiday items to their shelves. With some fan favorites returning from last year, and some completely new items, we gave eight of them a try to see if they were worth the excitement. 

Pretzel Peppermint 10/10

Let us tell you about the pretzel peppermint treats from Trader Joe's. They are an absolute game-changer! These little bites of deliciousness are a perfect balance of sweet and salty. The combination of crunchy pretzels and smooth, creamy peppermint coating is simply divine. Every bite is like a burst of holiday joy in your mouth. The peppermint flavor isn't overpowering, allowing the pretzel to shine through. And the texture is spot on – crispy and satisfying. We can't get enough of these pretzel peppermint treats, and we’re not exaggerating when we say they are a solid 10/10. Once you try them, you'll be hooked! 

Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s 8/10

The next item we tried is a holiday edition of one of Trader Joe’s most popular sweets: “Joe Joe’s.” Joe-Joe’s are Trader-Joe’s version of Oreos, with a slightly chewier cookie and a similar tasting filling. These Candy Cane Joe-Joes are similar to the classic Joe-Joes, but the vanilla filling is packed with pieces of festive peppermint candy canes. We loved the amount of peppermint the candy cane pieces added to the cookie, and the cream-to-cookie ratio was perfect, as always. We gave these an 8/10, as we could have easily eaten the whole box in one sitting!

Mini Peppermint Meringues 8/10

These peppermint meringues are truly an awesome snack, with a sweet and airy touch. 

These little bites of cookies are delightful. The meringues have an incredible texture that's light and crispy, with just the right amount of sweetness. We love how the peppermint adds a festive touch to the dessert. Once you start munching on these mini meringues, it's hard to stop! They're a must-try for any peppermint lover.

Dark Chocolate Stars (Shortbread Cookies) 7/10

These cookies make for the perfect snack. The box included so many stars for munching. ach of them was covered in a thin layer of dark chocolate and white sprinkles. These weren't as sweet as we expected, and the shortbread was quite hard; however, we found the crunchy shortbread and the smooth dark chocolate complemented each other, making these another super-addictive snack. We wanted these to be a bit sweeter, but if you like dark chocolate, you may be a big fan! We rated these a 6/10 because of their simple, yet classic nature. 

Scandinavian Tidings Gummies 6/10

These gummies came in three different flavors and tasted similar to fruit snacks. They had a soft and chewy texture with classic flavors. Although the flavors weren't listed on the package, the TJ’s  website says the flavors are berry, sour apple, and star. We love the festive shapes of these gummies and we think they’re a super-fun treat, earning them a rating of 6/10. 

Festive chocolate collection 6/10

The festive chocolate collection from Trader Joe's is an exciting classic. We loved indulging in the diverse variety of chocolates. While the collection offers a nice assortment of flavors and textures, there might have been a few pieces that didn't quite hit the mark. Some of the chocolates were not as rich or decadent as we were hoping for, and there were a few flavors that didn't quite appeal to our taste buds. However, they were very cute and the majority of the chocolates were good. It's great to have a festive assortment to share with friends and family during the holiday season. 

English toffee bites 4/10

The English toffee bites from Trader Joe's are truly a hit-or-miss snack: it depends on your thoughts on toffee. In our opinion, the English toffee bites were too sweet and their flavor profile wasn't exactly satisfying. Although taste is subjective, and what doesn't appeal to one person might be loved by someone else, these weren't the best for us. This treat is the type of snack that some people hate and some people love.

Chocolate-Covered Lebkuchen Cookies 2/10

These German lebkuchen cookies are honey-sweetened treats that often include nuts and spices, closely resembling gingerbread. According to Trader Joe’s: “Historically, (German) monks began adding flavorful dough to the wafers being made for mass, and, over time, more ingredients and spices were added.” These cookies had a texture, unlike anything we've ever tried before. The spices resembled gingerbread, but more bitter. The nuts also added more flavor on top of all the spices included. There were also thin layers of round wafers on the base of each cookie to prevent them from sticking to each other. Overall, we weren't amazed with the combination of the wafer and the nuts, but we loved trying these German treats for something new!