Shopping at Trader Joe’s around the holidays is a true test of willpower. Everywhere you turn, you’re met with shelf after shelf of holiday goodies in every festive shape and flavor you could imagine. It’s enough to overwhelm even the most enthusiastic holiday snacker. So, in the name of journalism, I did what most people only dream of: I went to my local Trader Joe’s and filled a cart full of every holiday item I could get my hands on. Then I risked a mouth full of cavities to taste-teste every single one and rank them all for you here.
For the sake of this taste test, I skipped the more giftable treats and holiday tins in favor of items you might actually buy on a grocery run or to bring to a holiday party. To keep things fair, I recruited five additional taste-testers to share their thoughts as well. Following a similar system to our ranking of Starbucks’ seasonal drinks, we scored each item on a scale of 1-5 in the categories of overall taste, festiveness, and the likelihood that we would buy it again. I then averaged all of our taste testers’ scores to get the item’s final score out of 15.
Now, I’m pleased to present The Everygirl’s official ranking of Trader Joe’s holiday items for 2024:
17. Step Up to The Snack Bar Mix
Score: 5.5/15
This was the biggest disappointment of the whole taste test. I mean, who doesn’t love a snack mix? This one, however, just really missed the mark. The flavors of the different components didn’t really mesh well together, and some of the textures seemed off. This product also scored bottom marks in the festiveness category because it’s pretty basic as far as Trader Joe’s holiday items go. If you’re looking for a snack mix you can dump into a bowl for a holiday party, I’d recommend looking elsewhere.
16. Stepping It Up Spicy Snack Bar Mix
Score: 5.75/15
I personally didn’t hate this and thought it was a big improvement from the regular version, but some of our taste-testers really didn’t like the flavor. It does have a pretty substantial kick, so if your group doesn’t love spice, it’s not the most crowd-pleasing option. Overall, this wasn’t bad; it just didn’t wow us enough to make us want to re-purchase.
15. Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies
“There’s something in there that ain’t right”
Score: 6.25/15
This was the first item that was truly polarizing for our taste testers. Most of us were really underwhelmed by these gingerbread sandwich cookies, but one taste taster really liked them. So to each their own! I will say that the cookies have a very soft texture that I enjoyed, but the flavor was pretty disappointing. The combination of spices was way too strong, and something about it just tasted off. As far as Trader Joe’s gingerbread items go, there are better options out there, and this one was a big miss for me.
14. Sugar Glazed Lebkuchen Cookies
“Why is there a communion wafer on the bottom?”
Score: 6.67/15
Lebkuchen cookies are a traditional German holiday treat, but—with all due respect to German culture—I think there’s a reason they never took off in the U.S. These have a very strong spiced orange flavor and a thin papery wafer on the bottom that was pretty unpleasant to eat. Most of our taste testers said “immediately no” to these and felt no inclination to go back for a second bite. However, one of our taste testers liked the soft, airy texture and ranked them fairly highly, which saved these from a spot closer to the bottom.
13. Spiced Cranberry Granola
“Too much like a candle”
Score: 7/15
I love the idea of this granola as a festive but not overly sweet breakfast item. The actual taste of it, however, is a bit overpowering and too artificial for my tastes. Especially when you get a bit of the orange peel in your bite, the flavor tastes almost like a Christmas candle—so not exactly appetizing but not terrible. If you tried this sprinkled over some vanilla yogurt or in a bowl with milk, however, it probably would balance out the flavor and taste pretty delicious!
12. O’Nog Non-Dairy Oat Beverage
“It’s just thick oat milk”
Score: 7.75/15
This didn’t taste bad by any means—it just didn’t taste like egg nog, which is why it ranked so low. I was expecting this to have a lightly spiced flavor, but it mostly just tasted like plain oat milk. However, the creamy consistency is definitely similar to real egg nog. We all agreed that this would make a decent oat milk creamer for coffee, but it wasn’t the festive beverage we were hoping for.
11. Something Spritzy
“Too much Christmas tree”
Score: 8.5/15
I really wanted to love this festive spritz-inspired beverage. It has all the makings of a delicious holiday mocktail, but I think TJ’s went a little heavy on the bitters with this one. It has a pretty herb-y taste that kind of detracts from the citrus and cranberry flavors. All of our taste testers agreed that it would be great as a mixer paired with a splash of vodka, but that kind of defeats the purpose of it being a non-alcoholic option.
10. Stollen Crisps
“These taste like Froot Loops”
Score: 8.67/15
If you’ve ever had stollen—AKA a traditional German Christmas bread—these are a pretty accurate representation of it in cracker form. Dotted with raisins and citrus peel and dusted with powdered sugar, these crackers definitely live up to their name, but fair warning: they do taste pretty sweet. We all wished we had something savory to balance out the sweetness (maybe an aged cheddar or some brie?). Otherwise, they taste more like a holiday treat than an actual cracker.
9. Dark Chocolate Covered Peppermint Cremes
“Look at that cheese pull”
Score: 8.75/15
You know when you bite into a particularly gooey grilled cheese and the melted cheese stretches and pulls away from the sandwich? That’s what it was like biting into one of these, and IMO, that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. The texture of the creme filling was just too chewy, and it kind of coated your mouth while eating. The peppermint flavor was also a bit strong for my taste, but if you really love peppermint and don’t mind a chewier texture, you’ll probably like these.
8. Winter Wassail Punch
“It’s giving cider”
Score: 9.25/15
This punch didn’t immediately wow us upon first sip, but it has some real potential. Thanks to the mix of spices, it almost tastes like the holiday version of apple cider, so we all agreed that it would taste much better hot instead of chilled like we tried it. Or you could pair it with a dark spirit like bourbon and rum for a seriously good holiday cocktail.
7. Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s
“Would make a great milkshake”
Score: 11/15
Joe-Joe’s are an absolute classic, so it’s no surprise that these ranked as high as they did. Since the creme filling is made with crushed candy cane pieces instead of straight-up peppermint flavoring, the minty flavor is subtle and perfectly balanced by the chocolatey cookies. These had us wishing we had some vanilla ice cream on hand to whip up a festive milkshake.
6. Mini Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
“Trader Joe’s does a good biscotti”
Score: 11.5/15
I was honestly surprised by how high this biscotti ranked, but we just couldn’t come up with anything bad to say about it. The cranberry-meets-pistachio flavor is delicious and festive without being too sweet, and the drizzle of icing on top is the perfect finishing touch. Paired with a cup of tea or coffee, these would make an ideal breakfast or afternoon pick-me-up during the winter months.
(Tied) 4-5. Peppermint Pretzel Slims
“The best peppermint thing I’ve tried, and I don’t like peppermint”
Score: 12/15
Out of all the peppermint treats at Trader Joe’s this year, these pretzel slims were the undisputed winner. The combination of salty and sweet just works, and they taste festive without being overly sugary like some of the other Trader Joe’s holiday items. Plus, the candy coating balances out the peppermint beautifully, so it’s not overpowering—even for those who don’t like peppermint. We all went back for seconds on these.
(Tied) 4-5. Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels
“The caramel is the star”
Score: 12/15
Simply put: These chocolate-covered caramels are delicious. The dark chocolate beautifully complements the buttery caramel filling, and the sprinkling of sea salt really takes it over the top. That being said, some taste-tasters argued that the dark chocolate coating was a little thick, which kept this holiday treat from a top three spot. However, I don’t think anyone would complain if you showed up at their door with these as a hostess gift.
3. Cranberry Chevre
“This is exactly what a holiday cheese should taste like”
Score: 13/15
I’ve been known to shy away from goat cheese because of its strong flavor, but this Cranberry Chevre from Trader Joe’s is the perfect gateway goat cheese if you’re typically not a fan. The sweetness of the cranberries really tempers the tanginess of the cheese so it’s not overpowering, and the flavor combination just works. If you’re putting together a holiday cheese board for a get-together this year, this cheese absolutely must be on it.
2. Jingle Jangle
“There’s a reason they run out of this every year”
Score: 13.75/15
In the upset no one saw coming, Jingle Jangle got bumped out of the top spot this year. However, the margin was slim and we definitely had some ride-or-die Jingle Jangle fans in our group. This mix of chocolate-covered goodies has something for everyone—whether you prefer pretzels, popcorn, or peanut butter cups—making it an absolute slam-dunk treat to bring to a holiday party. And for that, we’ll always love you, Jingle Jangle.
1. Mini Gingerbread People
“Pure holiday nostalgia”
Score: 14.75/15
What could possibly beat out Jingle Jangle for the #1 ranking, you ask? These Mini Gingerbread People were the unexpected winner that all of us taste-testers couldn’t get enough of. The level of gingerbread spices is absolutely perfect, the cookies themselves are deliciously crisp, and the white fudge icing on the bottom complements the flavor so well. And the cute little gingerbread people shapes? Consider my inner child satisfied.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Jessica Friedhoff, Senior Lifestyle Editor
Jessica Friedhoff is the Senior Lifestyle Editor at The Everygirl, where she oversees the Home & Living category of the site. She writes and edits stories across a broad range of topics including decorating, food, entertaining, travel, and more. With a pulse on the latest trends, she uses her eye for detail and design to create timely, inspiring content for our readers.
