Trader Joe’s is the go-to for everyone looking to buy healthy groceries on a budget. From pre-made foods to a huge cheese aisle to endless frozen meal options, Trader Joe’s has just about everything you could possibly want—the same goes for Trader Joe’s granola bars.
As a college student, I often find myself looking for quick snacks to take with me on the go. If I’m not careful and don’t plan ahead, that can get pretty unhealthy fast.
Thankfully, there’s a huge selection of Trader Joe’s granola bars to choose from. They’re less expensive than the other brand granola bars at Trader Joe’s, so here are the ones worth buying—and the ones to avoid.
Apple Fruit Bar
Although the taste of this line of snack bar is pretty much spot on, especially with the coconut and mango flavors, the texture is off-putting.
It technically isn’t a granola bar because the only ingredients are apple and whatever other fruit the flavor is, including banana, strawberry, coconut, and mango. I think that adding oats would totally turn this bar around into one of my favorites.
The redeeming qualities are that they’re gluten-free, kosher, and only 99 cents each.
Chia Bar
These bars pack a whole lot of nutrition into a teeny tiny 100 calorie bar. It’s a great option for a quick snack, but I found the texture to be a little on the gummy side from the combination of chia, almonds, cranberries, and pumpkin seeds.
The cranberries also don’t contribute much sweetness to this organic and gluten-free Trader Joe’s granola bar.
Vanilla Almond Granola Bars
Trader Joe’s packs as much flavor as they can into one little bar by adding roasted almonds and oats for more complexity. These chewy granola bars have a vanilla icing that’s a little too sweet for my taste, though.
Plus, I’ve found that it gets pretty melty and messy, even at room temperature.
Organic Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bars
Your average granola bar from a big brand is loaded with lots of artificial flavors and colors and preservatives, but Trader Joe’s made it their mission to bring healthier snacks to your pantry.
These bars are organic, kosher, and only 100 calories per serving. The only disappointing part to me was the lack of chocolate chunks in a bar that has chocolate in its name.
This Fruit Walks Into a Bar
These Trader Joe’s granola bars come in a huge variety of flavors, including some seasonal varieties. Take your pick from apple, blueberry, strawberry, fig, mango, and pumpkin. They’re the perfect balance of sweet and healthy, with the fruit flavor really standing out.
Clocking in at only $1.99 for six bars, they’re healthier, tastier, and cheaper than your average pop tart, especially when you heat them in the toaster.
Raises the Bar
I love the variety of textures and flavors these bars offer from the combination of oats, millet, quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat in the base.
They come in two flavors—dark chocolate chunk and maple pumpkin seed. Both are low in sugar, gluten-free, and high in whole grains.
The only drawback is they’re tiny, barely big enough for a good snack in my opinion.
Chocolate Chip Chewy Coated Granola Bars
Although these bars don’t get the organic status of the other Trader Joe’s granola bar options I’ve listed, they’re still free of artificial flavors and colors, preservatives, hydrogenated oils, and trans fats.
They’re also packed with delicious chocolate and a chewy center that just melts in your mouth.
Fiberful Granola Bars
Whether you prefer to go for the oats and chocolate chips or oats and peanut putter flavor, the bottom of these chewy granola bars always comes coated in chocolate.
I love the dense and chewy texture and, if this isn’t TMI, how the added fiber makes my stomach feel. I’ve always loved FiberOne granola bars, but I’ll never go back after trying the Trader Joe’s version.
Nutty Seedy Fruity Bar
Not only is the adjective-heavy name of this Trader Joe’s granola bar cute, but the bar itself is, too. It’s tiny, but it packs great flavor that makes up for what it lacks in size.
The nuts are almonds, walnuts, and brazil nuts. For seeds, there are pumpkin, sunflower, and chia. Fruit tops off all the contrasting flavors and textures with date paste for a sweet, chewy bite.
Sweet, Savory, and Tart Trail Mix Granola Bars
Trail mix is one of my all-time favorite snacks and every trail mix fan knows that Trader Joe’s is pretty much the number one destination. Despite their wide selection of trail mixes, this bar is pretty straightforward and only comes in one flavor.
It does deliver on chunks of trail mix components that make it an easy, portable way to satisfy your cravings.
Simply Nutty Dark Chocolate Nut Bars
These bars totally remind me of Kind Bars, which are one of my favorite snack bar brands.
They come in three simple but delicious flavors, including: dark chocolate, nuts and sea salt; dark chocolate, walnut, peanut, fig, and date; and dark chocolate, peanut, and almond.
There’s plenty of chocolate to satisfy my sweet tooth, and at less than a dollar a bar, it’s a much better deal than Kind bars.
Sweet and Salty Granola Bars
The first time I tried these bars, I was hesitant because yogurt-covered bars have never been my favorite. They always seem to be too sweet, bitter, or taste like chemicals.
Trader Joe’s version with three nut butters, whole almonds, oats, rice and a greek yogurt coating has completely changed my opinion. As the name suggests, they’re the perfect balance of sweet and salty for a mid-day snack.
PB&J Bar
I have to admit that as a child, I never had a PB&J sandwich. I was more of a peanut butter and nutella fiend. If you were the kid with the PB&J, this bar will take you straight back to childhood.
Personally, I think the granola bar version is even better than the bread version. Trader Joe’s did something magical to keep both the peanut butter and jelly gooey, so it’s just like it was in your sandwich.
Soft Baked Drizzled Gingerbread Oat Bars
I hardly think this seasonal bar qualifies as a Trader Joe’s granola bar. It tastes just like dessert. After trying this icing-coated, gingerbread-flavored bar, you’ll never find yourself picking at the stale cookies on your gingerbread house again.
If you want to take the liberty of comparing Trader Joe’s granola bars to other brands that the store offers, go right ahead. Almost all Trader Joe’s stores stock Clif bars, RX Bars, Larabars, and Kind Bars.
Pay your local Trader Joe’s granola bar aisle a visit to see all of your choices, but be sure to do your research first, so you get the biggest bang for your buck on granola bars.