I Tried A Bunch Of Trader Joe’s Valentine’s Day Items, And I'm Feeling The Full Range Of Emotions (Including Love)
For Valentine’s Day, Trader Joe’s fills its aisles with many love-themed snacks and treats. So, I tried a bunch and am here to give you the lowdown on how they tasted, where they would fit in (at a Galentine's party, perhaps?), and what they bring to the table.
1.Dark Chocolate Mini Heart Cookies
Like some relationships, my experience with these cookies had a rocky start but a happy conclusion. The first bite had me unsure, and I wondered if they were a bit bitter, but the second bite showed off the cookie's dark chocolate-ness, and I really appreciated the touch of sprinkles on top. There are also 36 cookies in a box, making them a proper dessert portion to bring to an upcoming Galentines.
The type of love we shared: These chocolates feel like they would tell me the truth.
Worth the purchase: A hard yes for serious chocolate lovers.
2.Caramel Palmiers
I'm not sure these technically count as part of the Trader Joe's Valentine's Day offerings. That being said, I asked somebody who was working there what they would recommend as a Valentine's Day treat, and they handed me a box of these buttery (and heart-shaped!) cookies.
My first note is that you can smell the butter radiating off these cookies before even taking a bite. This made me think that I would find them to be a bit overwhelming with flavor, but I actually really liked the taste of these: they were sweet without feeling "sugary." The package says four cookies equals one serving, which seems about right, as I can attest that one cookie was definitely not enough.
These felt like almost a more savory treat that would go well with coffee or tea.
The type of love we shared: These cookies would lift me up when I’m down.
Worth the purchase: A resounding yes!
3.For the Love of Chocolate Mousse Cake
This cake was as chocolate-tasting as it looks. It was rich without being overpowering. The texture was really good, too: it felt smooth and not dry. Of course, it also looks great and has a very charming presentation. It would work equally well as the dessert at a Galentines or as something decadent to split with a partner.
The type of love we shared: This cake feels like it would know both the big and the small gestures are important.
Worth the purchase: Yes, especially if you're looking to impress!
4.Mini "Hold The Cone!" Strawberry Ice Cream Cones
These eight mini sugar cones, filled with strawberry ice cream and topped with a chocolate coating, were a delight! They were the perfect size for a little treat, with each cone lasting a few bites. I appreciated that they weren't overly sweet, either, while still being flavorful.
The type of love we shared: These will keep you smiling even in the middle of winter.
Worth the purchase: Yes, specifically for ice-cream fans!
5.Cocoa Truffles
I was really excited to try these: I love truffles, and I liked that the packaging felt both in theme with Valentine’s Day by being red and having a "romantic" font, but I also felt like they would be appropriate to be in the store at any time.
These truffles are intensely chocolaty, and both melt in your mouth and have a slight chew without feeling too decadent or filling. In fact, they’re so chocolatey that my hands kept getting stained with chocolate as I ate them. The box said the serving size is four truffles, which felt accurate to the eating experience.
The type of love we shared: A deep, all-year-round love. These are a classic purchase for a reason.
Worth the purchase: Yes, but wash your hands after you eat them!
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6.Gummy Xs and Os
These gummies came in X and O shapes in red, pink/orange, and white/yellow (feel free to correct me in the comments RE their colors). The description on the box of the gummies as "soft and chewy" was completely accurate; they almost had the texture of Swedish Fish. The three colors all had a fairly mild and inoffensive taste, with the red tasting like cherry, the pink tasting like strawberry, and the white tasting fairly citrusy (maybe grapefruit?).
It’s hard to imagine the context for these except as a pantry candy snack; the package contains 112 gummies, but their nature made them feel more like movie theatre candy than for an after-dinner-dessert or Valentine's Day party. Also, I'm not personally a gummy candy enthusiast, so I'm probably harder on them than most might be.
The type of love we shared: They're sweet, but we're not a match.
Worth the purchase: Not for me, but perhaps for you if you loveeee gummies.
7.Chocolate & Peanut Butter Lover’s Nut Mix
As seen on the packaging, this mix contains almonds, cashews, cocoa-dusted dark chocolate almonds, mini milk chocolate peanut butter cups, mini pretzel sticks, and the ‘tiniest’ chocolate chip cookies.
The mix felt like the whole was greater than the sum of its parts, which, I guess, is the purpose of a nut mix. When sampling each ingredient individually, most tasted a bit off to me (the peanut butter cups were too sweet, the cashews too salty). But when all put together, it had a generally inoffensive taste of a sweeter trail mix. The sizing was large as well: a serving size is 1/4 cup, and there were 11 servings in the bag, so an entire bag of mix could certainly feed a whole gaggle of lovers on a Valentine's Day hike (if that's your thing).
The type of love we shared: These kept me occupied but not ultimately happy.
Worth the purchase: Only if you're the sort of person hiking with a gaggle of lovers.
8.Belgian Chocolate Hearts
There were seven of these in the box: three of which were milk chocolate and four of which were dark chocolate. I liked the milk chocolate ones wayyyyy more than the dark chocolate. Both types were very sugary. But something about that sugar level better matched the milk chocolate version than its dark chocolate counterpart. I'm not sure if they're markedly better or worse than similar products out there, but they are very cute and would be lovely to split for two or as a gift for one.
The type of love we shared: These hearts feel like they would add some variety and fun to each day.
Worth the purchase: Yes, especially as a gift for one!
9.Cinnamon Sugar Almonds
While I believe this snack hit Trader Joe’s shelves before Valentine’s Day, it seems as if the store has repackaged it into a pink bag in connection with the holiday. Well, I felt fortunate they did because these are delicious! I was not expecting it at all, but these may have been my favorite snack in the collection I tried.
The almonds were not too sweet, and there was the perfect amount of cinnamon: just enough to really taste it without it being overpowering. The confectionery coating, described as "cinnamon and vanilla flavored," also added a nice, slight chewiness at the end. They feel like they would be a good, filling snack to have around the house and would be perfect in a bowl at a Galentines. The portion was nice as well: 56 almonds in a bag.
The type of love we shared: True love! These almonds feel like they would be able to keep me grounded while always supporting my dreams.
Worth the purchase: Yes, 1000x yes!
That's my round-up! Do you have any favorite Trader Joe's Valentine's Days items? Are there any you've tried you really didn't enjoy? Let us know in the comments!
