5 Best Trader Joe's Hidden Gems From 2025

It's well known that Trader Joe's expands its tasty family tree on a regular basis. Sometimes it happens sporadically when least expected, but most typically as products release in changing seasons. As each year comes to a close, TJ's fans such as myself pause for a look back at the best items making their way into our homes that year. Choosing the crème de la crème of Trader Joe's offerings for 2025 feels a bit like picking one friend over another, or mourning those who have moved away. But you can pretty much count on new goodness replenishing the ranks in months to come.

With that said, here's a tribute to five lesser-known hidden gems from Trader Joe's in 2025. They collectively stole our hearts in varying ways: as everyday comfort-food meals; through spice-of-life surprises; in smooth or bubbly beverages, and tucked into nourishing nibbles and noshes. Keep 'em coming, TJ's.

This under-sung hero of Trader Joe's 2025 lineup follows a chocolate-centric trend, placing it directly in your kitchen with little fanfare. It's Trader Joe's Drinking Chocolate, aptly named for what appears at first glance to be a simple drink. But this is far from the hot chocolate beverages of yesterday, especially ones made from small packets of brown powder. The European style of drinking chocolate is a richer and thicker way of experiencing cocoa-based liquids, and TJ's version bypasses the need for visiting specialty chocolatiers or drinking-chocolate cafes. It's just as creamy and full-bodied as cafe versions, far less expensive, and you can stir it up on a moment's whim. 

There's a whole lot tucked inside that TJ's can of drinking chocolate, namely chunks and shavings of premium Columbian cacao. There's no powder here, so it takes more than a quick stir to brings this drink to life — more like slowly nurturing those cacao bits into a marvelously melty drink to savor. You'll be transferring the cacao bits into your favorite cup, adding hot milk or non-dairy liquid, then stirring until dissolved. It's quite literally "drinking" chocolate in a matter of minutes.

There's a relatively brief ingredient list for TJ's drinking chocolate: unsweetened chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin, and natural vanilla flavor. Without a parade of curious extras, you'll definitely taste the rich, pure essence of cacao in your cup. It's designated as a limited-time product, but there's hope for a long run or repeat performance. 

Hot honey has little or nothing to do with the temperature of the honey and everything to do with the flavor — which is undeniably spicy-hot. We've covered that sticky, sweet, and spicy nectar of the gods (or at least of the bees) extensively here on Tasting Table, including the fastest way to make hot honey at home. But today we're giving a shout-out to a decidedly different incarnation called Trader Joe's Hot Honey Popcorn. 

It "popped up" in the TJ's snack aisle during 2025, nestled beside other longer-term favorites like white cheddar popcorn and organic corn chip dippers. This hot honey popcorn comes in a 7-ounce bag of fiery flavor tempered with the sweetness of honey powder but magnified again by an infusion of hot cayenne pepper. Trader Joe's compares it to eating kettle corn with a loaded twist of capsaicin. As a lover of sweet, spicy, and salty combos in just about anything, but especially in snack foods, this one is a winner for me. 

The taste does linger on the tongue for a little while, so be prepared to savor the thrill of hot honey for a couple of extra minutes. Get the most out of the experience by pairing this hot-honey snack with an evening of thriller movies and Trader Joe's sparkling waters. 

These tiny 2025 treasures from Trader Joes come with a fancy French name, but a crunchy meaty composition that diehard steak lovers will find hard to resist. This collection of 10 appetizer-style bites is called Mini Filet Mignon en Croute, which quite simply means steak in pastry. But what a pastry it is. Think flavorful, cooked, chopped filet mignon tenderloin mixed with mushroom duxelles. The latter element is a French preparation consisting of mushrooms, shallots, herbs, and spices. It's typically sautéed in butter, mashed into a spread, and used in dishes like Beef Wellington.

In this case, the duxelles feature in the bite-sized Trader Joe's puff-pastry marvel that's egg-washed for extra crispiness, and finished with tender filet mignon. They're an excellent option for appetizers, served with a dipping bowl of au jus sauce. These Mini Filet Mignon en Croute also work as a side accompaniment to full steak dinners. They might be even better as a primary component of the TikTok trending "girl dinner" meal in which a person fills a plate with bits and pieces of whatever they feel like having at any given moment. And trust me, you'll feel like having these often if they make the cut into the regular year-round TJ's rotation.

This Thai Style Red Curry Soup from Trader Joe's is a favorite in my own kitchen and likely in many others. Curries can be tricky, with unexpected flavors and textures based on country of origin. That's why TJ's specified this one as in belonging to the Thai-food family of flavors. The thick sauciness of this 2025 soup gets it flavor from coconut milk, ginger, citrusy lemongrass, roasted garlic puree, red curry paste with red jalapeno peppers, and a bit of chili to keep things lively. It arrived as a limited newbie but still perches proudly in the cold section of my local TJ's store — and in my own refrigerator.

Though sold as a soup — and plenty delicious when eaten that way — it's actually thick enough to use as a light curry sauce. Coconut cream brings velvety texture, accompanied by generous bites of white-meat chicken and bits of fresh pumpkin, bell peppers, onions, and green beans, taking it into full-meal territory if that strikes your fancy. I serve it over slightly sticky jasmine or aromatic basmati rice to absorb the sauce and complement those earthy flavors. Toss in some fresh tomato chunks for more texture if desired, or extend the Thai vibe by stirring in a small spoonful of Thai peanut satay sauce, available in a jar at Trader Joe's.

This final 2025 understated treasure from Trader Joe's is a product that gets less love in American kitchens than in their culinary counterparts across the globe. It's ground lamb from Australia, a country known for supplying pristine grass-fed lamb with tender texture and a lighter, milder flavor than many people expect. This places ground lamb in the running for a whole host of meal applications, including standard burgers, lasagna, Mediterranean kofta kebabs, and my personal favorite: authentic shephard's pie, which is traditionally made with ground lamb.

I tried this TJ's ground lamb in my British mother's recipe for shepherd's pie, and it was an eye-opener on so many levels. While raising my siblings and I in the American South, where lamb was at that time a rarity, I'd only experienced her adapted version of shepherd's pie made with ground beef. Not anymore. This Trader Joe's ground lamb brings a depth of flavor to any kind of meat pie, including shepherd's or the wide variety of Aussie meat pies you can make at home.

Regard of what you're cooking with ground lamb, it's much easier now to pick it up at TJ's, rather than searching endlessly or special ordering the lamb from other supermarkets. And the good news is that this product isn't slated as a "limited time" product at Trader Joe's. The current cost is $11.99 for a one-pound package.