If there was anything that could reinvigorate our love of all things Trader Joe’s (besides a book about its art), it’s a little bit of sweet competition. With the March Madness tournament approaching, the grocer organized the Elite Sweets Tournament in its honor—an eight-seed, single-elimination, bracket-style face-off to rank its top confections. 

Eight fan favorites paired off for a week of voting, then the top four were announced on April 1. Those treats matched up in the semi-finals on April 2, and the top two contenders went head-to-head on April 3. And we now have a winner! Here’s how this fierce, candy-coated competition played out. 

All the Contestants in Round 1

We know what you’re thinking: Of all the delicacies at Trader Joe’s, how can you even pick a top eight? Here’s a rundown of all the sweet treats that made the cut, including what won in round one. 

Crispy Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies vs. Aussie-Style Chocolate Crème Sandwich Cookies

TJ’s Crispy Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies are slightly larger than bite-sized and come in a plastic tub. Part of their widespread appeal is that they are made to be, as the name says, crispy and crunchy. As an added bonus, these kosher, dunkable cookies taste delicious crumbled over your favorite ice cream. 

Facing up against those classic cookies were the Aussie-Style Chocolate Crème Sandwich Cookies, which are made in the Netherlands and come with chocolate crème stuffed between two crisp, rectangular cookies. These aren’t your standard Oreos—they are completely covered in chocolate, too, and have more surface area for dunking. 

Scandinavian Swimmers vs. Fruity Gummy Candies

Scandinavian Swimmers are cute gummies that look like (you guessed it) little sea creatures. The candies are colored naturally using fruit and vegetable extracts, and they’re softer than standard gummies. Flavors include orange, huckleberry, mango-peach, and berry. 

On the other hand, the Fruity Gummy Candies are made with real fruit juice and puree and come from Germany, which is apparently known for its gummy candies. These are also chewy and soft, so this seems like it would be a tight race (and it was). 

Mint Chip Ice Cream vs. Coffee Bean Blast Ice Cream

Mint Chip Ice Cream is one of the most popular ice cream flavors in general, but the one from Trader Joe’s lacks the unnatural green color of its competitors. The extremely minty treat is packed with a cream-colored mint ice cream and tons of chocolate chips. 

Coffee Bean Blast Ice Cream is another top contender. The website claims it’s the best coffee-flavored ice cream on earth. But does it top mint? With its thicker, creamier consistency, it was another close call. 

Dark Chocolate Covered Powerberries vs. Snacky Clusters

The Dark Chocolate Covered Powerberries include açai, blueberry, cranberry, and pomegranate all covered in a rich dark chocolate coating. Eat alone or top your favorite oatmeal or yogurt—but are they good enough to win?

Whoever came up with Snacky Clusters nailed the sweet and salty trend by mixing several of Trader Joe’s top snacks. There are chips, corn chip dippers, and mini pretzel nuggets all crushed and covered in milk chocolate. The end result is a sweet, crunchy snack that proved hard to beat. 

Semi-Finals and Finals

In the first round of the semi-finals, Crispy Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies beat out Scandinavian Swimmers. In the second round, Mint Chip Ice Cream won over Snacky Clusters. This named the Crispy Cookies and Mint Ice Cream as the finalists. 

The final round had voting from April 3 to 4, and with 6 hours to go, it was a 60/40 split. While the race was close, Crispy Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies took home the trophy!

After all this competition, one thing is clear: There’s nothing like a perfect chocolate chip cookie.