Trader Joe’s Spring Hauls: New Finds in 2020

Spring was such a good season for shopping at Trader Joe’s. Not only are you greeted by hoards of vibrant spring flower bouquets (peonies, hello!), there were just so many amazing new products to try!

Even though our shopping experiences have been quite interesting in the times of COVID-19 (meaning: masks required, waiting in line to get into the store (sometimes up to 45 minutes), staying six feet away from other shoppers in line and in the store, etc.), I’ve looked forward to my visits to TJ’s so much to help me get through the weeks – and months. I never thought I would say that trips to the grocery store were among things that keep me sane. I hope you are all hanging in there!

This year, I discovered a whole new community of fellow Trader Joe’s fans on Instagram, and that has definitely helped with my shopping game. Before my trips to Trader Joe’s, I now scour my favorite Instagram accounts to see what new products I should be on the lookout for. There is, of course, the Fearless Flyer, as well as a New Items shelf in every store – but they don’t always put every product there (obviously, just a few of the non-perishable items can be on display). Once I’ve got my plan of attack (and list made), I set out on my shopping adventures.

In this post, you’ll find items that I found over the spring that are both seasonal and new things for me personally that I have never picked up before that are regularly-stocked items. Be sure to let me know in the comments what your favorites were this spring!

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Black Summer Truffle Ketchup

Well, they’ve done it – Trader Joe’s has stocked the shelves with fancy ketchup! If you aren’t a truffle fan, you might not like this as it really does have a distinct truffle essence to it. I love the flavor, so this was a big win for me (and for my husband who doesn’t like ketchup). So far, we’ve only used it for dipping fries and tots, but this ketchup would also be good on burgers to give them an elevated flavor, or even some meatloaf!

*Note it says “Summer Truffle” but I swear, it came out in the spring.

Ube Ice Cream

True story: I was terrified of trying this purple yam ice cream (let me preface that with the fact that I am not a huge fan of yams and/or sweet potatoes), so I let this sit in my freezer for weeks before I took my first bite. Okay, maybe it was almost two months. Once I got up enough courage, I was blown away by how creamy it was and just all around delicious. I can’t say that that purple yam flavor was really strong (maybe that’s why I liked it), but I would 100% buy it again.

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Italian Bomba Sauce

If you’re looking to add a punch of flavor to some of your dishes, this Calabrian chili pepper “sauce” is a fantastic addition to things like pastas and chicken dishes (Greek chicken bowls; chicken rice bowls, etc.). I’m definitely looking for more ideas on what to add this to (maybe with some steamed veggies to give them extra flavor?).

Pickled Jalapenos

Pickled jalapenos are a staple in my fridge/pantry, so I’m glad that Trader Joe’s came out with their own jars! The more items like this that make their way to the shelves, the less stores I have to visit. These are great, especially in mac and cheese (but not as good as the Sweet & Spicy Jalapenos).

Sparkling Yerba Mate

Yerba Mate is my favorite tea – I drink a hot cup of it almost every weekday since I’m not a coffee drinker. I was afraid that the hibiscus flavors might be too sweet but there was barely a hint of it in the drink. Exceptionally sparkling and nice and refreshing. I’ve never had a sparkling tea before but this will be a repeat buy for me. If you need something to help you burp, this is it.

Jicama Wraps

Jicama wraps were a HUGE hit with a lot of Trader Joe’s fans this season. I personally hope they keep them around indefinitely. We have used them them to make both Asian-style ground turkey tacos (paired with the peanut slaw bagged salad mix) and Southwest ground chicken tacos (paired with the Southwest bagged salad mix). Just a few simple ingredients make for a delicious meal! The jicama slices are low in carbs, light in calories, and are just really refreshing and delicious!

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Asian Salad Kit

I got this salad kit specifically for making some easy Asian-style turkey tacos with the jicama wraps (see above). You’ve got everything you need in one little kit! Flavors were good, and I’m not a huge peanut fan, but thought that the flavors in the dressing were well balanced. This worked perfectly with the jicama tacos.

Dill Pickle Hummus

I love dill pickles. My mom used to buy giant jars of them from Costco for my brother and I to eat as after-school snacks growing up! I went to Trader Joe’s when this came out specifically to grab one and give it a go. There’s definitely a good punch of the dill pickle flavor in this hummus, but overall, it wasn’t a huge win for me. This hummus would be best eaten with fresh veggies rather than salty chips since you are already getting those bold savory flavors from the hummus.

Harissa Chicken Thighs

This has a great marinade, and is very moist when cooked properly. We paired our Harissa chicken thighs with some jasmine rice and a quick pickled cucumber salad. This would also be really good in pita bread or the Mediterranean flatbread. It’s not quite as good as the similar pre-marinated Shawarma chicken, but it’s a good second place.

All the Peony Stuff

Peonies at Trader Joe’s are the ultimate symbol that spring has arrived! I tried to pick up as many peony-scented things as I could (and you better believe I scooped up as many flower bouquets as I could).

Foaming Hand Soap

Aside from the grapefruit hand soap, the peony foaming hand soap has to be one of my all-time favorite hand soaps. It has the best smell! I currently have this in my guest bathroom and it’s going strong – smelling like spring flowers all through summer.

Peony Candle

The candle was similarly scented to the hand soap, but not too overpowering like some floral scents can be.

Flower Bouquets

These pretty much speak for themselves! My first bouquet did so well, but my second two didn’t bloom as easily or as pretty. I’m glad I have these to remember.

Grapefruit Hand Soap

This Pink Pomelo Grapefruit Hand Soap has made it to just about every room in my house that has a sink. It’s a great hand soap that lathers nicely and smells lightly of grapefruit. My only gripe is that the dispenser seems to get clogged easily, causing spurts of soap to shoot across the room at times.

Rose Oil Hand Cream

The rose oil hand cream is my new go-to. Even though it says it’s a hand cream, I use it as a body lotion wherever dry skins calls for it. I love the smell of it, but I think it might be a bit too strong for my husband. So, I put it on in bed before I fall asleep (and after he is snoring away).

Chili Onion Crunch

I’m not sure why it took me so long to snag one of these little jars, but I’m glad I finally made the plunge! I think the big question for a lot of people is what to do with it – and it was the same for me. But, I found that it is a great addition to Asian noodle dishes (like our Blue Apron ramen meals). We have even sauteed chicken in it for sandwiches. I am still on the hunt for new ideas to use it for – I’m thinking maybe on top of some pizza or even stir frying veggies in it? If you have more ideas, let me know!

Everything but the Elote Seasoning

So this was actually released in February, which was technically still winter, but I got it in March…so I’m counting that as spring! So far, I pretty much use this every time I make scrambled eggs and oven-baked breakfast potatoes. I imagine it might also make a good seasoning for shrimp if you’re making tacos, or on some fresh corn on the cob with crema or sour cream.

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Red Argentine Shrimp (Frozen)

These shrimp were a new find thanks to a fellow blogger over at Dash of Mandi, and remind me of red langostinos! They are already shelled, so just defrost them in water for a bit before you are ready to cook. We have used inspo from Dash of Mandi to create a Southwestern Shrimp salad, as well as a shrimp scampi gnocchi, and even shrimp fajita bowls. Shrimp sometimes has a weird texture to me – as in too rubbery – but these cook up beautifully! They do have a slight muddy taste to them, as we also find with Gulf shrimp, but if you season everything right you can barely tell.

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Masala Sauce & Cauliflower Pizza Crust

The masala sauce was from another inspirational recipe from Dash of Mandi with her chicken tikka masala pizza idea; although, we used the frozen Cauliflower pizza crust instead of naan bread.

This is definitely one of my favorite meals we’ve made in recent times – and so easy too! Brown the chicken and then add in the masala sauce; cook the cauliflower pizza crust; add chicken & sauce to the pizzas; and then melt mozzarella cheese on top until golden brown with some fresh sliced red onion and cilantro.

The frozen cauliflower pizza crusts held up great, which was nice since we loaded these suckers up!

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Onion Salt

This Onion Salt is not a new product to Trader Joe’s, but a new find for me! A lot of store-bought seasonings have a lot of junk in them but Trader Joe’s keeps things simple. No funny stuff. This one goes in just about everything I make, and is a mix of salt and herbs.

Green Goddess Salad Dressing

This fresh Green Goddess dressing can be found in the refrigerated section over by all the produce. It is really tasty! This is great for taco salads, and we also had it with a Southwest shrimp salad. It’s a fresh dressing, so you’ll want to be sure to use it up within a week or so of purchasing it.

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Shrimp Tempura

I’m not sure what prompted us to try these, but they are really good! Pro tip – if you have an air fryer, you can get them nice and crispy (450 degrees for about 10 minutes). The dipping sauce that comes in the box is pretty good, but we added a little chili paste to it for an extra kick. We also saved the extra sauce packet (one packet is plenty for the amount of shrimp in the box) and used it to make Asian tacos one night.

Cotija Cheese from Nuestro Queso

Cotija cheese is my absolute favorite for Mexican dishes so I’m happy I can pick up a block of it at Trader Joe’s versus other grocery stores (but if I do have to forsake TJ’s, I get the Cacique brand). The cheese section at Trader Joe’s can be a little overwhelming, so I’ve kind of skipped over it in the past. I’ll have to pay closer attention from now on!

Raspberry Kringle

Last but not least, I snagged a Raspberry Kringle! Kringle flavors are seasonal and I had only ever tried the almond flavor, so I was excited to try something new. The raspberry Kringle tastes pretty amazing when warmed up slightly per the package instructions (as do they all), and served alongside some vanilla bean ice cream! I will say, the almond flavor is still my favorite, but the raspberry is a close second.

Whew! Thanks for sticking with me through that. I’m amazed at all the new things we tried this season, and I’m sure I even left some out. Have you tried anything I listed above?

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Also Read

• Trader Joe’s Fall Finds (2019)
• Trader Joe’s Winter Product Haul (2019)