14 Must-Have Trader Joe's Products To Beat The Summer Heat
Guys, it's hot outside. If you live somewhere that regularly sees temps in the 80s, 90s, and above, you've probably already vowed not to use your oven this summer. If you're lucky enough to have central air, you might be planning on spending your days blissfully cool right in front of the vents. But if you're ready for some fun in the sun, Trader Joe's has the best products for beating the summer heat.
Trader Joe's has a slew of new summer food and beverage options that are perfect for lounging by the pool, bringing to a summer picnic or backyard barbecue, or enjoying in front of your fan while regularly misting your face with a spray bottle full of ice water. Our list includes a dreamy strawberry cake, a sparkling rosé tea beverage that makes the perfect mixer, a way to enjoy s'mores without the campfire, and more. Here is a look at the 14 must-have TJ's products of the summer.
Crispy watermelon candies that melt in your mouth
Unlike the Crispy Dried Watermelon Snacks, which are the least favorite Trader Joe's snacks as ranked by Reddit users, the Watermelon Freeze Dried Candies are a delight. They taste kind of like Cap'n Crunch Berries. They are light and crispy with a slightly sweet but mellow melony taste. These bite-sized treats have a pleasant crunch and then quickly melt in your mouth with a fizzy pop, making it hard to stop eating them once you've opened the bag. They're perfect for snacking on at the movies, adding to your cereal, or using as a topping for ice cream or frozen yogurt.
Dreamy, no-bake summer strawberry cake
If you've already made a promise to yourself to keep your oven off all summer long, this treat is for you. Trader Joe's Strawberries & Cream Cloud Cake is the perfect thing to bring to a summer party. Its delightfully soft vanilla sponge cake layers are filled with custard, and the whipped cream topping is thin enough that the dessert isn't overwhelmingly sweet. The strawberries and glaze on top give you a fresh, summery burst of fruit flavor in each bite. We're definitely going to have to add it to our ranking of Trader Joe's strawberry treats.
Chocolate sauce that keeps your ice cream from melting
Trader Joe's Hard Top Chocolate Shell Topping goes on in liquid form but quickly hardens as it dries. Make your own Dairy Queen-inspired dipped cones at home, or pour it over chunks of frozen bananas to make your own version of Trader Joe's Gone Bananas! treat, one of the brand's most popular chocolate treats. This semi-sweet cocoa powder and dark chocolate topping is super easy to use in its squeeze bottle form, keeping you from making a mess or getting sticky. Plus, the hard chocolate shell keeps your ice cream from melting as fast, which is great if you're enjoying it in a cone.
Sparkling rosé tea that's the perfect mixer
Trader Joe's Organic Sparkling Rosé Tea Beverage consists of a delicate blend of four different teas: white, black, sencha, and pu'erh. This non-alcoholic Trader Joe's beverage is like summer in a can. It's light, crisp, and refreshing with just a hint of sweetness. Its fizz and color are the perfect complement to a relaxing day lounging in a kiddie pool wearing oversized sunglasses. Keep a six pack chilling in a cooler of ice within arm's reach, or use our T.J.'s liquor pairing suggestions to turn it into a summer cocktail.
Nostalgic gummy candies that take you back to your first day at the beach
Even if you don't live anywhere near a beach, Trader Joe's Beach Day Gummy Candies will immediately transport you back to a beach day from your childhood. These fruity gummies come in super cute beachy shapes like shells, palm trees, and sunglasses. Because they aren't made with animal gelatin, they are vegan as well. Eat them on their own, use them as an ice cream topping, or throw a few in your vodka tonic for a pleasantly fruity surprise. Unlike Trader Joe's shockingly sour spring candies, its Beach Day gummies are nothing but sweet.
A creamy blend of vanilla ice cream and Georgia peaches
Nothing conjures up a lazy summer afternoon sitting in the shade with friends like eating this Southern Peach Crisp ice cream. It has a rich vanilla flavor with delightful bursts of peach jam and crispy pieces of cinnamon and sugar oat crunch. Along with T.J.'s seasonal Banana Pudding ice cream, we wish that this Southern Peach Crisp flavor would be available year-round.
Crisp, herby salad greens and sweet carrots
Trader Joe's Lemony Arugula Basil salad kit is another great alternative to baking or cooking something to bring to a summer party or barbecue. It is convenient, fresh, seasonal, and sure to be a crowd-pleaser. It contains the perfect blend of arugula, spicy greens and herbs, sweet carrots, crispy roasted almond pieces, and shredded parmesan. The mix comes with a small packet of basil lemon vinaigrette dressing, but it's really not enough for the whole salad. If you plan on sharing it with others, we recommend adding grilled shrimp to the salad mix to take it up a notch and mixing up a batch of this herby lemon vinaigrette dressing.
All the flavors of a root beer float without the hassle
T.J.'s Root Beer Float Pieces let you enjoy all of the flavor combinations of a root beer float without the hassle of making one. These bite-sized pieces are perfect to eat by the handful, or you can use them as a topping for ice cream or add them to a bag of Trader Joe's popcorn. The Trader Joe's website recommends adding them to a root beer float, but we found that to be a little too much sweetness for our taste buds.
Enjoy s'mores without the heat of a fire
It's way too hot to light a fire and roast marshmallows for real s'mores, and Trader Joe's S'mores Clusters are really the next best thing. They are both crunchy and chewy, and you get graham cracker, chocolate, and marshmallow in each bite. You can microwave them if you want that melted chocolate texture, or just eat them as they are. Like the Root Beer Float Pieces, they're also great to chop up and use as part of an ice cream sundae or add to popcorn. If you missed marshmallow season at Trader Joe's, stock up on these clusters and enjoy them into the fall and winter.
Sweet and tangy ice pop treats
If you find other store-bought popsicle brands too sweet, then this is THE frozen icy treat for you. T.J.'s Out of this World Ice Pops are a combination of strawberry, blueberry, and lemon that is refreshing and slightly tart. You can really taste the three flavors rather than just getting an overwhelmingly sweet taste like you do with other popsicle varieties. Because it's so light and refreshing, it's the perfect thing to have after a day in the sun or as a treat after a long day of work.
Smooth citrus-forward summer hefeweizen
If you're a hefeweizen fan, Trader Joe's Josephsbrau Grapefruit Radler is the perfect summer blend for you. It has that signature banana-y hefeweizen taste with an added tartness and tang from the grapefruit soda. It's actually a great drink even for people who don't traditionally drink beer, because it is refreshing and slightly sweet. Keep a cooler of these on ice at your next backyard barbecue, because they're the perfect complement to a decadent French onion burger. If you're not sure if you'll like it, add a can or two to your mix-and-match six pack of beers to try it out.
Perfectly seasoned vegan corn ribs
Trader Joe's Seasoned Corn Ribs are sure to be the talk of summer barbecues this year. They're frozen, but you can throw them in the microwave or air fryer and then season them with Trader Joe's Elote Seasoning. They are a great addition to salads or a healthier alternative to French fries. With a slightly crunchy texture and a buttery, salty, and savory taste, they won't overpower whatever you decide to pair them with. If you're vegan, you can also add them to your list of the best Trader Joe's vegan snacks, as they are made with plant-based butter.
Sweet and tangy mango creamsicles
Much like Trader Joe's Tangerine Cream Bars, these Mango Cream Bars are perfect for summer. Each bar is pretty small, so you can enjoy one before it starts melting in the heat. With a sweet, tangy mango sorbet shell and creamy vanilla ice cream underneath, they are a rich and satisfying treat. You can also remove the sticks and blend a few of them together to make a frozen mango margarita.
Lime cookies that are the perfect blend of sweet and tart
Lime is the flavor of the summer, and Trader Joe's delicate Key Lime Tea Cookies are the perfect form for our favorite citrus fruit. Covered with powdered sugar, they have a slightly airy, slightly dense interior that tastes buttery and limey. They're the perfect after-dinner treat and are also great crumbled up in ice cream or yogurt. We also like to use them to decorate this 3-layer key lime cake.