Trader Joe’s Just Announced the Most-Loved Products of the Year, According to Millions of Customers
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The Oscars are still weeks away, but (grocery) awards season has already begun! The winners of the 17th Annual Trader Joe’s Customer Choice Awards are in, and they were announced by Trader Joe’s employees Matt Sloan, customer relations communications director, and Tara Miller, vice president of marketing, on the latest episode of the Inside Trader Joe’s podcast.
For TJ’s shoppers who may be unfamiliar with these awards, they are designed to highlight shoppers’ favorite products from the previous year across 11 different categories. These categories include favorite breakfast and brunch item, favorite beverage, favorite cheese, and more, yielding a mix of tried-and-true classics and new must-have items. Additionally, the favorite new products category specifically highlights items that debuted at Trader Joe’s stores across the country in 2025.
As a reminder, the five Trader Joe’s Product Hall of Fame inductees are no longer eligible to win a Customer Choice Award since they have already won at least five times in past years. This means the iconic Mandarin Orange Chicken, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, Peanut Butter-Filled Pretzel Nuggets, Unexpected Cheddar, Soy Chorizo, and Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips are no longer eligible to compete, though they remain beloved by shoppers across the country. There are also two new inductees into the Trader Joe’s Product Hall of Fame this year—Teeny Tiny Avocados and Spiced Cider—that are no longer eligible to win as well.
According to Sloan, the Trader Joe’s Customer Choice Awards represent an opportunity for TJ’s employees to hear directly from dedicated customers. So, get your grocery list ready and scroll on for the 2025 winners—you may find your new favorite TJ’s buy!
Favorite New Trader Joe’s Item: Protein Pancakes
Trader Joe’s
Everyone is obsessed with protein these days, so it should come as no surprise that TJ’s Protein Pancakes swept this category, beating out other beloved new items such as the Ketchup Flavored Lattice Potato Chips and the Sour Strawberry Candy Belts, which took second place. “This is made with a recipe that includes cottage cheese, egg whites, eggs, and oat flour,” Sloan said of the protein-packed winner. The Protein Pancakes also happen to be gluten-free, and can be enjoyed straight from the package, providing 20 grams of the muscle-building nutrient per serving.
Favorite Trader Joe’s Breakfast and Brunch Item: Hashbrowns
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While you can certainly enjoy TJ’s Protein Pancakes for breakfast or brunch, shoppers went in a slightly different direction when selecting the winner for this category—Hashbrowns. This beloved freezer aisle find has won this category more than once, but is not yet eligible for a Hall of Fame spot. “They are so good. They are delicious. They’re easy to make. They sit in your freezer until you’re ready to make them, and you’re good to go,” Miller gushed of the Hashbrowns. As Miller noted, other top vote getters in this category included the Chocolate Croissants and the Dutch Griddle Cakes.
Favorite Trader Joe’s Lunch and Dinner Item: Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice
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For the latter portion of the day, shoppers chose a meal that simply needs to be heated up in order to be enjoyed: Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice. This Indian cuisine-inspired dish has now won three years in a row, meaning customers must really love it. It’s also that much closer to being inducted into the Hall of Fame. “That’s a really reliable, excellent, easy entree,” Miller declared. “Love it.” Other items that came close to nabbing top honors in this category were the Chicken Tikka Masala and, one of my personal favorites, the Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings.
Favorite Trader Joe’s Beverage: Apple Cider
Trader Joe’s
The tabulation for this category was a bit tricky since Trader Joe’s sells multiple ciders and juices with very similar names. Still, the winning beverage group was clearly the apple ciders, which Miller noted includes the 100% Honeycrisp Apple Cider, Sparkling Apple Cider, and the Spiced Cider, which has now secured a spot in the Hall of Fame. For the record, apple juices came in second place in the beverage category, followed by the Brewed Ginger Beer.
Favorite Trader Joe’s Produce: Teeny Tiny Avocados
Trader Joe’s
Since the Teeny Tiny Avocados have now won this category for the fifth time, they are one of the latest members inducted into the Trader Joe’s Product Hall of Fame, and won’t be eligible to win any more Customer Choice Awards. Other contenders in this category, which may take the top spot next year, include blueberries, Honeycrisp apples, and Persian cucumbers.
Favorite Trader Joe’s Snack: Garlic Butter Irish Potato Chips
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With the Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips out of the running for the first time this year, the Garlic Butter Irish Potato Chips were able to swoop in and nab the number-one spot. Other key contenders in this difficult-to-win category included the World’s Puffiest White Cheddar Corn Puffs and the Organic Elote Corn Chip Dippers.
Favorite Trader Joe’s Appetizer: Creamy Spinach & Artichoke Dip
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For (at least) the second year in a row, the Creamy Spinach & Artichoke Dip outperformed a bevy of other delicious options in the appetizer category in order to take first place. Some of the other “amazing” offerings that fell short included the Vegetable Bird’s Nests and the Parmesan Pastry Pups.
Favorite Trader Joe’s Cheese: Goat Cheese
Trader Joe’s
The competition was stiff in this category (Sloan’s favorite), but top honors went to the variety of goat cheese options Trader Joe’s sells for the second year in a row. As Miller pointed out, this was another instance in which customers didn’t specify the exact variety of goat cheese they love. “They didn’t specify,” she explained. The Chevre Goat Cheese is always a favorite, for example, but so are some of TJ’s seasonal offerings like the Blueberry Vanilla Chevre.
Favorite Trader Joe’s Bath, Body, and Home Item: Brazil Nut Body Butter
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Believe it or not, the Brazil Nut Body Butter won this category for the second year running despite not currently being in stores. Still, the TJ’s pros weren’t exactly shocked. “It’s really not a surprise. It’s a perennial favorite,” Miller said of the lauded skincare find. “Every year we’ve increased how much of it we have in the store, and customers really love it.” Expect to find this product back in stores in late spring or early summer.
Favorite Trader Joe’s Sweet Treat: Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches
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If you’ve ever stepped foot inside a Trader Joe’s, you know there are dozens and dozens of truly tasty sweet treats to choose from. Still, there’s only one favorite sweet treat, and for the third year in a row, that treat is none other than the Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches. “[They’re] delicious all the time, every single time,” Miller declared.
Favorite Overall Trader Joe’s Item: Steamed Pork & Ginger Soup Dumplings
Trader Joe’s
And finally, the Favorite Overall item is yet another freezer aisle staple—the Steamed Pork & Ginger Soup Dumplings. While this dish nabbed the number two spot in the lunch and dinner category, it easily took first place here, beating out the likes of the seasonal Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese and sourdough bread. “They’re fantastic,” Miller shared. Sloan agreed, adding: “The broth inside is rich [and] consistently flavorful. I mean, it’s really not a surprise that these are customers’ favorite.”
