Trader Joe's may be better known for its zany snacks and inexpensive frozen foods, but it has plenty to offer the shopper with a sweet tooth. Whether you want a bakery-worthy treat, cookies, ice cream, or something more unexpected, here are some of the tastiest and most popular desserts you can buy from Trader Joe's.
Prices and availability are subject to change. Lacey Muszynski contributed to this story.
$6.99
Excuse the fancy French name: This is chocolate cake. But it’s also a dense, beautiful, decadent chocolate cake iced with an equally decadent chocolate cream, so we will let the pretentious moniker slide. Toss a few berries on top and it’s a “wow” dessert, for sure.
Related: Why Trader Joe's Employees are Surprisingly Helpful and Happy
$3.99
If you’ve ever wondered why pancakes don’t taste more like, well, cake, Trader Joe’s Pancake Bread is for you. This sweet-but-not-too-sweet treat is “moist and tender, and each bite … seeped with the true taste of pancake syrup,” raves Thrillist. It’s also hard not to love desserts that double as breakfast.
$4.49
According to Bon Appetit, someone loved the Chantilly cream vanilla cake version of the mini sheet cake so much that they tracked down the baker and had them make their wedding cake. The dark chocolate ganache version is great too, but very rich.
Related: Costco, Trader Joe's, Aldi: How Do They Stay So Cheap?
$4.49
Bite into one of these longtime staples of TJ’s bakery section, and you’ll know why they’ve had staying power: The dense, moist chocolate and tangy sea salt are the perfect balance of sweet and savory. And when they’re “petite,” you can eat more than one without guilt, right?
$4.99
While it's possible to make a chocolate treat from scratch, this decadent babka tastes like you did but without going through the hassle. This swirled combo of bread and chocolate is so over-the-top that it's tailor-made for dessert, not breakfast. Like the sign says, a warmed slice is amazing as a sundae with ice cream and fudge sauce.
Related: 20 Depression-Era Desserts That Actually Are Indulgent
$2.99
These Oreo-like sandwich cookies are such a beloved Trader Joe's item that there's multiple online rankings of which flavors are best. The seasonal candy cane version is usually tops, but it's hard to beat the classic chocolate and vanilla combo year round.
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$6.99
This freezer-case standby is always there for us, and while some reviewers say it’s too sweet, we say pish posh — it’s cheesecake. It’s also a blank canvas for toppings like berries, caramel, whipped cream, or anything else you want to add to fancy it up.
$1.99
If you're the type of person who always puts your chocolate in the freezer, this might be the treat for you. TJ's frozen, chocolate-dipped banana pieces are a simple but toothsome customer favorite, and since there's fruit inside, they can't be that bad for you … right?
Related: 16 Foods to Freeze for Later (and How to Do It Right)
$2.99
Chocolate lava cakes are usually reserved for restaurants, but the Trader Joe's version has often been called "restaurant-worthy." You heat the unassuming cakes, and the middles becomes a molten fudge center. Adorn them with additional goodies — berries, ice cream, caramel — if you want even more decadence.
$3.99
If you’re indecisive, this layered dessert is your spirit animal. Half chocolate-chip cookie and half brownie, it’s still 100% delicious. Just make sure you have a tall glass of milk on standby.
Related: Chocolate Chip Cookie Taste Test
$5.99
You probably won't fool anyone that you made these yourself, but the frozen sweet bites are good enough that it doesn't matter. There are three different flavors in every box, including coffee, raspberry, and caramel, and all are layered and look beautiful on a platter.
$4.29
A regular winner in the annual Trader Joe’s Customer Choice Awards, the dark chocolate peanut butter cups are a great addition to dessert, but are rich enough to stand on their own. The dark chocolate tempers the sweetness, so it feels like a grown-up Reese's peanut butter cup.
$3.99
There’s an unexpected cookie crust layered at the bottom of the ice cream, and everything is surrounded by a rich chocolate shell. But the best thing about these bon bons is that you feel so sophisticated eating them.
Related: Relive Your Childhood By Making These Classic Ice Cream Truck Treats
$4.99
Chic French macarons are trendy, but quite a feat to make yourself. The frozen versions at Trader Joe's aren't cheap but are quite good, and come in two different flavor packages: chocolate and vanilla, and an assortment with ingredients like pistachio and fig.
Related: Dishes You Should Leave to the Pros
$8.99
Jingle Jangle is only available around Christmas, but we have to give this favorite seasonal treat a shout. This mix of milk chocolate-covered mini pretzels, dark chocolate-covered caramel popcorn, dark chocolate-covered cookie bits, candy-coated milk chocolate gems, and mini peanut butter cups is a great gift for a holiday host — if you can manage to resist it yourself.
Related: Holiday Treats From Trader Joe's You Don't Want to Miss
$4.79
Feel like a kid again when you eat these cookie and ice-cream sandwiches, rolled in chocolate chips for good measure. They're a hefty 5 ounces each, and those mini chips give them a satisfying crunch.
$2.79
These crisp classics are easy to demolish because they’re not too sweet and have a satisfying crunch. They’re also a fun garnish for ice cream or as a sidekick to your favorite cup of tea.
$2.99
Another customer favorite, these mini chocolate-covered ice cream cones are great for portion control, when you just want something small after a meal or as a snack. They're available with vanilla or chocolate ice cream.
$4.49
These chewy Japanese rice cakes are filled with various and often unique flavors of ice cream. Reviewers have found little wrong with the green tea version, with one proclaiming that it has "just the right thickness, texture and elasticity."
$3.49 (quart)
Who needs name-brand ice cream when there's Trader Joe's? That's the consensus of several expert taste testers, including our own. Setting the flavor apart from the competition: A custardy texture that makes for a richer taste and feel.
$2.99
You won’t find Swedish Fish at TJ’s, but you will find the equally gummy (and addictive) Scandinavian Swimmers. The sunny flavor combination of berry, peach, orange and mango is almost as mesmerizing as this video showing how they’re made.
$3.69
In the mood for something different? Trader Joe’s crunchy-then-chewy Chocolate Chip Cocoa Meringues are a gluten-free indulgence that's just 90 calories per serving, and they’ve been earning raves since showing up on shelves about a year ago. “Not so low-cal if you snarf down half the container,” warns one Redditor.
$4.99
Hop to your nearest TJ's and grab these carrot cake cookies, made with thick vanilla cream frosting sandwiched between soft carrot cake pillows. If you're a fan of oatmeal cream pies or whoopie pies, then this is the dessert for you.
$6.99
Made with a variety of apples called Northern Spy, this apple pie is topped with a substantial layer of cinnamon sugar. It's best heated up briefly in the oven, according to fans, and a scoop of ice cream couldn't hurt.
$5.99
This pumpkin pie is in the bakery section of the store, not frozen, so it's ready to serve as soon as you purchase it. The pumpkin filling is absolutely incredible, according to one reviewer, and has just the right amount of sweetness.
$3.99
Almonds and a rich, caramel-like cookie combine with a dark chocolate coating in these Laceys cookies. They're thin, crispy, and lacy sort of like a tuile cookie, hence the name. If you want a store-bought cookie that's sophisticated, this is a good choice. They're also available with macadamia nuts.
$2.99
Can't get enough of the regular Joe-Joe's? Upgrade to this version, made with the classic cookie enrobed with peanut butter coating with a chocolate drizzle. It feels like something you'd buy at a chocolatier, and that's perfectly OK.
$6.49
Pie is a bit of a misnomer in this one, because it's much more like a cranberry upside down cake or a cobbler. Either way, it's a delicious mix of tart, sweet, and rich, with crunchy walnuts and buttery crust under a layer of beautiful red berries.
$6.99
This frozen version of tiramisu is a "showstopper," according to The Kitchn. It's got a thin layer of sponge cake soaked in coffee on the bottom with a thick and creamy mascarpone layer on top. All you have to do is thaw and serve.