We’re mere weeks away from the start of summer (!!!). Being that our grocery store boo, Trader Joe, is *always* thinking of new ways to spoil his fans, he’s hooking us up with surprising appetizers, plant-based mains and crowd-pleasing desserts to hold us over until Memorial Day. Isn’t he the sweetest? Read on for 10 of our favorite new products to shop right now.
What’s New at Trader Joe’s in May? Vegan Poke, Peanut Butter Brookies and More
1. Tirokafteri Spicy Greek Cheese Spread
Tirokafteri, a cheese- and hot pepper-based spread, is a classic Greek dish you'll be happy you can indulge in stateside. TJ's take on it is made with white, Greek Anthotyros and feta cheeses, plus Florina peppers, red wine vinegar, salt and a touch of sugar.
2. Avocado Mash
There's now one less task standing between you and your daily avocado toast. Skip the mashing in favor of a smooth, ready-to-use spread made with only three ingredients: Hass avocados, lemon juice and sea salt.
Much larger than the nugget-shaped gnocchi you're likely familiar with, gnocchi alla Romana are more like slab dumplings made from semolina flour. They're prepared similarly to gratin, as in layered with a drool-worthy cheese sauce and baked to perfection.
Ranch has been the best-selling style of salad dressing in the U.S. for the last 30 years for a reason, the reason being that it's damn delicious. This version is extra tangy and flavorful, thanks to buttermilk, sour cream, mayo, garlic, chives, dill and shallots. Slather it on wings, pizza and everything in between.
5. Vegan Poke
Poke is a Hawaiian main made from marinated raw fish—so how the heck did TJ's make it vegan, you ask? Roasted beets are actually an uncanny alternative to sashimi-grade tuna, especially when marinated to the optimal texture in a mix of soy sauce and sesame oil. Who knew?
Smoked paprika + chile powder = your new favorite pantry staple. It packs a fiery kick, so sprinkle as much (or as little) as you'd like onto popcorn, potato chips, soup, roasted veggies, scrambled eggs, poultry or seafood.
7. Carr Valley Cheese Sweet Vanilla Cardona Cheese
Any charcuterie stan would be remiss not to try this award-winning cheesemaker's latest creation. Made from fresh Wisconsin goat milk, vanilla bean and sweet vanilla sugar, this cheese boasts notes of toasted caramel, coconut and nutmeg. Pair it with red wine, berry preserves or even vanilla ice cream.
9. Flakes & Strawberries Cereal
These sweetened wheat and rice flakes dappled with freeze-dried strawberries taste just tart enough to be decidedly kid-friendly. Douse the cereal in milk, shake it over Greek yogurt or nosh on it straight from the box.
If you thought these brownie-chocolate chip cookie hybrids were ingenious already, wait until you try them with peanut butter cookie dough, peppered with crunchy bits of chopped peanuts. Finished with sea salt, these handhelds are as balanced as they are irresistible. We'll take ours with a mug of hot cocoa, please.
Taryn Pire is PureWow’s associate food editor. A former bartender and barista, she’s been writing about all things delicious since 2016, developing recipes, reviewing restaurants and investigating food trends at Food52, New Jersey Family Magazine and Taste Talks. When she isn’t testing TikTok’s latest viral recipe, she’s having popcorn for dinner and posting about it on Instagram @cookingwithpire.