6 Discontinued Trader Joe's Items You Can Find Alternatives For At Other Stores

Any Trader Joe's fan knows the company is notorious for discontinuing favorites fast and without notice. One day, you see an item in a store, but then you can never find it again. You'll never know when it'll occur, but you'll never forget when it happens to a beloved item. It can be jarring and surprising, but Trader Joe's does it time and again. The company has been selling various foods and drinks since 1967, so there are plenty of discontinued TJ's products out there over the decades. 

But we wanted to find some options with passable alternatives you can currently find at other grocery stores. No, they are not the exact same product, but they can satisfy a craving in a pinch. We wanted to avoid calling them dupes because true fans know their cherished item isn't always (if ever) replicable. Because of that caveat, this list is pretty short, but you might find an appealing alternative or new brand to try. There are many items we wish we could get back, so these swaps will have to do.

The discontinued Honey Butter Potato Chips offered such an enticing, yet unique flavor profile. They were sweet yet salty, with a crisp potato chip base. "Probably my favorite chip they've ever done. All these years later [and] I still think about them," says one customer on Reddit. People still question why Trader Joe's stopped making them because they were so delectable. They were the perfect salty-sweet balance that's hard to replicate, but there are some viable options. 

Fans who miss the Honey Butter Potato Chips share that HaiTai's version is a pretty solid swap. You can find this at various stores and Asian markets, or you can even order it through Walmart. Others say Calbee is a good pick, one they buy multiple bags of at a time; the chips hit the same sweet-and-salty note but have a touch of creaminess, too. While there are many Trader Joe's chips on the shelves, we're still sad to say goodbye to this one.

People were thoroughly bummed to see the Organic Salty Squares leave. They were loved because they were so easy to eat, with fans saying they could devour the entire box in one go. However, this might be one of the more straightforward alternatives because saltine crackers aren't all that innovative. The ones at Trader Joe's were organic, so one of the best alternatives we found was the Back to Nature Organic Classic Saltine Crackers — which you can get at Walmart. 

Reviews share that they have a nice crisp foundation and a good flavor that makes them easy to eat as a stand-alone snack or paired with anything from cheese to hummus. People didn't like that the TJ's one was just loose crackers in a box; Back to Nature solves this since the box has two sleeves of crackers. If the Trader Joe's one was a pantry staple for you, Back to Nature might be a good pick. You might as well stock up because there are so many tasty ways to use saltines.

The Red Refresh Herbal Tea came with 20 teabags and was a fantastic caffeine-free option when you wanted a late-night cup of tea. It had a complex flavor with floral notes of hibiscus, along with lemongrass, peppermint, orange peel, and even wild cherry bark. People liked it because it almost tasted like a juice rather than an herbal tea — which also made it a family favorite. As the name implies, it brewed into a deep red hue, mostly thanks to the hibiscus.

Customers share that the Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger Herbal Tea might be the exact item, while others are more certain. "It's definitely the same," one person says, so you can feel more confident in buying it if you need an alternative. It features the same ingredients as TJ's, plus rosehips, licorice, lemon balm, and natural flavors. You can find the tea on the Celestial Seasonings website, at Walmart, or at other retailers.

Trader Joe's still offers Speculoos Cookie Butter, but the crunchy variety was especially delicious. The added crunchy cookie morsels made it a little more intriguing to eat, whether by the spoonful or on toast. The standard cookie butter, while scrumptious, is rich and smooth, so those bits helped make it feel more dynamic and interesting for the senses. People said they weren't a fan of the smooth version and preferred the lumpier alternative, kind of like how people prefer crunchy peanut butter over creamy. 

Trader Joe's customers said they could consume it within a week and were disappointed to see these pulled from the shelves. Luckily for us all, there's a viable alternative. Some customers say the Biscoff Crunchy Cookie Butter Spread is the only way to go, calling it even better than TJ's. You can find the crunchy Biscoff at retailers like Target and Walmart, so you don't have to go too far out of your way to buy it.

Trader Joe's Meatless Meatballs were incredible with a satisfying meat-like texture, and were ideal for anyone who was vegetarian or plant-based. People even say their kids used to like them. In 2026, it's a lot easier to find plant-based products, but years ago, it was really difficult to find good veg-friendly items. Trader Joe's made it easier to access. Fans say that Gardein, Beyond, and even Impossible meatballs just don't hit the same — all heavy-hitters in the world of plant-based foods. 

There's an unexpected alternative that you might not have considered: reliable Aldi. Many claim that the Earth Grown Aldi brand is not just a good swap, but essentially the exact item. "These are the winners, trust me," says one comment on Facebook in an entire thread dedicated to finding an alternative for the Trader Joe's version. "Yes as others have said you will not be disappointed, they are the same," another shares. "I now make special trips to Aldi's just to get them!"

Remember, at the start, we said that most of these are merely alternatives? This item is a bit of a stretch, but it is still comparable. Plenty of people point out that they miss the Mixed Nut Butter from Trader Joe's. It had dry-roasted almonds, cashews, walnuts, Brazil nuts, and pecans, which created a unique flavor combination that isn't too easy to find. 

One alternative we saw mentioned multiple times, though, is NuttZo's Organic Mixed Nut and Seed Butter; this contains various seeds as well, but if people say it's comparable, who are we to argue? You can find this item at places like Walmart, but it was also one of the best nut butters worth purchasing from Costco. NuttZo's butter has cashews, almonds, Brazil nuts, and hazelnuts, but it also has a seed trio: flax, chia, and pumpkin, plus a bit of Celtic sea salt. Some even say it's better than TJ's!