As a vegan myself, I know how torturous it can be going to holiday party after holiday partying watching all of your friends devour dessert after dessert. Meanwhile, you sip your water and count down the minutes until returning home to a pantry stocked with vegan goodies. Alas, it is time to leave this sob story behind.
Since Trader Joe's is a vegan's best friend, they have the cure to all of your cravings, all animal-free, of course. These holiday treats are certain to fill your pantry, your party platter, and most importantly, your stomach.
1. Candy Cane Joe-Joe's
Many people are surprised when they find out that Oreo's are vegan. The cream in the middle is actually cream-less, making this delicious sandwich cookie a gift from the vegan gods. Trader Joe's line of oreos, Joe-Joe's, has a candy cane flavor perfect for the holidays. The frosting has a mint base with shredded candy cane sprinkled throughout. It's without a doubt one of TJ's best peppermint products.
2. Soft-Baked Snickerdoodles
Snickerdoodles are an absolute must around the holiday season. Trader Joe's has got us vegans covered with a soft and chewy cookie free of just about every allergen you could think of. Warm a plate of these cinnamon sugar cookies up in the oven to leave for Santa or throw an apron on and make your own vegan holiday cookies.
3. Speculoos Cookie & Cocoa Swirl Butter
If you've ever shopped at Trader Joe's, you've likely tried Speculoos cookie butter. It certainly lives up to its hype as one of TJ's best products. The CB rave has yet to die out, so alas, our saviors at Trader Joe's have gifted us with a near hybrid of cookie and chocolate: cookie & cocoa swirl butter. My top two recommendations for CB heaven are to spread it on your morning waffles or drizzle a melted spoonful (or two) onto a bowl of dairy-free ice cream.
4. Marshmallows
My summer was saved when I found out Trader Joe's makes gelatin-free marshmallows. Safe to say I had my fair share of s'mores this year. Now that winter is upon us, this product has saved the season yet again. What would vegan hot chocolate be without vegan marshmallows? Keep your eye out for the mallows in pink packaging. Those ones are mini and perfect for floating atop a cup of hot chocolatey swirls.
5. Caramel Popcorn
Watching Elf, Home Alone, and The Polar Express without a bowl of popcorn would be flat out wrong. Movie snacks are equally as important as the movie, if not more important. Fortunately, Trader Joe's has already popped your corn for you and coated it in caramel. I suggest mixing in some of TJ's dairy-free chocolate chips or other candy into the bowl to really pimp out your popcorn.
6. Jumbo Cinnamon Roll
Ahh yes, everyone's favorite pastry, the cinnamon roll. Pillsbury came close to making a vegan cinnamon roll, but crushed the dreams of myself and many others when we read whey on the ingredients list. Luckily, TJ's never fails to hook a vegan gal up and has created not just a whey-free cinnamon roll, but a JUMBO whey-free cinnamon roll.
#Spoontip: make a batch in your waffle iron and serve on Christmas morning as a gift to your fam. After all, the best way to the heart is through the stomach.
7. Dark Chocolate Commendation Bar
If you're looking for a stocking stuffer, look no further. Trader Joe's dark chocolate commendation bars are a dairy-free dream come true. Each bar is 4.4 pounds (*jaw drops*) of chocolate imported from Belgium exclusively for TJ's customers. Keep a bar under your pillow for a midnight snack or make one of these four delicious dark chocolate recipes.
For most of us, our sweet tooth has a major cavity going into the new year, but if you're still going strong after the ball drops, continue to eat your heart out with some of the best vegan junk foods at Trader Joe's. The mini cinnamon sugar churros still deserve a medal.