I Tried Trader Joe’s New Products for October 2024

Trader Joe’s new items this month include a handful of delicious products, from sweet and savory nuts to spicy dried mango strips to bread bowls. As usual, I went to my local Trader Joe’s to taste their new products for October 2024. If you want to know which items are worth picking up on your next grocery run, here’s my list.

1. Caesar Broccoli Bake Kit ($4.99)

Trader Joe’s Caesar Broccoli Bake Kit sells for $4.99. Inside, you’ll find fresh broccoli florets, along with three separate packages of creamy Caesar dressing, shredded parmesan, and crushed croutons.

To make this hot side, simply toss the broccoli with most of the dressing packet, then cook it for about 15 minutes. After that, you’ll top the broccoli with the cheese and croutons and put it in the oven for a few more minutes. The instructions say to tip the broccoli with the remaining dressing, but I thought there was plenty of flavor without it.

The oil from the Caesar dressing coats the broccoli and makes it perfectly crispy by the time it’s done in the oven. This is a quick, healthy side dish that has a little more pizazz than your average veggie, and I’d definitely buy this again. 

Rating: 8.5/10

2. Organic Coconut Crunchy Clusters ($2.99)

This very tropical-looking bag is filled with crunchy clusters made with toasted coconut flakes, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and chia seeds. The dominant flavor here is, unsurprisingly, coconut, but I could also taste some earthy notes from those seeds.

This is a delightfully crunchy snack that’s sweet but not too sweet. It would be a fantastic addition to a yogurt parfait, and it would be delicious on top of some apple slices and peanut butter if you want to make some apple “nachos.”

I ate the Organic Coconut Crunchy Clusters plain, which was scrumptious – this is another item I’ll likely purchase again.

Rating: 8/10

3. Wheat Crisp Crackers ($2.49)

If you’ve ever had a Wheat Thin, you’ve basically had these Wheat Crisp Crackers from Trader Joe’s, too. I wouldn’t be surprised if these crackers are from the same supplier as Wheat Thins.

Either way, if you’re a Wheat Thin lover, grab this Trader Joe’s dupe and save some money. There’s nothing special about these, but they make a nice addition to a charcuterie board and would go well with almost any hot or cold dip you can think of.

Rating 7/10

4. Cinnamon Sugar Cashews ($4.99)

If the holidays had a flavor, I think they’d taste like these Cinnamon Sugar Cashews from Trader Joe’s. This tin of nuts features cashews rolled in superfine cinnamon and sugar so that each bite has the perfect sweetness and warm spiciness.

I could probably eat an entire tin by myself, so I’ll have to be careful having these in my pantry. I don’t like adding nuts to my baked goods, but if you do, these nuts will elevate oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies. Since they come in a cute little tin, these cashews would also be a nice host or hostess gift.

Rating: 9/10

5. Chile Seasoned Dried Mango ($4.99)

I’m a big fan of dried mango (especially when it’s covered in sugar), but I must admit that I was a little let down by these Chile-seasoned dried mangos. The packaging describes the snack as “sweet, tart, salty, and spicy,” but the spicy part overstayed its welcome and kept the other flavors at bay, in my opinion.

I was hoping for more tartness and salt, but those flavors were overshadowed. Since I have already paid for these mangoes, I’ll finish them, but next time, I’m going back to my regular dried mango snack from Trader Joe’s.

Rating: 6.5/10

6. Nuts About Elote Mix ($4.49)

Another new nut mix hit Trader Joe’s shelves in the past few weeks, and this time, it’s savory. Their iconic Elote flavoring is now available in a salty trail mix that includes pieces of pretzel, cashews, pumpkin seeds, and corn.

Trader Joe’s just got the right amount of seasoning on this snack. The overall flavor is skewed towards corn (as it should be), and then pieces of corn and pretzel are perfectly crunchy. The cashews and pumpkin seeds have more of a soft texture, and all the ingredients meld together so that each bite is slightly different. I’ll pack this mix in my lunch for the next few weeks as my mid-day treat.

Rating: 8.5/10

7. Sourdough Boules ($2.99)

These sourdough boules are the perfect size and texture for at-home bread bowls. To make a bread bowl, simply cut the top off and hollow out the part of the inside. Then, fill your bowl with soup or dip, and use that cut-out piece of bread for dipping.

These have a classic savory, slightly tart sourdough taste and will go well with any soup, dip, or melted concoction you can dream up. With football season in full swing, I plan to use the sourdough boule I didn’t cut up as a vessel for homemade buffalo chicken dip.

Rating: 8/10

8. Vanilla Cardamom Cold Brew Coffee ($5.49)

Trader Joe’s new Vanilla Cardamom Cold Brew Coffee has a bold coffee flavor but also a nice hint of vanilla. I could taste a bit of cardamom, but it was very subtle (in a good way). I’m more of a fan of their Coconut Cold Brew Concentrate, but this stuff has a caffeine kick to it and tastes delicious with some cream and sugar.

I noticed that my throat got itchy shortly after drinking this, so I only had about half a glass before I called it quits. The itching subsided about 20 minutes later. I don’t think I’m allergic to cardamom, but I don’t consume it often, so I don’t know for sure. Either way, this cold brew is good, but I won’t purchase it again because of the whole itchy throat thing.

Rating: 7/10

9. Teriyaki Chicken Bowl ($4.79)

As you can tell from my picture, this dish is a bit of a catfish. The saucy chicken on the front of the package turned out to be super rubbery, and the rice was bland. I didn’t mind the veggies, especially after mixing everything to distribute the sauce.

The bowl includes white rice, chicken thigh pieces, broccoli, bok choy, carrots, sesame oil, soy sauce, lime juice, and ginger. The flavor wasn’t quite what I expected from Trader Joe’s, and I would probably choose any of their other frozen Asian dishes before buying this again.

Rating: 6/10