If you’ve ever been inside Trader Joe’s, you know that spending hours wandering through the isles, looking at all the delicious chocolatey, sugary treats can be a serious problem. I’ve been there and done that enough to call myself somewhat of an expert on Trader Joe’s dessert offerings.
Although my personal favorites almost always involve chocolate, I’ve discovered a handful of other goodies here and there that take me straight back to my candy-gobbling childhood.
Even if you’re trying to be an adult, you can find cheap and relatively healthy versions of all of your favorite childhood sweets at Trader Joe’s. Many have swapped out natural ingredients for artificial chemicals that brand name candies are known for. Here are some of my personal favorites.
Spoiler Alert: I think they’re even better than the original brand name sweets.
Scandinavian Swimmers
Trader Joe’s version of Swedish Fish are better for two reasons, in my opinion. First, they come in a variety of flavors and shapes, which makes eating them more exciting. Plus, they are colored using natural fruit and vegetable extracts instead of artificial dyes.
T’s and J’s Sour Gummies
Ts and Js sour gummies come in four delicious and natural flavors. To me, the sour and sweet flavors taste less artificial than Sour Patch Kids, which always turned me off because of their aftertaste. Although the ingredients aren’t 100% natural, they’re still a large step up from most sour candies on the market.
Berry Flavored Soft Licorice Twists
Although I like the flavor of Twizzlers, I’ve always found the waxy texture to be somewhat unappetizing. These little licorice nuggets from Trader Joe’s are made using natural flavors and have a much more pleasant chewy texture. Plus, it’s much easier to pop one in your mouth than to chew on a long Twizzler.
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Don’t get me wrong, Reese’s are probably one of man’s greatest inventions. What’s not so great about them are the artificial ingredients and, in my humble opinion, slightly overwhelmingly sweet flavor.
Trader Joe’s has taken everything good about Reese’s and made them better by using real peanut butter and dark chocolate with a fraction of the sugar.
Candy Coated Milk Chocolate Pieces
This is one comparison that I’m going to add a disclaimer to. Trader Joe’s version of M&M’s really don’t taste exactly like the typical M&M’s that you grew up eating, and you could identify that without even opening your eyes.
They are, however, clear of all the artificial dyes that force many people to have to steer clear of the classic candy. These are a great, slightly healthier substitution for when you’re making your own trail mix or need a chocolate fix.
Crispy Rice Milk Chocolate Bar
I’m a big fan of foods that have a variety of textures. It just makes the experience of eating so much more exciting. I find that the rice in Trader Joe’s version of Nestle Crunch retains an even better crunch. Plus, the chocolate itself is of much higher quality, giving the bar a more complex flavor instead of one note of sugary sweet.
Chocolate Covered Wafer Cookie
If you’re OK with losing the signature snapping pop sound when you break into a Kit Kat bar, I highly recommend trying Trader Joe’s version. It has slightly a slightly lower chocolate to cookie ratio, but even my chocolate-loving self sees past that in favor of the more delicious wafer cookie layer.
Chocolate Honey Mints
The packaging speaks for itself on Trader Joe’s version of York Peppermint Patties. They only have three ingredients, which lets the chocolate and refreshingly natural mint flavor shine through brightly.
Dark Chocolate Orange Sticks
Although Terry’s Orange Chocolates some in cool shapes, they also come with some pretty uncool artificial flavors. Trader Joe’s version is made with natural orange flavor and high quality dark chocolate.
If you truly are missing the authentic Terry’s shape, just wait for winter time at Trader Joe’s. They have a seasonal copycat candy called Dark Chocolate Orange that looks and, in my opinion, tastes just like Terry’s.
Speculoos Cookie Butter
Trader Joe’s version of cookie butter has actually become more popular than the original Lotus Biscoff spread here in the United States. It’s no big question why, when you take a chance to taste the two. Trader Joe’s version has a more complex flavor profile, instead of just plain sugar.
Another contributing factor to the popularity of Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie Butter is the variety of flavor and texture options. Depending on the season, there are several other flavors like cookie and cocoa swirl, cookies and cream, and pumpkin spice available. It also comes in creamy or crunchy with actual cookie pieces.
Cocoa Almond Spread
Similar to the disclaimer I added to Trader Joe’s version of M&M’s, this Trader Joe’s version of Nutella does not actually taste like the original. It’s because the nuts in Nutella are macadamia, while Trader Joe’s uses almonds.
That aside, Trader Joe’s version has a much healthier ingredient makeup, featuring significantly less sugar and additives. My only complaint about that is that because it has less oil, Trader Joe’s almond spread is a bit grainier.
Joe Joe’s
Just like Oreos, Joe Joe’s come in a variety of flavors. The relative taste of those flavors does vary greatly, but I think that the original chocolate cookie and vanilla creme version has a more natural flavor and texture than Oreos. I especially like the bright vanilla flavor of the creme.
My personal favorite flavor comes around only near Christmas time, a chocolate cookie with crunchy peppermint creme filling.
Dark Chocolate Mint Coins
I think it might be safe to say that you can finally enjoy Girl Scout Cookies year-round. Well, if you like Thin Mints anyways, now you can have them any time the craving hits. The Trader Joe’s version comes in cute mini rounds that help with portion control. As an added bonus, they’re a whole lot healthier on your wallet, at only $1.99 per box.
Crispy Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Tate’s Bake Shop cookies have become somewhat of a cultural phenomenon over the past couple years. While I credit them with being truly delicious, they can be a little unhealthy on my wallet.
Luckily, Trader Joe’s has an entire line of cheaper cookies just like Tate’s, including a gluten-free variety. They even come in that cute brown paper bag too.
Frosted Sugar Cookies
Although it’s up to great debate whether these cookies are actually good are not, their widespread popularity is undeniable. No matter what grocery store you grew up going to, they were sure to have a version of these brightly frosted sugar cookies.
Trader Joe’s version leaves nothing up for debate in the flavor department. They have much more complexity and less of a stale texture than the grocery store variety. As an added bonus, they leave out the hydrogenated oil and artificial flavor, color, and preservatives.
Now that you’ve got all the sweet treats on hand to take you back to your childhood, it’s about time to kick back and relax with some throwback movies. What’s a better pairing to a candy that makes you nostalgic than a movie that you remember watching while eating it?