These Are the Most Loved Trader Joe's Items. How Many Have You Tried?

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KEY POINTS

  • Trader Joe's announces customer choice awards each year, letting customers vote on their favorite items. 
  • This year's favorites include Mandarin Orange Chicken, among others.
  • Trader Joe's is a great place to shop because of its low prices and interesting products. 

How many of these favorite items have you tried? 

Trader Joe's has many popular products available for sale at great prices so you can enjoy delightful treats without ending up charging huge grocery costs on your credit card.  

While many of their store-brand items are fan favorites, there are some that truly stand apart from the crowd. To identify the best of the best, Trader Joe's calls upon customers each year to vote for their favorite products.  

So, what items made the list for 2022? 

Overall fan favorites

The ultimate winner of the Trader Joe's 13th Annual Customer Choice Awards was a frozen chicken entree that's simple to make with a wok and an oven or a microwave. It's called Mandarin Orange Chicken. 

Runner-up items for the overall favorites included:

  • Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
  • Unexpected Cheddar (a block cheese)
  • Everything But the Bagel Seasoning Blend (a spice you can easily add to provide extra flavoring to many dishes)
  • Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese (a seasonal item that shows up during the fall)

These were the best entrees 

The Mandarin Orange Chicken that won Trader Joe's customer choice awards was also the top entree of the year, according to Trader Joe's customers. Two other chicken dishes made the list of runners up: Chicken Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice.

Macaroni and cheese dishes were also stars. The Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese was just one of two of these noodle dishes honored with customer awards. Joe's Diner Mac 'n Cheese also made the list. 

These were the best cheeses

Trader Joe's has a great cheese selection, but the store's Unexpected Cheddar was the unequivocal winner in this category. This tasty treat is a block of English cheddar that comes complete with caramelized onions. 

Runners up in this category included baked lemon ricotta, syrah-soaked toscano, and triple creme brie.

These were the best desserts

Anyone who has had one of these tiny bite-sized ice cream treats will not be surprised at all to learn that Trader Joe's Hold the Cone was the No. 1 favorite dessert treat. Hold the Cone comes in three flavors: chocolate, vanilla, and chocolate chip, and they come at an affordable cost of $3.79 per pack. They are also exclusive to Trader Joe's.

Other deserts that were runners up include:

  • Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
  • O & H Danish Kringle (these come with assorted seasonal flavors)
  • Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches
  • Brookie (a brownie/cookie combo treat)

Other top Trader Joe's favorites

Other favored items from Trader Joe's included:

  • Non Dairy Oat Beverage, which won best beverage 
  • Scented Candle Tins, which were the most beloved home product among voters
  • Teeny tiny avocados, which were the top Trader Joe's produce item and which are perfect for making avocado toast
  • Peanut-butter filled pretzel nuggets, which were a favorite snack

Most of these items can be found year-round at Trader Joe's while others are seasonal items, so you'll have to watch the store shelves.

The great thing is, these items are available for low prices so it won't break your grocery budget to give them a try. And since Trader Joe's is well-known for being generous with offering samples, you may just get to try them for free on one of your store visits. 

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