Many Trader Joe's products have a cult-like following. After all, its Mandarin Orange Chicken has been a bestseller for years and Everything Bagel Seasoning really does go well with pretty much everything.
When you've got a hankering for a sweet snack, the popular grocery chain has some pretty tasty solutions in store.
Here are TODAY Food's favorite candy finds for gummy fans and chocolate lovers alike.
What's New
1. Mini Gummy Bears on a Chocolate Pool Day
Trader Joe's released this mixed chocolate bar over the summer and it's pretty adorable. This chocolate bar within a chocolate bar (there's 58% cacao dark chocolate inside and white chocolate on the outside) also features mini gummy bears going for a dip. Each bar retails for $1.99.
2. Dark Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter Cups
For those who crave the store's popular Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups but have a peanut allergy, the company introduced a solution earlier this year: Dark Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter Cups.
The cups are filled with creamy sunflower seed butter, which has some added salt and sugar to remove any bitterness. It's a great sweet and salty combination without peanuts, tree nuts, gluten, dairy and soy. Two Dark Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter Cups are 99 cents.
3. Milk & Dark Chocolate Butterscotch Bits Bar
Can't decide between milk or dark chocolate? Trader Joe's believes it has mastered a compromise candy that mixes both types of chocolate with crunchy bits of butterscotch in its Milk & Dark Chocolate Butterscotch Bits Bar. Grab one for an upcoming car trip and share a break with everyone in the car. Each 3-ounce bar costs $1.79.
4. Milk Chocolate Caramel Crunch Medallions
Trader Joe's Milk Chocolate Caramel Crunch Medallions are both crunchy and creamy. Each box contains 18 medallion wafers that are filled with caramel and covered with Belgian milk chocolate. Buy a box for $2.99 and just try not to eat them all in one sitting.
5. Candy Coated Chocolate Peanuts
Fans of peanut M&M's will love Trader Joe's take on the popular candy-coated, bite-sized chocolate. The snack features roasted, salted peanuts covered in milk chocolate with a sweet candy shell colored in red, green, yellow and orange. The colors are made using vegetables and herbs instead of synthetic dyes. A 2.5-ounce bag retails for 99 cents.
Classic candies from Trader Joe's
6. Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans
Coffee lovers looking for a chocolate fix will enjoy these gems made with 100% Arabica coffee beans that have been roasted and then covered in hundreds (yes, hundreds!) of layers of chocolate using a technique called "panning."
Panning uses copper bowls (which serve as rock tumblers to hold the beans) as they are sprayed with a fine mist of chocolate. The finished look is a shiny espresso bean that's delightfully crunchy with a serious coffee kick. Each 14-ounce tub is $4.79.
7. Milk & Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Popcorn
Love the crunch of popcorn but not the slimy mess from too much butter? Give this unique take on popcorn a go. Each fluffy kernel is coated in creamy caramel, then milk or dark chocolate. Each 6-ounce bag of Milk & Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Popcorn retails for $2.99.
8. Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
An all-time favorite of many Trader Joe's fans, these Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups present a richer take on the classic peanut butter cup from Reese's. This perennial winner in Trader Joe's Customer Choice Awards packs a salty and sweet nutty interior into a flavorful, dark chocolate shell. Each pack costs $4.29.
9. Black Licorice Treads
Trader Joe's uses licorice root extract to flavor these candies (many brands use anise oil), which provides a richer, more intense flavor. If you don't like licorice, these treads won't be your thing but an 8-ounce pack retails for $2.49.
10. Trader Joe's Berry Flavored Soft Licorice Twists
Don't want something quite as strong as black licorice? Try Trader Joe's Soft Licorice Twists in the berry flavor. Each twist is dyed with black carrot juice and blue corn extracts (instead of artificial coloring) and the texture is delightfully chewy without being sticky. One pack retails for $2.99.
11. Dark Chocolate Lover's Bar
Ready to say bye-bye to milk chocolate forever? Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Lover's Bar is a smooth, incredibly rich dark chocolate bar with a fruity profile and subtle sweetness. It's made with 85% cacao for a slightly bitter bite. The bar comes in a handy box that makes it easy to munch on a small piece and savor the rest for later. Each 3.5-ounce bar is $1.79.
12. Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups
Another alternative to the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup is Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups. These bite-sized cups, available in an 8-ounce tub for $3.99, are filled with salted almond butter and covered in dark chocolate shells.
13. Mini Milk Chocolate Pretzels
These salted mini pretzels are each dipped in a thick coating of milk chocolate wth 35% cocoa solids. Available in a resealable, 12-ounce bag priced at $3.49, this popular item is kosher and makes a great topping when crumbled over ice cream or frozen yogurt.
14. Birthday Cake Popcorn
Birthday cake has been a popular flavoring for cookies and ice cream. Now, it's getting the popcorn treatment. These kernels are coated in a vanilla glaze, then tossed with confetti sprinkles for colorful twist on snacking. Each 5-ounce bag retails for $1.99.
15. Scandinavian Swimmers
Trader Joe's version of Swedish Fish comes in two varieties: plain and sour. These cute little guys often make the second or third place on Trader Joe's annual Customer Choice Awards. The fruity candies come in four different shapes: dolphins, lobsters, sea horses and rock fishes. The flavors range from traditional (strawberry and orange) to tropical (mango).
The swimmers contain no artificial dyes and are colored with ingredients like fruit and vegetable juices, spirulina and annatto seed. Each 14-ounce bag is resealable and retails for $2.99.
Lyn Mettler is an Indianapolis-based travel and lifestyle writer, who shows others how to travel free or for less on herGotoTravelGal.comblog.
