Find our family favorites and must-buys at Trader Joe’s in this shopping list. I will share my favorites from pantry staples and snacks, to sauces, produce, and frozen foods!
Whenever I share about my Trader Joe’s haul on Instagram stories, I get a so many questions about the things I love to buy there.
Trader Joe’s is one of my favorite places to get weekly grocery. I love that we can not only get produce and dairy, but also so many unique products from around the world that are so flavorful. And they are so reasonable!
So I am finally sharing my must-haves list here. Do bookmark this page, as I plan to keep updating it as I find new products we love!
I love to go for grocery shopping in person. Yes, I know most of you have switched to shopping online. But I love to find new products to try, and also it inspires me to create new recipes.
Also, Trader Joes does not have an online option. So all the more reason to step into the store for grocery shopping 😊
Table of Contents
Snacks
Organic Elote Corn Chip Dippers – They are like Fritos, with the Elote seasoning. They are perfect to enjoy with salsa or guacamole. $2.29/9.75oz
Trail Mix Crackers – These make for a perfect snack. They are sweet, savory, crunchy, all at the same time. $2.49/4.5oz.
Spicy Chakri Mix – This Indian-style snack mix, called namkeen, is so good – crunchy and spicy. This mix has chickpea and rice flour sticks, peanuts, and more crunchies, mixed with spices. $3.29/7oz
Sour Cream & Onion Rings – You’ll love this variation made with red lentils and rice meal. These baked snacks are gluten-free and wonderfully crunchy. $1.99/2.5oz
Everything But the Bagel Kettle Cooked Potato Chips – As you might have guessed, we love everything but the bagel seasoning. So why not combine that with kettle-cooked potato chips and have an amazing snack! $2.49/7oz
Baked
Ezekiel Sprouted Bread – This is one bread with very clean ingredients. It was suggested to me by an Instagram follower. You might want to freeze it, as it doesn’t last long on the counter. But this is totally worth it if you are trying to watch what you eat.
Brioche – My kids love this brioche as is, and I love making bread pudding with it.
Chocolate Chip Pain Au Lait – Pain Au Lait translates to “Milk Bread”, which is these sweet, moist, brioche-like rolls. I want to say my kids love it again, but actually, I love this one just as much.
Everything Ciabatta Rolls – If you enjoy the Everything Seasoning, you are going to love these ciabatta rolls. They are coated with sea salt, dried onions & garlic, along with sesame and poppy seeds. They are perfect for making sandwiches.
Everything Bagels – These bagels, coated with seeds, onion, garlic, and salt, add a lot of flavor. They’re perfect for enjoying at breakfast and as a snack.
Corn & Wheat Tortilla – These mini tortillas are soft and delicious – just perfect for tacos. They have minimal ingredients, great flavor of corn, yet are flexible for making rolls or wraps.
Frozen
Dorot Crushed Garlic & Ginger Cubes – I love these cubes to make cooking easier. They are frozen in single-serve trays, which means you can pop one out and add it to your curry or stir-fry. I always stash a couple of extra boxes in the freezer!
Masala Veggie Burgers: These Indian spiced burgers are delicious. The patties are made with potatoes, carrots, corn, bell pepper, along with fragrant spices. $2.50 for 4.
Quinoa Cowboy Veggie Burgers – These burgers are a favorite. They’re made with multi-color quinoa (red, white, and black), black beans, corn, red peppers, and lots of seasonings. As a caution, these are soft, so they’re not great to heat on the grill, but perfect for heating in a pan or air fryer! $3.69 for 4.
Thai Chili Burgers – This is a relatively new find suggested by a friend. They are a significant variation to the traditional burger patty. These are made from rice, carrots, onions, bell peppers, water chestnuts, mushrooms, etc.
Garlic Naan – I love garlic naan, but am never inclined to spend the time to make them. These at Trader Joe’s are just perfect to satisfy my cravings. They can be quickly heated in the air fryer, oven, or on the stovetop. $2.29 for 4.
Falafel – When you want a delish meal and have no time to cook, these falafels come in handy. Pair them with garlic hummus and pita pockets along with salad.
I am also sharing some frozen produce items I love:
- Petite Green Peas
- Edmame
- Spinach
Here are some desserts that we enjoy:
- Hold the cone (or Hold the Dairy for a vegan version) – These are mini ice-cream cones to satisfy those sweet cravings.
Dips, Sauces & Spices
Zhoug Sauce (pronounced ZOOg) – This cilantro-based sauce is originally from Yemen but is very similar to Indian green chutney made with cilantro. The couple of differences are the use of oil and cardamom in this sauce.
It’s slightly spicy, but vibrant and flavorful, and goes well with almost anything. I use it as a spread on toast, in sandwiches and wraps, and as a dip for appetizers. 2.99/8oz
Roasted Garlic Hummus – This is my favorite hummus at Trader Joe’s. With the extra-rich flavor from the roasted garlic, it’s thick and creamy. Perfect to enjoy with some pita chips.
Everything but the Bagel Greek-Style Yogurt Dip – This dip has been a favorite among kids. The combination of two favorites – Greek yogurt and everything seasoning.
Chili Onion Crunch – This chili onion oil has become our favorite. It is similar to hot chili oil, with the addition of onions and garlic.
You can add it to anything to give it a spicy kick. Top it on pasta, rice, lentils, soups, or use it as a dip for bread.
Chili Lime Seasoning – This seasoning blend has chili peppers, lime, and salt. It is similar to Tajin. We love it on top of salads, chicken, roasted corn, or even fruits such as mango and pineapple!
Everything but the bagel seasoning – This is a favorite seasoning. We love to top it on an egg salad sandwich or avocado toast.
Pantry Staples
Greek Chickpeas (with parsley and cumin) – These flavored chickpeas have all the ingredients for a good hummus minus the tahini. These are great to add to salads or enjoy as a side dish.
Tahini Sauce – Of course, it is fairly easy to make tahini at home. However, if you want to buy tahini, we love this one from Trader Joe’s. Use it in hummus or make a lemon tahini sauce.
Below, I am listing the regular staples I always keep in my pantry:
- Canned black beans
- Canned chickpeas
- Canned tomatoes
- Italian tomato paste
- Pasta – Spaghetti, Penne
- Gnocchi
- Agave Syrup
- Maple Syrup
- Cocoa Almond Spread
Refrigerated
- Organic A2 Milk
- Greek Yogurt
- Plain Whole Milk Yogurt
- Fresh Tangerine juice
- Shredded Cheese
- Cheese Slices
Marinated Fresh Mozzarella – These mozzarella balls are marinated in olive oil and herbs such as basil. They are perfect to pair with bread, or add to salads or pasta.
Sliced Mozzarella – We love these to make sandwiches or a delicious Caprese salad.
Organic Sprouted Tofu – This comes in twin packs and is made with sprouted soybeans. which are perfectly sized for 2 meals. $1.99/15.5oz
Produce
They have GREAT prices on organic products, so I always buy organic if they have it. I’m particularly uptight about buying organic for anything on the Dirty Dozen list and for anything without a peel.
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
- Celery
- Baby Bella Mushrooms
- Romaine Lettuce
- Mixed Greens
- Arugula
- Spinach
- Brussels sprouts
- Pre-shredded Brussels Sprouts
- Cruciferous Crunch Mix
- Bell Peppers
- Mini Sweet Peppers
- Eggplant
- Zucchini
- Sweet Potatoes
- Baby Potatoes
- Onions
- Tomatoes
- Cilantro
- Salad kits – Mediterranean, Southwestern
Fruits
- Apple
- Grapes
- Berries
- Bananas
- Avocado (mini)
- Limes & Lemons
- Champagne Grapes
I hope you find this list useful when you shop at Trader Joe’s. Do come back as I will be updating this list periodically.
Okay, now you tell me! What are your Trader Joe’s Must-Haves?
In case you are wondering, this is not a sponsored post.
Fantastic list and so informative as usual Meeta! I always look forward to your emails. I have a list of things I now need to buy this weekend!
My kids love their brioche bread French toast – I would recommend it!
Hi Tejal – Thank you! So glad you found it helpful.
Meeta, firstly I am an avid follower of your recipes and always look forward to something new popping up in mat email box. Am originally from India, but lived most of my life in Canada, but also have been a snowbird in first, Arizona, and now Florida where I come to get away from the cold winters. While in Arizona, I had a Trader Joe’s just 15 mints away but am so disappointed I have to drive almost an hour to get to one from where I am in Florida. One of my absolute fave Trader Joe’s products that I would stock up on in Arizona are their green onion pancakes. They are super delicious and come frozen in a pack of four. Have tried other brands, even from Chinese markets, but not the same. If you ever replicate that recipe, please do share, because I have tried and failed.
Hi Freny, Thanks so much for sharing. I love those green onion pancakes as well. They are always in my freezer for a quick meal.