Pretty much every college student I know, including myself, is obsessed with Trader Joe’s. They always have the best snacks, and most of their prices are within budget. So, whenever I see that Trader Joe’s has released new items, it’s pretty much my Super Bowl.
Over the past few weeks, Trader Joe’s has been rolling out their spring 2026 releases. Conveniently, it is also time for spring break, so my friends and I needed to stock up on snacks for our road trip. So, when it was time to go grocery shopping, I knew we had to go to Trader Joe’s to try some of the new items. We tried everything, so when it came time to pack up for our trip, not all of the snacks made the cut. Here’s everything we loved, and everything we didn’t.
Raspberry Oat Bites
All school year, my friends and I have been living off granola bars for breakfast. As a result, I was excited to see Raspberry Oat Bites on a new-releases shelf, so I could find an alternative grab-and-go breakfast. I loved these, and I know my friends and I will be eating plenty of them both on spring break, and well after. Trader Joe’s also just released a peanut butter and jelly flavor, which will definitely be my next purchase.
I can’t really attest to the bites’ nutritional value, but I at least felt healthy while I was eating them. They have jam and oats, so that’s already two food groups, right? These are a great morning snack, and such an easy way to start your day!
THE VERDICT: BUY
Thai Style Yellow Curry Potato Chips
With each chip I ate, my opinion of these changed. And honestly, I still can’t come to a consensus on whether or not I liked them. I like the yellow curry flavor, but I’m not sure if it belongs on a chip. To be fair, I’m also saying this as someone who doesn’t like flavored potato chips in general. They were an interesting mix of sweet, salty and tangy, so the overall flavor profile was a bit overwhelming.
All of this being said, if you like yellow curry (or yellow curry-flavored things), these are worth giving a try. However, I won’t be purchasing these for myself again.
THE VERDICT: BYE
Danish Oat Sandwich Cookies
I gave up sweet treats for Lent, but I broke my fast for the sake of good journalism (also because these looked amazing). It was absolutely worth it, and now I’m sad that I didn’t let myself eat more than one.
I would definitely consider myself a Trader Joe’s connoisseur, especially when it comes to their different cookies and dessert products. So, when I say the oat sandwich cookies were that good, I mean it. These were kind of like a deconstructed oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. Two thin and crunchy oatmeal cookies with a layer of rich dark chocolate in between. My friends and I are obsessed.
If you’re like me and you love Tate’s Bakeshop cookies, you absolutely need to give these a try. I’m already waiting for Easter so that I can can buy (and, of course, eat) these again
THE VERDICT: BUY
Dark Chocolate Covered Corn Kernels
I had no clue what to expect when purchasing these. I didn’t know eating corn kernels was even a thing, nevermind corn kernels covered in chocolate. The flavor profile that was going on was interesting. These were sweet and salty, which is usually great, but something about this was just off.
After eating these, I can confidently say I would rather eat chocolate-covered anything else. Almonds, walnuts, pecans, or whatever else can be coated in chocolate would be better than corn kernels. Not only do these not taste great, but they also have no nutritional value. So, in my eyes, there’s no point in eating them. The chocolate-covered corn kernels are still sitting in my dorm room, and they did not make the cut for the spring break road trip.
THE VERDICT: BYE
Spicy Cheese Crunchies
This is the item I was most excited to try, and my expectations were very high. I love Trader Joe’s classic cheese crunchies and their chilli lime tortilla chips– so I figured these would be the perfect crossover between the two. And I have to say, they did not disappoint. These are basically hot Cheetos, but better. Plus– they don’t dye your fingers bright red. The spicy cheese crunchies are my friend group’s new obsession, and most of the bag was gone before we even got to leave for spring break. I can confidently say I will be purchasing these again as soon as I’m back in Gainesville.
THE VERDICT: BUY
For the most part, I’d say that Trader Joe’s new releases were a success. As always, there were some misses, but I can see many of these snacks fueling my road trips for years to come! If you’re planning a Trader Joe’s run anytime soon, consider this your guide on what’s actually worth trying.