We Sampled and Ranked All the New and Returning Strawberry Treats at Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s is no stranger to seasonal product drops. In fact, loyal Trader Joe’s shoppers eagerly await the return of their favorite seasonal items, be they ube-flavored products that crop up around late spring or fall items that start showing up in stores in September. And then there are those items that aren’t inherently tied to any given season or holiday, but ones that give off a certain vibe, a certain essence that’s enough to mark the start of an entirely new season.

One item capable of such an impressive feat is the humble strawberry, which for most of us is available in stores year-round. Nevertheless, there’s something quintessentially summery about a juicy, ripe strawberry, and Trader Joe’s has picked up on this cue. As such, just as rainy spring comes to an end and sunny summer is upon us, Trader Joe’s has dropped a number of strawberry treats and snacks, some of them brand new and some of them returning items. 

As a Trader Joe’s frequent flyer myself, I put these new and returning strawberry foods to the test — nine items in total — to determine which ones are worth grabbing on your next grocery trip, and which ones perhaps don’t live up to the hype. When ranking these strawberry treats, I paid attention to those that really managed to capture a delicious strawberry flavor (without tasting too artificial) and those that simply ended up being particularly delicious or memorable.

Kicking off our list is none other than Trader Joe’s sparkling strawberry juice, a returning item that has never managed to grab my attention before, and didn’t manage to grab it this time, either. I have to give this juice credit where credit’s due, as it is a bit hard to be a beverage stacking up against a slew of snacks and treats. It’s hard to compare, though I did still give this sparkling beverage its fair share of consideration. Once all was said and done (more specifically, once the can was completely empty), I just didn’t feel particularly wowed or impressed by this drink.

On the positive side, this sparkling juice did have some nice bubbles, a sweet but subtle strawberry flavor, and … well that’s about it. There was nothing remarkable or particularly delicious about the strawberry flavor in this drink, and if anything, it was perhaps a little too subtle all-around. Once I saw that vibrant red hue, I was expecting to be absolutely smacked in the face with strawberry flavor. Alas, there wasn’t much to process with this drink, just a sparkling, fruity little can of juice, nothing worth flocking to the store over.

Trader Joe’s offers an almost intimidating amount of cookies, ranging from the iconic, Oreo-like Joe-Joe’s to the chocolatey coated chocolate chip cookie dunkers. Of course, amidst the variety of staple cookies are those seasonal offerings, like these strawberry baton wafer cookies. Though I can’t say that I necessarily seek out baton wafer cookies of any flavor, I can get behind the soft-yet-crispy nature of these cookies, not to mention a shape that makes them super easy to munch on or stir into a glass of milk.

Unfortunately for these strawberry baton wafer cookies, I just couldn’t get behind the flavor. More specifically, I couldn’t get behind that artificial strawberry flavor, which really permeated the cookie throughout, including the creme on the inside and the wafer part on the outside. At first, I almost found the sheer explosion of strawberry flavor to be pleasant, or at the very least interesting. But as you make your way through a baton, a certain cloying sweetness and overwhelming artificial strawberry flavor takes over, and it made for a cookie-eating experience that I wasn’t too keen on. I’m sure that those who don’t mind artificial strawberry flavor or excessive sweetness might find these batons to be enjoyable, but ultimately, I would not re-purchase these cookies.

The fact that Trader Joe’s strawberries and crème pancake and waffle mix is coming in towards the end of this list doesn’t mean that this product is bad; instead, it means that there are so many even better products in TJ’s strawberry repertoire. I love a good flavored pancake, and Trader Joe’s strawberries and cream take on pancakes (or waffles) offered the promising allure of strawberry white chocolate chip goodness, or at the very least pretty pink pancakes.

As it turns out, this pancake mix delivers on both fronts, offering up some nice strawberry white chocolate flavors and pretty pink pancakes all in one go. I was worried that, like the baton wafer cookies, this mix would have a super overwhelming, artificial strawberry flavor. I do think there was some artificial-ness to the flavor, but it was more akin to the flavor of strawberry boxed cake mix, so just the right amount of artificial. The white chocolate chips were a particularly delicious addition here, adding a rich sweetness that paired really well with the strawberry flavor. There were also freeze-dried strawberry chunks in the mix, but unfortunately, I really didn’t come across too many of those while eating these pancakes.

Overall, I enjoyed the sweet flavor that this pancake mix had to offer, but I wasn’t exactly blown away. Also, I wouldn’t choose this mix over regular pancake batter with fresh strawberries mixed in, so it didn’t make much sense for me to rank this item any higher.

I am not one to turn down a coated pretzel of any sort, be it the absolutely irresistible milk chocolate-covered pretzel, the rich and decadent white chocolate-covered pretzel, or the humble-yet-still-tasty yogurt-covered pretzel. Trader Joe’s is also not a rookie in the covered pretzel game, as proven by its latest addition, the strawberry and vanilla flavored yogurt pretzels. This product actually features teeny tiny pretzels, so for those strawberry and mini food fans out there, you’ve hit the jackpot with this product.

Ultimately, it’s hard to mess up a covered pretzel, and Trader Joe’s certainly didn’t mess up with this product. One bite offers that delicious balance of salty pretzel and sweet yogurt coating, but my biggest gripe here is that the coating didn’t taste all that much like strawberry. I’m not sure why TJ’s opted to make these strawberry and vanilla flavored as opposed to just strawberry, because unfortunately (and somewhat surprisingly), the vanilla is the dominant flavor here. It’s a shame since the hints of strawberry that did shine through were quite tasty alongside the salty, crunchy pretzel. Alas, these pretzels made for a tasty little snack, but since they didn’t really live up to their strawberry namesake, I could only realistically rank them so high.

To be completely candid, I did not expect Trader Joe’s strawberry yogurt flavored coated almonds to rank very high when I first picked them up at the store. And, don’t get me wrong, I love a good almond, both coated or otherwise. But, ultimately, how good can an almond really be, even if it’s coated in a sweet, creamy layer of yogurt? As it turns out, pretty darn good, as proven by these strawberry almonds.

I think the biggest success here is just how well the strawberry yogurt flavor works with the almonds. And, it makes sense, seeing as almonds have a natural creaminess to them, so the creamy strawberry coating plays up that natural creaminess quite nicely. Also, the sheer strawberry-ness of the coating was rather impressive, and I suspect that it largely comes down to the dusting of strawberry powder on the outside of the almonds. So, yes, I found these strawberry almonds to be an incredibly tasty, solid snack, but I am keeping the fact that they are mere almonds into account by placing this product in a respectable but humble fifth place slot.

I’ve done a ranking of Trader Joe’s frozen mochi in the past, and of the six flavors that I’d tried, strawberry ended up nabbing the second place slot. So, needless to say, I was a fan of the strawberry mochi then, but wasn’t entirely sure how it would fare going into a ranking not against other mochi flavors but rather against different strawberry-flavored things. And, as proven by its fourth place spot on this list, I’d say the strawberry frozen mochi fared pretty well once again.

It’s hard not to like this frozen mochi — there’s strawberry ice cream in the middle with a sweet rice dough on the outside. The strawberry ice cream is perfectly sweet and creamy, not too heavy on any artificial strawberry flavor, and ultimately just a really nice, balanced treat. Back when I was ranking the various mochi flavors, something that stood out about strawberry in particular was just how creamy the ice cream was, and that same creaminess managed to impress me this time around, too. Ultimately, however, in the grand scheme of strawberry-flavored Trader Joe’s snacks and treats, there were a few products that managed to impress me that much more.

Trader Joe’s strawberry and jalapeño crisps are not the first flavor offering in the grand scheme of TJ’s crisps. There’s also the seasonal pumpkin cranberry crisps, delightful little crackers that work oh-so well on a charcuterie board. Having tried and loved the pumpkin crisps in the past, I was more than excited to try the summery strawberry and jalapeño version, and much to my delight, these little crackers more than delivered.

My only worry going into these crisps was that they might be a touch too sweet. This wasn’t the case at all, however, as they really did take on more of a general savory flavor, with tiny bursts of sweetness from the dried strawberries embedded throughout. The jalapeño flavor wasn’t super apparent at first, but as the cracker sits on your palate, the spiciness starts to take over without being overbearing. The end result is a cracker that packs a refined flavor, and one that doesn’t lean too heavily on sweet strawberry or spicy jalapeño, but rather a perfect harmony of both. These crackers would work well with any type of Trader Joe’s cheese, but especially with something more on the creamy or mild side like Unexpected Cheddar or triple cream Brie.

I’m seldom let down by Trader Joe’s bakery section, though I did fear that TJ’s teeny tiny strawberry rhubarb pies would be a miss in my book, simply because I’m not the biggest rhubarb fan. I get that rhubarb is summery and pairs well with strawberry, but anytime I’ve been offered a slice of strawberry rhubarb pie in the past, I’d find myself wondering why it couldn’t just be straight-up strawberry pie instead.

Regardless of my personal beef with rhubarb, I was determined to go into these teeny tiny pies with an open mind, and I’m glad I did. These little hand pies were simply delicious, with a perfectly sweet, strawberry-forward filling and a surprisingly moist, decadent crust that tasted like bakery-level quality. Truthfully, the rhubarb flavor wasn’t super apparent here, though I did taste a certain sourness that worked really well in contrasting against all that sweet strawberry goodness. The sprinkle of sugar on top of the pies added that perfect hint of extra sweetness and a little bit of crunch to boot. So, not only did these teeny tiny strawberry rhubarb hand pies prove to be a huge hit, but they also proved (to me, at least) that maybe rhubarb can actually add a nice, tart flavor balance to otherwise very sweet treats.

If there’s one Trader Joe’s bakery item that I’ll sing praises to until the day I die, it would be the store’s lineup of gluten-free muffins. I’ve highlighted the gluten-free cinnamon coffee cake muffins in my Trader Joe’s breakfast items roundup, and now I’m here to highlight the gluten-free strawberry muffins, which are simply delicious and absolutely delightful in every way imaginable. 

The first thing that strikes me every time I take a bite of any of TJ’s gluten-free muffins is just how moist and tender they are. The strawberry muffins are no exception, offering up an impossibly moist crumb, and one that most definitely leaves you wondering how they accomplished such a textural feat in a gluten-free treat. But then you turn your attention to the flavor, which in the strawberry muffins, is a sweet, fruity delight. I love the natural strawberry flavor that these muffins have to offer, along with a slight tang from the addition of buttermilk and sour cream. Like the teeny tiny pies, these muffins also come topped off with a sprinkle of coarse sugar, adding a slight crunch that really takes the texture of the treat as a whole over the edge. I have absolutely no complaints about these strawberry muffins, which makes them a very obvious choice for the title as supreme strawberry Trader Joe’s treat.

When ranking Trader Joe’s strawberry treats, I kept a few key factors in mind. Since I didn’t strictly dislike the flavor of any of the items on this list, it more so came down to which foods (or drinks) I felt best represented the essence of strawberry. Though I don’t hate the flavor of artificial strawberry, I did find myself ranking those with such artificial flavors lower, because there’s really no competition against those treats that boast a strong and tasty natural strawberry flavor, like the muffins.

I also considered those strawberry snacks that offered up something particularly special, be it a certain flavor that just worked or extra strawberry goodness that sent the item over the edge. A good example of an item that honed in on the strawberry flavor is the almonds, as they had a tasty strawberry yogurt coating and dusting of strawberry powder. The strawberry jalapeño crisps ranked pretty high as well, not necessarily because the strawberry flavor was incredibly strong in them, but because the product as a whole (with the sweet-spicy balance) worked really well.