Trader Joes Gluten Free Product Reviews. My opinion of the products.

Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Product Review

I was not compensated for this post. It is solely my opinion on products that we have purchased.

Trader Joe’s has come a long way with their gluten free offering since I went gluten free in 2011. Some items have been great, while others not so much. Every time I see a new product I am always excited to try them. Although, since going gluten free my options have narrowed. I would love to see Trader Joe’s offer more of an allergy free option that covers at least the top 4 allergens. Trader Joes also has a list of all gluten free items that they carry. You can ask an employee for it. If you found a product that you love that I didn’t cover (or hate) please comment below and share with me!

Here is my review…

This was last updated in early 2017, hoping to have some new pictures and opinions to share with you soon.

Grainless Granola? Yes!!! It is full of nuts, dates and other yummy goodness. Perfect for your yogurt.

These taco shells are very good. My Son really likes them in particular. I like to keep them on hand to have an easy taco meal.

Chocolate Granola bar that doesn’t contain gluten or dairy! For $2.69 a box I was excited to see these. The only other GF chocolate chip granola bar I have seen runs about $3.20 a box.

I like these rice cakes with almond butter on top for a simple and healthy snack.

These Chocolate Drops contain milk so my daughter and I cannot indulge but I buy these for my Son. They are a much better alternative to M&M’s since they do not contain food coloring.

These Chocolate Batons are excellent. I have found 3 flavors and I love them all. Excellent treat with a glass of Trader Joes Wine.

These hamburger buns just recently came out and I had to purchase them for $3.50 a pack. The price point is right on. The plus is that they are not frozen so you get a little freshness with Trader Joes bread products (I know I get sick of previously frozen bread all the time). As far as the flavor and texture, they are just ok. I often end up tearing off most of my bread because for some strange reason gluten free buns have WAY TOO MUCH BREAD! We will buy and eat these because of the price and convenience factor, but my favorite bun is Franz.

The new sandwich bread is pretty good. For $4.50 a loaf the price is average. It is not frozen when you purchase it so bringing it home and eating a SOFT sandwich is always a pleasure. The first time I made a sandwich with it I made a tuna salad and the bread completely gave out and my sandwich fell through onto my plate :(. My son has never had a problem with his PB&J’s though. I never eat toast but this bread toasted is very delicious. It’s also good for a hot sandwich like a ham and cheese. I do buy this often and I like it. The slices are on the smaller side though.

These lovely little boxes of frozen breakfast goodness are affordable and incredibly convenient. I know I hate cooking breakfast until I have two cups of caffeine flowing through my blood stream and my Son wants to eat within 5 minutes of waking up. Popping these guys in the toaster is fast and easy. I don’t do this all the time but I like to have these on hand for busy mornings.

When these first came out my heart jumped for joy. A cupcake that I could just go buy and have on hand was a HUGE break through for us. I don’t feel like making cupcakes, especially when I just need one or four for us to take to a party or for a birthday at my sons school. For our birthdays I make a few dozen and that’s what everyone gets but for just us this makes life so much easier. I keep these in the freezer for an emergency. I don’t love them but then again I don’t love cupcakes in general but my Son absolutely LOVES them. 4 of them for $3.99 is well worth it. You can’t get a cupcake at any GF bakery for less then $1 each.(These are not dairy free so I am not eating them but my Son loves them)

These muffins were also an exciting moment. Having no GF bakeries less than 45 minutes away from where we live being able to have a damn muffin without having to make them was freaking awesome. You can also freeze these babies if needed but they last less than 2 days in our house. My Son and I love them for breakfast and if there are any left my Husband enjoys them too. For less than $1 a muffin these are well worth your purchase. Kids will love these with a cup of almond milk and I enjoy mine with my coffee. They will be a family favorite. (These are not dairy free)

These are now the ONLY gluten free noodles I purchase. I have tried many other brands including the GF spaghetti noodles Trader Joe’s sells. These ones are the end-all-be all. Let me tell you why, how many times have you had your GF noodles turn into a bowl of mush? Yep, raise your hand. These cook wonderfully and they taste amazing! Not only that but they are organic and $1.99 a bag.There are 2 ingredients in these noodles, organic brown rice flour and water, that’s it. Have you looked at the ingredients in the Barilla and other name brand GF noodles on the market? They are full of crap and usually more than $3 a pack. Buy these, you will be very happy you did!!

I enjoyed Oreos before going GF. My Son has never had an Oreo before so he isn’t tainted like most of us. He loves these cookies. I on the other hand, do not like them. Glutino has an Oreo type cookie that I enjoy but I don’t like these. I buy them though and keep them on hand for a treat for my kids.

He is so happy for a yummy gluten free treat!

You should buy organic when possible when you purchase any type of corn and this bag is super affordable for $1.99. You can’t even purchase non-organic popping corn for that price. We keep this on hand and it is great. I make pop corn snack bags with them for lunch boxes and to have around.

These brownies are pretty good and super easy to make. My 4 year old son pours and mixes everything and he loves them. They are cheaper than other brownie mixes found at other stores. These are $3.99 a box and in comparison to other brands they are pretty tasty. Keep a box in the pantry for when you want a treat or people stop buy and you need an easy dessert. Even those who eat gluten will like this.

Gluten Free Oats- We love these oats for breakfast, cookies or to add in a smoothie. We always have them on hand. I love making Overnight Oats with them.

Other products we have tried (pictures to come) GF All Purpose Flour- I have bought this a couple of times and it works well. It is much more affordable than other AP flours on the market. I always make my own all purpose flour mix https://www.livingfreelyglutenfree.com/my-personal-gluten-free-all-purpose/ but if you don’t want to or need something quickly this flour mix is great.

GF Chocolate Chip Cookies- These cookies are crunchy and yummy if you are need of a treat. They are good.

GF Granola- This granola is different than the traditional granola you are used to. I have never found a granola that tastes like traditional granola. I do like this granola, my Husband prefers the Udi’s brand but this one will do.

This is the TJ’s version of Pirates Booty. My Son and all of the kids that I babysit love it and eat several bowls at a time. Probably not the healthiest snack but its great for a quick treat and for lunch boxes. The price can not be beat at $1.99 a bag!

So these corn chips are my guilty addiction. They are organic and taste way better than any frito ever could. My 19 month old loves to dip them in everything. In fact she dipped them in her spilt jelly from her sandwich. I had made frito boats before and I love them just dipped in an avocado. (that is my daughters favorite snack) They are also only $1.99!!!!!

So now that I can no longer tolerate dairy I had to change my 2% milk that I used in my coffee. Almond milk is not good in coffee. It has this strange taste that I thought was disgusting. I sometimes make my own creamer (here is the recipe https://www.livingfreelyglutenfree.com/delicious-dairy-free-coconut-creamer/) but I know sometimes we need a quick and simple solution and this is it. It is only a $1.50 for the carton.

Okay, so it is no secret that dairy free cheese tastes like crap. My daughter is lactose intolerant so I have been trying different brands hoping to find something that she would eat. This almond cheese from TJ’s is the only thing so far that comes close. It melts like regular cheese but it still isn’t life changing.I will eat it on my ham and cheese sandwich but I put it on my taco soup last night and I didn’t love the flavor it gave it. It is totally 100% worth buying and trying out if you are dairy free. It does say it is only 99% lactose free. Update: I was using this but I do believe is was bothering my 2 year olds stomach who is lactose intolerant. I am no longer buying it.

These are $1.99 and awesome. They taste great and they are perfect for a quick meal. I can eat one flat bread with a salad and my kids can share one. We eat them with sauce, pepperoni and whatever veggies we have on hand. No cheese required.

This cornbread is our family favorite. Out of all the ones we have tried this one is our number one. I love to drizzle it in honey and put some earths best on it right out of the oven. One of our favorite dinners is chili and cornbread. Chili Recipe.

Seasonal 2016

Chocolate Peppermint Almond Milk for $1.79 a carton!

This gluten free stuffing is delicious. It is a good idea to stock up because it can go quick!

Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s! These are fun!

Gingerbread Oat Bars with an icing drizzle. Fun to enjoy with a cup of tea for an afternoon pick-me-up.

This Chocolate Orange does not have any dairy ingredients, so I am putting one in everyone’s stocking. They are decent sized and were $2.99 each.

These potato ghosts are a total hit with my kids. They went crazy and loved them!

I mostly make my breads from scratch, but when you are pressed for time this mix makes a delicious pumpkin bread.

Pumpkin Cider- Um, yes please! Such a fun flavor to have during the fall.

Trader Joe’s also offers a ton of other products that are not labeled as “gluten free” but list on the labeling that no gluten ingredients were used. This is usually due to being processed in the same facility as wheat ingredients. I have not reacted to these products but if you suffer severe celiac disease then you could have a reaction.

What are your favorite Trader Joes gluten free products?

4 Comments

Lady Winter says:

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I guess they gave you special, guaranteed-to-get-a-good-review products, because I just bought a loaf of their brown rice gluten free bread, and they should be ashamed. It’s so dry, it’s like eating sawdust, first of all. Second of all, it’s so hard I’m honestly wondering if it’s actually made of clay and this is a brick I see before me. A straight-up brick made for building houses with. It’s absolutely disgusting that makers of gluten-free bread universally charge more than twice as much for a product 2/3 the size of the bread healthy people can eat AND 95% of the products on the market are also inedible UNLESS toasted or soaked in oil or mayonnaise. I hate mayonnaise! I’m not happy that I have to pay more just for a substandard sandwich that WON’T put me in the hospital. Come on. Really?

1. livingfreelygf says:
  
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  Trader Joes has never paid me a dime for anything. This was all my honest opinion. I have not eaten their brown rice bread, because in general all of the brown rice bread I have eaten is disgusting. They do however, have a gluten free white bread loaf that tastes pretty decent. It is smaller, as most is for gluten free. Franz is a great sandwich bread and Schar as well.
  
Leslie Davis says:

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Thank you for your honest information. My dr. Suggested a gluten free diet for me . It’s quite a change from my norm and I’m happy to see tour reviews on products. Thank you , Leslie

1. livingfreelygf says:
  
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  You are very welcome Leslie. Please reach out if you need anything. I hope this change helps!

Trader Joes Gluten Free Product Reviews