Trader Joe’s KEY LIME PIE

04 Aug 2026 3 Comments

by promacnyc in Products, Trader Joes, frozen, dairy, baked, sweets, Meh, review Tags: , , , ,


Trader Joe’s KEY LIME PIE

NEW ITEM

I adore key lime pie, so I was happy to see that Trader Joe’s had one. Here’s my honest review of Trader Joe’s KEY LIME PIE, sold in the frozen section.

While I thought this pie was kind of tasty and did have some of that key lime flavor, unfortunately the level of sugar in this is through the roof. This key lime pie is just way, way too sweet. Too much sugar. My wife tasted it and immediately made a screwed up face and complained that it was Crazy Sweet. She could barely eat hers.

With the pie we had to drink some strong black tea,. which helped tame a bit of the sweetness level.

Which led me to wonder I if I could try adding a dollop of plain GREEK YOGURT on top of the pie to cut down the level of sweetness. That did actually help, somewhat, with the sourness of the yogurt countering the sweetness which made it a bit more edible. My suggestion if you do buy this key lime pie, get some plain Greek yogurt, or unsweetened whipped cream for it. It will still be sweet of course but more tolerable.

IF they could cut down the sugar (which is a whopping 39 gram per serving) I would like this. As it is, I can just give this a MEH. B- for effort.

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/key-lime-pie-053250

Key Lime Pie is not an easy pie to make and to get it right. You need lots of REAL key lime (which are costly, and should be from Florida (aka the real deal) not Mexico in the perfect ratio to sweetened condensed milk to balance out the sweetness. Real Key Lime’s are very sour. So the combo works.

Ah STEVE’S! I’ve had (and love) one of the best key lime pies out there – STEVE’S KEY LIME PIE. which is famous in the NY area, and is actually made all the way out in Red Hook, Brooklyn where they even sell it right there at the factory (a fun visit too).

Steve’s Key Lime pie is amazing, balanced perfectly and nowhere near as sweet as Trader Joe’s version. It has the citrus to sweet level correct. I’m sure it’s probably because they add more way more and real FL key limes, which are an expensive ingredient. Of course it costs a LOT more than TJ’s pie, which is only six bucks. So while this is a good price, and kind of tasty, its again simply too sweet. You can try to fix it up a bit with some yogurt, which does help make it more palatable. Maybe even a squirt of lime or lemon?

Sidenote: their Key Lime Cookies are pretty good

$5.99 (17 oz)

Trader Joe’s LEFSE (Norwegian Potato Flatbread)

27 May 2026 1 Comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, baked, bread, fresh, Meh, New, News, Trader Joes Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,


Trader’s says: “Our Norwegian supplier makes this Lefse [LEF-suh] according to a traditional recipe that’s mostly Potato flakes (about 80%) and wheat flour, with a handful of other ingredients including milk powder, salt, and yeast. The dough is formed into rectangles that, when baked, are thin and supple and won’t crack when you bend or wrap them. Beyond texture, the potato flavor is super satisfying, yet still neutral enough to function as the base for almost anything else in our stores that suits your palate”

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/lefse-norwegian-potato-flatbread-082260

“Ultra thin and pliable. Won’t crack when rolled or folded. This Norwegian flatbread is ideal with cheese and can be enjoyed with both sweet and savory fillings: strawberry jam and whipped cream, smoked salmon and cream cheese and whatever else you dream up” – Trader Joe

LIMITED!! “You’ll find Trader Joe’s Lefse Norwegian Potato Flatbread on our bakery shelves through July!”

PRODUCT OF NORWAY

NEW ITEM (April 2026) – Trader Joe’s just came out with this soft, pliable traditional Norwegian flatbread. If like me, you’ve never heard of Lefse before, basically its a thin flatbread made with potatoes. Potatoes make Lefse very soft and pliable. Good for roll-ups and other things.

Traditionally the dough is rolled thin then baked on a lefse griddle, which look something like this.

This native New Yorker never heard of lefse before seeing these at TJ’s. However if you are from Minnesota, you may know these. I understand lefse is common and popular there, given Minnesota’s Scandinavian immigrant history. Eaten at holidays especially!

“Lefse—the soft, potato-based Scandinavian flatbread—is a deeply rooted Minnesota holiday staple. Whether you enjoy it rolled up with butter and cinnamon sugar or as a wrap for savory meats, it’s an iconic part of the state’s heritage”

Also from what I gather, one traditional way to eat LEFSE is a sweet version with butter, sugar and cinnamon. Who doesn’t like that flavor combination? Basically like a cinnamon bun made with potatoes?

So to try Trader Joe’s version, I warmed it up (a must!) and put all those things on and rolled them up. We had them with coffee and tea and I have to say the lefse was very yummy with cinnamon sugar and butter.

In addition to trying it sweet I also tried it “savory” with smoked fish and cream cheese put together into a Roll Up. That way was pretty good but for that style, I would prefer using LAVASH which is more “bready” with whole wheat so tastes like bread and not potato. You will have to try both ways to see how you like them, sweet or savory. While we liked the savory one, we both seemed to prefer eating lefese in that traditional sweet cinnamon sugar/butter version, over a savory version

Make something both ways and see what you think. Sweet? Savory? Both?

CINNAMON SUGAR LEFSE: To make the butter and cinnamon version I put the lefse in a pan on low heat, added a few pats of butter over them and sprinkled it very generously with ground cinnamon and turbinado sugar (or brown sugar). The picture above uses white sugar of course so use whatever you prefer. When the butter and sugar start to melt, roll them up with a spatula or just fold them over. Eat these immediately, as they are great warm.

Very yummy! Soft and flavorful If you are into flatbreads (raises hand) I’d say this is worth trying at least once. Personally though overall as far as flatbreads that TJ sells, I will still probably buy whole wheat LAVASH as those are more “bready”.

But I have to say, these potato soft LEFSE were very tasty with butter and cinnamon sugar as a dessert treat! A little unusual and worth trying at least once that way.

TIP – Serve lefse warm! These are seasonal for Spring; I bet you can freeze them so you have some for Xmas season!

Googling it I found a lot of recipes for it on YouTube on how to make it which looks fairly easy and I bet a homemade fresh version would be really good…. If you are ambitious!

This is a LIMITED EDITION item (available from around April till July)

Trader Joe’s LEFSE potato flatbread, $3.99 (However when I first saw them the sign said 3.49 then it seem to go up a week later!) 13.2 oz. 375 gr – About 10 slices in the bag

https://www.cheaprecipeblog.com/2018/05/norwegian-lefse-made-in-a-frying-pan

Trader Joe’s SUBLIME ICE CREAM SANDWICHES “Cookies ‘N Cream” flavor

05 May 2026 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in dairy, ice cream, Meh, Rant, review, sweets, Trader Joes Tags: , , , , , , , ,


“Cookies and Cream ice cream sandwiched between rich chocolate chunk cookies”

I like the original version of these: “Vanilla Ice cream sandwiched between Chocolate Chip cookies.

My neighbor tried this newer version: Cookies N Cream which are a new flavor riff on the original Sublime Ice Cream Sandwich (Chocolate Chip cookies around vanilla ice cream rolled in chocolate chips).

My neighbor wasn’t crazy about these Cookies and Cream sandwiches after she tried one. So she offered the rest of them to me. My wife and I tried them and we understood why our neighbor wasn’t crazy about this flavor. First off – Way, way too sweet. What I call “kid level” sweetness. Way too sweet from the two (similar) sweet things going on, both the cookie and the ice cream. IMO this flavor doesnt’ work. They have pretty sweet cookies and cream ice cream inside – outside a sweet gooey chocolate outer cookies. As soon as you chew this you are kind of making “cookies and cream” anyway. So the effect is double Cookies And Cream, and its a bit too much for me. My wife wouldn’t eat more than a bite.

Whereas when if this had vanilla ice cream, then there would be a contrast between the outer dark chocolate gooey cookie and the inside of the ice cream sandwich.

The original version of these is better with vanilla ice cream and chocolate chip cookies and rolled in chocolate chips. There you get more distinct flavors and textures.

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/cookies-n-cream-ice-cream-sandwiches-081727

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/sublime-ice-cream-sandwiches-090987

https://www.allrecipes.com/trader-joes-best-sublime-ice-cream-sandwiches-11771798

Not too mention the soft outside cookie of the sandwich just kind of melted in my fingers as I ate it. It was messy to eat. My call is get the original one which is good. This one is a Miss for me. I think I would like it if it had vanilla ice cream in the middle. Then as you bite it you would get cookies and cream.

Get the original flavor, with vanilla ice cream and chocolate chip cookies, which is wonderful.

I would not buy this one again.

Still your 5 year old may love it.

Trader Joe’s SALTED CARAMEL MOCHI

27 Apr 2026 1 Comment

by promacnyc in dairy, frozen, ice cream, Meh, New, News, Products, Trader Joes Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,


NEW ITEM

Trader Joe’s Salted Caramel Mochi, Ice Cream wrapped in a layer of sweet chewy mochi (sticky rice).

Here’s what they say about it: “Each bite starts with the sweet, tooth-sinking sensations of the outer Mochi layer, which quickly gives way to the rich, full-flavored, and buttery-sweet Salted Caramel ice cream within.”

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/salted-caramel-mochi-083237

Here’s my honest review. Basically, I love most anything made with Mochi (sticky rice). I love that chewy texture. I’ve really liked most of the Trader Joe’s mochi ice cream combos they have come out with. I think one in particular is a knockout: the BLACK SESAME MOCHI ICE CREAM. I find that one to just be terrific and a bit of an unusual flavor, we don’t see too often in the U.S.

The Green Tea mochi ice cream is also good as well as the Strawberry flavor and the Mango…. So they quite a few flavors of these mochi ice creams. I think with now this Salted Caramel one, they have or had six flavor combos.

This new new Salted Caramel flavor got some buzz on the internet about how great it was. So I wanted to try it and see how it stacks up against all the other ones. Here’s my honest review.

I have to measure it against the other ones. I thought it was OK however I wasn’t terribly impressed with the salted caramel flavor, which lets face it, unlike say a fruit flavor, is a bit harder to compare to the real thing. I mean you know instantly if mango mochi tastes like mango. I think its harder for “salted caramel” which is the natural flavor combo of caramelized sugar plua butter with a bit of salt).

I wanted a second opinion, so I asked my wife to taste it too. She basically had the same reaction and said it was “just OK”. So we both found it just ok. We didn’t think the salted caramel mochi was as good as some of the other flavors, especially say compared to the (great) black sesame mochi, which we both loved as well as many of the fruit ones, like mango.

The outside wrapper is brown and pretty sticky. Usually the wrappers made from white sticky rice look white. So I assume there must be caramel in that as well as the ice cream as per the ingredients on the label. the combo of the white salted caramel ice cream inside and the brown mochi wrapper are a bit Meh and Underwhelming where as I really like many of the fruit ones (mango) and the standout (black sesame) And by the way, I do not see “butter” in the ingredient list. But I do see “miso” listed (??) which I imagine is part of the “salted” flavor?

So I didn’t hate this but I didn’t love it either. Again its OK but I would not buy this again. I would way prefer to buy my favorite, Black Sesame version, which if you havent tried it, I would recommend. Or Mango. Maybe Green Tea.

Of course this is IMHO. Some on Instagram do give this new flavor, high praise reviews of its a “must try”, “addictive” “gotta have it” – so your call.

As per TJ’s let all mochi ice cream treats defrost a bit before eating them to get the full flavor and texture profiles.

$4.99 (6 small ice cream pieces) 6.8 oz

Says GLUTEN FREE

Trader Joe’s ORGANIC PERU CAJAMARCA Small Lot Coffee

20 Apr 2026 3 Comments

by promacnyc in All Natural, coffee, DIY, drink, fresh, Meh, New, News, organic, Pantry, Prices, Products, review, Staple, Trader Joes, update, vegetarian Tags: , , , , , , ,


“Our supplier gives the beans a light roast, highlighting the inherent notes of molasses, dark chocolate, sweet plum, and apple. You get a crisp, clean cup with dense, satisfying flavors.”

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/organic-peru-cajamarca-small-lot-coffee-082029

I am pretty sure this is the first coffee from Peru I may have tasted.

I found this latest Organic Small Lot coffee from Peru at Trader Joe’s to be pretty interesting, if not astunning remarkable find a few of the Small Lot coffees they’ve had in the past that were amazing (For that read my post on the UGANDA RWENZORI coffee). This is in the middle. Brewed up this was pretty good, a bit fruity with notes of “chocolate, molasses and apple or plum”. I get a bit of a wine-y after taste note that I usually associate with some African coffees.

Try this is you like to try every Small Lot they come out with, as I do, hoping for the best. This is not that but good. Overall though as my standard every day drink these days I prefer the Bolivian coffee they have.

$9.99 (12 oz bag)

Trader Joe’s Everything But The Pizza Whipped Cream Cheese Spread

14 Jan 2026 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in Blog, cheese, condiments, dairy, fresh, General, Italian, Meh, New, Prices, Products, review, snacks, spices, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,


$2.79/8 oz tub

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/everything-but-the-pizza-whipped-cream-cheese-spread-081648

“It’s made with a base of rich and fluffy Whipped Cream Cheese that’s been mixed with a tangy sun-dried tomato spread, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and a series of savory seasonings, all of which work together to evoke the taste of cheese Pizza on the palate.”

So here is another one of those Trader Joe’s products that came out and seemed to blow up all over social media.

Sometimes I find the things that go viral worthy of the hype, however sometimes they leave me with the opposite impression, with an “I don’t get it” feeling.

So how does this product strike me? Somewhere in the middle I think.

Everything But The Pizza Whipped Cream Cheese Spread has sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, Parmesan cheese and spices. Kind of imagine taking some whipped cream cheese, and mixing in marinara sauce. Tasted right out of the tub on a spoon, I would say you might find it tastes kind of “strong”. This definitely needs to go on something or with something.

I tried it on a toasted bagel which one of the things everyone says is Da Bomb. For one thing, if you do that at least toast the bagel so you get some of that crusty chewy effect you want. I thought that combo tasted pretty good. Just not earth shattering as claimed that on a bagel it “tastes like a pizza”. If I was going in that direction, I would prefer the classic muffin pizza. English muffin toasted up with a little tomato sauce and melted mozzarella. I grant you there is slightly more work involved.

I thought the best thing to do with this is to add it to some pasta. Thin it out with some pasta water, milk or cream or even mix in some marinara sauce. You can end up with a nice creamy pink pasta sauce. It did kind of work for me with pasta. What I ended up liking it on, believe it or not, was actually putting it on some pizza!

I had a thought when I was making some pizza from scratch of adding some to my pizza. When it was all toppped, I put a few dollops of this all over with all the other things using two teaspoons. After baking, it came out of the oven with those creamy bits now caramalized a bit. Some creamy bites with lots of flavor. Pretty good!!

I think with pasta, or on a pizza, this stuff is worth trying out. This is one of those you have to try it for yourself and see what you think items. Invent some uses that you like.

All in all I was just a little bit under impressed with this in comparison to all the hype and viral plaudits I saw online about it, however your mileage may vary. Let us know what you think via the Comments

This TikTok’er “hated on it” but discovered she likes it using it to make an open egg sandwich, using toasted sourdough bread:

@danielles_eats

How I’m using the Trader Joe’s Everything but the Pizza whipped cream cheese 🍕 #traderjoes #tastetest #creatorsearchinsights

♬ original sound – Danielle’s Eats

Another TikTok’er suggest eating it on raw bell peppers, as kind of a crudité dip. So try it with other things like carrot sticks, celery sticks and the like….

Trader Joe’s Dubai Style PISTACHIO DARK CHOCOLATE

10 Jan 2026 1 Comment

by promacnyc in Limited, Meh, Prices, Products, review, seasonal, snacks, sweets, tea, Trader Joes, Xmas season Tags: , , , ,


https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/patislove-pistachio-dark-chocolate-dubai-style-081545

“Dubai-style chocolate is all the rage across social media these days, and for good reason—it’s delicious. Really, what’s not to love about a chocolate bar filled with sweet pistachio cream and crunchy kataifi?” – Trader Joe

“Dubai Chocolate” has certainly been all the rage on social media. I have seen Dubai Chocolate that can cost close to $20, or even more. So I never got the change to taste any. That is until recently when I tasted a more affordable version sold by Trader Joe’s made by “Patislove”. This 100 gram bar is only about $4. So you know a Trader Joe’s economical version at least you can afford and get perhaps some idea of what the crazy hype is about.

We got it just to try out. Actually my wife gave this to me as a Xmas gift. We tasted it the next day I think. I thought it was OK, pretty tasty yes, however quite sweet for one thing. This version in any case didn’t make me go nuts over it, given how much hype Dubai Chocolate has gotten, where you would expect this would be the best thing you ever tasted in your life. Sure I would have to taste test this against some of that actual expensive, real McCoy Dubai chocolate to have something to compare this version to. To be honest I am not even close to being one of those who would spend that much just to taste some viral chocolate. The whole Dubai chocolate thing has just seemed to me to be yet another one of those Social Media hypes gone wild and overblown.

The Trader Joe’s version says LIMITED and might have been for just Xmas season, so it might be gone now but thought I would still put this out there, as it may be back next year. Worth trying only if you are curious, otherwise I would spend that same money on known great chocolate at Trader Joe’s like the huge pound bars from Belgium.

I probably would not buy this again.

Trader Joe’s “GOAT’S MILK CREAMY CHEESE”

09 Nov 2025 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, bread, cheese, condiments, DIY, French, fresh, General, Meh, New, News, Prices, Products, Rant, recipe, Recipes, review, Trader Joes, update, vegetarian Tags: , , , , , , , ,


I tried out this Trader Joe’s “Goat’s Milk Creamy Cheese”, which I think cost’s nearly $5.

This is a soft spreadable goat cheese, which is not at all goaty. So if that’s what you are looking for you might like this extremely mild “goat cheese”.

Me, I love goat cheese and don’t mind at all if it’s a little goaty. Isn’t that the point? Yes, very, very goaty can be off-putting . However I just found this soft cheese just way too mild for my tastes and barely tasting like a “goat cheese”.

Perhaps this is the mildest goat cheese I’ve may have ever tasted. It ain’t cheap. To me this tastes like cream cheese with a smidge of goat cheese mixed in. Something you or I could make easily, for way less too.

Anyway this might have been a good idea on paper but I found this to be a failure for my tastes as it’s way too mild and lacking goat cheese flavor. Most importantly the price. This is expensive as this is a tiny package (4.5 oz) for which they charge almost 5 bucks.

They do sell a few excellent kinds of goat cheese (chevre).

HERE WHAT I SUGGEST : We could make a soft spreadable goat cheese that is better than this easily. All we need is a package of cream cheese ($2) and Trader Joe’s excellent Goat Cheese log ($3). Mix them together.

Let both sit out for a few hours until they are soft, then put in a bowl. Mix the cream cheese and goat cheese together using a fork or spatula. Mix till combined. Put in a container. It’s probably good for a month or more.

Me, I would mix the whole Goat Log in. If you want a little less goat taste, just mix in half the goat log.

I think the result will give something like what I was expecting this to be – a soft, easily spreadable goat cheese that would work on toast, crackers, a bagel or what have you. Great for a cheese board or guests.

It would cost less per ounce than this!

HOW TO MAKE CREAMY GOAT CHEESE for $5 bucks – Get a blue “Chevre” log and a package of cream Cheese. Wait an hour or two till they are soft. Mix cream cheese with whole (or half) the log of Trader Joe’s GOAT CHEESE (optionally you could add flavors, perhaps fresh herbs or black pepper. A few drops of lemon juice. You will get about 12 oz for a tiny bit more than this package (4.5 oz) costs, so cheaper in the long run too.

This cheese here (blue log of chevre) is a terrific goat cheese at a decent price. It’s TJ’s Number Two best selling cheese two years in a row and sells for three bucks! So if you want a soft not too sassy spreadable goat cheese I say buy that and make your own creamy goat with your preferred ratio of goat to cream cheese (1/2 of this for a milder cheese or the whole thing if you like a bit more tangy and goaty.

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/chevre-goat-cheese-019751

I love PETIT BILLY (that’s the exact taste and texture for a very French soft goat cheese: https://tasteoffrancemag.com/trending/cheese-wire-petit-billy/) Last time I went to France I smuggled one back. That cheese is wonderful, it’s one of my favorite French cheeses (but costly in the U.S.)

As far as this tub under review, “Goats Milk Creamy cheese” I would not buy it again.

Trader Joe’s “Creamy Dreamy Hummus”

29 Jul 2025 1 Comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, bread, condiments, DIY, fresh, General, Meh, New, News, Prices, Products, review, Trader Joes, vegetarian Tags: , , , , , , ,


Trader Joe’s has come out with a ton of HUMMUS varieties as you probably know from checking the shelves….

“(we’ve come out with versions like) …. Roasted Red Pepper, Olive Tapenade, and Crunchy Chili Onion. But even aside from adding flavors, just adjusting the proportions of one of the existing base ingredients yields remarkable results. Take Trader Joe’s Dreamy Creamy Hummus, for instance. Here, our supplier doubles the amount of tahini of a standard hummus recipe to create a texture so thick, rich, and exquisitely Creamy that it’s simply Dreamy.”

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/creamy-dreamy-hummus-080337

Ingredients as you know must be listed in order of quantity. When I looked at the label closely, I was a little surprised to see the first ingredient listed here is actually water, not chickpeas, which are listed second.

This is the reverse of (for example) the Organic Hummus which I liked (label below). As you can see in that version, chickpeas are the first ingredient. I mean, of course, right? Pretty sure any recipe witll list chickpeas as the main ingredients. The Organic Hummus list first “Fresh steamed chickpeas” with water, which is needed to smooth out the chickpeas, as the second ingredient.

Knowing that the “creamy dreamy” has more water than chickpeas in it is kind of a turn off to me. So I kind of think I would not buy this “dreamy” one again.

Creamy Dreamy Hummus $2.49

2 TBLS, about 50 cal

  • WATER
  • CHICKPEAS
  • TAHINI (PUREED SESAME SEEDS)
  • SEA SALT
  • DEHYDRATED GARLIC
  • CITRIC ACID (ACIDIFIER)
  • GUAR GUM

The hummus at Trader Joe’s I usually get are the Mediterranean, Roasted Garlic and Organic hummus. I’ve found all of those pretty solid choices. I will pass on this one.

Trader Joe’s COSTA RICA CHIRRIPO Small Lot COFFEE

03 Mar 2025 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, coffee, DIY, fresh, General, Meh, New, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, review, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update Tags: , , , , , ,


I would label this latest Small Lot coffee offering at Trader Joe’s in my “good but not great” category.

I liked it but it didn’t knock me out as some of their other small lot coffee finds have at times in the past. These are totally hit or miss. Sometimes you get one which is fantastic. Outstanding. Sometimes you get one which is pretty good, which for me, is this Costa Rican coffee. I thought it was pretty good. I only say this as some of the Trader Joe’s coffees which were terrific raise the bar when compared to some of the best Small Lot coffee finds in the past over the years that TJ’s has had. The Uganda Mountains of The Moon small lot coffee from a while back was off the hook, stunning. Epic! So again, there is a high bar.

This coffee is from a mountainous region in Costa Rica, from an area officially designated as “Chirripo National Park”. The beans are roasted in an (actual) medium roast and the beans look very good as you can see. This coffee’s taste is as they describe on the bag. “Nutty and toasty, with notes of citrus”. If you are one of those people who just likes to check out and explore EVERY Small Lot coffee that Trader Joe’s comes out with just to check it out, its worth getting. Otherwise, I would say spend your ten bucks coffee money on some known entity which you love. For me for the past year or so since they started carrying it, that coffee has been the Fair Trade Organic BOLIVIAN BLEND. Another Medium Roast. I really love that one, which is not a Small Lot, so easy to find too year round.

This Costa Rican Chirripo coffee while OK, its not as good as that for me so I would not buy it again. Once again, Small Lots are Limited so if you want to try this, grab while you can. I rate this maybe 6/10

Previous Older Entries