Trader Joe's Frosted Toaster Pastries Vs Pop-Tarts: Is One Better Than The Other?

Is any breakfast treat more nostalgic than Pop-Tarts? No matter which Pop-Tarts flavors you preferred (my personal favorite was always frosted strawberry), many of us grew up with a box constantly within reach on the designated pantry shelf. Sure, the Pop-Tarts brand has a definite foothold in the toaster pastry industry — so much so that consumers have even taken it upon themselves to make their own versions — but over the years, suitable rivals have emerged to capitalize on the universal love for the treat. One such company is, unsurprisingly, Trader Joe's. 

Today, I'm comparing the name-brand pastry with the Trader Joe's version of the same. Anyone familiar with my food opinions will know that I'm a staunch fan of Trader Joe's. Before you call out my bias (which I definitely have, by the way), I've taken on the task of comparing its products to other brands' versions more than once, and Trader Joe's doesn't always come out on top. I've previously given Costco's cheesecake the trophy over TJ's, and there are some Trader Joe's products that have left me sadly unimpressed. That said (and considering the fact that I have fond memories of strawberry Pop-Tarts), I felt capable of being objective in this taste test, which I conducted based on the flavors and textures of the pastries in both toasted and un-toasted states. I picked comparable flavors from each brand. From Trader Joe's, I tried Cherry Pomegranate and Strawberry, while I grabbed Frosted Strawberry and Frosted Cherry Pop-Tarts. 

First, a bit about each toaster pastry for the uninitiated. The Pop-Tarts flavors I tried contain either a strawberry or cherry filling, with icing on top to match. Trader Joe's versions have either a strawberry or cherry pomegranate filling, each with icing as well — but the icing on Trader Joe's pastries was significantly more nondescript than on Pop-Tarts. Pop-Tarts is the more aesthetically appealing choice because of this, but since aesthetics weren't a factor I considered in this ranking, that's neither here nor there.

Since Trader Joe's labels its toaster pastries as "organic," it's only fair that we dive more into the ingredients in each of the pastries. I was surprised to find that the ingredients lists for the pastries look very similar; the most noticeable difference is that Trader Joe's boxes put asterisks after most of the ingredients to indicate that they're organic. It's also worth noting that Trader Joe's pastries mention using wheat and whole wheat flour, while Pop-Tarts lists enriched flour and bleached flour as its flours of choice. 

Pricing for each brand of toaster pastry is pretty comparable, with Pop-Tarts taking a slight lead. The smallest boxes of each cost just under $3 at my local stores at the time of writing this piece. The boxes of Pop-Tarts, however, come with eight pastries — Trader Joe's boxes only hold six. To me, that's a negligible difference unless one toaster pastry takes a clear lead over the other in terms of taste. 

Each box of Trader Joe's toaster pastries is nearly identical in terms of nutritional value, with a couple of single-digit variations here and there. One pastry (of which there are two in a single foil-wrapped package) rings in at 200 calories, with 2 grams of saturated fat and 38 grams of total carbs (19 of which come from sugar). Each box of Pop-Tarts is also nearly identical to the other, though this brand lists its serving size as two pastries (or the entire contents of one foil-wrapped package). To accurately compare, we'll look at the nutrition factors for a single Pop-Tart: 185 calories, 1.25 grams of saturated fat, and 35.5 grams of total carbs, with 15.5 of those coming from sugar. Comparing the two surprised me at first, and served as a worthy reminder that just because something is labeled "organic" doesn't mean it will have less of a nutritional impact. 

Though Pop-Tarts were a childhood favorite of mine (and a '90s food trend beloved by many more besides myself), I didn't have the highest of expectations for the pastry when trying them now. After all, my taste buds have evolved significantly, and I've heard unsurprising whispers that the offerings have changed significantly since I enjoyed them in their heyday. It's sad that quality seems to be deteriorating, but alas, that appears to be the name of the game even among some of the longest-standing brands on the market. 

At the end of the day, I had a similar lackluster response to these. The filling in each was extraordinarily thin, leading to an overall pretty dry mouthfeel. The "strawberry" flavor of the Pop-Tart was barely discernible; had I not had it many times before, I would have had a hard time naming it. The cherry Pop-Tarts had a flaw that I find too often in cherry-flavored goods, in that it tasted slightly like cherry medicine. Admittedly, that character was way subtler here than in other cherry-flavored things I've had, but it was discernible nonetheless. The frosting on each Pop-Tart helped it significantly, even if just by giving some additional flavor. Overall, I was underwhelmed by these — a fact which hardly surprised me, but which disappointed me nonetheless. I hoped Trader Joe's would fare better.

And fare better they did, in my opinion — though that may be somewhat of a hot take. If you're a kid, you'd absolutely like Pop-Tarts better. If you're after a more natural-tasting, slightly more flavorful version of the same, Trader Joe's might be your best bet. I'll admit, they don't look great, but if you can look past their lackluster presentation, you might find a worthy swap for your beloved Pop-Tarts.

Perhaps the biggest difference between these and the former was the quality of the outside. The shell here gave more of a cracker-like crumble than a dry, powdery mouthfeel, and I got a slight graham cracker appeal from these. Considering that the shell dominates the bite in both instances, I appreciated that it had more flavor here. The icing on the toaster pastries was very nondescript, and I do think each could have done with more. However, the filling tasted more natural and was only slightly more present than in Pop-Tarts, and each was pretty true to its flavor. I also got none of that medicinal cherry flavor with Trader Joe's toaster pastries, likely because pomegranate acted as somewhat of a grounding agent. 

The answer to which brand's toaster pastries are the best will simply depend on what you're looking for. Neither poses a clear advantage over the other, and I can see each appealing to a different audience. While I liked Trader Joe's slightly more than Pop-Tarts, I also tend to prefer more natural-tasting things in general; if you enjoy something slightly more saccharine and pastry-like, your opinion may differ from mine. 

If you have the means, I'll always advocate for making your own toaster pastries with pie crust. The result will be delightfully light and flaky, and you'll have more control over the ingredients of the filling as well. Take it from someone who's made them — they're a little labor-intensive, but not hard by any means, and even a novice baker could master them easily. Barring that, I'd encourage you to grab a box from each brand, like I did, and conduct your own taste test to discover which you prefer.