I Tried A Bunch Of Popular Trader Joe's Items Compared To The Famous Brand-Name Versions, And Some Of The Results Actually Shocked Me

Based strictly on appearance, these two cookies are more or less identical. And it's worth noting that both Oreo's and Joe-Joe's come in lots of different seasonal flavors. As for taste, the competition was neck-and-neck. The Trader Joe's version appeared to contain even more cream filling than the Double Stuf Oreo.

The Oreo is a sturdier cookie, which crumbles slightly less (a crucial criterion for someone like me, who likes to split these cookies in half and eat the filling first). If you were to dip these into milk, my bet is that the Trader Joe's cookie would begin to break down faster.

While this decision was difficult to make and it came after careful deliberation, it ultimately came down to the flavor of the cream filling. The Oreo cream was tastier: It had a slightly airier, lighter, and creamier flavor than the denser Joe-Joe filling.

The similarity in appearance between Pringles and TJ's Saddle Potato Chips is uncanny. Seriously, they are identical twins — the same color, thickness, and weight. But when it comes to taste...there's a difference.

The Trader Joe's Saddle Chips are just too, too salty. I understand that these are meant to be a savory snack, but the TJ's version just takes the sodium a bit too far. I felt like I needed a big glass of water after eating a few. On the other hand, Pringles are the perfect amount of salty, crispy, carb-y umami.

Let's talk about the pigs in a blanket, also known as Pastry Puffs (Trader Joe's) and cocktail franks (Sabrett). IMHO, pigs in a blanket are the ultimate party app. My whole life, I thought a pig in a blanket was just a pig in a blanket...until I discovered Pastry Pups. Trader Joe's has truly taken this popular snack to the next level.

It's also hard to ignore the price: a box of 12 Pastry Pups costs $4.79, whereas a box of 24 Sabrett cocktail franks was $10.99 at my local grocery store. And of course, we should keep in mind that each Pastry Puff is double the size of the Sabrett version.

I can confidently say that the Pasty Puff is the ultimate pig in a blanket. The dough is light and fluffy, and the sprinkle of Parmesan cheese is just next level. The hot dog itself is also higher quality IMO: perfectly tender but not over salted. I would not be caught dead without a box of these in my freezer.

It was easy to spot some differences between Trader Joe's white cheddar corn puffs and Pirate's Booty aged white cheddar. The TJ's version is more irregularly shaped with lots of crinkles, whereas the Pirate’s Booty is perfectly shaped and every piece is the same. As for taste, the differences were clear too.

The TJ's version tasted a bit on the stale side (something I've actually noticed when eating this product in the past). It's not stale in a gross way; it's just less puffy and crunchy than the Pirate's Booty, which is delightfully crispy before it melts in your mouth. That being said, the cheesy flavor is almost identical.

My dog can't resist popcorn, so he came to join me for this taste test by planting himself on my lap and sniffing the competition. When I tried to give him the Trader Joe's version, he turned his nose while he kept begging for the real Pirate's Booty. I'm not lying about this behavior. And I would have to agree that the Pirate's Booty was superior in taste and texture.

I have such a weakness for cheesy, salty snacks, so both of these crunchy competitors are delicious as far as I'm concerned. But in the name of some friendly competition, I will crown a winner. The biggest difference was color: Crispy Cheetos have a very orange, obviously artificial-looking color, and they are coated with way more cheesy powder that gets all over your fingers. The TJ's version is lighter in color, and while I'm sure there are all kinds of artificial ingredients in these, Trader Joe's just makes it a less in-your-face.

As a whole, these are shockingly similar. Both are buttery and crispy and actually melt in your mouth when you take a bite. And while many gluten-free products taste drastically different, I would never be able to tell with this Trader Joe’s cookie. I'm going to call this one a tie because I know for a fact if you served me these cookies in a blind tasting, I wouldn't be able to tell them apart. (And in fact...maybe they really are the same after all??)

I did notice a bit of a difference in the aftertaste. Sabra hummus tastes slightly more complex, thanks to a bit of lemon or acidity. By contrast, the Trader Joe's hummus is a bit less citrusy, and the tahini flavor shines through more. Ultimately, you can’t beat the TJ’s price here. Given that the flavor and texture are so similar, I'm going with the better bang for your buck.

I have very strong feelings about boxed mac 'n' cheese. I think it's one of God's greatest gifts to Earth, and I actually jazz up the boxed stuff all the time for dinner. Now when I think of boxed mac 'n' cheese, my mind immediately turns to Kraft. It's the OG. Despite the very similar noodle shapes, the Kraft noodles were a lighter beige color compared to the more yellowy-orange TJ's noodles. Interesting! So can the Trader Joe's version possibly compare?

It's with great sadness that I say no, the Trader Joe's Wisconsin cheddar mac is no match for Kraft. The flavor of the TJ's mac 'n' cheese just falls a little flat, whereas the Kraft cheesy flavor is bold and sharp and creamy all at once. I don't know what the hell is in that Kraft cheese powder packet, but it's unbelievable.

It's the kind of thing that makes you think, whatever is in here definitely can't be good for me, but I'd shave a few years off my life for this. Trader Joe's made a valiant effort, and it's definitely a good thing to keep on hand for lazy nights, but Kraft remains king.

Growing up, I ate Cinnamon Toast Crunch all the time. Now in my adult life, I try to avoid making sugary cereal a daily routine, but I still do crave it from time to time. As a Trader Joe's enthusiast, I wanted to love the cinnamon squares even more than the Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Also, the Trader Joe's cereal is $2.99 versus the $6.29 I paid for Cinnamon Toast Crunch 😳 (I live in NYC; I'm used to being ripped off). But did it live up to my expectations?

After giving both versions a try, I can totally understand why this is a perennially popular kid's food. As disturbing as it looks upon opening the can, it actually tastes pretty good. I probably wouldn't buy it again, but I definitely liked the Trader Joe's version better because of the consistency of the soup and the noodle-to-soup ratio. The Campbell's version had too many noodles and not enough broth that it almost tasted like a weird stew.

I'm not a huge Takis fan, and frankly I don't love the Trader Joe's version either, but if I have to pick the lesser of two evils, I'll go with Trader Joe's. This decision is really just a question of your spice tolerance. If you want your tortilla chips heavy on the chili flavor and like spice, go for Takis. If you want more of a hint of lime, buy the TJ’s.

Hell yes, they can! Based on the color of the cheese filling, you might expect the Ritz Bits to be much more powerful. After all, the orange color is like five times more neon and more artificial looking. Surprisingly though, the Trader Joe's boasts a better cheese flavor. Maybe it's because they're "organic"? Just kidding, I'm sure it's all the same fake shit. But in any case, the Trader Joe's cheese flavor is sharper, tangier, and more pungent. I'd give these a 10/10.

My first observation was that true to the label, the Trader Joe's rolls are, in fact, jumbo. At least comparatively. Each TJ's cinnamon roll is about double the size of the Pillsbury version. It's also wrapped in a perfectly coiled circle with a layer of cinnamon between the dough. The Pillsbury rolls are more like little blobs with cinnamon sprinkled sporadically throughout.

First of all, I don't know why I don't eat cinnamon rolls more often. These are f*cking delicious. They're like fluffy, buttery pillows of fall-y goodness. Both the Pillsbury and the Trader Joe's rolls were outstanding, obviously. What could be bad? If I had to choose one to eat for the rest of my life, it would be Trader Joe's. That's mostly because I like the shape, how they easily pull apart, and how the icing seeps into the crevices. I also appreciate how the Trader Joe's icing comes in a little plastic package that you can easily drizzle onto the rolls rather than the Pillsbury icing, which requires you to use a utensil for spreading.

I don't know about you, but I feel like I ate way too many Bagel Bites as a kid. The taste of them will always remind me of childhood. And TBH, I still buy them from time to time when I'm craving something nostalgic. So when I realized that Trader Joe's also makes a version of the classic pizza bagel (albeit a much classier version called Spizzico di Pizza, whatever that means), I had to see how they compare to my childhood favorite.

The Trader Joe's Spizzico di Pizza is heavy on the crust and light on the toppings. And the most obvious difference is that the Bagel Bites are topped with pepperoni while the TJ's version is only cheese. Now there's no doubt that the Bagel Bites are a greasy and delicious finger food, and the pepperoni adds that irresistible saltiness.

But the Trader Joe's Spizzico di Pizza is version 2.0 of your average pizza bagel. As the name suggests, it's a little sophisticated. It's got a really solid crust and a creamy-meets-tangy blend of mozzarella, Swiss, cheddar, and Parmesan cheese. Leave it to Trader Joe's to take a common frozen food and take it to the next level.

If you're wondering why I chose dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate, it's because a) I prefer dark chocolate, and b) my local CVS only had the dark chocolate version. I guess people are stocking up for Halloween. Anyway, both peanut butter cups are equally sized and come individually wrapped. I guess you could say that once unwrapped, the Trader Joe's chocolate exterior looks a little more gourmet.

But truthfully, I can't proclaim a winner. I'd be pleased with whatever peanut butter and chocolate candy you hand me. It's a quintessential combination that always tastes delicious. The Trader Joe's cup contains slightly more peanut butter, but the Reese's chocolate is ever-so-slightly more bitter as dark chocolate should be, so it's a tie. I'll happily continue to buy both.