May 2021 was an incredible month for new finds at Trader Joe’s! There were so many great new items released in May, I had a hard time keeping up with taste testing everything. I also took the time to pick up a few products that were new to me personally. These may have been around the store for a while or were simply re-released seasonal items that I didn’t get to try in the past couple of years.
When the end of May rolls around, Trader Joe’s starts releasing a lot of summer-themed items to gear up for the new season and I’m never mad about it! This year, they included a lot of fruit-themed products, specifically focusing on strawberry and watermelon flavors.
Here’s my round up of all my new finds at Trader Joe’s in May 2021. Enjoy!
Dill Pickle Mustard
- New to Store
- Verdict: A new all-time favorite Trader Joe’s product!
The Dill Pickle Mustard is definitely one of my top favorite new products this year at Trader Joe’s. I love dill pickles and dill pickled-flavored goods. I am also a HUGE mustard fan, and it is 100% my favorite condiment. They combined two great flavors into one and I will be keeping my pantry fully stocked with bottles of this goodness.
Chickpea Masala Salad
- New to Store
- Verdict: Good – especially with the Garlic Naan Crackers
I bought this new vegan Chickpea Masala Salad for a road trip we took at the end of May, and used it as a dip with the garlic naan crackers. Flavors are good and the pickled veggie topping adds a nice refreshing element to it. This would make a really easy lunch on the go, even if you aren’t on a road trip.
Rice Cracker Medley
- New to Me
- Verdict: Delicious – reminds me of a favorite Hawaiian childhood snack!
If my suspicions are correct, I think this product may have been temporarily discontinued or not in my store because I had never seen it before! The nice folks at my TJ’s had placed them on an end cap so I grabbed a bag while I was checking out.
This snack bag brings me so much happiness! In Hawaii growing up, we ate a similar snack called arare (aka mochi crunch), so I get all the feels of my younger years when I dive into this bag. This will definitely be a regular buy for me.
Match Green Tea Noodles
- New to Store
Truthfully, I haven’t yet gotten a chance to try these noodles but I will be trying to think of something to use for them soon! I bought them with the intent on making a cold “soba” noodle salad for lunches. Essentially, that’s what these noodles are (soba) as they are made with buckwheat. I’m thinking: toss them in a sauce with sesame oil and rice vinegar and serve with teriyaki chicken or shrimp and lots of green onion!
EBTB Greek Yogurt Dip
- New to Me
- Verdict: Yum!
Everyone’s favorite Everything But the Bagel (EBTB) seasoning makes its way to a variety of different products in the store. This yogurt dip was one such item I had yet to try! So, I grabbed a tub for my road trip (mentioned above), and paired it with my favorite garlic naan crackers and the rest was history. I’d definitely love to have this tangy and well-seasoned dip again!
Pretzel Bagels
- New to Me
- Verdict: I might just have a new favorite bagel!
Everyone loves soft pretzels, am I right? Well, this year, Trader Joe’s brought back a fan favorite with their pretzel bagels. I am not sure if these are seasonal or if they were M.I.A. from the shelves for a long time, but I’m glad they are back! They make delicious breakfast sandwiches, buns for burgers, and are great just plain with cream cheese. I try not to eat too many bagels (it’s actually one of my favorite breakfast foods) for the sake of my waistline; however, will get these every now and then when I need to treat myself.
Spicy Kosher Pickles
- New to Store
- Verdict: So-so
If you read my Dill Pickle Mustard review above, you’d know my love for Dill Pickles! These were a new item released in May and really are quite spicy. Flavor-wise, they were also good. However, they didn’t really deliver in the “crunch” department and I thought they were a little too soft. I’ll probably pass on buying these again (unless anyone can tell me if they had a crunchy batch?!).
Spicy Cheese Crunchies
- New to Me
- Verdict: Good, but not quite like Flaming Hot Cheetos
If you’re a lover of Flaming Hot Cheetos, these are the Trader Joe’s alternative! Overall, I think these are a good crunchy road trip snack and are a better option if you want to avoid some of the “bad” ingredients that come with a bag of Cheetos. These Spicy Cheese Crunchies had a bit of a tomato flavor to me (though I’m not sure why as that’s not a main ingredient – perhaps the vegetable juice for coloring), and I also didn’t find them too spicy. I would buy them again though as a better alternative to name-brand Cheetos.
Mango Tangerine Candle
- New to Me (Seasonal)
- Verdict: A little to “perfume-y” for me
I love to buy up all the Trader Joe’s seasonal candles, and missed out on the Mango Tangerine last year. So, I decided I better pick one up when I saw it hit the shelves! For me, this candle had a little bit too much of a perfume-like scent to me. It was just a tad overwhelming with the floral notes. It’s good in small doses, but I definitely can’t have this one burning for too long.
Ube Tea Cookies
- New to Store (Seasonal)
- Verdict: Delicious little treats!
Every year, Trader Joe’s seems to kick it up a notch with the Ube products! Last year, my favorite Ube item was the ice cream (and it still is this year). But these Ube Tea Cookies are definitely a winner! These tiny tea cookies are super addicting with great Ube flavor in the cookie and a sweet powdered sugar coating. The Ube cookies would go great on top of a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream, with a cup of warm coffee, and of course, a nice cup of hot tea.
Ube Mochi Pancake & Waffle Mix
- New to Me (Seasonal)
The Ube Pancake and Waffle Mix is another seasonal item that I haven’t gotten the chance to try yet. However, knowing how quickly these seasonal items get snatched up, I had to grab one to save for later. Last year, I passed on picking up this item because I’m not a huge pancake or waffle fan. But, I’m trying to broaden my horizons so I will give this a go soon.
Tangy Turtle Gummies
- New to Store
- Verdict: A good road trip snack!
These Tangy Turtles were a total impulse buy off the New Item Shelf this year. Since I was preparing for a road trip when I saw them, I decided…what the heck! Candy is needed for road trips. They are tasty and have a decent amount of sour! I probably won’t get them often simply because I try not to buy too much candy like this, but if ever I’m on a road trip again, I may just throw a bag in my cart.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Joe-Joe’s
- New to Store
- Verdict: My husband loves these!
Because my husband is a peanut butter lover (and I’m not a huge fan), I really bought these as a treat just for him. He loves to crumble them up and use them as a topping for a delicious bowl of vanilla ice cream. I tried a bite and as I suspected, they are a little too peanut butter-forward for me. However, if you are a peanut butter fan, I don’t think you can go wrong here!
Citrus Mousse Cakes
- New to Store (Seasonal)
- Verdict: Not for me – way too sweet!
I hate to say this folks, but here’s one of those Trader Joe’s products that just did not make the cut for me! I took one bite and it was overwhelmingly sweet. Just to be on the safe side, I had my husband taste test as well and he agreed with me. Unless you have an extreme sweet tooth, you can give these a hard pass next season.
Sparkling Strawberry Juice
- New to Me (Seasonal)
- Verdict: A refreshing little can of bubbles
Sweet and sparkly, this little can of sparkling strawberry juice is a nice little refreshing summer treat. Sometimes, we’ll crack open a can with dinner or have it with an afternoon snack. I could definitely see this being a great mixer with some vodka as well, or even some sparkling wine!
Strawberry Shortcake Cookies
- New to Store (Seasonal)
- Verdict: These belong in the rubbish…
Nope, just nope…these cookies are awful! Not only are they just a big sugar bomb, the pink strawberry frosting looked so artificially colored, it was immediately off putting. I took one bite and threw the whole box in the trash. Sorry Trader Joe’s!
Strawberry Vanilla Yogurt Pretzels
- New to Store (Seasonal)
- Verdict: A tasty sweet and salty treat
Fans of sweet and savory will definitely love these Strawberry Vanilla Pretzels! These little pretzels (and I mean it, they are TINY) are a good treat to satiate a sweets craving or a savory craving. The strawberry flavor is slightly tangy; the vanilla is sweet; and the pretzels are salty.
Sparkling Watermelon Lemonade Water
- New to Store
- Verdict: This is my new favorite sparkling water!
The Sparkling Watermelon Lemonade Water has made it’s way to the top of my list (bumping the similar Blueberry Lemonade that was released in January). Flavors are very subtle, but just enough to make me love every last drop. These are so refreshing and am happy that they seem to be on the shelves for an extended time!
Strawberry Greek Yogurt Parfait Bars
- New to Me
- Verdict: Delish!
Since I was on the strawberry train, I decided it was time to try the Strawberry Greek Frozen Yogurt Bars. These are a great little treat for me at night! They do have little clusters of granola in them, which my husband isn’t too fond of. But I guess that just means they are all for me!
That’s the end of my Trader Joe’s new finds roundup for May 2021! Did you get to try any of these new items that came out in May? Were you already a fan of some of the existing items I tried?
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