5 Products We're Surprised Trader Joe's Hasn't Copied Yet

Trader Joe's might be famous for its cultish following and excellent prices on a number of products, but the grocery chain is also known for its affordable copycat items. Apart from competitively priced produce, pantry staples, and seasonal items, shoppers can usually find the latest food and drink trends on its shelves, too. Though TJ's has some of the most popular trends covered — like Swedish candy, spicy chicken nuggets (if a little disappointing), and marinated meats, there are a few holes in its product lineup. 

Whether you are a foodie who follows all of the most popular food and drink trends to sweep TikTok and Instagram or you simply love any of Trader Joe's takes on different items, there are plenty of copycat products you might be surprised you haven't seen at the chain just yet. From popular sauces and snacks to health drinks and vegan alternatives, let's take a closer look at some of the items we hope to see Trader Joe's take on in the not-so-distant future.

Electrolytes have come a long way since Pedialyte, and they're everywhere. Brands like Liquid I.V., WaterBoy, LMNT, and DripDrop have saturated social media with ads and influencer campaigns. Although Trader Joe's frequently releases products aligned with drink trends, this hasn't been one of them. For the time being, you'll need to stick to your favorite brand-name options (Liquid I.V., DripDrop, LMNT, and WaterBoy are all available on Amazon). But that doesn't mean there aren't excellent drink options at TJ's.

Apart from the wide selection of juices, waters, teas, and carbonated drinks you can find there, Trader Joe's continues to embrace the growing mocktail trend. In addition to offering plenty of mixers, you can find non-alcoholic wine-like products there, too. For example, the store offers a Chardonnay-style grape juice as well as a tea-based rosé. But as for electrolyte-based drinks, you'll have to stick to TJ's bottles of alkaline water with electrolytes for the time being. For a little inspiration before your next haul, browse Tasting Table's ranking of 16 non-alcoholic Trader Joe's drinks you should have in your fridge.

While TikTok trends caused a massive influx in people dressing and eating cucumber slices with tons of different flavor combinations, there's a new trend that's taking over: pickles. All kinds of different pickle flavors — even "glickles" or pickles submerged in edible glitter — are trending, but there's one specific flavor that's a rising star, and that's chamoy. Chamoy pickles are becoming increasingly popular thanks to their sweet, sour, and spicy kick. In fact, candy-wrapped chamoy pickles even turned up on our list of the 12 worst food trends of 2024. If you're not familiar with what chamoy is or how it is used, it's a Mexican condiment made from fruit, chilis, lime juice, and salt. 

It's commonly added to a wide variety of foods ranging from nachos to fruit. Trader Joe's sells many different types of pickles from dill spears and bread and butter chips to sandwich pickles and cornichons. But if you want to get your hands on the sweet and savory flavor of chamoy pickles, you'll need to buy them elsewhere. For example, Alamo Candy sells individually-wrapped chamoy pickle pouches on Amazon. It's also possible to simply make them yourself at home by adding chamoy to your favorite style and kind of pickles. But for now, don't count on Trader Joe's.

Another viral sensation to storm social media was the rare Dubai chocolate bar. While you might recognize its bright green filling, you certainly haven't seen it at Trader Joe's. If you missed the trend, it's a chocolate bar that's been stuffed with a mixture of chopped pistachio, tahini, and khanafeh, traditionally made with shredded phyllo dough and orange blossom simple syrup. There was some drama surrounding the chocolate when many people began selling copycat versions of the original Dubai-based chocolate bar that were less tasty. 

Some scammers even jumped in on the rush, setting up websites that only accepted gift cards or direct transfers. While Trader Joe's sells dark chocolate roasted pistachio toffee and plenty of other delicious chocolate treats (we've ranked 18 of them), the chain's take on the Dubai bar still hasn't hit the shelves. Instead, you can use Tasting Table's decadent Dubai chocolate bar recipe to make it at home if you really want to try the viral confection.

With the rise of plant-based foods, Trader Joe's has increased the number of vegan products offered. Though there are more vegan prepared foods and even ingredients like cheese and plant-based meats like chickenless tenders and soy chorizo, one that would be very helpful for bakers who shop there are meringues. The current vanilla meringues (or peppermint ones during the holidays) that are sold there contain egg whites, one of the main ingredients for the crisp, lighter-than-air cookies. 

Unlike other vegan baked goods, egg substitute products won't work for this sweet treat. Instead, a common alternative that home bakers use for vegan meringues is aquafaba, or the liquid remaining after cooking or draining a can of chickpeas. As it turns out, you can whip up the aquafaba just like you would egg whites. When combined with sugar, vanilla, and cream of tartar (the ingredient you need for a stable aquafaba meringue), you can easily make vegan meringues — until Trader Joe's sells premade ones, with any luck. 

Chick-fil-A's signature sauces are popular enough that the fast food chain sells them in 8-ounce containers at its locations and a number of retailers like Kroger and Walmart. You can also buy bottles of the sauce on Amazon. While some of the sauce flavors are standards like Honey Mustard, Garden Herb Ranch, and Barbecue, the two that really stand out are Polynesian and Chick-fil-A's namesake sauce. If you read the labels to find out what's really in Chick-fil-A Sauce and Polynesian, it's clear that there aren't any surprising ingredients. Chick-fil-A Sauce uses a combination of barbecue sauce, ranch dressing, and mustard for its special tangy, smoky flavor. 

Meanwhile, Polynesian is a sweet and sour sauce with vinegar and spices for extra tang. There are not, however, any similar sauces sitting at Trader Joe's. While you can make your own copycat sauce at home, Walmart sells a sauce that's surprisingly similar to Chick-fil-A Sauce that's worth trying. Even though Trader Joe's has a few glaring holes in its lineup of copycat products, it's still one of the best (and fastest) grocery chains to roll out trending products. Check out Tasting Table's ranking of the absolute best Trader Joe's snacks before your next trip, too.