
All the Must-Try Spring Trader Joe’s Products to Add To Your Shopping List
Hear ye, hear ye: Spring has arrived at Trader Joe’s, and it’s time to celebrate all the delicious offerings. If you’re a truly dedicated shopper, you know that Inside Trader Joe’s releases a semi-monthly deep dive into all your favorite products, and this week, they’re telling you exactly what to add to your grocery list this season.
You’re about to see a cart’s worth of new goodies on shelves this week, from pasta sauces to Easter sweets. Here’s what to expect from the spring lineup, according to Episode 87.
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Trader Joe’s Spring Grocery List, from the Insiders Themselves
Co-hosts Tara Miller and Matt Sloan broke down what they consider the most exciting flavors of the season. Here’s what they couldn’t get enough of.
Caro Sugo Italian Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
The show kicks off with a rave review for the authentic and fresh Caro Sugo Italian Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce (say that five times fast), with the hosts calling it TJ’s “love letter to pasta sauce.”
“People talk about the flavor difference between Italian tomatoes and tomatoes from other places—but when you’re tasting a sauce made with Italian tomatoes, you’re most often going to notice it,” Miller says. “It’s a big, vibrant flavor. It’s like a flavor bomb.”
The sauce is, of course, meant to be eaten warm—with pastas, bakes and casseroles, and even sloppy (Trader) Joes—but the hosts didn’t bother heating it up before diving right in, and both said it tastes phenomenal right out of the fridge.
Crispy Dried Watermelon
If you’ve ever heard of Trader Joe’s past attempts at watermelon chips, you probably already know they were quite divisive. But brand is giving it another go with its Crispy Dried Watermelon. These dehydrated chips promise to be super crispy, sweet, and delicious—and not to mention, the ideal picnicking snack.
The product description recommends: “Toss it into your trail mix. Crumble it over yogurt or ice cream. Or grind it to a fine powder, then fold it into frosting, stir it into cupcake batter, or combine it with TJ’s Turbinado Raw Cane Sugar to rim a cocktail glass!”
Tarongino Wine
There’s nothing like a vibrant orange wine (made entirely from oranges, not flavored grapes, mind you) to spruce up your first barbecue or backyard garden party of the season. This Tarongino wine has a low alcohol content and is made with Valencia oranges, which gives it a spring-appropriate rosy hue. Sloan describes it as crisp and bright.
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Trader Joe’s Easter Treats
“I can remember all of those years filling Easter baskets for my kids and having to go somewhere else to buy all that stuff, and most of the time, not very good quality stuff,” Miller says in the episode. Trader Joe’s wanted to change that by offering innovative treats for the holiday this year, and the podcast hosts spoke with Trader Joe’s candy and cookies category manager to get the details.
Break-Apart Bunny
This is a classic chocolate bunny but with a twist—it’s filled with tiny gummy carrots. The adorable hollow sweet hides the surprise inside, upping the fun of any Easter basket. Don’t worry: They taste like oranges. Although, we wouldn’t mind the alternative (carrot cake, anyone?).
Milk Chocolate Bunny Bar
As the name implies, this bar is shaped like a festive bunny, and it’s topped with candy-coated milk chocolate gems, rainbow nonpareils, caramel bits, and white chocolate drizzle. Not only is the appearance fun, but it also has an amazing array of flavors and textures to enjoy while you nibble on it.
Truffle Eggs
You’ve seen chocolate eggs before, but they probably don’t compare to this innovative version. Each egg features a different filling with a different vibrantly-colored foil. You’ve got dark praline, crispy milk, milk praline, milk coconut, dark pistachio, dark cookies and cream, and white praline chocolate to choose from—or you could just eat the entire box in one go.
Easter Joe-Joes
Modeled after the beloved Chocolate Joe-Joe, the Easter version features four different cookies: milk chocolate, white chocolate, an egg design, and a bunny design. “I think people are going to freak out when they eat these—in the best way,” Sloan says.
Yellow Mini Sheet Cake
Mini Sheet Cakes are a staple in TJ’s bakery aisle, and you can’t go wrong with a chocolate-frosted yellow cake—plus this year, it’s gluten-free. The podcast hosts promise that you’d never be able to tell the difference between this version and one made with gluten flour, and we believe them.
Other Seasonal Finds
Here are a few more springtime products you can’t miss out on, according to the podcast hosts.
- Trader Joe’s Garlic Butter Irish Potato Chips: just as delightfully garlicky and flavorful as the name sounds
- Trader Joe’s Night Cream: not for eating—for hydrating your hands, face, and wherever else
- Organic Baby Red Butter Lettuce and Baby Arugula Mix: a tender, bite-sized springtime greens mix that’s perfect for making a quick, fresh salad