9 Trader Joe's Frozen Pastries, Ranked From Worst To Best

It's not hard to stumble across desserts and sweet treats at Trader Joe's. You'll find plenty of frozen desserts, candies, chocolates, and even baked goods, catering to just about every flavor profile and taste preference imaginable. If pastries are more your thing, TJ's has got you covered on that front as well. While Trader Joe's keeps some pastries stocked in the bakery section, the real treasure trove of pastries lies in TJ's frozen aisle.

Of all the sweet, frozen pastries that you might find at Trader Joe's, I've sampled and ranked nine of them to pinpoint which is the very best. Operating on the definition of a pastry being a dessert or treat made from dough, the pastries featured in this ranking range from croissants to Korean pancakes, AKA hotteok. I kept a few important factors in mind when ranking these pastries. To start, I considered how well the dough turned out once heated up, as the dough is the foundation of any good pastry. I also considered the flavor of the pastry as a whole, whether I thought a certain pastry could have benefited from more filling or added flavor, and ultimately, which ones tasted the best overall in terms of flavor and texture.

While I could certainly see the potential in Trader Joe's Mini Croissants, which come in a pack of eight and are ready to bake from frozen, the execution was a little lacking. These croissants certainly lived up to their mini name, and with the promise of being ready to bake straight from the freezer, they could potentially make a good dinner side or an easy afternoon snack.

Alas, these croissants simply didn't taste very good, nor did they have a great texture. Ideally, croissants have a perfectly flaky, soft-yet-crispy texture with plenty of rich, buttery flavor to back it up. These croissants didn't have any of those features going for them. They were quite dense, lacking those buttery, crispy layers that make croissants what they are. To be fair, I didn't egg wash the croissants, which you can optionally do to establish more of a golden crust on the outside, but I don't think one should have to do that extra step to yield a successful result. These croissants just tasted like bread more than anything else, and with a lackluster texture to back them up, it was pretty easy to award them the last spot on this list.

Unlike previous croissants, Trader Joe's Almond Croissants do call for overnight proofing. It's an easy enough process — I just left a croissant on a baking sheet at room temperature overnight and woke up in the morning to find a puffed-up croissant ready to bake. However, once the croissant was baked, I was met with a rather lackluster treat, and one that could've seriously benefited from more almond flavor all-around.

Though the croissant baked up well enough, I still found the texture on the inside to be a little soggy as opposed to layered and crispy. The almond frangipane filling could partly be to blame for such sogginess, though that itself was another source of disappointment. There should've been more filling, because as I took bites of the croissant, I wasn't really picking up on much almond flavor, despite the fact that there was an almond filling and sliced almonds on top of the croissant. So, yes, the flavor was a little lacking in this one, and I think that the texture could be improved as well. Though I enjoyed the almond croissant a little more than those mini croissant version, this is the one I likely wouldn't return to (plus, TJ's simply has tastier croissant options in its lineup). 

Of all the croissant flavors out there, I've always been partial to chocolate croissants. That little bit of chocolate filling is the perfect contrast to the buttery croissant, but the croissant as a whole has to be executed well. Most important of all, there needs to be a good balance between the croissant and chocolate, and for the most part, I thought that Trader Joe's Chocolate Croissants struck that balance.

Just like the previous almond version, these chocolate croissants need to proof overnight, so I followed the same process of letting a chocolate croissant sit overnight before baking it in the morning. The result was a pretty tasty treat, and my only real complaint is that I think there could've been a touch more chocolate in the mix. I understand that it can be tricky to find the sweet spot when it comes to the filling, because if you add too much, it might seep out or disrupt the croissant's ability to bake properly. However, there were just a few too many bites of this croissant that didn't have any chocolate at all. The texture of the croissant was good enough to make up for lost chocolate, but I simply felt that the chocolate filling could have been a little more plentiful. 

Trader Joe's Sweet Cinnamon Filled Korean Pancakes are meant to be a take on hotteok, a type of Korean street food that may feature all sorts of fillings, such as classic cinnamon sugar or more contemporary versions with Nutella or honey and nuts. The outside of the pancake isn't like a fluffy American-style pancake, but it's instead made from yeasty dough that attains a certain pastry-like crispiness.

Ultimately, I enjoyed Trader Joe's version of hotteok, though the pancakes weren't nearly as thick and stuffed as the packaging might make you think. These were super easy to heat up, simply requiring about 5 minutes in an air fryer for one pancake. The flavors were undeniably on-point, with that sweet cinnamon filling hitting all the right sweet and spiced notes. The biggest issue here is that these pancakes were just so incredibly thin, and the filling was but a mere lining on the inside of the pancake as opposed to gooey, plentiful image. So, these Korean pancakes definitely had some great flavors to offer, but the texture and thinness hurt their chances of ranking any higher on this list.

If you're stuck deciding between Trader Joe's classic chocolate or these Double Chocolate Croissants, do yourself a favor and opt for the latter option. This double chocolate version simply excelled compared to its similar croissant counterparts, both in terms of remarkably delicious flavor and excellent texture.

These croissants, like almond and chocolate ones, also required overnight proofing. So, once again, I followed the same steps and baked a proofed croissant in the morning, and this one ended up with the best texture. Perfectly puffy, crispy, and impeccably layered, this croissant left me quite impressed in terms of texture alone. But the flavor is also something worth highlighting, as any chocolate lover would appreciate how much sheer chocolatey goodness was at play in this croissant. It featured a chocolate filling, similar to the plain chocolate croissant, but what set this one apart was the cocoa powder incorporated into the laminated dough. This added just the right boost of chocolate flavor without going overboard, plus it introduced a nice bitterness to contrast the otherwise sweet chocolate filling and buttery croissant dough. I don't really have any complaints about this croissant, but there are better pastries in Trader Joe's lineup.

If there's one way to improve a croissant, it's by slapping a big ol' pile of cheesecake right in the middle. At least, that's Trader Joe's approach with these Pumpkin Cheesecake Croissants, and indeed, these are some tasty treats through and through. I've always looked forward to these seasonal croissants hitting shelves once fall rolls around, and they certainly didn't disappoint this time.

These croissants claim to be ready-to-bake on the packaging, meaning that you don't proof them overnight, though they also need to sit at room temp for 20 minutes before baking. And, based on how my croissant baked up this time, I'd argue that it might be wise to let the croissant proof for even longer than 20 minutes, because it didn't bake up quite as puffy as expected. It still tasted delicious and had some crispy and buttery croissant layers, though be warned that these are a bit denser than your average croissant.

As for the pumpkin cheesecake portion of the croissant, it's undeniably delicious. Even if you don't love pumpkin, you might enjoy these croissants nonetheless, as the cheesecake tastes more spiced than anything else. There's a reason why I consider these croissants to be one of Trader Joe's best pumpkin products of all time — they really are that good.

It's hard to beat the cozy, comforting nature of classic apple pie, but not all of us have the time to whip up a whole pie from scratch (nor do we necessarily need an entire pie). Luckily, Trader Joe's Apple Blossoms come in handy for this very conundrum, with a single box containing two apple blossoms, which essentially boil down to mini apple pies in a convenient single-serve format.

Not only are these blossoms convenient for those who want a one-off dessert, but they also happen to taste amazing. The apple filling is very much reminiscent of apple pie, perfectly spiced, sweet, and fruity, while also being warm and cozy. The crust is what really impressed me here, as it was perfectly flaky and buttery and not at all soggy. If I have one teeny-tiny complaint, it's that the apple filling does come across as a tad too sweet by the end of the blossom, but that's to be expected with just about any dessert. Otherwise, these apple blossoms are little treasures hiding in plain sight in Trader Joe's frozen aisle, and ones that are absolutely worth checking out if you like apple pie.

Trader Joe's 2025 fall lineup featured a whole lot of maple-flavored items, and Teeny Tiny Maple Butter Tarts is a new item you should add to the list. These bite-sized treats seemed unsuspecting enough, featuring a flaky dough base with a gooey maple butter filling. And, perhaps I'm just particularly partial to maple-flavored desserts, but I found these little tarts to be absolutely delicious.

There was such a richness to the maple filling that was unlike anything I've tasted before, and that alone set these tarts apart as a very strong contender on this list. The filling was incredibly sweet and rich, but it had that distinct maple flavor that added a layer of complexity (and extra tastiness, in my opinion). The crust on the tarts was also incredibly solid, perfectly soft and flaky, adding a nice neutral contrast to the otherwise rich, sweet, and gooey filling. These little tarts would be the perfect dessert to serve at a casual fall party, but be sure to grab a couple of boxes, because I suspect that these bite-sized treats would go very quickly.

This list has included many croissants, and many single-serve desserts such as apple blossoms and mini tarts, but the pastry taking the top spot in this ranking is none other than Trader Joe's Rustic Apple Tarte. This tarte isn't a single-serve dessert — essentially, it's a whole pie, except it's even better than a pie. Between the tarte's wonderfully flaky crust on the outside and the creamy, spiced, apple-infused filling on the inside, there was really no competition here. The rustic apple tarte is Trader Joe's best frozen pastry, without a doubt.

How can I be so sure, you may ask? For starters, there are absolutely no flaws in this tarte. The crust doesn't get soggy on the bottom, and it became perfectly golden brown around the edges when the tart baked, offering all those buttery flavor notes one might hope for. The filling was incredible, both creamy and fruity at the same time, while also bursting with fresh apple flavor. Surprisingly, it never teetered into the too-sweet territory. And then there were sliced almonds on top, introducing the perfect nutty flavor with a little added textural contrast. The tarte also looked stunning, so you'd be remiss not to serve this to party guests (or your family) on a chilly fall evening. I have nothing bad to say about this delicious tarte, and despite it being a whole dessert that could serve upwards of eight people, I'd buy it again and again just to enjoy on my own. 

Flavor and texture were the two biggest criteria when ranking Trader Joe's frozen pastries. The treats on this list varied drastically when it came to flavor, including cinnamon-like, fruit-forward, and chocolatey options. It came down to how well the flavor was executed. Mini Croissants didn't offer a whole lot of flavor at all, so they ranked last. Almond Croissants were also rather lacking in flavor, and I longed for more chocolate in Chocolate Croissants, hence their lower rankings as well. On the contrary, high-ranking items like the Rustic Apple Tarte or Maple Butter Tarts delivered exceptional flavors, truly representing what a good apple or maple dessert should taste like.

Of course, texture was another important factor, as texture can often make or break a pastry. There were certain pastries lacking in the texture department, like the Mini Croissants or Korean pancakes, while there were some that really thrived, like the Double Chocolate Croissant or Apple Blossoms. While I did note if certain pastries needed to proof or were easier or more difficult to heat up, I didn't ultimately rank the pastries based on these factors. Instead, I focused on flavor and texture.