Trader Joe's Crunchy New Snack Food Is Like A Fancy Cheeto

You probably already have a go-to Trader Joe's snack that you rarely stray from. But the grocery chain is adding a new item into the mix that might give your top snack a run for its money. It's a fresh spin on a classic fan favorite. Will it suit your taste?

Loyal Trader Joe's shoppers are likely familiar with the chain's Baked Cheese Crunchies. The grocers recently launched the variation Spicy Cheese Crunchies to keep fans satisfied. Trader Joe's broad inventory of products like $4 canned wine has cemented it as a chain with skin in the supermarket game. There's nothing small-time, however, about Cheetos, which Trader Joe's crispy, cheese-flavor-dusted chip sticks are blatantly modeled to resemble. And even though you might not see a Super Bowl commercial about Cheese Crunchies, the snack world giant Frito-Lay might have some new competition.

Crunchies fans, rejoice! Spring has indeed officially sprung at TJ's. Maybe you recall episode 48 of the Trader Joe's podcast, where Matt Sloan of the company mentioned Fancy Cheese Crunchies. He said, "These are Classic Cheese Crunchies enhanced with truffle ... We're pretty excited to have these coming to your Trader Joe's." Well, the new snack has officially arrived in at least some local Trader Joe's stores. On April 14, Instagram user @traderjoesaficionado posted a picture debuting the new Fancy Cheese Crunchies: Cheese and Truffle Corn Snacks.

Fancy Cheese Crunchies really are fancy; these bad boys are parmesan and umami-tinged black truffle-flavored. Despite its reputation as a luxuriously inaccessible ingredient, TJ's is bringing the flavor of truffles to consumers via a widely used vehicle in the grocery store: the chip bag. 

In classic Trader Joe's style, the Fancy Cheese Crunchies bags are illustrated with a hot air balloon carrying a massive cheese wedge. A blurb on the bag suggests a variety of suitably lavish occasions for eating the Crunchies, including "movie nights, cocktail hours, or any other time that calls for an elevated snacking experience." 

But, are the words "black truffle" enough to make your mouth water? It's tough to say. In their Instagram announcement, @traderjoesaficianado ends the post by asking, "Are you buying these? Are you a truffle fan?" 

The initial reviews are already in, and the results are overall positive. One Instagram user comments, "These are good! Subtle truffle flavor, but you know it's there." A similar review reads, "I like that there's not truffle oil in them (which I find too strong/fake tasting usually) — this was more balanced." Not everyone enjoys this subtlety, however. Another person explained that, while they are a huge fan of cheese and truffles, they felt the new Trader Joe's Cheese Crunchies didn't really deliver on the promised flavor. Truffle fans enthusiastic enough to pick up a bag of truffle-flavored Crunchies will have to decide for themselves if this new snack is bold enough to give the Cheetos brand a run for its money.