Now, here’s a March Madness bracket we can get behind: sweet treats. 

Whether you’re committed to filling out your brackets every spring (or enjoy gameday just for the snacks), Trader Joe’s proposed a lighthearted way to get in on the fun. 

This week, the California-based budget supermarket chain challenged shoppers to select their favorite after-dinner treats in a competitive championship aptly dubbed Elite Sweets Tournament. It featured eight of its top desserts in a head-to-head matchup, March Madness-style, on Instagram — and one sweet snack captured shoppers’ attention: TJ’s crispy, bite-sized Chocolate Chip cookies. 

In the Friday night announcement, Trader Joe’s called the $6 tub of cookies a veteran amongst its lineup.

“By far the oldest entrant in the Elite Sweets Tournament, our Dress Circle Crispy Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies have been wowing fans since 1995, and they showed us all exactly what 30 years of experience can do on the court,” the company wrote in the announcement. “With a buttery, crispy texture and chocolate chip crunch in every bite, they have a crossover appeal you simply can’t pass up — and that’s before we get into their unbeatable dunk.”

In the final round — after fan favorites like Snacky Clusters and Scandinavian Swimmers were voted out of the bracket — the dessert that ultimately ceded victory to the beloved cookies was the equally cherished Mint Chip Ice Cream, designated as “super premium” because it contains “less than 50% overrun, which in ice cream terms refers to the amount of air mixed into the final product.”

Now, let’s dig into all the contenders on the bracket. 

Crispy Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies

It’s tough to go wrong with a one-pound tub of chocolate chip cookies, like this core offering from the chain. Trader Joe’s suggests dipping them in coffee or tea, or alternatively crushing them into a crumb pie crust. Clearly, shoppers have a lot of love for it — it was deemed the top treat on Trader Joe’s shelves, and several Instagram followers rallied for its victory in the comments section 

Aussie-Style Chocolate Créme Sandwich Cookies

What’s not to enjoy about two stacked cookies filled with cream and covered in milk chocolate? Trader Joe’s says this treat is inspired by Australian treats and is imported from the Netherlands. Although it was sadly eliminated in the first round, that doesn’t mean this bakery treat should go unappreciated. 

Fruity Gummy Candies

These chewy snacks, made in Germany from real fruit purée and juice, unfortunately didn’t progress past the first round. We’d like to give them an honorable mention for their budget-friendly approach to fruit snacks, though. 

Scandinavian Swimmers

These marine animal-shaped gummies are a beloved favorite, having overthrown the chain’s Fruity Gummy Candies in the first round. In 2020, Trader Joe’s even revealed how these colorful, fruit-flavored treats are made in a behind-the-scenes video. 

Mint Chip Ice Cream

Trader Joe’s take on minty ice cream is a huge favorite among shoppers. The grocer describes its version as “delightfully dense” with a base of egg yolks and cream. This Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream made it to the final round of voting but lost to the chain’s decades-old Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

Coffee Bean Blast Ice Cream

Small bits of French Roast Colombian coffee beans are blended into this ice cream, which gains its rich flavor from brewed Colombian coffee. It lost to Mint Chocolate Chip in the first round, but it remains a favorite among many dedicated shoppers. 

Dark Chocolate Covered Powerberries

What exactly are Powerberries? They are Trader Joe’s unique “sweet-tart” blend of four dark berries: açai, blueberry, cranberry, and pomegranate. Although they were eliminated in the first round of the tournament, they’re still worth trying. 

Snacky Clusters

Trader Joe’s took its most popular salty snacks — Sea Salt Potato Chips, Corn Chip Dippers, and Mini Pretzel Nuggets — and coated them in a thick layer of milk chocolate. These treats triumphed over Dark Chocolate Covered Powerberries during the first round of voting, securing a place in the second round.