Monday, December 17, 2018

27 Must-Have Vegan Holiday Finds at Trader Joe’s


Trader Joe's has so many festively fun vegan holiday items this year, including new ones as well as returning favorites! Each year Trader Joe's unveils more and more vegan products, and I always look forward to seeing what treats they bring us during the holidays. Plus, many of Trader Joe's holiday items make great gifts or fun foodie stocking stuffers, so keep that it mind next time you're browsing the aisles of your local Trader Joe's.

I spent my grocery trip to Trader Joe's this past weekend scouting out all the new and returning vegan holiday products, and wanted to share my finds with you! Please note, all of these items are from Trader Joe's stores located in Orange County, California, so stock and prices may vary by region. Many of these items are seasonal and only available for a limited time, so be sure to grab them while you can!

Below find my 27 Must-Have Vegan Holiday Finds From Trader Joe's:


Gingerbread Spice Granola - I was ecstatic when I checked the ingredients and realized that this was vegan! I love eating it with non-dairy milk or using it to top off my vegan yogurt. I love the warming spices like ginger and cinnamon used in this granola, they really gives it a comforting, feel-good vibe.


Cultured Coconut Milk Nog Yogurt - Nog for breakfast? Don't mind if I do, especially in the form of non-dairy Cultured Coconut Milk Nog Yogurt! I just picked up some of this for the first time, and I can't wait to try it out. Maybe I'll even top it with the gingerbread spice granola!


Candy Cane Green Tea - This decaf green tea is perfectly pepperminty and I love its bright, festive flavor. This has been a long-time favorite of mine, and who can resist the adorable polar bear on the packaging?


Twinkling Trees Sugar Coated Sugar Cookies - One of my favorite finds from fall were the Sparkling Pumpkin Sugar Cookies, and I was bummed I was only able to snag one container before they sold out! So I was stoked when they brought them back, in Christmas tree form, for the holidays! These are accidentally vegan, and absolutely scrumptious - I love dunking them in coffee!


Winter Sangria Sparkling Mineral Water - This sparkling water is so refreshing with a brisk taste of winter sangria. You can drink it alone or use it as a mixer. Sparkling water is also great for settling stomachs, which makes it all the more useful to have around this time of year!


Candy Cane Joe-Joe's - These are one of my absolute favorite holiday treats! Chocolate creme cookies contain little bits of candy cane - and that combo makes my holidays all that more joyful! These are great eaten by themselves or dunked in non-dairy milk/vegan nog/coffee/tea! Sharing is optional. 


Vegetable Tray with Vegan Ranch - OMG, a veggie tray with vegan ranch?! This is seriously a big deal (you don't know how many plain veggies I've had to munch on at parties since none of the dips were vegan) and makes it so much easier for hosts to offer decent vegan options at holiday parties! There was only one left at my local store, which just goes to show how popular these already are this season!


Almond Nog - The classic vegan version of a holiday favorite, you can't go wrong with this vegan nog! No need to purchase scary dairy products anymore, especially with incredible alternatives like this one! I usually drink my coffee black, but during the holidays I love adding a bit of nog to it!


Scandinavian Tidings Gummy Candy - I'm so happy that these yummy gummy candies continue to be vegan! Trader Joe's usually has different ones for every holiday, these winter holiday ones come shaped like trees, ornaments, and stars. They taste great, and don't contain any gross gelatin!


Cocoa Almond Cashew Beverage - Mmmmmm chocolate milk made with good-for-you almond and cashew milk! This drink is rich and creamy, and again, dairy-free! It is perfect on its own or added to coffee. I don't think this is an exclusively seasonal item, but for some reason chocolate drinks remind me of Christmas.


Crispy Vegetable Pouches - These make the perfect appetizer for a holiday party or just a quick and easy snack! The little dough pouches the veggies are wrapped in are so cute, and they really elevate the veggies inside, which are already pretty dang tasty thanks to the soy, garlic, and ginger they are seasoned with. Plus, don't they look fancy?!


Winter Snowflake Pasta - This pasta goes great with the vegan kale pesto or the vegan marinara sauce they have at Trader Joe's. Plus, it looks so festive with its adorable snowflake shape! Psssst, the "dyes" (it is misspelled and should be "dies") mentioned on the price tag above just reference the cutting technique used to make the cute shapes - so no scary ingredients here!


Vegan Banana Bread with Walnuts - Whether you're running short on time or just don't want to bake, this ready-to-eat vegan banana bread is a winner! It is moist, not too sweet, and full of banana goodness. Serve it at a holiday get-together, gift it, or just enjoy it with a cup of coffee in front of a roaring fire this holiday season!


Winter Wake Up Tea - This is a spicy black tea blend with cinnamon and ginger, and the aroma is comforting and warming. It is the perfect pick-me-up for chilly winter mornings (and would make a good stocking stuffer for the tea-lover in your life!).


Maple Pecan Shortbread Bar Baking Mix - They had this stuff last year, and I'm glad it's back! The mix is vegan, just use vegan alternatives when mixing it up to bake. It is the perfect fuel to get you through an afternoon of wrapping presents.


Sugar Plum Jam - Visions of sugar plums dancing in your head? Satisfy those cravings with this jam - slather it on toast, stir it into oatmeal, or use it to top off some scones. Whatever you do, it will make your day a whole lot sweeter!


Chocolate Peppermint Almond Beverage - It's back! I love anything chocolate peppermint flavored, and this yummy drink definitely fits the bill! It's creamy, light, and gives me the smooth chocolate taste with a kick of peppermint I love!


Gingerbread Cake Mix - Another ready-to-go mix that happens to be vegan! I love the Trader Joe's cake mixes, and they are a quick and easy way to ensure you always have something on-hand to make for those unexpected visitors or last-minute holiday parties.


Organic Italian Artisan Striped Garganelli Pasta - I was really surprised this was vegan, but it is, using beets to create the red color! I haven't tried these yet, but they look so fancy and festive!


Joe-Joe's Slims Chocolate and Vanilla Creme Cookies - This was another surprise, as usually their variations on the regular Joe-Joe's are not vegan (though the regular Joe-Joe's usually are vegan). They look pretty tasty!


Soft-Baked Drizzled Gingerbread Oat Bars - I love these gingerbread bars, they are great any time of day. I love having them with coffee in the morning or as a snack in the afternoon with some tea, or even as an after-dinner sweet!


Marzipanstollen - I couldn't believe my eyes when I read the ingredient list and didn't see eggs or dairy in this marzipanstollen! Take heed, though, if you avoid mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids since one cannot be sure where they are sourced from (they can come from either plant, synthetic, or animal sources). If you are ok with that (I am) then I would consider this vegan!!


Turkey-less Stuffed Roast and Gravy - I was surprised to see some of these still left from Thanksgiving! Grab yours now so you have a delectable vegan roast for your holiday dinners! This is one of my favorite vegan roasts on the market.


Mini Marshmallows - These marshmallows are in fact vegan (no gelatin, yay!) and are so very perfect in a steaming cup of hot chocolate (in fact, they go perfect with Trader Joe's vegan Sipping Chocolate noted below).


Ridge Cut Potato Chips Seasoned With Horseradish and Chives - It's nice to have fancy appetizers at holiday parties, but sometimes it's nice to chow down on some no-frills potato chips. These are new and don't contain any animal ingredients, yippee! Sneak 'em in a bowl at your next holiday party and see how fast they get eaten!


Mini Vegetable Samosas - Ok, so these vegan samosa bites have been around a while, but I think they are just perfect for something to nibble on during the holidays, whether you are watching a holiday horror film or serving hors d'oeuvres at a party or family get-together.


Sipping Chocolate - This sipping chocolate is one (if not the only) vegan option for hot chocolate at Trader Joe's, but lucky for us it is also the best, most rich hot chocolate you are likely to have! It is that good, and I always love preparing this and then topping it with those mini marshmallows mentioned above. Mmmmmm it puts me in the holly-jolly mood for sure!


What are your favorite vegan holiday finds at Trader Joe's? Which one of the vegan items above are you dying to try?

Until next time, stay spooky and I wish you and yours the happiest of holiday seasons!

Stay spooky!

3 comments:

  1. I can get mint green tea in THAT cute of a box?! Great, now I'm going to go tea-hoarding next time I visit my friends in Indianapolis. (I love Champaign, and I'm happy I moved here - but two hours to the nearest town that has a Trader Joe's is no fun waaaah!)

    http://granolabat.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am shocked about the veggies and dip!

    There is also a vegan marzipan stolen for Aldi's. I wonder if they are getting it from the same manufacturers?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I contacted the company that makes the Marzipanstollen and here is their reply: "all of our raw materials are based on vegetable origin." and ". . . our Stollen can be regarded as vegan."

    That's all folks!

    ReplyDelete

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