- POPSUGAR Australia
- Living
- 6 Trader Joe's Knockoff Products You Need to Try and 4 You Should Skip
6 Trader Joe's Knockoff Products You Need to Try and 4 You Should Skip
by
erin cullum
POPSUGAR Studios
Part of what makes Trader Joe’s so awesome is the huge variety of affordable products. And the widely known reason that a whopping 80 percent of Trader Joe’s products are the company’s own is that TJ’s sells other brands’ products under its own name at a discounted price. Sometimes TJ’s sells the exact same product, and other times it makes its own version of a popular pantry item, such as sriracha sauce. This policy inevitably leaves us with the questions: which knockoff products are worth buying at Trader Joe’s and which ones are better off as the original?
Thankfully, we’ve tried hundreds of Trader Joe’s products over the years and have a pretty good idea about which ones are totally worth the purchase and which ones you might want to skip in favor of a different brand. Ahead, discover some of our picks for Trader Joe’s store-brand products versus the brands that we think might have inspired the knockoffs. Full disclosure: this information is not based on confirmation from the company – Trader Joe’s has declined comment in the past – but rather from our own taste-test investigations.
– Additional reporting by Haley Lyndes
Related: Trader Joe's New Kale Gnocchi Is Already Getting Mixed Reactions From Shoppers
POPSUGAR Photography / Erin Cullum
Pass: Trader Joe's Chile Lime Seasoning Blend
We’re pretty sure Trader Joe’s Chile Lime Seasoning Blend is trying to be Tajín, and it misses the mark. On its own, Trader Joe’s blend of sea salt, chile pepper, red bell pepper, and lime juice isn’t exactly bad, but when compared to the original Tajín mix, there’s a clear winner. If you’re a fan of sprinkling a chile-lime spice blend on mango, grilled chicken, or salad, opt for the traditional product over TJ’s.
POPSUGAR Photography / Erin Cullum
Pick Up: Trader Joe's Pinks and Whites
Those classic pink and white frosted animal cookies with sprinkles (Mother’s Circus Animal Cookies) are one of the snacks we just can’t quit, no matter how far into adulthood we get. The solution to our cravings is Trader Joe’s Pinks and Whites Shortbread Cookies, which look and taste shockingly similar to the frosted animal cookies but are coated in yogurt and are ever-so-slightly less sweet.
POPSUGAR Photography / Anna Monette Roberts
Pick Up: Trader Joe's Organic Vegetarian Chili
We’re convinced that Trader Joe’s Organic Vegetarian Chili is a knockoff of Amy’s, another brand we love. At just $2 per can, it’s hard to beat Trader Joe’s version of a filling, organic, and vegetarian meal. We always keep a few cans of this stocked in our pantries to make sure we have a backup option for a quick dinner.
POPSUGAR Photography / Anna Monette Roberts
Pass: Trader Joe's Seasoning Salt
Trader Joe’s Seasoning Salt is just like Lawry’s . . . but not as good. It’s a little heavy on the onion flavor and too reminiscent of an instant ramen flavor packet for us to enjoy.
POPSUGAR Photography / Erin Cullum
Pick Up: Trader Joe's Gluten-Free Crispy Crunchy Ginger Chunk Cookies
If the packaging alone on Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Crispy Crunchy Ginger Chunk Cookies doesn’t instantly remind you of Tate’s Gluten-Free Ginger Zinger Cookies, then the taste will. Tate’s is famous for its ultra crispy, buttery, completely delicious cookies, and this potential knockoff from Trader Joe’s has our stamp of approval. In the product description, Trader Joe’s even says, “These cookies are made for us by a highbrow bakery that makes these very high-end cookies in small batches.”