The best Trader Joe’s snacks can be a little bit elusive. See, there are a lot of snacks in TJ’s snack aisle, and they’re constantly coming out with new stuff. To find the good stuff, you inevitably have to bring home some duds that you’ll eventually try to pawn off on roommates or coworkers. Well, buy bad snacks from Trader Joe’s no more. We’ve rounded up ten absolute bangers we’ve tried in our taste tests, from an Indian-spiced Trader Joe’s snack mix to plain potato chips that are way better than what you’ll find at other grocery stores. Take it from us, the snack experts, these are the best snacks at Trader Joe’s.

Trader Joe’s Snacks!

If you’re talking about bars or motels, seedy is bad. But seedy cheese snacks? Brilliant. These baked cheese crisps are like Whisps, but better. In addition to flavorful, nutty parmesan cheese, these are packed with three kinds of seeds—pumpkin, sunflower, and black sesame—plus, puffed quinoa for even more crunch. The best part? The spicy whole peppercorns you’ll find nestled in their nooks. You should absolutely buy these to eat as a snack, but they’re also a great addition to soups and salads in lieu of croutons. 

Read the full review of TJ’s Super Seedy Snack Bites

Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Trader Joe’s Snacks!

Yes, TJ’s Super Seedy Cheese Snack Bites are crunchy, but these mochi nuggets put them to shame. They’re like Asian rice crackers on steroids—real cranium rattlers. Plus, they’re actually spicy! When a snack promises heat, we love when it actually follows through. This is one of the best Trader Joe’s snacks, unless you live in a household with people who suffer from misophonia. 

Read the full list of Trader Joe’s snacks that are actually spicy

Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Trader Joe’s Snacks

This one’s for the Takis stans. These rolled tortilla chips clearly take inspiration from Takis Fuego, but lots of people like them even better than their source material. They’re spicy, tangy, and super crunchy. We recommend cutting the spice by dunking these in cream cheese when snack time rolls around. You’re welcome. 

Read the full list of Trader Joe’s snacks that are actually spicy

Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Trader Joe’s Snacks!

This Trader Joe’s snack mix is one of the best Indian items at TJ’s and one the best snack mixes, full stop. It’s super savory, spicy but not too spicy—it truly tastes like something you’d find in a finger bowl at an Indian restaurant. You won’t get bored eating it either. As Sporked editor-in-chief Justine Sterling wrote in her roundup of TJ’s Indian food, “There are so many fun shapes in this snack mix: long jaggedy crunchies that are ultra savory, little crispy shreds, tiny balls, and peanuts.” Go ahead and buy two bags of this Trader Joe’s snack.

Read the full ranking of the best Trader Joe’s Indian food

Credit: Liv Averett

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Trader Joe’s Snacks!

A good corn chip is worth its weight in gold—or at least its weight in dip. These scoop-shaped corn chips are designed for heavy-duty dipping. As Justine wrote, “Trader Joe’s corn chips are thick. Like…real thick.” Use these like edible spoons the next time you crack open a can of chili. They can handle the chunky stuff, no problem.

Read the full ranking of the best corn chips

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Trader Joe’s Snacks!

Who would’ve guessed that one of the best snacks at Trader Joe’s would be plain ol’ potato chips? Really, there’s nothing plain or ol’ about these tasty, salty, oily chips, which earned raves during our plain potato chip taste test. “This is everything a plain potato chip should be: light, crispy, and crunchy,” wrote Sporked contributor Danny Palumbo. “The potato taste is fresh and not at all processed, and they have a lovely salty and greasy quality that every potato chip should have.” One taste tester thought they tasted like bowling alley french fries, and if that description tickles your brain, you’re going to love these.

Read the full ranking of the best potato chips

Credit: Liv Averett

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Trader Joe’s Snacks!

Trader Joe’s kettle chips have it all: They’re plenty salty, greasy, and crunchy, but they also have 50 percent less fat and sodium than TJ’s Ode to the Classic chips. We promise you won’t miss the extra fat or salt. These are perfect, especially for dipping in French onion dip. (And if you’re getting onion dip at TJ’s, get the vegan one! It’s delicious!)

Read the full ranking of the best low sodium chips

Credit: Liv Averett

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Trader Joe’s Snacks!

Once in a while, Trader Joe’s takes a big swing and it really pays off. Take these Mee Krob snacks. They’re essentially little cubes of uncooked noodles, but they’re so different, so flavorful, and so delicious. Senior writer Jordan Myrick said, “This might be the most flavorful Trader Joe’s product based on an international food I’ve ever had.” You get notes of lemongrass, tomato, chili, basil, and lime, plus enormous crunch that makes them a blast to eat. TJ’s better keep these around, because they’re one of the best snacks at Trader Joe’s, hands down.

Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Trader Joe’s Snacks!

If you’ve ever eaten Pirate’s Booty but wished it tasted like a hearty pasta dinner, this is the best Trader Joe’s snack for you. Seriously, they managed to take everything that’s delicious about cacio e pepe and squish it into these little snack puffs. They’re cheesy and peppery and they almost taste a little like pasta water, too. It’s brilliant food science. And just like cacio e pepe, we’d probably eat a whole bag of these for dinner and be perfectly content.

Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Trader Joe’s Snacks!

Trader Joe’s didn’t invent everything seasoning, but they’ve sure put it to good use over the years. Take this Everything but the Bagel Nut Duo. They took almonds and cashews and absolutely blasted them with everything seasoning. You get garlic, onion, sea salt, and poppy and sesame seeds, but none of those flavors overpower the nuts themselves. This is one of the best Trader Joe’s snacks when you want something highly savory but protein packed, too.

Read the full ranking of the best mixed nuts

Credit: Liv Averett

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

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