The Best New Thing I Bought at Trader Joe's in January

My mom jokes I was raised in a pomelo crate. That's because I'm a grocer's daughter—my parents still own the store in Paraguay where I spent most of my non-school hours stacking cans, sweeping aisles, and sneaking Twix bars and Fanta Orange. Naturally, I love grocery stores and despite having a full-time job and three kids that keep me busy, I go almost every day. Of all the local options—Harris Teeter, Whole Foods, Kroger, ALDI, Target—I go to Trader Joe's at least twice a week for their affordable prices, kid-friendly offerings, amazing frozen foods, and exciting new products.

On average, I try about a dozen new TJ's products a month—some are knock-outs that become essentials, others not so much. So every month, I'll be here with one new find that made me think you need to try these, and sometimes I'll try to steer you clear from ones I didn't love.

The Best New TJ's Product of January

I am a mom that says no a lot to my kids. No, your friend can’t come over for a playdate, it’s 6 a.m.. No, I can’t pack you Cocoa Puffs with chocolate milk for school lunch. No, we can’t drive to France this afternoon, it’s a million miles away. And yet when we went to Trader Joe’s last week, I leveled up on the cool mom factor and said yes! Yes, let’s grab six bags of the Trader Joe's Double Chocolate Wafer Cookies.

Though it sounds excessive, here’s my logic: a bag for the car, a bag for my office, a bag for school snacks, a bag for watching Netflix after the kids go down for the night, and two as back-up. That's how delicious these wafer cookies are. The first time I bought one, I ate the entire bag on the drive back home—popping the bite-sized squares into my mouth.

They taste like a double-stacked KitKat with a more delicate wafer and a creamy chocolate filling. It's not cloyingly sweet, which is the main reason I love them. You'll get real chocolate flavor and a tiny hint of hazelnut—I wouldn't have been able to taste it unless I was told.

Though new to Trader Joe’s, there is nothing new about these wafer cookies. Quadratini makes an almost identical product (that I also love) but somehow the TJ's one tastes better. They NAILED IT. It’s crunchier, creamier, and more chocolatey. It's cheaper too at $3.29 a bag.

Meh, I'd Pass On This New TJ's Product

Another oat milk just landed: Non-Dairy Oat Beverage with Pea Protein. It's essentially Trader Joe's shelf-stable oat milk with plant-based protein. Maybe it's because of the added sugars and natural flavors, it tastes a little burnt and like sweet cereal milk, which is not what I want in my morning coffee.