Ah, January. A time where the masses get on board with diets, make New Year’s Resolutions, and set goals and intentions for the year. Me included. I never really looked at January as a good month for trying out new items at Trader Joe’s. Usually, I’m focused on getting back on track with eating better after the holidays and not paying much attention to all the new goodies. Fall and Winter are both very busy seasons in terms of new Trader Joe’s items to try, so I often get a little burnt out and need a break.
In January, however, Trader Joe’s definitely did not shy away with adding new items to the mix! Looking back at all the new things I threw in my cart over two shopping trips, I was pretty impressed at the damage I did.
I mentioned in my second January Trader Joe’s Haul post that I wanted to focus more on being balanced in what we’re eating. That means I’m still going to choose a few treats here and there, along with the healthier items. Life is about enjoying the little things!
January had some great new items to the store, and I threw in a couple of items that while not new to the store, were new to me.
Almond Butter Almonds
- New to Store
- Verdict: Thumbs Up!
A new item to the store as of January 2021 are these almond butter almonds – roasted, salted almonds covered in a sweet almond butter coating. These are so good, and give you that perfect combination of salty and sweet when you feel a snack craving coming on.
Organic Creamy Almond Butter
- New to Store
- Verdict: Thumbs Up
This super creamy organic almond butter was a new item that I picked up on my first haul of the year from the New Item shelf. It’s a great alternative for those who don’t like peanut butter, and spreads very easily. I added a drizzle of honey over it and had it with some Honey Crisp apples. It was perfect.
Hatch Chile Chicken Wraps
- New to Store
- Verdict: Thumbs Up
New to TJ’s in January, you can find these Hatch Chile Chicken Wraps in the frozen section. The filling is very creamy and has a great flavor. Along with Chicken and green chiles, there’s also a bit of black beans inside. I’m not really sure why it’s wrapped in the shape they chose, but I get that something different is more eye-catching for a new product.
These are great for a quick and easy lunch, and go great with a little extra salsa or hot sauce.
Blueberry Lemonade Sparkling Water
- New to Store
- Verdict: New Favorite item!
Blueberry Lemonade Sparkling Water – where you been all my life?! This is by far my favorite sparkling water right now. I even favor this over Spindrift and the other sparkling waters at Trader Joe’s. The blueberry flavor is not overwhelming at all and is just so refreshing and clean tasting. I will always be picking these up to keep my fridge stocked.
Sparkling Apple Cider Vinegar
- New to Store
- Verdict: Thumbs Up
I love picking up new sparkling beverages to try, especially since we’ve been trying to cut back on alcohol. Having a sparkling beverage in hand just makes you feel a bit better!
I prefer the Ginger + Lemon flavor, while my husband was a bigger fan of the Lemon + Strawberry. They do have a distinct ACV taste to them, but are very tasty and will be a repeat buy for me.
Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake Mix
- New to Me
- Verdict: In love with this stuff!
The boxed Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake mix made a comeback to Trader Joe’s stores in 2019, and I’m just now getting around to trying it. I have no clue why I waited so long, because I absolutely love coffee cake! This mix from Trader Joe’s is no exception. It’s amazing.
I will say it is a bit difficult if you try the method where you put part of the crumb mix in the middle of the cake. It’s hard to spread the remaining batter over the crumbly mixture, but I still managed to sort of make it work!
This is great room temp or warmed up – I zap a piece in the microwave for about 15 secs to get mine to perfection.
GF Cinnamon Coffee Cake Muffins
- New to Store
- Verdict: Fantastic
Continuing on with my coffee cake obsession, I picked up these new gluten free cinnamon coffee cake muffins. These are made with sour cream, and are so moist and fluffy! I think the first words out of my mouth were “these are dangerously delicious.”
There are quite a few calories in each (440 I think), so we had half a muffin for breakfast with some apple slices.
Ginger Chews
- New to Me
- Verdict: Pretty good!
I actually snagged a bag of these while I was shopping on a whim since I was feeling a bit nauseous that morning. The chews have a good ginger spice to them, and helped with my tummy!
They are not easy to chew so plan on sucking on them for a bit. I would not recommend these if you have any loose fillings.
Thai Lime & Chili Almonds
- New to Me
- Verdict: Tasty – and interesting!
My husband and I like to snack on almonds a lot, and I wanted to try these for a bit o’ something new. Flavors of lemongrass are very prominent, and there are bits of edible Thai lime leaves mixed in. These definitely have a super interesting flavor profile. I can’t eat too many in one sitting, but they are nice to have to mix in with the plain almonds.
Vegetable Samosa Burrito
- New to Store
- Verdict: Tasty!
New to the refrigerated section are these vegetable samosa burritos. I was lazy and heated mine up in the microwave, but I think these would be better in an oven or toaster oven so you can get a little crisp on the tortilla – just like a samosa! The filling is well-flavored, and will make all your samosa dreams come true.
Hot Crispy Habanero Peppers
- New to Store
- Verdict: A new pantry staple!
These hot crispy habanero peppers packed in olive oil are a must for all you heat seekers. Even though they are packed in olive oil, they are still crispy. Beware, these are extremely spicy and you only need a few!
These are a great addition to tacos, burrito bowls, or anything you just want an extra kick to. I would suggest adding them to pizza as well!
Once open, store the jar in the fridge.
Cauliflower Crisps
- New-ish to Store/New to Me
- Verdict: So-So
These cauliflower crisps are a great cracker alternative for gluten-free peeps. They are nice and crispy and have the perfect thickness for snacking with things like cheese, salami or deli meat, and dips.
Some cons for me: while I like coconut, they do have a pretty strong coconut flavor which kind of overpowers what I’m eating the crisps with. Also, the amount in the little bag is pretty scarce.
I’m not gluten-free so it’s not a necessary buy for me; however, I would probably get them again just to have a wheat alternative in the house.
Avocado Oil Spray
- New to Store
- Verdict: Thumbs Up
We love cooking with avocado oil when using high heat and having a spray can makes life easy! It’s easy to spray a baking pan or baking sheet, and also helps control how much oil you’re using.
Citrusy Garlic Seasoning
- New to Store
- Verdict: Thumbs Up
A new seasoning to the stores in January is this Cuban-Style Citrusy Garlic blend. It is very citrus-forward, and would be great with fresh seafood. How about some Cuban fish or chicken tacos? You could also use this to sauté some shrimp in butter, and serve alongside some black beans, rice, and tostones that Trader Joe’s has in their frozen section.
Za’atar Seasoning
- New to Store
- Verdict: Thumbs Up
Za’atar is a very unique seasoning and I’ve never actually used it other than in our Blue Apron meals we cook! We’ve used this seasoning on warm pita bread with a little bit of oil to dip into shakshuka, but I can also see this being used with grilled or baked chicken for a Middle Eastern-style meal.
French Onion Mac & Cheese
- New to Store
- Verdict: So-So
Mac and cheese is one of my biggest weaknesses, so I’m always game to try a new flavor or style. This is a larger portion than the normal sized mac and cheeses at TJ’s, so I would suggest splitting it up.
I thought that while the French Onion flavor was present, I was wanting more. It also wasn’t as creamy as some of the others either. I probably wouldn’t get it again, but it wasn’t the most terrible mac and cheese I’ve ever had.
Cashew Fiesta Dip
- New to Me
- Verdict: Not a fan
I really wanted to love this cashew fiesta dip as I saw a lot of positive feedback about it. Unfortunately, I did not care for the texture or the taste at all. I tried it as a dip, but if anyone does something different with this item, I would be curious to know about it.
Shea & Coconut Hair Mask
- New to Me
- Verdict: Love it!
I’m always in search of hair products that can help tame my wild mane. I have thick and wavy hair, and it’s currently quite long. Top that off with living in a community with hard water and you’ve got a tough hair battle to fight! We do have a water softening system, but it’s still rough on my hair.
I’ve been using this hair mask a couple of times a week and not only does it smell good, it helps condition my hair better than my regular conditioner. This will definitely be a repeat buy.
Salmon & Sweet Potato Dog Treats
- New to Me (my dogs)
- Verdict: Pup approved
Lastly, for the month of January 2021, we tried these Salmon and Sweet Potato dog treats. The dogs love them! They are easy to break up into smaller pieces if you have a couple of pups to split them between and don’t want to give out a whole one.
These treats are incredibly fishy. You’ll want to wash your hands real good after handing them over to the pups! As a human, I prefer to give out the Better Than Leftovers treats (more pleasant smell), but these are nice to sub in every once and a while.
Have you tried any of these yet?
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