Trader Joe’s Latest Drop Has Everyone Planning Desserts

Trader Joe’s does good desserts. This probably is a surprise to absolutely no one who shops there – but we’ll say it anyway! Its sweet selection continues to be a source of joy for both its customers and us: Last week, we were ranking every one of its popsicles and talking about its new chocolate fish, and we’re continuing in that sugary vein today. This time, though, we’re touching on something a little more…classic. 

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That’s because Trader Joe’s has a new item in stock, and it’s got everyone thinking about how to use it. What on earth do we mean by all this? Let’s discuss.

Trader Joe’s Meringue Dessert Shells

A couple of days ago, a Trader Joe’s customer dropped a new thread on Reddit, initiating a discussion on the supermarket’s new Meringue Dessert Shells. In contrast to a lot of items in Trader Joe’s sweet selection, which tend to lean into trying something new (see the chocolate fish mentioned above for proof of this), these shells are as simple as they come. Made with four ingredients, they’re subtle. Elegant. Stylish. Refined. SOPHISTICATED, dare we say. 

Simple things often operate as a blank canvas, though – and onto this crunchy, sugary backdrop, TJ’s customers have been projecting their wants and whims in the kitchen. The thread was promptly flooded with ideas for what people could make with these Meringue Dessert Shells. Included in the list were plenty of suggestions for pavlova, the dessert with oft-disputed origins which combines fruit, cream, and meringue; Eton Mess, a traditional English option made with…fruit and cream; and boccone dolce, an Italian dessert which is created with…drumroll please…meringue, fruit, and cream (and chocolate!)

Lot Of Fruit And Cream…But Are They Any Good?

Well, that might depend on what you want from your meringue. If you like them to be a combo of chewy and crispy, then you’ll probably be disappointed. These Meringue Dessert Shells are clearly on the firmer side, and that’s saying something; one customer said that they were “uniformly hard and impossible to cut into. It reminded me of “astronaut ice cream” or other freeze-dried sweets.” 

That said, that’s the case with a lot of store-bought meringues, which tend to sacrifice moisture and chewiness for their pre-prepared vibe. And if you don’t mind your meringues having a bit more crunch to them (or you’re going to crumble them up, as you would with Eton Mess), this might not be a big problem. Either way, they’re on sale now.