These Are Trader Joe’s Customers’ Favorite Products for 2025, But One Iconic Item Is Missing

Each year, Trader Joe’s asks its customers about their absolute favorite items. The results are published every winter, and the 16th Annual Customer Choice Awards winners for this year were just announced.

Here are TJ’s customer’s favorite products, broken down by category. Weirdly, there’s one iconic product, regularly touted as one of the grocery chain’s most popular products, that’s missing entirely from the list. 

See if you can guess what it is as you click through, and we’ll reveal the product at the end.

Beverages

1. Spiced Cider
2. French Market Sparkling Lemonade
3. Sparkling Honeycrisp Apple Juice Beverage
4. Triple Ginger Brew
5. Villa Italia Italian Blood Orange Soda

Trader Joe’s Spiced Cider took the top spot in the beverages category in this year’s Customer Choice Awards. The festive drink is only available in the fall, and it’s sweet and full of spices. Serve it hot or cold. We’re also big fans of the Villa Italia Blood Orange Soda, which took the 5th position.

Cheese

1. Goat Cheese
2. English Farmhouse Cheddar with Caramelized Onions
3. Syrah Soaked Toscano Cheese Spread & Dip
4. Burrata
5. Saint André Triple Crème Brie

Simple, tangy goat cheese came in first in the cheese category, probably because it’s so versatile and used in a lot of recipes. Both the Farmhouse Cheddar with Caramelized Onions and the block version of Syrah Soaked Toscano spread did well in our Trader Joe’s cheese taste test.

Produce

1. Teeny Tiny Avocados
2. Bananas
3. Honeycrisp Apples
4. Organic Persian Cucumbers
5. Blueberries

The winner in the produce category is one thing that’s hard to find anywhere else: tiny little avocados. The bagged veggies are great for people who just want one or two servings of avocado at a time. Honeycrisp apples, a perennial favorite, are also on the list.

Appetizers

1. Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Dip
2. Jalapeño & Cream Cheese Crispy Wontons
3. Parmesan Pastry Pups
4. Greek Spanakopita
5. Vegetable Bird’s Nests with Soy Dipping Sauce

Who doesn’t love hot, bubbly spinach and artichoke dip? TJ’s version took the top spot in the appetizer category for its frozen version that you bake until gooey. We’ve heard a lot of good things about #2 Jalapeño and Cream Cheese Crispy Wontons, and we love the buttery, crunchy Parmesan Pastry Pups, their version of pigs-in-a-blanket.

Breakfast and Brunch

1. Hashbrowns
2. 4 Chocolate Croissants
3. 4 Almond Croissants
4. Dutch Griddle Cakes
5. Chicken Sausage Breakfast Patties

Trader Joe’s frozen hashbrown patties are legit, and if you’re willing to deep fry them, they’re very similar to McDonald’s. People also love the frozen croissants, in both the chocolate and almond varieties. Dutch Griddle Cakes made waves last year as well, and they’re a great stand-in for McDonald’s McGriddles buns if that’s your thing.

Lunch and Dinner

1. Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice
2. Chicken Tikka Masala
3. Steamed Pork & Ginger Soup Dumplings
4. Kimbap
5. Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

The frozen Indian meals from Trader Joe’s are practically legendary, so it’s no surprise that the microwaveable Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice took first place in the lunch and dinner category, followed by Chicken Tikka Masala. The soup dumplings have had a lot of hype recently, and people also adore the fall-only Butternut Squash mac and cheese.

Bath, Body, and Home

1. Brazil Nut Body Butter
2. Daily Facial Sunscreen SPF 40
3. Coconut Body Butter
4. Leave In Conditioner
5. Lavender Spray Hand Sanitizer

Brazil Nut Body Butter was a social media darling last summer. People went crazy for its caramel-like nutty fragrance and the moisture it brought to their skin. It’s only seasonal, but the Coconut Body Butter at number three, is available all the time.

Snacks

1. Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips
2. World’s Puffiest White Cheddar Corn Puffs
3. Organic Corn Chip Dippers
4. Horseradish & Chives Ridge Cut Potato Chips
5. Organic Elote Corn Chip Dippers

Trader Joe’s snack aisle is impossible to resist. The Takis-like Chili and Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips took the top snack spot in this year’s customer favorites. We’re partial to the elote-flavored Corn Chip Dippers, honestly, which also made the list at #5.

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Sweet Treats

1. Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches
2. Almond Kringle
3. Hold the Cone! Chocolate Chip
4. Jingle Jangle
5. Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds

We couldn’t agree more with the top pick in the sweet treats category being Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches — they won our ice cream cookie sandwich taste test. The almond Kringle (any of the Kringle flavors, honestly) is also a top pick. And who can resist the Jingle Jangle and Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds?

New Products

1. Cashel Blue Cheese Irish Potato Chips
2. French Onion Popcorn
3. Garlic Gondolas
4. Strawberry Hold the Cone!
5. Crispy Potato & Poblano Pepper Tacos

Last time we were at Trader Joe’s, we overheard people raving about the Cashel Blue Cheese Irish Potato Chips, which took the top spot in the new products category, so they must be good. Number three’s Garlic Gondolas are like cheesy, gooey garlic bread pockets, in case you’re wondering. And we’ve got to try those Crispy Potato and Poblano Tacos next time!

Overall Favorites

1. Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips
2. Steamed Pork & Ginger Soup Dumplings
3. Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
4. Kimbap
5. Vegetable Fried Rice

Snack food reigns supreme at Trader Joe’s, because Chili and Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips was rated the overall favorite product by customers. They couldn’t get enough of the spicy, sour, and crunchy little sticks. Soup dumplings, Butternut Squash mac and cheese, and Kimbap also made top rankings overall, along with frozen time-saver Vegetable Fried Rice.

What’s Missing?

Have you figured out the super popular Trader Joe’s item that’s missing completely from this list of customer favorites yet? It’s Mandarin Orange Chicken. The frozen meal is cheap, easy to throw together, and delicious. It’s topped this same list for many years in the past, and it’s been rumored to be the chain’s best selling product. But considering it doesn’t even make an appearance in the lunch and dinner category, let alone overall, perhaps it’s lost its cult following.