Trader Joe's New Sour Cream And Onion Rings Are Not What You'd Expect
Spotted in a Trader Joe's in Eagle Rock, California by Instagram account TraderJoesAficionado, Trader Joe's new sour cream and onion rings are a gluten-free, low calorie snack. Though your mind might go to the classic bar food when you hear the name, these onion rings are actually onion ring-shaped chips — similar to Frito Lay's Funyuns. One major difference is how they're made: while Funyuns are pressure cooked and deep fried (as shown in an episode of National Geographic's Ultimate Factories), Trader Joe's crunchy sour cream and onion rings are baked. The ingredients in the new product are different, too. Funyuns are made with a cornmeal base, onion rings are made from breaded or battered onions, and Trader Joe's rings use red lentils and rice meal.
Despite these differences, those who have tried the new Trader Joe's snack say the product reminds them a lot of Funyuns, and that's likely due to the seasoning used. Both products list onion powder, garlic powder, and buttermilk in their list of ingredients.
This isn't the first time Trader Joe's has sold gluten-free baked onion ring chips
When it comes to gluten-free anything, the flavor and texture can really be a hit or miss. But it seems as though Trader Joe's has perfected the recipe for its baked onion-flavored rings. According to a Reddit thread and the blog post attached to it, Trader Joe's originally released baked onion rings in 2011. Just like the kind it sells today, the product was gluten-free and baked instead of fried; but instead of being lentil-based with sour cream and onion seasoning, the rings were sweet onion flavored and made with cornmeal and rice flour. This apparently made the texture closer to Funyuns, described by Gluten Free @ Trader Joe's as "a cross between a chip and a rice puff", whereas TraderJoesAficionado describes the new sour cream and onion rings as more on the crunchy side. The reviews were generally positive about the original onion rings, but the product seems to have been discontinued.
Judging by the hundreds of comments on TraderJoesList's post about the new sour cream and onion rings, it seems this version is already a success among Trader Joe's customers. So while these may not be the onion rings you're imagining, based off reviews of the gluten-free snacks they're worth a try if you're a Funyun fan.