10 Discontinued Trader Joe's Desserts We'll Probably Never Get Back

If you're a long-time Trader Joe's shopper, you may understand the sheer heartbreak of seeing a cherished item permanently removed from the shelves — whether it's one of the brand's best snacks or random prepared foods. While the chain grocery store has plenty of other amazing items that you can pick from, it still hurts to see a favorite go. It's worse because the items just vanish one day, totally unannounced; perhaps you ask a crew member about your favorite dessert, and they mention that it's been permanently pulled from the shelves; it has happened to us time and again. Maybe you know the feeling. 

We wanted to round up some discontinued Trader Joe's desserts that we'll probably never get back, especially since it has been at least a year or two since most of these have been spotted. Join us as we take a trip down memory lane. Maybe we can collectively put out some good vibes to get these back on the shelves, but until then, we're still sad about these items. If you learn anything from reading this article, it's to not get too attached to anything from this grocery chain.

These gummies were a true gem. They had a unique texture that set them apart from all the other gummies at Trader Joe's. The "belly" portion of the penguin had a soft and chewy consistency that made them so alluring and easy to eat. They came in fruity flavors of cherry, lime, and strawberry, all made with natural flavors. It was pretty easy to dig into the 7-ounce bag, especially if you were nice enough to share with someone — but it would be hard not to hoard these for yourself.

The Gummy Tummies Penguins with Soft Tummies are no longer on the shelves, and many customers are thoroughly bummed about it, us included. Trader Joe's always seems to put out new gummies, so we can't help but wonder why it can't bring back these delights — there's nothing quite like them currently sold in the store. In the meantime, we'll just think of them fondly.

Pumpkin and ginger may not be to everyone's liking, but we sure loved the pumpkin ginger scones from Trader Joe's. It came with 12 ready-to-bake scones that you simply left out at room temperature for a few minutes and then baked. These were so good fresh from the oven, torn in half, and slathered with butter. 

Yes, we get it, classic scones aren't too hard to make, but these were perfect. You could make one or two for a quick breakfast or to pair with your tea, and nothing beats that kind of convenience in this fast-paced world. The crystallized ginger really came through and added a level of spice that made this memorable in a way that pumpkin pie spices alone can't achieve. We would buy two or three packs of these to keep in the freezer. Little did we know they would be discontinued so quickly. Some say the Target bakery pumpkin scones are a good alternative, but we will have to test that out for ourselves.

Trader Joe's has released many iterations of its Joe-Joe's cookies, from Gluten Free Chocolate Vanilla Creme Joe-Joe's to chocolate and peanut butter Joe-Joe's. And yeah, they're good. On one hand, we can understand that a matcha-flavored cookie might not be the best-selling cookie of the bunch. But on the other hand, these were absolutely incredible. One impressed Redditor said, "I don't even like matcha but I would risk my life for those Joe Joe's."

These delights had a green tea creme base that was sandwiched between two crunchy cookies — an enticing mix of sweet and earthy, kind of like a matcha latte. It has been many years since these were on the shelves, so it doesn't appear like they're making a comeback. However, given the skyrocketing popularity of matcha tea, we think T.J.'s should give these sandwich cookies another go to test the waters. We will be patiently waiting if that ever is the case, but we won't get our hopes up.

For those who preferred a sweeter sandwich cookie, the cookie butter ones from Trader Joe's were highly loved. These had a creamy center made with cookie butter spread. They were crumbly and delicious thanks to the butter cookies, but then they also had that classic spiced cookie butter flavor to give them a pop of captivating flavor. The store still sells Speculoos Cookie Butter, but we demand these cookies back; although that doesn't seem like a possibility. These were so good and not a very common flavor when it comes to cookies. 

You can find chocolate or hazelnut cookies just about anywhere, but the cookie butter aspect made these incredibly appealing — although some say they needed a smidge more cookie butter. We somewhat agree with the sentiment, but only because we eat spoonfuls of cookie butter by itself. These probably won't ever make a return; we suppose you could slather on T.J.'s cookie butter onto a shortbread cookie, but it isn't really the same. 

The Chocolate Sunflower Seed Drops from Trader Joe's were a bold and colorful treat. They came in a range of vibrant colors, housed in a convenient plastic container to simplify the eating experience. They had the crunchy candy coating exterior, chocolate, and of course, the sunflower seeds. You received a surprising amount in the 7.5-ounce container. It was easy to eat these by the handful, but it was even more fun to eat them one at a time. Either way, they were tasty and interesting. 

They offered a different experience than shelling roasted sunflower seeds, that's for sure. These might not be the most popular items on this list, but they still had their fans. You can buy similar products online if you really have a hankering for them, which is your best bet because the Chocolate Sunflower Seed Drops will likely never see the light of day again at Trader Joe's.

The Kona Coffee Shortbread Cookies had a delightful diagonal creamy half-dipped coating with that butter shortbread cookie flavor mixed with notes of coffee. These were the ultimate pairing for a cup of black coffee in the morning or afternoon — nothing short of divine. The texture was phenomenal, a blend of buttery, crumbly, and a touch crunchy (until it melted beautifully in your mouth). These have been discontinued for years, so it doesn't seem like they'll ever make a return — it's actually been so long that we nearly forgot about them. 

We're sad about these because they're such a unique product. There are some similar items available on the market, but nothing quite like these. Plus, T.J.'s does a good job of making things affordable, even when sourcing from other states and countries. You can buy Hawaiian Kona coffee shortbread cookies, but the price is a lot higher than any cookie from T.J.'s. Although there are some comparable options, we also like the frosted aspect, which is even more difficult to find.

Peanut butter and chocolate go together like the best friends that they are. It's a sweet and rich, and thoroughly pleasant combination, which is why we were such big fans of the Peanuts for Chocolate Ice Cream that Trader Joe's used to sell. It went beyond the epic duo, though, and featured a chocolate ice cream base, pieces of chocolate peanut butter Joe-Joe's cookies, and then peanut butter swirls. It was dense and luscious for anyone who wanted a chilly, sweet treat that was anything but basic.

And it wasn't too sweet at all — the peanut butter chunks gave it a rich mouthfeel and flavor enhancement, while the cookies offered a bit of a crunch. This was a well-loved product, with some people buying multiple pints at a time and eating them rapidly. We are surprised that T.J.'s would pull it from the shelves, but here we are talking about the ice cream years later. If you want a dupe of sorts, then try the Peanut Butter World flavor from Ben & Jerry's, which has chocolate cookie bits mixed in instead of chocolate peanut butter ones.

If you've only been shopping at Trader Joe's for a couple of years, you might not even know that the Speculoos Cookie Butter Cheesecake Bites ever existed. It has been many years since these were discontinued, and we still think of them. These were delicious vanilla cheesecake squares with swirls of cookie butter and a cookie butter crust — oh, what a combination. These were such a flavorful, decadent treat that came with a dozen bites; it was perfect to serve at a party or to just slowly eat by yourself over the course of a few weeks (if they lasted that long). You were supposed to thaw them in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving, but we have been known to eat them straight from the freezer as an icy treat.

You can find online recipes attempting to replicate the dessert, but there's a reason we buy sweet treats from Trader Joe's in the first place — to save time, to try different things, and to just find the joy in the little things. We know we can make it, but that takes away the fun and charm of our favorite grocery chain.

There are plenty of chocolate puddings on the market; that much is obvious, whether you want the little portioned cups or powdered version to make yourself. But none of those are remotely comparable to this T.J.'s treat. The Belgian chocolate pudding was incredibly indulgent, thick, and wholeheartedly chocolatey in a major way. By comparison, a lot of other packaged puddings have an artificial flavor that makes them a poor substitute. 

People adored this pound of pudding, and it was wonderfully versatile. You could eat it from the tub, pair it with fruit or whipped cream, or even pop it in the freezer to eat it like ice cream. One person on Facebook mentioned that they lived in Paris, France, and the T.J.'s dessert was just as tasty as any French mousse — ooh la la. This pudding was purchased by many people, so it's a surprise that it was discontinued. Now, it lives on in our hearts. If you have the time, one of the best replicas is just to make homemade pudding.

Sweet and savory are no strangers to each other, which is why the potato chips covered in milk chocolate were such a hit. They were a bit salty yet coated in the milky sweet goodness, and they were crunchy on the inside with the melty exterior. There were levels of scrumptiousness to this Trader Joe's dessert, and we demand that it come back. Will that happen? Doesn't seem like it. We almost wish we had never known these existed, so we can just move on with our lives, but alas, that is proving to be pretty difficult. 

We're not the only ones who feel this way, so we're flabbergasted that they were discontinued. You could attempt to make them yourself using the Trader Joe's ridge cut salted potato chips and the Pound Plus milk chocolate bar for the most authentic experience — a ridged chip is more structurally secure than other chips. But again, that defeats the purpose of finding prized items at Trader Joe's.