13 Trader Joe's Sweet Treats To Give Your Valentine This Year

Valentine's Day is approaching rapidly, and you may be carefully planning your date night escapades. Never fear, Trader Joe's is here. The retailer has stores in 43 states, making it a convenient place to get your hands on interesting snacks and goodies. I headed to the store to see what type of sweet treats would make a good gift to give a Valentine. As it turns out, the retailer has a huge array of confections to pick, and every item on this list is under $9. 

I went with a range of options, several of which were candies (it's Valentine's Day, after all), but I wanted to include other sweets like fruit, drinks, and nuts. Everything is convenient and shelf-stable to give, save for the chocolate croissants, which require a freezer, as well as prep time and baking. I'll share what makes them a good present, what to pair with it, and why it's so tasty. Peruse this list, compile your must-haves, and then head over to your local Trader Joe's to assemble these scrumptious, adorable gifts. 

Sprinkle cake bites are a jolly and charming present for your sweetheart thanks to the red, pink, green, and yellow fruit and vegetable-derived sprinkles. These new treats are made in Denmark and are marvelously sweet. They have a rich cakiness with an inside that is soft, moist, and slightly doughy, while the sprinkles have a satisfying crunch to offer a balance of texture. It's almost like a confetti cake in ball form. The sprinkles bring a lot to the treat, even though they look unremarkable. The only qualm is that the bites kind of roll around in the packaging, but it's not a big deal. 

As I was checking out, the cashier said they had this new item in the back for them to try, and the crew members were loving them. They also said it was a decent Starbucks cake pop dupe, but that's up to you to determine. The whimsical packaging has a striking pink and subtle sprinkle appearance. These cake bites are really tasty, especially if your date is fond of cake pops — you could even pop them on a stick and arrange them into a cake pop bouquet wrapped with cellophane and a card. Give these to your sweetheart as is, or plate them on a heart-shaped plate for added festiveness.

Give your darling a kiss; a Kishu Kisses mandarin, that is. The packaging says that they are easy to peel, and this is true. The best way to describe it is that the skin was nearly separated from the fruit — it only took a few seconds to remove entirely. Sometimes, I struggle to get the rind off of other oranges, but I loved how easy these were. And, my goodness, these are tasty and juicy. This is a fantastic option if you want to offer something unexpected and not the average sweet. The packaging is also cute, depicting the mandarins as little wrapped candies on a tree. 

These wee fruits make a good snack to set out on a date night picnic to bring vibrancy and freshness. You could also elevate them further by crafting a dessert — such as a triple citrus trifle — that's creamy and fresh with a bergamot whipped cream that's sure to impress for Valentine's Day. My toddler loved these, so it's a solid choice if your Valentine is your little one. This was one of my top three items from this list, and they're limited-time items, so go, go, go.

Going along with the Valentine's Day theme, the French Market sparkling pink lemonade is an ideal sweet quencher to gift your loved one. This drink hails from France, and it has an ever-so-pink hue; it has all the makings for a romantic present without being too obvious. It's sweet, slightly tart, and effervescent. It's an elevated pink lemonade for when you want to give your honey pie a captivating beverage. 

I like that the color isn't super bright and artificial, seeing as it comes from natural fruit and vegetable juice. The carbonation brings something light and exciting into the mix compared to your standard pink lemonade. Get this as a gift for your Valentine to take home, which is ideal if they want a nonalcoholic beverage. It also has a similar vibe as a rosé but without the alcohol, so you could use it as your date night drink. If you can't finish it, close it tightly and place it in the fridge. It was still nice and bubbly when I tried it the next day. Try jazzing it up with mint, which offers a fresh aroma, taste, and look, or make an ultra pink lemonade with a splash of beet juice.

These chocolate croissants are so flaky and good. In France, they are called pain au chocolate, but TJ's simply refers to them by the English name; they are effectively the same pastry. Although the croissants require some forethought of thawing overnight or at least for eight hours, you'll be pleased with the results. Thaw and bake them to give your Valentine in the morning for a cozy breakfast in bed. These have a delightfully crunchy, buttery exterior stuffed with semisweet Belgian chocolate in the middle. These are beautiful to look at and have a decadent taste without being overly sweet. The chocolate softens and gets slightly melty but doesn't drip while the buttery, brittle croissant falls apart in your mouth.

I've tried the double chocolate croissants but I think these have a better texture and a more buttery, straightforward taste. The double chocolate element took away from the classic butteriness that makes croissants so tasty. As a bonus, this gift makes the house smell like a bakery, and that can be equally as enticing as its taste. Serve the chocolate croissants with a side of fruit and wash it down with a cup of coffee, tea, or orange juice. It's the ultimate way to start your Valentine's Day.

Snickers, who? The new Trader Joe's Teensy candy bars are definitely a candy bar rival, with chopped peanuts, caramel, and nougat all coated in milk chocolate. As the name states, these are quite small, so it's a tasty little chocolate when you don't want to open up a big candy bar. Picture the square Snickers minis, but these are rectangular and thinner. The confections are a great, cutesy gift to give to a Valentine who enjoys candy bars and chocolates. 

I enjoyed the textures with the chewiness of the caramel and nougat and the slight crunch of peanuts. The sweetness feels balanced, and one flavor doesn't overpower another; everything works together to create a delightful dessert. I particularly liked how bite-sized they were because a lot of mini candy bars are bigger. Because they're little, they're not overwhelmingly sweet. These come in the bag but don't have individual wrapping, which means you can snack on a couple without extra trash. Chop two or three to put on ice cream or a banana split, or try freezing them for a unique treat that you can share. 

The Chocolate & Peanut Butter Lover's nut mix is a fun blend of some Trader Joe's snacks, like the Tiniest chocolate chip cookies and mini milk chocolate peanut butter cups. It also has cocoa-dusted dark chocolate almonds, cashews, mini pretzel sticks, and regular almonds. It's a trail mix for candy lovers. The snack is the ideal mixed bag treat to give your loved one because it's a tasty mixture of crunchy, soft, salty, and sweet. 

This new item has all the flavors and textures in one convenience package without having to mix and match your own creation. Bring this out as a Valentine's Day movie date snack and pour it into a nice bowl for added ambiance. But you just as easily gift it to your partner so they can eat it at their leisure. I love the pink packaging with the giant heart in the middle. My favorite elements were the little cookies, cocoa almonds, and the tiny peanut butter cups. It looks and tastes festive for Valentine's Day without being too cliche. Its ingredients are different than other trail mix options on the market thanks to some of the TJ's-specific mix-ins.

The wine-infused sea salt grinder is a limited-time option made with sea salt, rosé wine, dried rosemary, and pink peppercorns. This is a striking and delicious way to enhance meals or date nights. If your Valentine likes to cook, then this makes a joyful gift for the kitchen or gift basket with its reddish-pink hue. The color and ingredients turn it into something exciting, so it's not your standard salt. I love the shiny reddish label and the grinder which allows for easy application. 

I added the wine-infused seasoning salt to roasted potatoes, which you can make for breakfast, lunch, or dinner on Valentine's Day. You could also use it to complete the perfect steak for your date night. But you could use this anywhere you want to taste those salty, rosemary, and peppery notes; don't worry, you can't taste the wine. This is a great bargain and can last in your pantry well after it leaves the shelves of Trader Joe's — stock up. The salt fits in the V-Day theme without being too pink and obvious. Definitely grab this if you can get your hands on it! It's one of the best three items I got for this Valentine's Day gift guide.

Prosecco is a classic Valentine's Day gift. It's something you'll spot in a lot of gift baskets, so make it an inclusion in your very own version. Put together items like the dark chocolate-covered caramels, some Brie, and fruit like pears or strawberries, all of which you can get at Trader Joe's. This Trader Joe's brand prosecco is marvelously bubbly and sweet. 

It almost tastes like a cider and doesn't have an overly alcoholic flavor. I squeezed a bit of fresh orange juice into it to create my own mimosa. I prefer my mimosa not overly sweet, so this was a delight. TJ's prosecco is an Italian Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) wine; in case you're wondering, this type of label is important on Italian wine to denote its quality and classification standards. But there's also the Cecilia Beretta prosecco and Villa Antica Asolo Prosecco DOCG Superiore (which stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, the highest classification of Italian wines). Make mimosas for a sophisticated but affordable Valentine's Day brunch to impress your darling. The whole bottle is cheaper than the price of one mimosa if you were to go out, so it's a bargain but still high quality.

Dark chocolate-covered caramels are my jam. I previously tried Costco candies, and the chocolate-covered caramels were among my favorites, so I was intrigued to see Trader Joe's add this to the repertoire. This version is similar but not exact to the Sanders brand one I got from Costco. The TJ's ones are buttery, slightly firmer, and have a different shape — thinner and wider. They come in a blue-green, 10-ounce resealable baggie with a fun illustration on the packaging. 

If your date likes caramels, then this is sure to be a hit. These candies are creamy and rich and have that buttery flavor with a hint of vanilla and the added bonus of the thin layer of dark chocolate. They are a new item, and I did not see these out on the floor; I had to ask a crew member and they were able to locate it for me, so don't be afraid to ask questions when you're there. These go well with a glass of wine for date night or in place of a box of chocolates. 

Give your date a date. The Sun Lovin' Medjool dates make a playful gift to give your sweetie. The packaging is colorful with an illustration of mountains and palm trees, so it's not only groovy looking but delicious as well. But Trader Joe's has a couple of other dates to pick from, allowing you to find something that's sure to be a favorite: There are the organic dried and pitted Deglet Noor dates and the organic pitted Medjool dates.

These dates are sweet and gooey. Even my toddler loved them, so these can be a fun gift for kids (just make sure to remove the pit). You can offer the dates as a gift or use them to create a drool-inducing meal like lamb tagine with dates and almonds. Turn the dates into an easy but amazing dessert by prying them in half, removing the seed, and slathering on some peanut butter. Melt some chocolate chips with coconut oil — both of which you can get at TJ's — and drizzle over the stuffed dates. This feels like a decadent dessert, but it only takes a few minutes to whip up.

All I can say is: yum. These honey-roasted macadamia nuts and cashews are new to TJ's and I hope they stay. Trader Joe's doesn't carry many macadamia nut products, aside from the Elevated nut mix (also new) and the unsweetened almond, cashew, and macadamia nut beverage. I was happy to find these because cashews and macadamia nuts are among my top favorite nuts, so I may be a little biased on this combo. You should grab these if your Valentine's Day date likes them, too. They make a crunchy, barely sweet snack for your holiday festivities, which is ideal if you're giving other sweet treats. 

The nuts have a firm bite because they're roasted and have a slightly grainy exterior, thanks to the salt. They're a delicious grazing snack and you could easily place them in a gift basket. But you can elevate them if you like. I think they're the perfect nuts to employ if you're building a charcuterie board to impress your Valentine. I absolutely enjoyed these and would say they're one of the top three products from this Valentine's Day haul. These go well with the chocolate-covered cherries if you want a nuts and chocolates combination.

If your Valentine likes medium dark roast coffee, then the TJ's French vanilla ground coffee made from 100% Arabica beans is a top pick. I normally don't like flavored coffee (flavored creamer, yes), but this was seamless and not over-the-top. It didn't taste artificial, and it was surprisingly creamy. I don't usually have black coffee, but this was easy to sip. The French vanilla coffee is made with natural flavor, but the website doesn't specify what exactly. The description said it was sweet with caramel and vanilla notes. 

Pair your coffee with the sugar cookie dough hearts for the sweetest afternoon treat for your Valentine. Serve in the pinkest mug you can find and it makes a fantastic, aromatic way to begin your Valentine's Day. TJ's also carries a chocolate hazelnut ground coffee, which is a spot-on option for the holiday — I adore chocolate but dislike chocolate-flavored items, so I opted for this French vanilla coffee instead. There are plenty of Trader Joe's products to add to your morning coffee, such as organic coconut sugar or maple syrup, when you want to lean further into the sweetness. Bourbon vanilla bean paste would make it even more vanilla-y and fragrant.

Move over chocolate-covered strawberries; hello, dark chocolate-covered cherries. This item makes a cool spin when you don't want the standard choco fruit for Valentine's Day. Plus, these are shelf-stable, so you don't have to worry about the chocolate melting or the fruit going bad. You can find these delights, along with other chocolate items, in plastic containers like peanut butter cups. These are sweet with a slightly crunchy exterior and then a soft, almost gummy, dried Montgomery cherry center. 

These are lovely to include in a gift basket or along with a bouquet of Trader Joe's flowers. One thing that was odd about these was the sizing; it varied greatly, so some were small, and others were huge. Place in a bowl with the dark chocolate caramel hearts for a fun holiday dessert, or heat up some chocolate lava cakes and chop these up to sprinkle on top as a scrumptious garnish. These are the perfect way to upgrade your Valentine's Day without the standard heart-shaped box of chocolates.

I'm a long-time Trader Joe's customer and have tried a plethora of products (new, returning, and discontinued) over the years. A lot of these items are new except for classics like dates, coffee, chocolate croissants, processo, pink lemonade, etc. The items I chose would make good gifts or work well as part of a gift, like a gift basket. Although several items on this list are candies, that's because I wanted to highlight new and/or festive holiday items that Trader Joe's brought out for Valentine's Day. 

I personally tried each item on this list and enjoyed them, so I feel confident recommending them — even though I completely understand we all have our tastes, so you might not be fond of a particular flavor or item, and that's totally okay. I noted relevant alternatives and options if you prefer something similar but not exact, as well as other TJ's items to pair it with for a more complete gift.