Why Not Everyone Is Happy With Trader Joe's Hot Cocoa Ornaments
The holiday season is upon us once again, and Trader Joe's has decked its halls aisles with a number of seasonal products to help get customers in the festive mood. Candy cane-flavored cookies and chocolate oranges are only a few of the grocer's limited-edition snacks that you can munch on while watching your favorite Christmas movie, and if you prefer to drink your holiday spirit, the chain's got you covered as well. Capitalizing on people's love for sipping on a mug of hot chocolate – which Study Finds says was found to be America's favorite part of winter in a poll last year – TJ's has released a set of gorgeous Hot Cocoa Ornaments that are almost too pretty to drink.
According to the Trader Joe's website, the seasonal product is essentially a set of hot chocolate bombs that have been fashioned to look exactly like the bulb ornaments hanging from your Christmas tree. Each package runs for $6.99 and comes with a total of four different colored "bulbs" that are made of mint chocolate that is covered in a shimmery coating. When submerged in a cup of hot milk, the ornament melts to reveal a "secret stash of marshmallows and chocolate chips" that all mix together to create a mug of minty hot chocolate.
The festive treats certainly sound like a fun way to warm up on a chilly winter day. However, it seems that not everyone is entirely happy with the seasonal find.
Some Trader Joe's shoppers say their hot cocoa ornaments are too sweet
Trader Joes' Hot Cocoa Ornaments have caught the eye of several shoppers this holiday season, but, unfortunately, not everybody is satisfied with their purchase. A December 10 post about the holiday treats on the Trader Joe's subreddit turned into a forum for a few customers to air a few of their grievances about the product, starting with the original poster themselves. Though the Redditor stated that they would purchase the ornaments again, they noted that you need to make sure your milk is "extra hot," presumably to ensure that the bulb and all of its components dissolve properly. On top of that, some users noted that you may want to go heavy on the milk when using the cocoa bombs in order to balance out their sweetness. And even with extra milk, at least one user found them "too sweet."
A third issue that shoppers had with their hot cocoa ornaments was their mint flavoring. Some, like u/solarbaby614, found the flavor to be a turnoff, though others said it was hardly noticeable. "I had them last night. There was no mint taste whatsoever," u/ebbanfleaux said. Redditor u/n0raply concurred, sharing, "I love mint but the ornaments had no detectable mint." Though Trader Joe's Hot Cocoa Ornaments are certainly pretty to look at, if you don't have a big sweet tooth or are simply not a fan of mint, the product may not be the thing for you.