What to Buy at Trader Joe’s in June

June is halfway through the year, which means it’s time to freak out about being halfway through the year. I’ve found that browsing Trader Joe’s new items can soothe the specific cocktail of panic from the realization that you’re still procrastinating on your New Year’s Resolution, mixed with the daunting task of already having to budget for holiday gifts. With TJ’s by my side, I’ve become something of an expert at riding this early summer emotional roller coaster. 

Here are six new Trader Joe’s items I’m most excited about.

Strawberry Doodle Cookies

Strawberry joins “snicker” and “labra” as elite doodles in this new Trader Joe’s treat. Some think the only characteristic of a snickerdoodle is cinnamon sugar, but the distinct cookie recipe swaps in some margarine and sneaks in some extra leavening for that soft-in-the-middle, crispy-on-the-outside sweet spot. This summer take on the snickerdoodle takes that base doodle and replaces the warm, cozy cinnamon sugar with bright, refreshing strawberry powder sugar. To get even more produce into the mix, they, well, literally added more produce into the mix. The strawberry and apple puree in the cookie should make you even more comfortable bringing these to a potluck, where you’ll be prepared to scoff at any Karen who says, “I dunno, snickerdoodles aren’t really SEASONALLY APPROPRIATE.” Will they live up to the better-than-middling review we gave Trader Joe’s classic snickerdoodles? Find them in the bakery section and let us know.

Passion Fruit Sorbet

Yeah, we love a night of passion, as long as by “passion” you mean an entire pint of this passion fruit sorbet that’s new at Trader Joe’s. Maybe we’ll pair it with an episode of Bake Off that’s got Mary Berry saying “soggy bottom,” if we’re feeling particularly raunchy. You will catch us puckering up, but it’s because of the tart, tropical flavor of passionfruit that we just don’t see enough of. This sorbet is bright, sweet, and tangy all at the same time, making it a perfectly refreshing summer treat. End your day or start your morning with it, because the first two ingredients are water and passionfruit puree so it’s basically a breakfast smoothie! Bonus points for being vegan!

Toscano Cheese Crunchy Chili Onion

I imagine the creation of this new Trader Joe’s cheese to be like a superhero origin story: Some mad genius cooking up some new curds accidentally spills a vial of turbocharged deliciousness (aka chili onion crisp) into the concoction. The result is a cheese that encompasses the best of Toscano cheese and the finest of chili crunch, giving you the perfect shortcut to flavor on your cheeseboard, melted over potatoes, or crumbled over salads. (At least, that’s what I hope—I haven’t tasted it yet.) Not all heroes wear capes—some wear saran wrap.

Raspberry Vanilla Blueberry Macarons

Sure, the Fourth of July isn’t until next month, but you need to take this month to taste test and quality control these tri-colored, tri-flavored macarons that are new at Trader Joe’s. After all, you have to make sure they’re good enough to justify hiding them from your guests so you can have them all to yourself.

Root Beer Float Pieces

For some (me), the best thing in the world is one single spoonful of a root beer float. But sometimes you don’t want to commit to the whole float. Enter, one of the more innovative new Trader Joe’s items we’ve seen in a long time. The delightful innovation is made up of a vanilla sandwich cookie filled with vanilla creme popping candy and covered in a root beer candy coating. Now you can have one bite of a root beer float whenever you want!

Spicy Mango Habanero Guacamole

Don’t you hate it when the taco truck with the legendary guac drives into the wing joint with your favorite mango habanero sauce? Probably, if you’re the insurance company. Otherwise, you’re stoked on that best-of-both-worlds occasion. Thankfully, this new Trader Joe’s product gives us the flavor collision without the actual collision. While Progressive reps rest easy, you can delight in an exciting chip and dip platter or leveled up burritos, while enjoying the spare time you now have because you got all the delight of mango habanero and guacamole all in one fell swoop.