My Favorite Midnight Snack From Trader Joe's Is A Freezer Aisle Hidden Gem

Whenever I go to Trader Joe's, I browse the aisles for the best midnight snack ideas. I always stop by the freezer aisle, but it's not the Trader Joe's thick-crust frozen pizzas or its garlic gondolas that I'm searching for. My hand dives right for a cute pink and yellow box of frozen bubble waffles. 

They are Trader Joe's version of a popular Hong Kong snack called gai daan zai (or 雞蛋仔 in Cantonese), which translates to little chicken eggs. We also call them bubble waffles, and it's nostalgia and convenience that keep me reaching for them at Trader Joe's. In essence, it is a waffle, but instead of having square-shaped recesses, they are bubble-shaped. Street vendors have been selling hot and delicious bubble waffles in Hong Kong since around the 1950s. It was a way for the vendors to use up broken and extra eggs. 

Thanks to having a Cantonese mother who grew up in Hong Kong, I got to try bubble waffles early in my life. Street vendors in New York City's Chinatown would sell bags of bubble waffles for about a buck during the '90s and early 2000s. Since my childhood, bubble waffles have been one of my favorite snacks, and now, I love having them as a midnight snack from Trader Joe's when cravings strike. They are convenient and, in a pinch, as close as it gets to the real thing you can buy from street vendors: Crispy on the outside and toothsome and chewy on the inside.

A few minutes in the air fryer or toaster oven, and I get that same crackly shell and pillowy, mochi-like bubble center I grew up eating from a paper bag in Chinatown, just from my own freezer at midnight. However, unlike the original bubble waffles from Hong Kong, Trader Joe's version is egg-free and vegan. Admittedly, the flavor doesn't really hit the way real bubble waffles from a street vendor do. Still, they are undeniably convenient and perfect as a quick snack. Out of the freezer, you can heat the snack in your toaster oven, microwave, or air fryer, following the instructions on the box. I prefer using the toaster oven, since the waffles don't get as crispy when cooked in the microwave. 

Once hot, allow the waffles to cool down a little before adding toppings, such as whipped cream and cut fruits, jams, peanut butter or hazelnut spread, or ice cream. You can also turn it into a hearty, savory snack. If you heat up two of them, you can use them to sandwich savory ingredients such as ham and cheese. These bubble waffles, like many easy Asian baked goods and sweets, are not too sweet; thus, they make for a good bread substitute in a pinch. That said, if you're pressed for time, simply heating up the waffles and enjoying them plain as a midnight snack will be just as satisfying.