Whether you're stocking the pantry for work from home life, or preparing your favorite plane, train, and car snacks, Trader Joe's has you covered. Aisles of (really) affordable salty, sweet, and everything in between snacks made Trader Joe's a beloved grocery chain with a cult following and fan accounts across Instagram. But not all of Trader Joe's snacks are created equal. After tons of tasting, we've found the best of the best. Before you go on your next grocery store run, check out our list of the 22 best Trader Joe's snacks.
Want ideas for healthy snacks? Here are 7 airplane snacks approved by nutritionists.
Plain or Jerk-Style Plantain Chips
Satisfy a salty craving with either Trader Joe’s plain or Jerk-Style Plantain Chips. For the former, simple ingredients include plantains, sunflower oil, and salt. For a spicier snack, the jerk-style plantain chips add a mouthwatering seasoning mix of allspice, coriander seed, red pepper, garlic powder, and citric acid.
Peanut Butter Pretzels
Combine the quintessential free airplane snacks of peanuts and pretzels with the easily pop-able Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels. The packed bags come with approximately 165 pretzels, and are available in both a salted and no salt variety. For those looking for a sweeter option, opt for the milk chocolate covered peanut butter pretzels.
Just Mango Slices
Easily one of the most popular dried fruit options at Trader Joe’s are the packs of dried mango. We prefer the Just Mango Slices that are unsweetened and unsulfured for the least processed mango strips, but there are also sweetened mango and chili-spiced mango. Be forewarned, all varieties are quite addicting.
Thai Lime and Chili Almonds
The nut varieties are seemingly endless at TJ’s, from raw to roasted to spiced. For almond lovers, we recommend the Thai Lime and Chili Almonds. Seasoning includes chili, paprika, lemongrass, garlic powder, kaffir lime leaves, and white pepper. A cashew variety is also available. Pair them with your favorite cheese and dollop of jam, for a DIY cheese plate.
Sesame Sticks
A definite crunch upgrade from a plain pretzel or potato chip, Trader Joe’s Sesame Sticks are a tasty salty Trader Joe’s snack made from wheat flour, soybean oil, sesame seeds, and bulgur wheat. They’re on the salty side, but certainly fulfill the crunch craving. Pop open a cold beer, and you’ve got at-home happy hour.
Pinks & Whites Cookies
A recreation of our childhood favorite frosted animal cookies, the Pinks and Whites from Trader Joe’s are a satisfyingly sweet option for travel (or at home in the middle of the night, we won’t tell). These shortbread cookies are covered in yogurt and colorful sprinkles.
Bamba Peanut Snacks
Bamba is easily the best-selling snack in Israel, and Trader Joe’s sells a bag of Bamba Peanut Snacks for just 99 cents. They’re made of four ingredients: peanut paste, corn grits, palm oil, and salt. These airy puffs are crunchy and have a delicious peanut taste. No passport required.
Quinoa and Black Bean Infused Tortilla Chips
Say goodbye to chips that leave you feeling hungry and unsatisfied with the Quinoa and Black Bean infused Tortilla Chips. These hearty chips are made with stone ground white corn, sunflower and/or corn oil, red quinoa, black beans, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and a little bit of lime. They make a great base for nachos too, just sayin’.
Marcona Almonds with Rosemary
If you want to feel like you’re at a fancy wine bar in Barcelona, buy a bag of the Roasted and Salted Truffle Marcona Almonds with Rosemary. Grown in Spain, these almonds are softer and more buttery than traditional almonds, and this bag adds tasty sunflower oil, sea salt, and dried rosemary. It’s one of Trader Joe’s snacks that should be on every sophisticated shopping list.
Chili and Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips
A Trader Joe’s alternative to the popular Mexican brand Takis, the Chili and Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips are a spicy and tasty Trader Joe’s snack option. Yellow corn chips are rolled for an added crunch, and seasoned with oil, lime, and spices. They’re addicting on their own, but pair perfectly with guacamole.
World’s Puffiest White Cheddar Corn Puffs
Cheese puff-lovers take note, the World’s Puffiest White Cheddar Corn Puffs are a cheap and flavorful Trader Joe’s snack. Similar to Pirate’s Booty, these puffs are made from cornmeal, sunflower oil, and cheddar cheese for airy, crunchy, cheesy goodness. You may have to buy a bag for your kids, and hide one for yourself.
Sweet Sriracha Uncured Bacon Jerky
Trader Joe’s Sweet Sriracha Uncured Bacon Jerky is the perfect cross between bacon and regular jerky, offering a sweet and salty combo for people wanting a meaty snack. Other jerky options include teriyaki turkey, wild king salmon, sweet and spicy buffalo, and teriyaki beef. Protein and flavor on the go? Yes, please.
Ranch Seasoned Crispy Chickpeas
A (slightly) healthier substitute for Doritos Cool Ranch chips, the Ranch Seasoned Crispy Chickpeas at TJ’s are a crunchy protein snack. The chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) are low in sugar and tastefully flavored with ranch seasoning and other spices. Popping open a bag of these is way easier (and faster) than roasting your own chickpeas.
Simply Almonds, Cashews & Chocolate Trek Mix
A staple on road trips, flights, and hikes, trail mix is the ultimate on-the-go snack. But skip the old-fashioned peanut, raisin, and M&M mix for a more sophisticated medley. The Simply Almonds, Cashews & Chocolate Trek Mix is made of roasted almonds, roasted cashews, and nice big chunks of chocolate. Have a bag around the house, even if the only place you’re trekking is to the kitchen.
Popcorn with Herbs and Spices
There are several pre-popped popcorn Trader Joe’s snack options — both salty and sweet — but we’re partial to the Popcorn with Herbs and Spices. It has a light but pleasant savory flavor thanks to oil, dried dill leaf, celery seed, and onion powder. Best paired with your favorite streaming service.
These Peanuts Go On A Date Bars
Fans of RXBar and Larabar will want to grab a box of These Peanuts Go On A Date Bars. Each gluten-free bar is made of just five ingredients: dates, peanut butter, roasted peanuts, flaxseed meal, and sea salt. These bars are easy to stash and perfect for on-the-go snacking.
Mozzarella Rolloni
Although this snack needs to be refrigerated, the Mozzarella Rolloni at Trader Joe’s is ideal when a meat and cheese hankering strikes. The 18-count tray includes nine slices of mozzarella rolled inside prosciutto, and nine slices of mozzarella rolled inside salami. PSA: it’s a low-carb and keto-friendly option.
Scandinavian Swimmers
Maybe you call it candy, but we’re fine labeling the Scandinavian Swimmers at TJ’s as a sweet snack. An obvious copycat of Swedish Fish, the multi-colored, sea life-shaped Scandinavian Swimmers are soft gummy candies. Flavors include huckleberry blue dolphins, mango-peach yellow sea horses, and berry red lobsters. They also come in a sour variety if your tastebuds prefer.
Fig and Olive Crisps
Whether you eat them with goat cheese or garlic dip, or simply on their own, the Fig and Olive Crisps are an upgraded cracker snacking experience. The wheat crackers have a sweet and salty flavor profile thanks to the added Kalamata olives, dried figs, and flax, sunflower, and sesame seeds.
Sweet and Spicy Pecans
We’d be remiss if we didn’t include one of the pecan options offered at Trader Joe’s. The Sweet and Spicy Pecans are a well-loved item that can be eaten on their own or on top of a salad for an unexpected zing. Ingredients include pecans, sugar, canola oil, salt, and spices.
Corn, Pea, Bean, & Quinoa Crisps
We’re not going to argue that the Corn, Pea, Bean & Quinoa Crisps are healthy per se, but they’re certainly a reduced-guilt salty chip. Reminiscent of PopCorners and Off The Eaten Path Veggie Crisps from Costco, these hexagon-shaped crisps are made from yellow corn, sunflower oil, yellow and green split peas, black bean grits, white quinoa, salt, and pepper.
Chocolate Covered Pretzels
Any roadside convenience store or airport newsstand is likely to have a bag of chocolate-covered pretzels on their shelves, as they provide the ideal sweet and salty combination. Trader Joe’s sells two options: Milk Chocolate Covered Mini Pretzels and Dark Chocolate Covered Mini Pretzels. They come in a resealable bag, but we won’t judge if you eat the whole thing in one sitting.
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