8 Must-Try Trader Joe's Bakery Items, According To Customers

Trader Joe's is known for its collection of novel and affordable grocery products that are constantly rotating based on the season and customer preference. In addition to its impressive selection of boxed mixes and frozen desserts, Trader Joe's has a delectable combination of classic baked goods, exclusive international products, and seasonal delights in its bakery. The shelves are lined with uniquely flavored rolls, breads, bagels, buns, and sweets that are not only delicious but also often hard to come by at other grocery stores.

Whether you are in the mood to grab a sweet treat or are on the lookout for that special ingredient to upgrade your favorite recipe, Trader Joe's has you covered. Between baked goods that are available year-round and fresh rotating products that come around seasonally, there are always several pantry staples and new items to try. And fans of the chain aren't shy about sharing what you should be adding to your cart. From surprisingly tasty vegan offerings to melt-in-your-mouth sheet cakes, customers claim these are the eight bakery items you can't pass up at Trader Joe's.

Unless you're a true Midwest native, you might not be familiar with this decadent dessert that hails from Wisconsin, but according to Trader Joe's customers online, it's well worth getting educated. A kringle is a Danish pastry made from thin layers of buttery, flaky dough, typically made with a variety of fillings and topped with a glazed icing. The pastry is so good, in fact, that one customer online claims it would be their last meal.

Trader Joe's receives rotating flavors from a bakery in Wisconsin, where the Danish kringle is the official state pastry. While availability may vary by location, dedicated fans online have uncovered the general calendar for when each flavor is available: pecan in January and February, raspberry from March to June, cheesecake from July to August, pumpkin caramel from September to October, and almond from November to December. Several customers appreciate the almond flavor in particular for the sweet almond paste in the middle of the flaky layers. The kringle can be enjoyed at room temperature or warmed in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 ½ minutes.

For those who are fans of New York deli baked goods, Trader Joe's has the perfect sweet treat. Its Chocolate Brooklyn Babka receives praise online with one Redditor calling it "my kryptonite." Babka is a cross between sweet brioche bread and a flaky danish, recognizable for its marbled, swirly layers. This decadent dessert has deep connections to Eastern European Jewish traditions, and the Trader Joe's version is baked with love straight from a bakery in Brooklyn, New York.

The chocolate babka can be served and enjoyed in several ways. You can dunk it in your coffee for a sweet breakfast, lightly pan-fry it with some butter, or eat it as is. One customer on Reddit recommends cutting it into servings and wrapping the spares to keep in the freezer in order to avoid eating the entire pastry in one sitting. There's really no wrong way to enjoy this chocolate-brioche hybrid. Plus, this rich pastry is also dairy-free, so the lactose-intolerant crowd can indulge as well.

According to one Trader Joe's shopper commenting on Reddit, "it's diabolical how good the sheet cakes are." It's no wonder the product would grace our best new items at Trader Joe's list this year. Stores carry the chocolate and vanilla flavors year-round, but customers really started to take notice when the seasonal flavors hit the shelves, inspiring debates online about which is the ultimate flavor. Seasonal flavors include lemon, pumpkin spice, strawberry, and carrot cake. The only complaint customers seem to have about the seasonal sheet cakes is that they can't get their hands on them year-round.

Not only are the mini sheet cakes celebrated for being the perfect combination of moist, soft cake topped with sweet, flavorful icing, but fans appreciate the reasonable price tag as well. One customer explained on Reddit about the difficulty of finding a store-bought cake "that actually tastes good. I bought a different carrot cake from a local grocery store in my city and it just didn't compare. Extremely dry and dense, lack of flavor, and $6 more than the TJ's version." These 18-ounce cakes ring in at $5.49 or so (prices may vary by location), making them an affordable Trader Joe's steal for smart shoppers to bring to a dinner party, offer as a gift, or keep at home for an indulgent sweet treat.

Trader Joe's bakery has a lot more to offer than just desserts. In fact, the savory baked goods receive as much praise online as some of the sweet treats. The olive fougasse is one of the more versatile savory bakery items. While fans agree that this bread is perfectly tasty all on its own, they have shared tons of different ways they have integrated it into their dishes at home. One fan explained on Reddit, "It is my STAPLE. Probably the best bread I have ever had. I buy it, keep it in the fridge, then pop it in the air fryer a few minutes before serving with oil, seasoning, and pine nuts."

Others recommend pairing it with other Trader Joe's favorites, like the red pepper tomato soup, the artichoke jalapeño dip, or the eggplant garlic spread. When in doubt, store the bread in the freezer until you're ready to upgrade a boring sandwich. The artisan-style bread has real olives baked into it and comes in a 12-ounce package for only $3.49.

The great debate about the best store-bought sourdough bread continues online, especially among shoppers who make their own sourdough at home and have extremely high standards. After all, a good sourdough can upgrade any piece of toast or sandwich instantly. The sliced sourdough sandwich bread tends to carry favor with fans online and ranks among the best Trader Joe's breads. One fan on Reddit praised the Trader Joe's product for actually being made using a sourdough starter instead of baker's yeast, unlike many other store-bought brands. The chain does note on its site that the bread may taste different depending on where you shop due to the starters used to make the bread being unique to the bakery where the loaf was made.

For the apple-lovers, Trader Joe's also released a specialty apple cinnamon sourdough loaf for the fall that thrilled customers. One Redditor stated, "This is back in stock, and I am in danger. I love it toasted, then spread with butter and a *thin* layer of apple butter to up the apple flavor. SO delicious." This Trader Joe's fall find is a must-buy if it's available in your area.

Vegan food sometimes gets a bad rap for being bland or dry. This is especially true when it comes to baked goods because many rely on non-vegan ingredients such as eggs, milk, and other dairy products. However, the Trader Joe's vegan banana bread is a true exception to the rule, earning favor from vegans and dairy-eaters alike. This former skeptic took to Reddit to explain that while they don't typically like vegan foods, the vegan banana bread really blew their mind: "It was the BEST banana bread I've ever tasted, even better than my own. The edges got crispy and crusty and when layered with pats of cold butter, it was so good!!! Highly recommend!"

And if that glowing recommendation wasn't enough to convince you to give it a try, some fans on Facebook shared how they use the banana bread to level up their French toast. Trader Joe's suggests heating slices in a waffle iron and topping them with bananas and walnuts. Some customers claim the bread is so delicious, it's dangerous to have around the house for fear of eating the entire loaf in one sitting.

For dessert-lovers, it can be hard to decide between a rich, fudgy brownie or a sweet chewy chocolate chip cookie. Luckily, the Trader Joe's Brookie solves the dilemma by combining the two in perfect harmony to create an amazingly delicious dessert. The brookie is equal parts cookie and brownie, cut into eight servings and ready to be devoured or doctored up for only $4.99. A TikTok user even described the brookie as "the best thing that Trader Joe's sells."

The brookie is a versatile dessert to be enjoyed in a variety of ways. One fan recommends throwing a piece into the air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 minutes for a soft and warm take on the classic. Another on Reddit suggests creating a "personal pizookie" at home by microwaving two squares of brookie and adding a scoop of ice cream on top. According to several fans online, the only regret you'll have after buying the brookie is just how quickly you will eat it!

Trader Joe's has a few types of focaccia bread that go on rotation, including the French onion focaccia that fans seem to love. But in the summer of 2025, the focaccia bread with toasted tomato and parmesan gained massive popularity online. This savory bread comes topped with extra virgin olive oil, herbs, roasted tomatoes, and a heavy helping of parmesan cheese. While it can be enjoyed dipped in soup, served alongside pasta, or toasted and drizzled with balsamic vinegar, many fans found the best way to enjoy this bread is as part of a sandwich.

Lots of fans took to the internet to share the different sandwich creations they made, starring the focaccia bread as the centerpiece. One poster on Instagram created a winning Italian-style sandwich with arugula, brie, fresh figs, and prosciutto, stating, "It's all my favorite flavors from a charcuterie board but in a sandwich." Another sandwich creation using the focaccia bread that garnered millions of views combined pesto, mayonnaise, lettuce, turkey, turkey bacon, tomato, and avocado to make an enormous and mouthwatering meal.