Spring has sprung, at least at Trader Joe’s! While the season doesn’t officially begin until March 20, the latest episode of the Inside Trader Joe’s podcast, which is co-hosted by TJ’s employees Matt Sloan, vice president of marketing, and Tara Miller, marketing director, revealed what shoppers can expect to see on store shelves in the coming weeks.
Overall, many Trader Joe’s customers will be happy to know that the chain has made more of an effort to create a slate of Easter-specific products designed to delight kids and adults alike. Some new, festive items to snag ASAP include the Break Apart Bunny and Easter JoJo’s. Even if you don’t celebrate the holiday, these finds are worth trying—who doesn’t love cookies and chocolate?!
Aside from candy and sweet treats, shoppers will spot a new pasta sauce, a returning cream cheese spread, and more. Keep reading for the ultimate Trader Joe’s spring shopping list!
Carro Sugo Italian Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
Made from tomatoes grown in Puglia, this Italian-produced pasta sauce is, according to Sloan, Trader Joe’s “love letter to pasta sauce.” You can use this thick and flavorful pantry staple on pasta, of course, but it also works with baked eggs, meatballs, and more. “When you’re tasting a sauce made with Italian tomatoes, you’re most often gonna notice it. It’s a big vibrant flavor,” noted Miller. “There’s no sugar, there’s no additives, there’s no thickeners, there’s none of that stuff. It’s as good or better than any of the super expensive sauces that you might find in other grocery stores, but it doesn’t come with a super expensive price tag.”
Tarongino Wine
Believe it or not, this crisp Spanish wine is made with Valencia oranges instead of grapes. This wine has approximately 7% ABV, and boasts a bright taste perfect for picnics, barbecues, and other outdoor gatherings. Expect to see this bottle in stores in early April and give it a whirl!
Hardywood Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter
This “bold” and intense beer can also be found in the alcohol aisle, and should be available now. It’s inspired by Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, and delivers all of the “intense” chocolate-y, peanut butter-y notes you might expect, according to Sloan. At 9% ABV, this is great to share and sip on. It’s made with chocolate malt and de-fatted peanut powder, yielding a beer that has a perfectly foamy head, once poured.
Break Apart Bunny
New this year, this little bunny is perfect for Easter. According to Allison, TJ’s category manager for candy and cookies, this milk chocolate critter was inspired by hot cocoa bombs and some of the filled chocolates you can find in London. While many chocolate bunnies are hollow, this one, which is unique to Trader Joe’s, is appropriately filled with fruit-flavored gummy carrots. It breaks apart easily, and can be spotted on store shelves now.
Milk Chocolate Bunny Bar
Crafted by the same vendor as the Break Apart Bunny, this Milk Chocolate Bunny Bar is essentially a thick, creamy chocolate bar topped with candy coated milk chocolate gems, caramel bits, rainbow nonpareils, and a white chocolate drizzle. “It’s so vibrant and fun looking,” Miller shared. “Just the visual of that is gonna cause people to just grab it, but then it tastes really good.”
Chocolate Truffle Eggs
Made of Belgium chocolate, this 7-pack of Chocolate Truffle Eggs were also inspired by Allison’s trip to London. “The idea of the foiled egg is not new, but the presentation of this was so fun and different,” Allison explained. “We wanted to do something really similar, but in our own way.” To that end, each egg has a different filling and has a different color foil. Shoppers will find one dark chocolate praline egg, one milk chocolate praline egg, one crispy milk chocolate egg, one milk chocolate coconut egg, one dark chocolate pistachio egg, one dark chocolate cookies and crème egg, and one white chocolate praline egg. Perfect for an Easter brunch, these “elevated” eggs are bound to be a hit with kids and grownups alike.
Easter JoJo’s
JoJo’s are a Trader Joe’s classic, and now there’s an Easter version to enjoy this spring. Every box of these festive JoJo’s contains four cookies with a chocolate exterior and vanilla creme center. Additionally, two cookies are covered in milk chocolate and Easter-themed sprinkles, while the remaining pair are coated in white chocolate with pink sanding sugar. “I think people are gonna freak out when they eat these, in the best way,” Sloan declared. “These are delicious.”
Yellow Mini Sheet Cake
Trader Joe’s sheet cakes are a thing. If you know, you know. And while this yellow cake with chocolate frosting doesn’t seem that different from other TJ’s sheet cakes we’ve seen in the past, this one is gluten free! “It is made with a combination of flours that do not include gluten,” Miller said, noting that these everyday cakes are currently in stores. “But if I hadn’t said that out loud and you didn’t see it on the label, because it’s there on the label, you wouldn’t know.”
Crispy Dried Watermelon
This dried fruit newbie is made from a pound and a half of dehydrated watermelon. And while each crispy piece looks like a cross between a tortilla chip and a slice of pepperoni, this snack is much more appetizing than it appears. “The only ingredient here is dried watermelon. There’s nothing added to it, so it’s super sweet,” Miller shared after having a taste. Expect to find this snack in stores now, but only for a few months.
Garlic Butter Irish Potato Chips
These ridge-cut potato chips are produced in Ireland, and are another everyday item shoppers can expect to find at TJ’s. “They’re really good,” Miller said of these “sturdy” chips. Each one is coated in a potent garlic butter mixture that then yields an elevated take on sour cream and onion chips.
Black Garlic Cream Cheese Spread
Speaking of garlic, Trader Joe’s Black Garlic Cream Cheese Spread is back for a limited time! Now on shelves, this spread is studded with black garlic, which has a slight sweetness that makes this item perfect for bagels, sandwiches, and even pasta. The garlic flavor is amped up even further thanks to dried garlic and roasted garlic powder.
Night Cream
This new spring find is (unfortunately) not edible. Instead, it’s a high-quality face cream that is specifically designed to be used at night. “It has ingredients in it like hyaluronic acid, which is known for pulling moisture into your skin,” Miller shared. This unscented beauty aisle find also contains fermented mushrooms, ceramides, and Irish sea moss extract. “Our skin care products [are] super high quality products for your skin, without paying the really high prices that you find in specialty shops,” Miller added. Expect to find this everyday item on store shelves in the beginning of April.
Organic Baby Red Butter Lettuce and Baby Arugala
This new lettuce mix is one of the healthiest items you can snag at TJ’s this spring. Half baby red butter lettuce and half baby arugula, these smaller, tender greens are perfect for a spring salad, but they also work well in a sandwich or wrap.
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