Trader Joe's may be better known for its zany snacks and inexpensive frozen foods, but it has plenty to offer the shopper with a sweet tooth. Whether you want a bakery-worthy treat, cookies, ice cream, or something more unexpected, here are some of the tastiest and most popular desserts you can buy from Trader Joe's.
Prices and availability are subject to change. Lacey Muszynski and Erin Kuschner contributed to this story.
$4.49
If you’ve ever wondered why pancakes don’t taste more like, well, cake, Trader Joe’s Pancake Bread is for you. This sweet-but-not-too-sweet treat is “moist and tender, and each bite … seeped with the true taste of pancake syrup,” raves Thrillist. It’s also hard not to love desserts that double as breakfast.
But grab it while you can because shoppers report that Trader Joe's is discontinuing pancake bread.
$5.99
While it's possible to make a chocolate treat from scratch, this decadent babka tastes like you did but without going through the hassle. This swirled combo of bread and chocolate is so over-the-top that it's tailor-made for dessert, not breakfast. Like the sign says, a warmed slice is amazing as a sundae with ice cream and fudge sauce.
$2.99
These Oreo-like sandwich cookies are such a beloved Trader Joe's item that there's multiple online rankings of which flavors are best. The seasonal candy cane version is usually tops, but it's hard to beat the classic chocolate and vanilla combo year round.
$7.99
This freezer-case standby is always there for us, and while some reviewers say it’s too sweet, we say pish posh — it’s cheesecake. It’s also a blank canvas for toppings like berries, caramel, whipped cream, or anything else you want to add to fancy it up.
$2.49
If you're the type of person who always puts your chocolate in the freezer, this might be the treat for you. TJ's frozen, chocolate-dipped banana pieces are a simple but toothsome customer favorite, and since there's fruit inside, they can't be that bad for you … right?
$3.99
Chocolate lava cakes are usually reserved for restaurants, but the Trader Joe's version has often been called "restaurant-worthy." You heat the unassuming cakes, and the middles becomes a molten fudge center. Adorn them with additional goodies — berries, ice cream, caramel — if you want even more decadence.
$4.99
If you’re indecisive, this layered dessert is your spirit animal. Half chocolate-chip cookie and half brownie, it’s still 100% delicious. Just make sure you have a tall glass of milk on standby.
Related: Chocolate Chip Cookie Taste Test
$5.99
A regular winner in the annual Trader Joe’s Customer Choice Awards, the dark chocolate peanut butter cups are a great addition to dessert, but are rich enough to stand on their own. The dark chocolate tempers the sweetness, so it feels like a grown-up Reese's peanut butter cup.
$4.49
There’s an unexpected cookie crust layered at the bottom of the ice cream, and everything is surrounded by a rich chocolate shell. But the best thing about these bon bons is that you feel so sophisticated eating them.
Related: Relive Your Childhood By Making These Classic Ice Cream Truck Treats
$5.99
Chic French macarons are trendy, but quite a feat to make yourself. The frozen versions at Trader Joe's aren't cheap but are quite good, and come in two different flavor packages: chocolate and vanilla, and an assortment with ingredients like pistachio and fig.
$9.99
Jingle Jangle is only available around Christmas, but we have to give this favorite seasonal treat a shout. This mix of milk chocolate-covered mini pretzels, dark chocolate-covered caramel popcorn, dark chocolate-covered cookie bits, candy-coated milk chocolate gems, and mini peanut butter cups is a great gift for a holiday host — if you can manage to resist it yourself.
$4.99
Feel like a kid again when you eat these cookie and ice-cream sandwiches, rolled in chocolate chips for good measure. They're a hefty five ounces each, and those mini chips give them a satisfying crunch.
$5.99
Another customer favorite, these mini chocolate-covered ice cream cones are great for portion control, when you just want something small after a meal or as a snack. They're available with vanilla or chocolate ice cream.
$4.99
These chewy Japanese rice cakes are filled with various and often unique flavors of ice cream. Reviewers have found little wrong with the green tea version, with one proclaiming that it has "just the right thickness, texture and elasticity."
$3.99 (quart)
Who needs name-brand ice cream when there's Trader Joe's? That's the consensus of several expert taste testers, including our own. Setting the flavor apart from the competition: A custardy texture that makes for a richer taste and feel.
$3.99
You won’t find Swedish Fish at TJ’s, but you will find the equally gummy (and addictive) Scandinavian Swimmers. The sunny flavor combination of berry, peach, orange and mango is almost as mesmerizing as this video showing how they’re made.
$3.99
Almonds and a rich, caramel-like cookie combine with a dark chocolate coating in these Laceys cookies. They're thin, crispy, and lacy sort of like a tuile cookie, hence the name. If you want a store-bought cookie that's sophisticated, this is a good choice. They're also available with macadamia nuts.
Note: Rumor has it that Trader Joe's may discontinue dark chocolate almond laceys.
$3.49
Can't get enough of the regular Joe-Joe's? Upgrade to this version, made with the classic cookie enrobed with peanut butter coating with a chocolate drizzle. It feels like something you'd buy at a chocolatier, and that's perfectly OK.
$6.99
This frozen version of tiramisu was a "showstopper," according to The Kitchn, but was unfortunately discontinued. It had a thin layer of sponge cake soaked in coffee on the bottom with a thick and creamy mascarpone layer on top. All you had to do is thaw and serve.
Fans aren't convinced that Trader Joe's Italian Tiramisu is an adequate replacement.
$4.99
For something with a little more tang, these lemon bars will likely make you pucker up. They're made with a creamy layer of lemon and a shortbread base, and are served best at room temperature.
$3.99
Packed six to a box, these dainty Italian cream puffs are ideal for an afternoon tea or morning brunch situation. Each puff is filled with vanilla cream and topped with a piece of chocolate.
Note: Some shoppers say they no longer see Italian Custard Cream Puffs on store shelves, but it may depend on location.
These longtime staples of TJ’s bakery section had a cult-like following, but were sadly discontinued a few years back. The dense, moist chocolate and tangy sea salt offered the perfect balance of sweet and savory. And when they’re “petite,” you could eat more than one without guilt, right?
Trader Joe's later introduced Sea Salt Brownie Bites, but fans say they pale in comparison to the Petites.
For more great shopping guides and grocery tips, please sign up for our free newsletters.
Another fan favorite that was sadly discontinued, Trader Joe’s crunchy-then-chewy Chocolate Chip Cocoa Meringues were a gluten-free indulgence that were just 90 calories per serving, and they earned rave reviews. “Not so low-cal if you snarf down half the container,” warned one Redditor.
Another favorite to add to the discontinued list, this treat had a little bit of fruit, a little bit of chocolate. Deglet Noor dates were filled with peanut butter and dunked in dark chocolate, lending a sweet, salty flavor bomb to each bite.