Trader Joe’s has a bakery section the way a lot of us have a junk drawer: somehow always full, occasionally chaotic, and hiding at least one thing that will genuinely change your life for the better. While a long list of Trader Joe’s bakery items have gained a cult following online, after a decade of professionally eating for a living, I can confirm that not everything is deserving of a spot in your cart. If you’ve ever stood on that bakery aisle with a child demanding the chocolate something while you squint at the ingredient list, you know the stakes feel unreasonably high for a Tuesday. So let me do the heavy lifting for you. I’ve tasted my way through the entire Trader Joe’s bakery section, so you can spend less time deliberating and more time actually leaving the store.
The good news: there are some genuinely amazing stars hidden in the bakery, the kind that make you feel like a genius for knowing about them. The less good news: there are also some items that just flop in the flavor department. Here, a definitive ranking from someone who has eaten an embarrassing amount of Trader Joe’s mini sheet cakes.
You Should Buy: Carrot Mini Sheet Cake
Image Credit: Trader Joe’s.
Starting off strong with my favorite Trader Joe’s bakery item of all time. While all of Trader Joe’s mini sheet cakes are worth your hard-earned money, the carrot cake variety is especially delicious. It’s usually only available in the springtime, and when it is, I stock up. They freeze really well, so I definitely suggest buying at least a few when they’re available and storing some in the freezer. If the carrot cake isn’t available, the new Cookies & Cream flavor is also worth buying.
Price: $5.99
You Should Buy: Brioche Style Liège Waffles
Image Credit: Trader Joe’s.
I’ve never been a huge waffle lover, so I didn’t have high hopes when I first picked up a bag of these Liège waffles. I couldn’t have been more wrong. These are made in Belgium specifically for Trader Joe’s and are a bit smaller and denser than traditional Belgian waffles. They have a more decadent and buttery flavor and are filled with sugared pearls that give the fluffy waffles an oh-so-satisfying crunch. They’re one of my favorite breakfast treats.
Price: $3.99
You Should Buy: Ciabatta Demi Baguette
Image Credit: Trader Joe’s.
Baguettes have a nasty habit of going stale on me before I can use the entire loaf. Trader Joe’s demi baguettes are about half the size of a traditional baguette, which is perfect for me because I can use the whole loaf before it dries out. The ciabatta dough is light and airy, perfect for sandwiches. It’s also great for making crostinis or just eating on its own with some nice quality butter.
Price: $1.29
You Should Buy: Brookie
Image Credit: Trader Joe’s.
I’m a firm believer that brownies should be dense and fudgy. If you want a light and fluffy brownie, just get some chocolate cake! Trader Joe’s Brookies have the perfect fudgy brownie base and rich and satisfying cookie dough on top. They’re cut into little bite-sized pieces, which is incredibly convenient for snacking or late-night sweet cravings. They’re available year-round at Trader Joe’s and are one of my favorite
Price: $4.99
You Should Buy: Sweet Pull Apart Aloha Rolls
Image Credit: Trader Joe’s.
If you love King’s Hawaiian rolls but often think to yourself, “Man, these would be so much better if they just tasted a little bit more homemade,” then you need to grab a pack of Trader Joe’s Sweet Pull Apart Aloha Rolls. I’m not sure how Trader Joe’s managed to pull it off, but these taste like something your grandma would make for you. They’re the perfect base for sliders, excellent appetizers, or even used in your favorite bread pudding recipe.
Price: $3.49
You Should Buy: Danish Kringle
Image Credit: Trader Joe’s.
If you’ve ever shopped at Trader Joe’s, I’m sure you’re familiar with the heavenly confection known as a Kringle. Every few months, Trader Joe’s stocks a new flavor of Kringle, and soon, we should be getting my favorite Kringle flavor of all, raspberry. Other seasonal flavors include pecan, pumpkin, almond, and cheesecake. These taste like they were smuggled directly out of a Danish bakery with their golden, buttery crust, whisper-thin layers of pastry dough, generous filling, and intoxicatingly sweet icing.
Price: $9.99
You Should Skip: Teeny Tiny Apple Pies
Image Credit: Trader Joe’s.
I’ve never had anything truly awful from the Trader Joe’s section, but these mini pies are better in theory than they are in execution. I was mostly disappointed in the amount of filling these tiny pies contain. It felt like I was eating more crust than ooey gooey apple filling and that’s just not what I’m looking for in an apple pie.
Price: $5.49
You Should Skip: Sourdough Bread
You’ll have to take my opinion on this one with a grain of salt. I bake my own sourdough at home most of the time, and it’s hard for any store-bought bread to stand up to freshly-baked homemade sourdough. But this San Francisco-style bread is seriously lacking in that sour flavor you want in a loaf of sourdough. It’s also a bit dry and dense for my liking. At just under $4, the price point is great, but you’re better off grabbing one of those ciabatta demi baguettes than this wannabe sourdough.
Price: $3.69
Vegan Banana Bread with Walnuts
Image Credit: Trader Joe’s.
I love that Trader Joe’s offers a wide variety of vegan options (I was vegan for four years). And while a lot of their vegan items are a solid 10/10, this banana bread is more like a 3/10. It’s lacking in banana flavor, and was way drier than I prefer my banana bread. Banana bread is so quick and simple to make at home! I highly recommend making your own loaf at home or going with one of Trader Joe’s other sweet treats instead.
Price: $5.49
Dining and Cooking