Why Fans Are Applauding Trader Joe's Half Moon Cookies
While it can seem somewhat bland and spongy on its own, tofu's unique texture and taste allows it to easily absorb whatever spices, sauces, and marinades it is cooked in, which helps make it a perfect plant-based substitute for a variety of animal products, according to One Green Planet. Thanks to its high protein content and mild flavor, tofu is particularly popular as a vegetarian meat alternative.
But tofu doesn't have to be confined to just savory foods. As ChowHound notes, silken tofu has a light flavor and pleasantly smooth, creamy texture that can help make desserts taste extra rich and decadent. Therefore, tofu can make a surprisingly delicious addition to sweet recipes as well as savory ones, which one Reddit user recently discovered when they checked the ingredients of Trader Joe's Half Moon Cookies. "Tofu in the Moon Cookies?" u/enjoytherest posted to the r/traderjoes subreddit, showing an image of the item's ingredients that listed organic tofu along with more traditional ingredients like sugar, vanilla, and salt.
Some shoppers felt tofu was 'better than dairy'
While seeing tofu as a cookie ingredient came as a surprise to some fellow Trader Joe's fans on Reddit, others were already aware that it can help turn some vegan desserts from good to great. "My favorite vegan cookie/cake shop also uses tofu in their ingredients. I think it's a great substitute and the cookies still taste heavenly," one Redditor raved. Other commenters also had good things to say about the unusual cookie ingredient. "Better than dairy! You'd be shocked at the amount of products that have unnecessary milk powder... in them," u/nat_lite replied. As an added bonus, tofu is also high in protein and calcium, and tends to be lower in fat and calories than other dessert ingredients, such as milk or cream, via the Los Angeles Times.
However, while the reviews were mostly positive, there are a few shoppers that might be less than thrilled about the plant-based ingredient. "Well, that crosses them out for me because I have a mild soy ingestion allergy," one disappointed Reddit user wrote. So although tofu may be a surprisingly great way to give dessert a decadent, creamy texture without the dairy, it is made of soy, a fairly common allergen. Therefore, those with soy intolerances will unfortunately have to look elsewhere to find their next favorite Trader Joe's dessert.