Trader Joe's Shoppers Are Divided On Its New Vegan Bread

What's your favorite type of bread? From baguette to sourdough to sliced whole wheat, there's a bread out there for every preference, and if you've ever craved some toast that's just a bit more luxurious than the average slice, you may have sampled some brioche in your day. A rich, cake-like yeasted bread that features plenty of butter, eggs, and milk folded in with the flour, brioche is typically used to make bread pudding and French toast (via The Spruce Eats).

If you're plant-based, of course, brioche may have been off the table for you. But last week, the beloved grocery store chain Trader Joe's added a vegan version of its popular sliced French brioche to shelves, a development that was noticed by TJ's-tracking Instagram accounts. And, judging by the comments on those posts, some shoppers are excited to try it, while others have some bones to pick with Trader Joe's bread selection.

If you don't eat animal products but love a good slice of rich, fluffy brioche bread, then you might want to check out Trader Joe's new Vegan Brioche Loaf. "A twist on classic brioche bread, made with plant-based butter & egg alternative," according to its package, the loaf hit store shelves last week and was noticed by the Instagram accounts Trader Joe's List and Trader Joe's Aficionado.

On the former's post, some commenters were excited to try the new offering. But far more commenters were less thrilled by the prospect of a vegan brioche than they were by a gluten-free one. "Gluten free please soon," wrote one fan, with two others echoing the sentiment. Meanwhile, some commenters were taken aback by the sheer number of ingredients in the bread, with someone commenting, "Vegan but at what cost ... way too many ingredients. Sourdough is vegan." Over on the Trader Joe's Aficionado post, one Instagram user agreed, writing, "Foot long list of ingredients." 

Time will tell if the bread becomes a plant-based favorite, or if it bites the dust like so many other TJ's items.