8 Trader Joe's Vegan Desserts, Ranked

When you're craving a snack or a little treat, there's no better place than Trader Joe's. The chain stocks a bit of everything under the sun at prices that are pretty competitive compared to the average grocery store or specialty store. That means customers can stop by for a robust selection of prepared foods, piles of produce, any of Trader Joe's affordable snacks, a bottle of wine, and then round it all off with some sweets. That said, what can you get when it comes to vegan desserts at the chain retailer?

I scoured the Trader Joe's website to find vegan sweets and was surprised that the list was somewhat short. I used to be vegan and remember being thoroughly overjoyed to find vegan desserts that I didn't have to make from scratch; perfect for days when you want a sugary nibble without added effort. I found eight vegan desserts from Trader Joe's and ranked them based on personal preference, taste, complexity, and texture. My full methodology will follow at the end.

I enjoyed everything on this list, so items that rank low merely aren't as exciting or multi-purpose as others. However, creative eaters will still find plenty of uses for them. Let's begin the vegan taste test.

The Vanilla Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert has a coconut milk base with visible vanilla bean specks from vanilla bean paste, which is found in many desserts. This chilly treat has a mild and somewhat nondescript flavor; it also has a creamy mouthfeel with a soft serve-like consistency which isn't too firm. There's not a lot of vanilla flavor coming through, and not much of a coconut taste either. This is surprising, since coconut usually tends to be prominent. 

That being said, this non-dairy dessert makes a fantastic foundation if you're looking to create a sundae, or simply want a vegan scoop to jazz up while keeping your favorite ice cream toppings or add-ins the focus. In particular, adding chocolate chips or vegan cookie dough would give this dessert a scrumptious boost of sweetness and a welcome textural change. A generous helping would be great on a pie such as pumpkin or apple — any time you don't want to detract from the overall flavor, but still seek a creamy topper. Overall, this pick ranks last because it's a smidge bland ... at least compared to the rest of the items. I wouldn't be inclined to buy again, but it's not bad.

Trader Joe's has loads of chocolate treats, but only a couple of vegan options — kind of shocking, honestly. The Oat Chocolate Bars are perfectly tasty and an overall acceptable chocolate bar, especially since they're a vegan alternative to a chocolate normally made with milk or milk-based products. Therefore, a vegan milk chocolate can be extremely difficult to find (I rarely see it), and Trader Joe's nailed it with this product. 

It's made with ingredients such as cane sugar, cocoa, butter, ground oats, and some other add-ins. It's creamy and melts in your mouth; providing that milky flavor without being oat-forward at all. The chocolate is more tasty on its own than the non-dairy frozen coconut dessert, which gives it leg up in the ranking. That said, this product doesn't rank low because it's poor quality or bad. It merely ranked toward the end because other vegan treats were more captivating and interesting. This bar is fantastic to keep on hand for those seeking a dairy-free, milky chocolate. It delivers whether you want to nibble on it alone, chop it to add into pancakes, or whatever else. The only downside is that the servings are quite small — the three bars included in the box total just 2.65 ounces.

Veganizing an affogato is one of many ways to give it an upgrade, and the vanilla non-dairy affogatos are a fairly new item at Trader Joe's. The instructions say to open the instant coffee packet, pour it into a little divot in the ice cream, and then pour 1 ounce of water over the top. This is an interesting concept and a time saver as well, considering you don't have to prepare anything ahead of time. The dessert incorporates quite well without mixing, and is a fun and unique product. That said, the instant coffee taste lacks the freshness and welcoming aroma of a fresh-brewed coffee or espresso. 

It's quite bitter and surprisingly strong, meaning you could use less of the coffee packet if you want a lighter flavor. The mild sweetness of the soft-ish ice cream balances the bitterness to create a potent, creamy combo in your mouth. I know the purpose of an affogato is to enjoy it as two separate elements joined together –  coffee with ice cream — but I physically mixed mine together to make it less bitter. It essentially turned into a coffee soft serve, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I like the dessert: It's fun, but seeing as the flavor needed a bit of finessing, I likely wouldn't purchase it again. This product is also quite simple to make from scratch.

Hold the Dairy! Vegan Chocolate Mini Cones taste like just about any chocolate ice cream in a cone. I mean that in a good way — I wouldn't have detected they were vegan in a blind taste test, as they still feature a rich and creamy flavor and texture. The adorable cones are made with coconut non-dairy dessert; similar to the last-place pick but not exactly (as there is no vanilla in the cones). However, that Trader Joe's coconut neutrality comes into play, as the coconut base is only enhanced by the chocolate. 

I love the mini, itty-bitty bite-sized cones. These are perfect if you want to give a toddler or little one a small sweet, or simply want a treat without having to dirty dishes or do any scooping. It's cocoa-y and marvelously chocolatey, with some nice crunchy bits from the chocolate coating. I'd probably eat at least two cones, because they are truly gone in a couple of bites. This tracks, as the serving size is actually for six of the tiny cones.

When I was vegan many years back, sour candies were very hard to find as many contained gelatin. There are more options these days, so a vegan sour candy at a place like Trader Joe's is always welcome. Admittedly, I prefer my sour candies to be stronger and more sour, but the Sour Strawberry Candy Belts do hit the spot — particularly if you're looking for an animal-free alternative. Additionally, the candy doesn't contain any dyes and is instead colored with vegetable juice.

These have a sweet-tart flavor with a slightly firmer chewiness than the standard gelatin-based sour belt (which are marginally softer, but tend to get stuck in your teeth). The flavor is fantastic and fruity. The belts can be eaten alone or chopped up to serve over ice cream. This ranks higher than anything thus far merely because it hits a different taste bud; straddling the sweet and tangy line with a chewy texture and a lively strawberry flavor. These elements help it stand out from the chocolate-forward options on the list, including the Hold the Dairy! Vegan Chocolate Mini Cones.

The Oat Chocolate Bars with Crispy Rice & Cocoa Nibs are perfect when you want an all-in-one chocolate to nibble on with a cup of coffee or a hot chocolate. While the standard oat bar was a great plain base, this one has far more dimension. There's a light and airy bite from the crispy rice, while the cocoa nibs offer a mild, earthy flavor and a firmer crunch — but I like that the nibs are quite small, as they can be too firm when they're larger. This bar features another subtle milky chocolate base, but it's further enriched by the add-ins and a touch of saltiness to round out the sweetness. 

The flavor is complex and interesting enough to be served by itself. Once you work your way through one bar, you're happy to find there are still two more to be devoured. I'd reach for this oat chocolate bar more frequently than the candy belts, and I find that it's more versatile in its applications. Chop some up to serve with (vegan) yogurt or use in a chia pudding recipe, or add a box as part of a gift, or work the chocolate into kitchen sink cookies, or whatever else your heart desires. 

The Trader Joe's vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies were the only thing I'd eaten before this ranking. They're a sweet treat that I've eaten for years; snagging a baggie here and there on Trader Joe's trips. It's a simple and tasty cookie that upgrades the basic chocolate chip treat by adding coconut and oats. The coconut is subtle but present, which seems to be a theme among these Trader Joe's vegan desserts. The cookies are soft — almost falling apart at a light touch — yet have more texture than a standard chocolate chip cookie thanks to the rolled oats, chocolate chips, and pieces of unsweetened coconut. 

There's also a salty kick that lifts the flavor. The cookies aren't too sweet, and all the elements work well together. I'd prefer more chocolate chips, but then again, I always overload my baked goods with chocolate chips when I use them at home. I like the taste and mouthfeel more than the Oat Chocolate Bars with Crispy Rice & Cocoa Nibs, which solidifies this product's No. 2 position. Plus, it's nice to have a vegan cookie to turn to when you don't want to bake them from scratch.

I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel here — nor do I want to twist your arm to agree with my decision — but you simply can't go wrong with speculoos cookies. These are a traditional type of biscuit popular in Belgium and the Netherlands; in fact, the foundations of cookie butter originate from this type of cookie. The Trader Joe's version of the speculoos isn't revolutionary, but isn't trying to be. It's comforting, wonderfully spiced with cinnamon, and delightfully crunchy. 

It also softens immediately (but doesn't disintegrate) when quickly dunked into a latte or coffee. It's straightforward, but still flavorful every step of the way. This ranks at the top because of that familiarity, and also because it's incredibly diverse in everyday kitchen use. Try making speculoos cookie butter at home, or add them to pudding, or use the cookies as a cheesecake crust base. When you purchase a pack of these cookies, you'll find so many ways to use them besides simply nibbling — which to be fair, is a perfectly delicious way to go. These are staples at my house, whether for eating or for entertaining.

I bought everything at my local Trader Joe's and tried them over a couple of days. All the products were fairly good, but personal preference and taste are also at play here. Besides that, flavor is the biggest factor in determining the top from the bottom. While everything was quite tasty, I found myself nibbling more frequently on items with a more complex — yet balanced — flavor profile and texture. Desserts that were somewhat plain or too potent (aka bitter) ranked toward the bottom, while items with added ingredients and flavors ranked higher. In some cases, the complexity of the added ingredients contributed textural dimension to make the food pop. 

The top four items were all incredible, and ultimately, were judged on how frequently I'd reach for them. The versatility of how they could be incorporated into my dessert rotation was also considered. The top two could be used and paired with items much more easily than the third and fourth picks. Overall, I was pretty pleased with these vegan selections, and can only hope the brand adds more.