Popular Items That Completely Vanished From Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's has a pretty great selection of vegan and vegetarian items, from frozen Thai Iced Tea-Flavored mini mochi to Chicken-less Mandarin Orange Morsels. But once you get hooked on one of their cruelty-free foods, you should stock up, because chances are they'll eventually disappear from store shelves. 

That's what happened with Trader Joe's Tofu Edamame Nuggets. This unique snack featured a pocket of firm tofu that was stuffed with shelled edamame, shredded carrots, and bits of squishy tofu. When baked, the outside would get nice and crispy, while inside the soft bits of tofu and tender veggies created a textural contrast that left us wanting more. 

The only downside was that they didn't come with a sauce, but luckily a splash of TJ's own Soyaki would usually do the trick. 

Unfortunately, Trader Joe's Tofu Edamame Nuggets were discontinued, and despite a petition that called for their return, they haven't been seen in the freezer aisle for a few years now.

One of Trader Joe's signature moves is taking basic convenience foods and serving up the best possible version. Such was the case with their instant miso soup. 

These packets of powdered miso and dried tofu were as simple to make as adding to a bowl with some boiled water and stirring, but the big flavor produced made it taste like something from a restaurant. The key to the robust taste was that the soup was made with a lot of ingredients high in glutamic acid, which is what make up the "umami" taste.

Dried red and white miso (a fermented soy product), clam extract power, bonito powder, kombu powder, yeast extract, and shiitake mushrooms are all powerful sources of umami, and they made up the bulk of this seemingly humble soup. 

The only complaint some people had was that the soup lacked big pieces of seaweed (the seaweed in the soup, kombu, was powdered), and some didn't like that the shiitake mushrooms were in bigger pieces.

Sadly, the soup was discontinued (you can join the Facebook group calling for its return if you're as heartbroken as some others). These days if you want to get your miso soup fix at Trader Joe's, you'll have to settle for their ramen.

Burritos have been a popular convenience food in the US since at least the 1950s, and you don't have to make them at home to get something good. Premade burritos hold a lot of appeal, especially when done well. They're a portable feast that can be heated up in minutes, and it's hard to dispute the tastiness of a meaty filling surrounded by carbs. 

Trader Joe's really got in on the game with their Chicken Chile Verde Burritos. Located in the freezer aisle, these tasty morsels consisted of big chunks of dark and white meat chicken in a thick tomatillo and green chile-based verde sauce, wrapped in a flour tortilla. They had a bit of a kick, and were a far cry from the pasty burritos full of mystery meat you sometimes get in the frozen section. 

There was a downside. Each serving contained 2,140 mg of sodium, meaning one burrito used up nearly an entire day's salt allowance (2,300 mg maximum, according to the American Heart Association). 

These days, you can get other frozen burritos at Trader Joe's, but the Chicken Chile Verde Burritos exist only in our memories.

Aside from their famous frozen mandarin chicken, almost no single food item at Trader Joe's is as iconic as their cookie butter, made from Belgian-style spiced speculoos cookies that's blended with oil to create a smooth spread. It was even a runner up for the favorite overall product at Trader Joe's in their 9th annual customer choice awards.

So, when they came out with speculoos cheesecake, the internet nearly lost its mind. 

Located in the freezer aisle, this dessert featured a speculoos cookie crust, a silky vanilla cheesecake, and a thick swirl of speculoos cookie butter on top. At $6.99 for a 22.5 oz cake, it was a bargain for even a plain cheesecake, let alone one covered in spiced cookie spread. All one had to do was let it thaw for 4-6 hours or overnight, then dig in.

Now that it's discontinued, you need not despair. The next time you buy a plain vanilla cheesecake, pick up a jar of cookie butter and slather it on top for an approximation of the original treat. 

Another Trader Joe's favorite that's now lost to us is their Handmade Chocolate Ganache Torte. 

This rich dessert featured a dense, moist chocolate cake filled with silky chocolate mousse, then coated in a shiny semi-sweet chocolate ganache. It was the type of dessert where just one bite would satisfy, which made it's 1.5-pound weight and $7.99 price tag a huge value. Tiny slices of this cake served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream to help cut through the richness could serve as dessert for up to 16 people. Sure, the nutrition facts said that the cake should be cut into eighths, but this is one instance where the serving size listed was almost too generous.

If that sounds as delicious to you as it does to us, maybe it's worth signing the petition to bring it back, something created by fans who miss this decadent dessert so much they're willing to fight for it's return. 

Rice pudding may not be as popular of a dessert as ice cream or chocolate chip cookies, but it has its place. The dish is simple — rice, milk, and seasonings are mixed together for a sweet treat. Trader Joe's did all the work for its customers by making a refrigerated version of rice pudding that they could eat right out of the container. According to @traderjoestobediscontinued on Instagram, the product was phased out at the beginning of 2021. 

A few loyal fans on the Trader Joe's subreddit were sad to hear the news. "I'm going to cry that's the only thing motivating me to do groceries," u/2000ablenderoddyssey wrote. While some appreciated the brand's original recipe, others found creative ways to spruce it up. One user said they mixed frozen mango chunks, rice pudding, coconut cream, and heavy cream to make mango sticky rice-style milkshakes. Sadly, they will need to find a replacement ingredient for this sweet treat. 

Trader Joe's also has no shortage of chips for its customers to sample along with their equally-impressive lineup of dips and sauces. However, the shelves have started to miss the inclusion of the brand's sweet potato tortilla chips, as Trader Joe's began discontinuing them in 2022 (via @traderjoestobediscontinued). These chips were crunchy and salty, with light notes of sweet potato. According to Shopping with Dave, the chips actually only contained about 18% sweet potato, so the taste wasn't that different from your average tortilla chip. 

The lack of a strong sweet potato flavor may be why the grocery chain decided to lose the item. However, some people weren't happy. If you look up the product on Twitter, there are dozens of tweets from before the chips were discontinued of satisfied customers singing praises of the snack. Unfortunately, they will have to find another alternative for their salsa-dipping needs. 

Sometimes when Trader Joe's discontinues items, there's immediate, massive outrage from its loyal followers. Then, there are the moments that the chain quietly takes items off the shelves, only for customers to slowly realize the loss over time. In the summer of 2021, Trader Joe's seemingly did the latter when they removed a carnival classic from its snack selection, and fans weren't happy once they took notice. 

Instagram user @traderjoestobediscontinued revealed that the brand's caramel popcorn would be saying goodbye. The page's comments were filled with upset fans trying to figure out a replacement for their favorite snack. Luckily, caramel popcorn is a pretty popular item and you can probably find a variation at most grocery stores. However, the brand's version was a unique, dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan variety, which isn't typical for buttery popcorn products (via Go Dairy Free). For whatever reason, if this caramel popcorn was one of your ultimate favorite snacks, it's too bad that you had to say goodbye. 

As pointed out by u/Exciting_Problem_593, some Trader Joe's fans will be "arrabiata" (meaning "angry" in Italian) to discover that the brand discontinued its jarred Arrabiata sauce. This tomato sauce had a lot of spice and was full of flavor, so fans in the Trader Joe's subreddit were devastated to hear the news. U/poisonedyouth96 declared that Arrabiata was "easily the best pasta sauce they've ever made," adding that "this really sucks." 

Another fan u/Fantasybackwash hypothesized that supply chain issues with the vendor could likely be the cause of Trader Joe's taking this item off the shelves. The essential ingredients of traditional arrabiata sauce are San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, and a lot of red pepper flakes (via Ciao Florentina). So if you're really missing this staple sauce, it's a simple recipe to try to make yourself. However, it won't be as simple as opening a jar and heating up its contents for a fast dinner. 

If you frequented Trader Joe's refrigerated dip section, you may have been tempted to try this black bean dip. It included three kinds of peppers — jalapeños, serranos, and habaneros. It had a nice spice that wasn't overwhelming, and was complimented well with hints of onion, tomatillos, and garlic. Unfortunately, @traderjoestobediscontinued revealed in April 2021 that the product would be slowly leaving the store. 

Even though the post is old, fans still return to the comments to express how much they miss the dip. "We seriously eat one of these a week. so disappointing," one disgruntled comment read. There are even a few Trader Joe's shoppers who expressed their disappointment that they never got a chance to try the product before it was taken off the shelves. It's a pretty simple recipe to try to recreate at home, but the convenient version is no longer available for TJ's shoppers looking for a quick snack. 

Most chips and crackers tend to be plain to serve as a vehicle for cheeses, dips, meats, or whatever else you want to top them with. Trader Joe's has some crackers, though, that are full of flavor all on their own. And blue cheese-lovers couldn't resist the company's gorgonzola crackers, which tasted exactly like the tangy, yet mild cheese. But if you've been struggling to find these at your local Trader Joe's, it's because the brand discontinued the item at the end of 2020 (via @traderjoestobediscontinued).  

Fans of the cracker were not happy about its sneaky removal. U/lb_1417 on Reddit wrote, "This is sad day for all snack kind," once they discovered the news. If you're looking for a replacement cracker that's anything but bland, Trader Joe's does have a few options. They have Everything but the Bagel-seasoned crackers, Fig & Olive Crisps, and trail mix crackers that are worth trying out, but none of them are bursting with cheesy flavor quite like this forgotten gem (via Trader Joe's). 

Frozen burritos have been a mainstay in grocery store and gas station freezers since seemingly forever. In recent years, Trader Joe's got inventive with the concept with their Hatch Chile Chicken Wraps. The dish was similar to Taco Bell's Crunchwrap Supreme, but with chicken and black beans inside. Although the product was relatively new on the shelves, @traderjoestobediscontinued revealed in September 2021 that they would be saying goodbye for now. One commenter tagged the grocery chain's Instagram account to ask directly why they were discontinuing a solid product that just came out earlier in the year. 

Trader Joe's Obsessed on Facebook posted a review of the new product in January 2021, so it really had a short run at the store. Other Instagram commenters were also shocked as they didn't even see the product available in their local TJ's locations prior to it being discontinued. "Nooo! I've never even seen these and I want," one upset customer wrote. 

Trader Joe's is responsible for creating a few products that can elevate your typical desk salad into a delicious meal. One major element that takes your salad to the next level is something crunchy, like croutons. Unfortunately, for fans of Trader Joe's cheese and garlic croutons, they'll have to find a new favorite. Instagram account @traderjoestobediscontinued revealed the news in September 2021 that customers would have to say goodbye to these croutons. Fans in the comments were outraged that this topping for salads and soups would be leaving, as they were like the ultimate breadcrumbs full of flavor. One user tagged the grocery chain to express their disapproval. "Sure give us a ton of gross pumpkin products but take away croutons," they wrote. 

If you're looking for an alternative, Trader Joe's sells plantain croutons with garlic and sea salt that might be a satisfying dupe. They aren't as big or cheesy like the originals, but fans on the Trader Joe's subreddit have praised the product, so it has its own loyal followers. 

Considering the popularity of Flamin' Hot Cheetos, it made sense for Trader Joe's to try their hand at making their own version of the snack. Cue the Trader Joe's spicy cheese crunchies. They were crunchy, cheesy, and had just the right amount of spice. If this was your holy grail chip, we have bad news for you. Instagram account @traderjoestobediscontinued revealed in early 2022 that the product would be leaving its snack aisle. "Nooooooo these are my all time favorite chips ever," one fan wrote. "I am SOOOOOO SAD." 

Users on the Trader Joe's subreddit were quick to recommend alternatives to people who were lost upon hearing the news. Some recommended similar products at Whole Foods and Costco. However, as pointed out by u/pinkdiamond668, the Trader Joe's recipe was better for those with certain food allergies. "I'm intolerant to red food dye but I love hot Cheetos flavor so this was a lifesaver for me," they wrote.