I Tried All of Trader Joe’s New Products for June 2024

Trader Joe’s new items this month include a handful of delicious products, from shrimp bao buns to mango mochi and a frozen seafood boil. As always, I went to my local Trader Joe’s to taste all their new products for June 2024. If you want to know which items are worth picking up on your next grocery run, here’s my list.

1. Mini Shrimp Bao – $4.99

We’re starting off strong with Trader Joe’s new Mini Shrimp Bao. In each box, you’ll find eight miniature bao buns stuffed with a fried shrimp patty. The bao bun is super soft, pillowy, and mostly savory, with just a hint of sweetness. The shrimp patty is packed with spices and pairs nicely with the lemon-lime chili sauce included for dipping.

These can be prepared in a steamer if you want something a little more authentic, but I just popped mine in the microwave and they still had a nice texture.

Rating: 9/10

2. Seafood Boil – $9.99

I was slightly suspicious of the idea of a frozen seafood boil from the grocery store, but this ended up exceeding my expectations. Each pack comes with frozen shrimp, tilapia, clams, andouille sausage, corn, and mini potatoes. There are two disks of sauce that melt and coat everything as you heat the food.

The whole thing heated up and cooked through in just a couple of minutes – only about 10 instead of 25 minutes, which the packaging suggested (maybe my stove was too hot?). The sauce is spicy, buttery, and garlicky. It had me sweating a little bit, but it wasn’t overly spicy. The seafood also didn’t taste fishy at all, which can sometimes happen with frozen seafood.

I think it was a little expensive (around $10) for the amount of seafood you get, but this is still a fraction of what you’d pay at a restaurant.

Rating: 8.5/10

3. Strawberries & Crème Pancake & Waffle Mix – $3.99

I don’t know if you can tell from the photo of the birthday pancakes I made, but Trader Joe’s Strawberries & Crème Pancake & Waffle Mix is surprisingly purple, not pink. Otherwise, there were no shocks with this mix. It has that nostalgic, slightly artificial strawberry flavor, with little white chocolate chips throughout.

The batter was a bit too sweet for me, but I can see many people loving it. You only need to add milk, oil, and eggs, which were incredibly easy to whip up.

Rating: 7.5/10

4. Mango Mochi – $4.99

The Mango Mochi I picked up from Trader Joe’s was more than slightly misshapen by the time I got home, but it was nonetheless delicious. The mochi rice wrapper is chewy and soft, while the mochi ice cream inside is impressively creamy and tastes almost identical to actual mango.

According to Trader Joe’s website, the ice cream itself is over 20% alphonso mango puree, and you can really tell. This is probably my favorite mochi flavor from Trader Joe’s thus far!

Rating: 9/10

5. Lemon Ginger Cheesecake – $7.99

Cheesecake is my favorite dessert of all time, and I think a good old-fashioned plain slice is hard to beat. However, I was intrigued by Trader Joe’s new lemon ginger flavor, which is a pairing that’s not very common in the baking world.

I was pleasantly surprised by this cheesecake. The ginger has a subtle flavor and beautifully complements the tart lemon. It didn’t taste too far off from a regular slice of cheesecake; it just had a little more of a bright, summery feel.

Rating: 8/10

6. Strawberry Yogurt Flavored Coated Almonds – $3.99

Trader Joe’s newest almond-candy hybrid is their Strawberry Yogurt Coated Almonds. Each almond has a light coating of strawberry yogurt, which is then covered in an even lighter layer of strawberry powder.

I was surprised at how much the yogurt coating tasted like actual strawberries. The yogurt is just sweet enough, and the strawberry powder, which is made of actual strawberries, brings in some tartness. I don’t love the flavor combination of almond and strawberries, so I don’t think I’ll pick these up again, but I can see them being a popular snack for many shoppers this summer.

Rating: 7/10

7. Super Strawberry Sorbet – $3.99

I know that a 5/10 ranking sounds harsh, so let me start by saying that Trader Joe’s new Super Strawberry Sorbet isn’t bad, but it was nothing special for me.

Here are the highlights: it has some genuine strawberry flavor and little chunks of strawberry inside, and it’s super refreshing. Here’s what I didn’t love: it was a little too icy (yes, I know it’s a sorbet, and it’s made of ice, but it was icier than your average sorbet), and it was just kind of boring.

To be fair, I’m not the biggest fan of sorbet (I prefer something creamier and far less healthy, unfortunately), so take my opinion with a grain of salt – if you love fruity sorbet, this could be your new favorite.

Rating: 5/10

8. Danish Princess Pastry – $4.99

This fish-tailed pastry is not only pretty to look at but also pretty darn good to eat. The pastry itself is chewy and a bit sweet, filled with a custard filling. The custard has persipan inside, which is a creamy confectionary similar to marzipan but made with apricot kernels instead of almonds.

At my local Trader Joe’s, I noticed that these pastries were all shades of brown – some looked straight-up burnt, while others were super pale. I went for one in the middle, but I feel like the bottom of the pastry may have been slightly underbaked. I didn’t get sick and still ate the whole thing, so I’m not mad about it.

Rating: 7/10

9. Lemon Herb Macaroni Salad – $3.99

Pasta salad season is in full swing, and Trader Joe’s just dropped one of the best versions I’ve had in a long time. Even though it’s called Lemon Herb Macaroni Salad, it has a distinct pickle flavor to it – probably because dill is featured prominently.

There’s also a good amount of buttermilk here, which brings a little extra tang. The cucumber and celery are super crunchy and refreshing. I could probably (definitely) eat the whole tub in one sitting, but this pasta salad is also great for splitting up and serving as a side at a BBQ.

Rating: 9/10

10. Chickpea Fusilli Pasta – $2.99

Nothing can truly replace pasta in the taste and texture department, but the chickpea pasta might be as close as we can get (especially once it’s covered in butter and sauce). I was excited to see Trader Joe’s new Chickpea Fusilli Pasta on shelves this month.

Since fusilli is a delicate pasta shape, some of the noodles started falling apart as I mixed the sauce in, but they were fairly sturdy for the most part. The flavor is also more earthy than classic wheat pasta, but it wasn’t anything noticeable that I could taste over the sauce.

This is significantly cheaper than most chickpea pasta brands, making it an equally good decision for your wallet and tastebuds.

Rating: 7.5/10

11. Meatless Meatballs – $4.99

Meatless meatballs are the very definition of an oxymoron, but Trader Joe’s newest vegan product caught my eye in the freezer section. After trying it with marinara sauce, I can say that the taste and texture aren’t too similar to actual meatballs. They were still pretty good, though, even if not particularly close to being categorized as a meatball.

The meatballs, which get their meaty texture from soy proteins, are seasoned with onions, garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper, and basil. Now that I think of it, you could serve these with your Chickpea Fusilli for a protein-packed (and meat-free) dinner.

Rating: 7.5/10

12. Salsa Verde Enchiladas – $4.99

Each pack of Trader Joe’s new Salsa verde Enchiladas comes with two enchiladas. Inside are two corn tortillas filled with shredded dark meat chicken and then covered with salsa verde, diced peppers, and mozzarella cheese.

They don’t look the most appetizing, but these enchiladas are hearty and filling with just enough spice. The salsa verde and peppers keep things fresh and summery, while the cheese and chicken make this meal more indulgent. This is a super quick, easy lunch that I would definitely buy again.

Rating: 8/10

13. Mobay Cheese – $6.99

Trader Joe’s Mobay cheese is a mix of sheep’s milk cheese and goat’s milk cheese. The description of this product says that the goat’s milk cheese is creamy and soft, while the sheep’s milk cheese is more savory, firm, and nutty. The layers are separated by a layer of smoky grapevine ash.

I like to think I have pretty good taste buds, but I honestly couldn’t tell much of a difference between these two cheeses. It tasted great, don’t get me wrong, but both sides tasted the same to me. It’s still a fun addition to a cheese board, though!

Rating: 7 /10