Best Trader Joe's cookies?

[taylor_blair]

My boyfriend and I are addicted to TJ's Triple Ginger Cookies!

Are there other ones I should be trying as well? I've had the brownie mini-bites which are good but the small chocolate chip ones are on the dry side. And the biscotti is just eh. I need recommendations!

[ohmyyum]

Yay for the speculoos cookies. $2.99. Very similar to biscoff. Not excessively sweet, lovely with coffee.

[kittle]

We haven't tried most of them because I like baking so much myself, but just tried the Joe-Joes in seasonal assortments and found them dangerously delicious. The small stroopwaffels (caramel bites or whatever they call them) are very good; in the Netherlands you put the big ones over a cup of tea or coffee to soften the inside before eating. I have enjoyed the soft Gingeroos in the past as well. A vote also for the carrot cake cookies and the Belgian butter waffle cookies which seem to have disappeared; they were nice with ice cream. .

[atettoomuch]

I love the aptly named "astounding" sandwich cookies. I send these for just about any Holiday. You can get them on Amazon too.

http://www.amazon.com/Trader-Joes-Ast...

[queenscook]

Are they available on Amazon year-round? They are only at the stores in December, as far as I've seen.

[atettoomuch]

i just purchased on Amazon a few days ago. I missed them at Trader Joe's

[queenscook]

But your post mentioned sending them for "just about any Holiday." My question is: does that mean you have found them at times of the year other than December?

[atettoomuch]

yes, I've been able to get them at the TJ in California for Thanksgiving and have purchased them on Amazon for Valentine's.

[ohmyyum]

Is it $25 for ONE box? If so, boo! That is quite a markup...!

[atettoomuch]

Oh yes you are right, but considering it cost me over $13 to buy and ship them myself, I find the free shipping with Amazon makes it worth it to just let them deal with it over the Holidays, but then again, I hate crowds and standing in line, so Amazon is my shopping mall haha

[latindancer]

Maple cookies.
They are no longer allowed in my house.

[srr]

So I read through the whole post and I can't believe no one mentioned the Biscoff knock-offs. Crispy, cinnamony, not too sweet, totally delicious and much easier for me to find than Biscoff

[liu]

Biscoff cookies are on the shelf at Gelson's...as is their spread in two different styles: crispy and smooth.

[srr]

It's a really long drive to a Gelson's from San Francisco

[gooddog]

In my area (SE Michigan) I've seen Biscoff cookies everywhere - CVS, Walgreens, Walmart. Our local Walmart had a big display last week near the entrance with cookies and both the smooth & chunky spreads. Maybe this is why Michigan is moving up on the obesity list. Damn you tasty cookies!

[liu]

Whooops...sorry about that, srr!
I'm usually on the L.A. Chow Board.

Your response made me laugh!

[vttp926]

What are they called? I saw them 1 time at the TJ's I normally go to and didn't pick any up them but on my return visits have not been able to find them.

[gooddog]

TJ's Bistro Biscuits.

[vttp926]

Thanks!

[laststandchili]

No love for the Kettle Corn Butter Cookies?

Good. They're horrible.

Stay away from them. Especially at the Annapolis store. They're particularly foul at that location. Don't even bother.

Thanks

[laliz]

Almond Thins

[mamueller]

I haven't tried a lot of them, but I love the Windmill cookies

[emily]

Love the Almond Windmill cookies.

[clubtraderjoes]

The best, by far, cookies that Trader's has ever had are the Dark Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Joe Joe's! If you can find it at your local TJ's get the multipack. It's called Trader Joe's and the Astounding Multi-Flavor Joe Joe's. Double Chocolate Joe Joe's (dipped in Dark Chocolate) the aforementioned Peppermint Joe Joes, Peanut Butter Joe Joe's dipped in Milk Chocolate and Ginger Joe Joe's dipped in White Chocolate sprinkled with ginger snaps. Yum!

Steve

www.clubtraderjoes.com

[beach57]

I bought 5 boxes of these cookies right after they arrived at our local TJs in November . To die for!

[jujuthomas]

I had a box of those at Christmas time. oh, so good. can't wait until this winter when they (hopefully) bring them back! YUM

[acgold7]

Another vote for the Crispy Crunchy Chocolate Chip cookies in the huge clear plastic tub. My kids can go through a tub in fifteen seconds. The clerk at our local store confessed that she likes these in a bowl with milk.

[beach57]

The Triple Ginger Cookies are my husband's favorite. They go very quickly. Also bought a box of assorted chocolate covered Joe Joes last holiday season. Out of this world!

[c oliver]

OLD thread but we just discovered those triple ginger cookies the othere day. They are GREAT!

[CurlieGlamourGirlie]

There's a new dunker-type cookie. It's a chocolate sided oatmeal cookie. Delish. A nice, nutty oat flavor, and just enough milk chocolate.

[somervilleoldtimer]

According to some, the chocolate chip cookies are excellent for receptions after concerts!

[yfunk3]

I love the soft cherry almond granola ones they sell, in a round plastic tub. Not the best thing for you to snack on, but take a few on a hike or maybe a couple after dinner for dessert and they're so satisfying.

[somervilleoldtimer]

Here's a vote for the very delicious triple-gingersnaps, made with butter which makes them tasty.

[Fritz]

druid circles

[Fritz]

Joe joes

[alkapal]

year round: cranberry-white chocolate dunkers!
christmas: lebkuchen (sans chocolate).

[givemecarbs]

I like the leaf shaped maple creme filled cookies. The creme tastes very fresh and the maple flavoring is subtle. Does dark chocolate almond bark count as a cookie? Bought a big bar of it and can't stop eating it!

[toodie jane]

Costco makes a regular Dunkers in a slightly bigger tub. IDENtical cookie.

[Gigi007]

I am seriously addicted to TJ's Crispy Crunchy Chocolate Chocolate Chip cookies. They're mini-cookies, andn are very fresh & crunchy w/ just the right amount of chocolate chips. They come in a big tub. Wish they came in a smaller size b/c I can't stop eating them!

[nosh]

I bought the Oatmeal Raisin cookies, the ones in the long half-box wrapped in plastic that has about a dozen big honking cookies, 18oz. These are seriously satisfying, with a rich crunchy texture, not too sweet, a lot of raisins, and no nuts. They were a bit soft for me, which was easily solved by storing them in the fridge.

I wish TJ's made a good, buttery shortbread, sorta a knock-off of Lorna Doones or the Girl Scout Scotties. The shortbreads they are selling these days are too soft, and have those big circles of either chocolate or candied fruit in the center.

[coney with everything]

They did make a TJ brand Walkers-type shortbread which was virtually identical to Walkers, but it might be seasonal. Haven't seen it lately.

[toodie jane]

earlier last year they had a great button shortbread in the upright brown-bag-with-a-window, but seem to have discontinued it by summer. It was fantastic spread with a little lemon curd and made into a sandwich. Very fresh, not like those nasty ones with the choc or gummy jam filling.

[violet4ever]

We are addicted to the Cat Cookies for People in Low Fat Ginger flavor. They are in round plastic bins, usually above the frozen desserts. We look for the thinnest darkest ones. They are the size of animal crackers but shaped like cats and they are crunchy with a bit of spicy ginger. And recently we tried something new - I don't remember the exact name but it's a rectangular cellophane package containing 6 round cookies that look like peanut brittle but the nuts are cashews and sesame seeds. The cookie base is a thin round rice-look wafer. Fairly low in carbs and very tasty but hard to bite (worth it though)

[shoelace]

the white chocolate macadamia ones are really happy, but nothing is as wonderful as the peppermint joe joes, but unfortunately those are seasonal

[queenscook]

Have you ever tried Mint Oreos? I find them far tastier than the Peppermint Joe-Joes. And not seasonal.

[toodie jane]

newman's own brand makes one too.

[momjamin]

I prefer the Candy Cane Joe-Joe's to the Mint Oreos. YMMV.

[swtcrm]

dark chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies

[Sophie]

I just got a box of TJ Metropolitan Cookies which is a cookie topped with bitterseet Belgian chocolate. The chocolate was quite nice and overall the cookie was surprisingly good. The ingredients seem to be pretty wholesome and sweetened with sugar instead of corn syrup. Even more they only cost me 99cents which is a great price for a dozen cookies. Going back tomorrow and pick up a few more.

[liu]

Sophie -- I took your recommendation with me to TJs and bought a box of their Metropolitan cookies. They are REALLY good!

Someone else heard you because today when I returned for another box they were sold out! The manager said that someone came in and cleared the shelf.

Thanks...although I wish I didn't know about these!

[operagirl]

They had these dark chocolate-covered star cookies around Christmas last year that were AWESOME. Shortbread covered in very high quality dark chocolate, and topped with little white sprinkles. Anybody else try those? I hope they're back next holiday season!

[FlyerFan]

Love these star cookies with the nonpareils! They remind me of Snow-Caps with a yummy shortbread crust. Hope TJ's doesn't discontinue them.....

[somervilleoldtimer]

Yup. They were terrific.

[puddin head]

I adore the peppermint Joe Joes, and am always depressed when they are gone. However, I recently discovered the double stuff mint oreos are a very, very good substitute. Not as "natural" I am sure but very tasty. they will hold me over until next Christmas.

[Humbucker]

How does the filling in the Oreos compare to that in the Joe Joes? One thing about the Joe Joes I disliked was the filling was to soft; I remember Oreo filling as having a nice chewy consistency, but I haven't had a chance to eat one after they switched to a non-hydrogenated filling.

[puddin head]

good question - I think it is firmer than Joe Joes, but perhaps a tad softer than regular oreo filling. From what I recall of Joe Joes the filling IS very soft.

[Humbucker]

Thanks for the info. I haven't eaten an Oreo in maybe more than 15 years; perhaps it's time for a reunion.

[puddin head]

be prepared! what passes for "double stuffed" is basically what used to be considered a regular amount of filling back in the day. I haven't had a regular oreo in a while, but I suspect they just apply a wafer thin coating now.

[LAWoman]

The new maple creme sandwich cookies are killer.

[jujuthomas]

OMG. my best friend got those over the winter - they are awesome!
I also love the molasses ones in the bag and the Vanilla and Peppermint Joe-joes.

[bakersma]

Cranberry oatmeal "circles" cookies. The best.

[NewDude]

There's a real simple answer: organic chocolate chip in bite size. It's not perfect. It's much too sweet. Like, 9/10 on a sweetness scale. Normally, that makes me give up on the enterprise. I'd rather get something that tastes like it's supposed to, rather than being a caricatured concentration of what it should be. But, it never lapses into parody. It is the real deal.

Also, I usually associate a high quality chocolate chip cookie with softness and warmness. This one is hard and served at room temperature.

Despite these misgivings, it is an exceptional cookie. I've managed to go through an entire "tin"(made of plastic) in just a few days.

Very addictive, and despite it's weaknesses, you will love them.

[Cinemaverite1]

Did anyone enjoy TJ's star-shaped orange cardamom cookies during the holidays? They came in a green star-shaped tin box, and not only were they yummy with tea, they were so adorable looking!

Also love the almond chocolate chip cookies

[FlyerFan]

We bought some of their "thumbprint" shortbread cookies on our last trip. They had some which were filled with apricot, raspberry, and chocolate - the chocolate are incredible! The chocolate filling in these shortbreads is just perfect....I've noticed recently that some of Trader Joe's chocolate products have a very strong coconut flavor which I don't care for (especially in the chocolate-coated dunkers and their chocolate caramels with fleur de sel).

[mariannas]

It's all about the bite-sized biscotti. I always pick up several packs whenever I go to TJ's. They don't last long though...if I don't hide them from the SO the disappear in less than a day!

[GK in SO]

Dark Chocolate Almond Lacey's - to die for. Chewy, nutty, chocolatey, carmely/sugary. Just amazingly delicious.

[rmb123]

I need an intervention to stop me from buying the dark chocolate Laceys. And once I buy them, I pretty much finish the whole container. So sad.

[beach57]

These are one of my favorite cookies. I actually saw them at Costco in 2009 and they cost quite a bit less than they did at TJs. I don't think they are a regular item at Costco however.

[Smile4shannon]

I bought some today and it was a BIG mistake because I CAN'T stop eating them... They are THE BEST cookies I have EVER eaten... and I have eaten many :)

[GK in SO]

Shannon, that's exactly why I don't buy them anymore!!! My waist line thanked me for stopping.

[maria lorraine]

Those Dark Chocolate Lacey's Cookies are evil -- constantly calling my name.

I am so frickin' picky about storebought cookies (meaning, I never buy them) until now. This has to be the best storebought cookie I've ever had. I'm glad the package is relatively small -- I am totally taken by the high-quality and wonderful flavors.

[alkapal]

thanks a lot guys…. now i have to go and buy some. ;-).

[zhelder]

For the first time today, I saw some Inside Out Carrot Cake cookies. Basically, they're two soft "carrot cake" cookies (taste a lot like oatmeal raisin) with a giant gob of soft vanilla cream in the middle. They are fantastic and will be in my regular TJ rotation now!

[potterybliss]

I am totally addicted to the vanilla wafers right now. Tried the choc. chip dunkers, and they were good, but the vanilla wafers are over the top. Will try the joe-joe's in place of oreos for truffle recipe, too. I like that the ingredients are pretty simple, it makes them taste better than most store brands, imo.

[coney with everything]

ITA about the vanilla wafers--simple and delicious.

Also love the chocolate chip almond, carmel cashew, and shortbread with chocolate or fruit.

[Amanda please]

Joe Joes! It is a chocolate sandwich cookie

[jcarpentercc]

The Chai Spice cookies are addictive...I always find it hard to keep from eating the whole bag! And I just tried the Cranberry Oatmeal ones, which are also delish.

[Displaced California Foodie]

TJ's has a tiny chocolate chip cookie that comes in a plastic tub. The cookies are great - Ithink they have coconut in them too! YUMMY

[houndgirl]

The peppermint holiday ones are terrific! We had some in the office and the box didn't even make it thru one day.

[KOK]

They had an oatmeal raisin cookie that I think had ginger in it, and had a nice spicey taste and kick. They came in the plastic tubs and were excellent. Of course they no longer have them.

Kevin

[taylor_blair]

I just tried the old-fashioned tj's cinnamon graham cookies in a plastic bucket and they're deeeeelicious! sadly, there were no more peppermint jo-jo's at the TJs near me. drat!

[free sample addict aka Tracy L]

I brought my coworkers the triple chocolate chip cookies today. They loved them. Really chocolately.

[Emme]

Joe-Joe's vanilla and peppermint ones.

The Chocolate Caramel Tart cookies... gooey caramel in the middle, and I love the biscuit cookie on bottom.

Chocolate Macadmia Lace Cookies.

Butter waffle cookies are good especially with vanilla ice cream.

[AlwayzHungry]

I discovered the Chocolate Caramel Tart cookies when I saw a woman ahead of me in line with two boxes in her cart. I love caramel and had never noticed those cookies before so I went off in search of them.

The box of 8 is less than $3 and everything is delicious! The chocolate layer covers the gooey caramel layer that itself is sandwiched between the chocolate and the buttery biscuit cookie on the bottom. Very delicious! And individually packaged though I could eat the box in one sitting. :D

[choctastic]

I love these so much. With tea.

[Melanie]

Thanks to this thread, my roommate went out and bought a box of the Joe-Joe's and now, we're addicted. I am terrified to go home tonight and know that they are in the house, lurking, begging me to finish the entire box. How could you people do this to us?? ; )

[jessicheese]

The chocolate chip cookies in the bakery section are soft, have a touch of molasses in them, and are to DIE for!!! Too bad they're like 200 calories a cookie!

I bought a box of the mint Jo Jos and was saving them for holiday company. We love mint Oreos and thought we'd keep these on hand. You have me intrigued!!! I'm going to have to bust them open tonight and see what the hype is about....

[llmoser]

Ginger cats. Good for breakfast on the go. Nutritious and $1.99 for a whole plastic tub!

[annimal]

i like the joe-joes, but i just discovered their mini peanut butter cups. I bought the package yesterday and it's gone already. i might even like them better than reeses... esp. because they don't have all the crazy additives that reese's does.

[spigot]

OMG they are KILLING me they are so good. *swoon*

[kelvin8r]

You HAD to comment on the mini's! I'd passed on them many times, since I'm not a tj candy fan.
Those mini-cups are way too good! Thanks for destroying my latest diet-plans!

[melgpats]

I dont think anyone mentioned these yet but has anyone tried the Daelmans Caramel Bites? Not sure if they are even considered a cookie. Wafer filled w/ caramel.

[3D Micki]

OHMYbejeezus these are amaaazing. once we break into these suckers no one can stop. I go to TJ's just to get them. Although i somehow end up picking up four other items along the way. point is, if you want to die happy, try these!

[Studio City Chaz]

The molasses cookies are great -- just the right amount of chewiness. They are my favorite.

[toodie jane]

The ginger shortbreads in the small green box. Just over an inch square, these have bits of crystalized ginger in them. Intense shortbread flavor, with a ginger kick.

[kelvin8r]

These are the ones to get. Luckily the box is small, which helps prevent total gorging. They're dangerously good.

[chica]

I bought the chocolate chip dunkers yesterday. They're too dry, and there aren't enough chocolate chips for me. I'm sticking to the chocolate chunk cookies (chewy kind) in the bags!

On an un-cookie topic, I also bought a box of small, dark chocolate truffles. There are about a dozen of six different versions in them -- creme brulee, vanilla bourbon, mocha are my favorites thus far. I like these better than the other larger creme filled truffles I got last year (which they have again now).

[taylor_blair]

Not cookies, but I just tried the almond toffee bars and they're fabulous.

The cat-shaped and alphabet cookies are just "eh" but the chocolate lindt-like truffles are almost just like the very rich lindt brand truffles...just cheaper.

I have yet to find a good TJ oatmeal raisin cookie, either.

[Eat_Nopal]

The frozen chocolate chip, unbaked cookies are great, the Petite Palmiers are addictive.

[nosh]

Those chocolate/vanilla bean joe-joes are an amazing replication of an Oreo, with softer nicer filling. My only complaint is that the whole box is packaged in a single cello-wrapped tray, rather than three separate stacks of cookies so you could open one at a time and keep the rest fresher.

I used to like TJ's simple butter shortbresds, sold in a small box for just over a buck. Better than Lorna Doones, but I haven't seen those around for awhile.

[kiwijen]

When those Joe-Joes go bad, they're awful too. I bit into an old one from my pantry and I couldn't believe the rancidity. I was tasting that one in my mind for days. I agree that several plastic sections would be better!

[momjamin]

I just bought my first box of chocolate/vanilla bean joe-joes, and am at a loss to know how they can go bad -- they won't stick around my house long enough for that! (I make a "truffle" of pulverized oreos and cream cheese, rolled into balls and dipped into chocolate, so I was wondering if joe-joes would be a suitable substitute. Now I'm going to have to try it with all the flavors.)

[CookingGirl]

Chocolate cats. They maybe aren't the most exciting TJ's cookies, but considering that they are low fat, they are very chocolately and great for snacking on.

[Claudette]

The choc cats aren't chocolatey enough for me, but if you pulverize them in the food processor, they make a great chocolate crust for pies and tarts!

[sudiepav]

I buy the choc and vanilla cookies for my GD, as well as the cinnamon ABC cookies, but I have to admit we have a hard time saving them for her.

[Seldomsated]

I'd go with the florentines - the ones with the dark chocolate and almonds. Excellent!

[Snackish]

Yes, those were what leapt to my mind as well.

[AnneM]

I too love those chocalate chip dunkers. They're great for a "pick- me- up" around 3PM when you're crashing. Yum, a nice hot cup of coffee and a TD dunker...feel better after that!

[wonderwoman]

can't remember the exact name, but it's a plain, but very rich belgian waffle cookie -- comes in a box.

[bijoux16]

I like the big vanilla meringues the best (I've tried cappucino and chocolate chip). the big ones are crunchier and more satisfying than the smaller ones, imo. they're really sweet and can get messy with all the crumbles, but I guess all meringues are like that.

[mkpdx]

My wife and I love the lemon meringue cookies. The unfortunate thing is that they have not been available here in Portland Oregon for about a year. Is anyone else having this problem? Has the product been discontinued? None of our local TJ's folks seem to know the answer.

[Displaced California Foodie]

The TJ's crew should know whether the cookies have been discontinued or not. I'll check out my TJs and report back. I am in PA.

[amandine]

the pfefferneusen or however the heck you spell them are delicious and seasonal. just saw them in this morning.

otherwise i stay outside of a 5 mile radius from cats cookies (vanilla and chocolate), the graham animal cookies, organic ginger snaps, and the tiny chocolate-chip oatmeal cookies, lest i suffer the consequences of having to purchase an entire new wardrobe to match.

on the subject of meringues, the cappucino ones are good... though i prefer miss meringue's mint chocolate chip as my favorite store-bought meringues.

[optimal forager]

Try the Chai Spice cookies, without a doubt. I can't believe no one's mentioned them! And I agree that the Caramel Cashews are fabulous, as well (I can take or leave the Chocolate Chocolate Chunks and Oatmeal Chocolate Chips, though, and I agree that the little Chocolate Chips are dry).

[taylor_blair]

these are great recs! thanks everyone! :)

what about the merengues? chocolate and lemon merengues in big plastic buckets? i know they're usually flavorless but maybe TJs came up with a unique recipe? or am i just holding out for the impossible...

[kiwijen]

Yick. They're the super dry kind of commercial meringues. Nothing like homemade. The experience of eating them brings to mind chalk and they make a horrible squeaking sound when you bit into them.

[marciab]

I was really pleasantly surprised by the meringues. I tried the Vanilla and thought they were fantastic! Next visit I'll get another flavor.

[viperlush]

I've always enjoyed their meringues. My fav are the choc. chip and the lemon. I don't find them flavorless and I like the dry texture. Maybe more so than the texture of homemade.

[Xanthippe]

Another vote cast for the seasonal Candy Cane Joe-Joe's, although I also miss the ginger ones (and the peanut butter chocolate version, too!); the Caramel Cashews are little mouthfuls of goodness, sweet-but-not-cloying.

What I really long for are the Chocolate Ginger Biscuits, which came in a tin and were the perfect balance of gingersnap and dark chocolate. Similar in style to British biscuits/cookies, I lament their demise and am on a quest to duplicate them here at home. No luck thus far, alas . . .

[pitu]

and the Carr's Ginger Lemon sandwich cookies
not a house brand, but they sell them
soooooo good

[liu]

Carr's Ginger Lemon sandwich cookies - oh, yes!

[pitu]

parallel addiction to the Triple Ginger is the Organic Ginger cookies - smaller and crisper instead of chewy.

those JoeJoes are terrible if you really liked Oreos when you were a kid . . . terrible in the sense you keep eating them and it's embarrassing. We don't keep them in the house. And I can't wait to try the peppermint ones.

The pecan shortbread cookies are very buttery, but not as good as I remember Pecan Sandies to be . . .

[grapevine]

I vote for Caramel Cashew cookies.

[notmartha]

Second that one. Doesn't look like much, but nobody I offered it to can resist taking seconds and thirds.

[kittyfood]

There are some new, seasonal Joe-Joe's with peppermint chunks in the filling. I just got some last night, and they are excellent. I do miss the ginger Joe-Joe's, though, which have been discontinued.

[litchick]

yes! they taste like thin mints, but better, and with no trans fats or corn syrup!

[cyberroo]

Ooh, I'm madly in love with these. My family's signature "flavor", if there can be such a thing, is chocolate-mint, so these are like heaven. They're really mint-y, which is unusual to find.

[chica]

Then you might like TJ's seasonal peppermint chocolate bar! It's quite a thick slab.

[Jeda]

Mmmmm another Joe-Joe's with candy cane lover here... they smell wonderful and taste even better!

[Aloo0628]

Ooooh those are SO delicious. Using crushed candy canes to flavor the cream was a stroke of genius! They add a wonderfully crunchy texture, which really stands out when you dunk the cookies in milk. And I feel like the flavor is MUCH better than it would have been had they simply added peppermint extract to the cream. Go Joe's!

[chica]

Chocolate chunk cookies (comes in a bag in the bread section).

Soft fruit biscotti (same area).

Vanilla bean creme/chocolate Joe-Joe's.

[luxarles]

Swiss Almond Crunch Cookies--really yummy. When I include them on a cookie tray, they're always the first to go, and usually someone asks me for the recipe. Embarrassing.

[kiwijen]

I really like the chocolate chip dunkers, with and without the chocolate coated side. They've got coconut in them which makes them crunchy and fairly addictive. Since they're big (long really), I try to break off a piece and just eat that, but I always go back and finish it off!