Trader Joe's Shoppers Crave This Seasonal Chocolate Item Year-Round

Trader Joe's rotating stock of seasonal items can be a blessing and a curse. The limited availability makes it so items don't overstay their welcome and become tired regulars. Seasonality creates a scarcity that leads to customers buying up their favorites in a way they wouldn't if it was year round. One such TJ's treat is out now — the Dark Chocolate Bark with puffed quinoa and dried raspberries. That is, if its fans haven't already cleared the shelves. If it's sold out, don't worry, there's plenty of other fun products to look out for in the month of March.

An 8-ounce bag costs $5.49 and is full of big chunks of chocolate with a bumpy texture from the bits of fruit and quinoa. It's tart and crunchy. As one fan on Reddit puts it, "this stuff is crack." One customer asked the staff at their local Trader Joe's if more would be coming and learned its seasonality is tied to Valentine's Day, so they may be gone soon if you don't hurry!

On Reddit, customers are reporting that they are buying this up. One commenter picked up a bag, tasted it, and immediately went back to buy three more. Others are finding that their Trader Joe's is sold out already. "Yours still has them? Mine hasn't ... in weeks," wrote one poor Redditor after someone said they plan on stocking up. Don't worry, if your TJ's is sold out, we have plenty of other treats carried by the store that we recommend!

Fans of the bark are finding alternatives, fortunately. Costco has puffed quinoa chocolates in various flavors that commenters on Reddit say fill the void if it can't be found at their TJ's. It's the Undercover brand of chocolates with puffed quinoa, and has flavors like blueberry, pomegranate, and currant. The flavor at most Costco locations is quinoa with sea salt, which may not give the fruitiness, but still gives the satisfying crunch. If you strike out at both Costco and Trader Joe's, you can always make your own dark chocolate cherry quinoa bark with our recipe.