With the school season in full swing (summer, were you even here?) there are a million plans, calendars and other events to align, so your grocery trips have to be more efficient than ever.
Being well-stocked and well-prepared is the key to success in the after-school snack game (and also the back-to-school dinner routine), and whatever that scenario entails—frozen, air-fried or otherwise—we’re here to make sure it’s delicious.
With that in mind, here are 10 Trader Joe’s after-school snacks you should stock up on ASAP.
Related: Groceries to Help You Break Out of Your Trader Joe’s Rut
10 Best Back-to-School Trader Joe’s After-School Snacks
1. Chocolate Vanilla Creme Joe-Joe’s
Trader Joe’s
Name a better after-school snack than cookies. (We’ll wait.) Cookies are the ultimate after-school snack, and no one does them quite like TJ’s. Their newly launched version of the classic Chocolate Vanilla Creme Joe-Joe’s drop is like an Oreo—but better. The chocolatey cookie and vanilla bean-flecked cream filling are sure to disappear quickly. And don’t forget the ice cold glass of milk.
2. Organic Dried Ataulfo Mango Slices
Even the world’s pickiest, fruit-hating eaters can’t resist the deliciousness of Trader Joe’s dried mango slices. Ataulfo mangoes are prized for their deep flavor and smooth texture. These dried versions are sweet and tangy and have no added sugars or preservatives.
3. Black Bean & Cheese Taquitos
Trader Joe’s
One Redittor calls these Black Bean & Cheese Taquitos the most underrated item at TJs, while another shared a genius upgrade: “Melt some shredded cheese atop, douse in sour crème and hot sauce, and sliced avocado goes well too.” If this doesn’t satisfy the after-school snack cravings, we don’t know what will.
Related: Top Trader Joe’s Cheese Board Cheeses, According to Super Fans (It’s a Controversial List)
4. PB & J Snack Duo
PB&J will always region supreme in the after-school snack category, but a dippale, Dunkaroos-style version? Consider our interest at an all-time high. Reddit moms concur, saying, “My kids love the PB&J duo for quick grab-n-go snacks!” and “I had FINALLY found a box of these and the household somehow ate the entire box in two days (it was me, I’m the household).”
5. Shrimp Boom Bah
Trader Joe’s
If snack time is dangerously close to dinner time, meet your new secret weapon to appease kiddos in those in-between hours: TJ’s Shrimp Boom Bah. Sweet, spicy, crispy—the best version of bang bang shrimp around that only takes 12 minutes to cook in the oven or air fryer. We suggest buying a second box to keep around for a quick and easy dinner or a fun dinner party app.
6. Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
The combination of peanut butter and chocolate is a classic—and a kid favorite. TJ’s take on the sweet treat has shoppers stocking up.”The dark chocolate peanut butter cups are so good they’re often sold out at my store,” said one Reddit commenter. With a just dark enough chocolate coating and a smooth, creamy peanut butter filling, we can see why.
7. Strawberry Lemonade Ice Bars
Trader Joe’s
Strawberry lemonade in and of itself is a refreshing post-school sipper, but freezing the drink into ice pops? Brilliant. This freezer treat is especially clutch at the very start of school, when it still feels like summer in many parts of the country.
8. Super Sour Scandinavian Swimmers
Once we saw one Reddit mom swap standard Scandinavian Swimmers for the sour ones, we knew we had to try them. “I thought it was an unspoken rule that we only buy the sour ones 😂,” she commented. So many kids are into anything and everything sour, so that’s the first check in the yes box for these. And once we saw the flavor and shapes—red berry (starfish), huckleberry (dolphin), orange (tang fish) and strawberry (clamshell)—we knew these were a must-buy.
9. Organic Chicken Nuggets
Trader Joe’s
If you know, you know. And even if you don’t, now you know—TJ’s nuggies just hit different. They’re made with organic chicken breast and rib meat and lightly breaded, which means they taste like, well, chicken. They also crisp up beautifully in the oven or air-fryer. Can’t wait that long? You can microwave them on high and have hot nuggets in under a minute.
10. Onion Confit Swirls
Trader Joe’s
Hear us out before you overlook one of the greatest new TJ snack of all time: Onion Confit Swirls. This super-hyped addition to Trader Joe’s snack section combines the best of both worlds—palmiers and onion confit. Redditors praise the jam-like mixture rolled into a puff pastry with Emmental cheese, saying, “They taste just like Thanksgiving stuffing to me; I thought they were good!” If that sounds too fancy for your kiddos, just give it a try. They might not care about palmiers or confit, but they might care about something that tastes this delicious.
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