Love is in the air at Trader Joe's. Your grocery store boo always has tons of creative appetizers, drool-worthy mains, trendy snacks and seasonal desserts on his shelves, but he really went all out this month, if you ask me.
Below are 14 of my favorite Trader Joe's items to shop this February, ranging from sugar cookie dough hearts (because Valentine's Day cookies are a must for kids and grown-ups alike) to a three-sided spin on classic spaghetti.
Need a last-minute Super Bowl snack? These malty, authentic pretzels are just the ticket, whether you're planning to dip them in mustard or stuff them with hot dogs. It comes with a packet of coarse salt for finishing to boot.
Your daily breakfast sandwich deserves a savory refresh. Leave it to a layer of crunchy, salty Asiago cheese to make your go-to morning meal exciting again. Be warned: You'll be totally entranced by the cheese's aroma once the bagel starts toasting.
As you might have assumed from the name, these long noodles have triangular openings instead of round ones. They also boast a rough exterior, which helps sauce stick to the spaghetti instead of slide off. They'd pair beautifully with those meatballs I mentioned earlier.
Double-cream cheeses are at least 60 percent butterfat, hence their incredibly rich, creamy texture. This mini wheel of Brie is no exception, and it's begging to be slathered on your favorite crackers and topped with honey, nuts and herbs. (Alternatively, you could wrap it in puff pastry and let your oven work its magic.)
Trader Joe's bon bons—crisp vanilla cookies crowned with fluffy dark chocolate mousse, enrobed in dark chocolate and finished with roasted cocoa nibs—hail from a Belgian chocolatier. They're the definition of decadence, if you ask me (and they're a shoo-in for Valentine's Day).
If your favorite part of chicken potpie is the crust, these empanada-inspired pockets are right up your alley. They're creamy enough to satisfy, but not so soupy that you can't eat them on the go. Might I suggest warming them up in the air fryer for remarkably crispy results?
Personally, I'd eat the whole bag with my S.O. on the 14th, Lady and the Tramp-style. The rich chocolate pieces are studded with bits of sweet-tart, freeze-dried raspberries and puffed quinoa for extra texture. You might as well buy two (or three); the first batch won't last long.
How adorable are these ready-to-bake cookie rounds? The pink hearts get their color from vegetable juice (no freaky dyes here!), and all you need to do is preheat the oven, pop the cookies on a sheet pan and let them bake to tender perfection. Finish them with festive V-Day sprinkles to up the holiday ante.
Nutella hive, this one's for you. This TJ's riff on bola de Berlim is fried and split by hand, then stuffed with a luxuriously smooth chocolate-hazelnut spread. As if that wasn't drool-worthy enough, they're finished with sugar for good measure. Wash 'em down with coffee, tea or hot chocolate.
Roasted almonds and cashews mingle with teeny-tiny peanut butter cups, dark chocolate-covered almonds dusted with cocoa, mini pretzels and TJ's signature Tiniest Chocolate Chip Cookies for a sweet-and-salty snack you'll never forget. I'd dump the whole bag into a bowl of warm popcorn for a romantic movie night.
No wheat, no problem. These cookies lean soft and chewy, thanks to their base of tapioca and rice flours, and have a delightfully buttery, brown sugar-y flavor. Even better, the cookies contain soft raisins and coconut flakes for textural diversity. Turn them into ice cream sandwiches or whoopie pies, if you're feeling ambitious.
The key to these nostalgic cake bites is starting with an extra-rich batter for a moist crumb that won't dry out. Once they're baked, they're glazed with white confectionary coating and finished with colorful sprinkles (because duh).
