The Top 5 Trader Joe’s Dips: A Taste Test Review

Chips, pretzels, and veggie slices are all fine snacks, but everyone knows that to make a snack truly craveable, you need to get some dip involved. Trader Joe’s is well-known for their wide array of dips. At any given time, you’re likely to find ten or more to choose from in their refrigerated section. There’s hummus, guacamole, salsas, and cream cheese-based dips – if you can think of it, Trader Joe’s probably has a dip for it.

I’ve been a loyal Trader Joe’s shopper for many years, so trust me when I tell you I’ve tried an alarming amount of their dips. Given my years of experience, I’m confident that I’ve been able to narrow them down to the top five of all time. Here’s my lowdown on the best Trader Joe’s dips, what they taste like, and what to pair each dip with.

1. Artichoke & Jalapeno Dip

When it comes to artichoke dip, I always think of spinach as artichoke’s rightful companion. But Trader Joe’s constantly thinks outside the culinary box, so they decided to pair it with spicy jalapeno, and a masterpiece was created.

This is a super creamy dip made with cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and, of course, bits of artichoke and jalapeno. Despite what some other reviewers say, I’ve not found it to be spicy at all. Sure, when you get a jalapeno in your scoop, there’s a little bit of heat, but the artichoke and cream cheese are much more prominent.

I love how creamy this dip is, and I was shocked to see that it’s only 60 calories per two tablespoons because the flavor and texture are so rich.

I like spice, but I don’t like it when something is so spicy that it’s all you can taste. The garlic, onion, cream, artichoke, and cheese can all be tasted here, and the jalapeno is more of a slight background kick, which I think works perfectly.

This Trader Joe’s dip can be eaten hot or cold, and it’s equally good either way. When I heat it up, I like to spread it on some toasted baguette slices or with tortilla chips. When I eat it cold, I like using something sturdy and crunchy, like pita crackers or carrots, because it’s a little thick when it’s not heated up.

2. Buffalo Style Chicken Dip

The Buffalo Style Chicken Dip was a no-brainer to include in my list. This Trader Joe’s dip features everything you love about buffalo chicken wings and then some.

There are chunks of white meat chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, and Monterey Jack, all mixed into a cayenne pepper sauce. The spice factor here is perfect. The cayenne and black pepper give it a decent kick, but there’s so much cheese and cream to cool things down. You’ll be able to easily eat scoop after scoop, even if you are sensitive to spice.

Trader Joe’s doesn’t skimp on the chicken in this dip, either. You’ll get at least one or two chunks in every scoop.

This dip can be eaten as-is or popped in the microwave to make it warm and melty. I ate it cold for about a year before realizing you could warm it up, but once I tried it warm, I never looked back, so I definitely recommend popping it in the microwave.

Pair it with some tortilla chips for that classic game day snack feel, or dip celery and carrot sticks if you want something super crispy and crunchy to contrast the gooey dip.

3. Caramelized Onion Dip

Next on my list is the Caramelized Onion Dip. Honestly, if I could only buy one dip from Trader Joe’s for the rest of my life, it would be this one.

It’s jam-packed with pieces of real caramelized onions. Each bite will give you bits of sweet, slightly smoky onion that are exploding with flavor.

The base of the dip is a rich, velvety mixture of sour cream and cream cheese. It has a whipped texture and is pretty thick, so much so that it’ll stay in the container if you flip it upside down.

Even though I love all the Trader Joe’s dips on my list, this is the only one I know I could easily eat by myself in one sitting. It’s that good.

It pairs well with pretty much anything you can think of, but a thick-cut, ruffled potato chip is my top choice. It also goes well with pita, carrots, pretzels, and any cracker sold at Trader Joe’s. Since this is a thicker dip, make sure you don’t use anything too delicate since it could break off easily.

There’s also a vegan version of this dip available. I’ve tried it a couple of times, and it’s pretty darn close to the original, but I stick with the regular version unless it’s sold out.

4. Everything and the Elote Greek Style Yogurt Dip

Following the success of their Elote Corn Chip Dippers, Trader Joe’s debuted the Everything and the Elote Dip. This Greek-style yogurt dip is made with sweet corn kernels, elote seasoning, and grated cheese.

Since it has a Greek yogurt base, it’s surprisingly light and refreshing, especially compared to some other dips on this list. It has a tangy flavor that lends itself well to the chile pepper, parmesan, and garlic.

The little bits of corn add a unique textural component and some sweetness. It isn’t spicy at all, but it does have tons of flavor, especially in the smoky chipotle department.

I think this Trader Joe’s dip is so successful because it has a little bit of everything – sweetness from the corn, spice from the chile, salt from the parmesan, tang from the Greek yogurt, and tons of savory flavor coming from that garlic.

I love pairing it with regular or lime tortilla chips, but it’s also good when spread on a sandwich in place of mayo or another creamy sauce. This is one of the best Trader Joe’s dips out there, and it will be an instant hit for anyone who likes their elote seasoning or corn chip dippers.

5. Tzatziki Creamy Garlic Cucumber Dip

This one is named Tzatziki Creamy Garlic Cucumber Dip, which pretty much tells you everything you need to know about it. It’s a creamy, garlicky dip made with cucumbers, kefir (which is basically a thin yogurt), and a few other ingredients. But the main players here are definitely the cucumbers and yogurt.

This dip has so many cucumbers that it’s almost like a salad-dip hybrid. The cucumbers are sliced super thin, but they maintain an impressive amount of crispness despite being thin and covered in yogurt.

With lemon juice, garlic, salt, dill, white pepper, and even a little bit of mint, it has many different pockets of flavor to explore. The garlic flavor is noticeable but not overwhelming. The kefir base is thin and tangy, which makes it a light, refreshing snack.

In keeping with the Mediterranean theme, I like to pair this Trader Joe’s dip with pita chips. I’ve also used it as a salad dressing before. It evenly covers all the fixings in your salad and adds a few slices of cucumber to the mix.