Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the freezer aisle, Trader Joe’s has unleashed schools of adorable fish-shaped pastries that might just be the cutest thing you’ll put in your mouth this week! These Japanese Mini Taiyaki are swimming into shopping carts faster than you can say “What the heck is tah-yah-kee?” Don’t worry—unlike that mysterious “seafood medley” that’s been lurking in your freezer since 2019, these fishy treats are meant to be sweet, not suspicious. For busy moms who’ve mastered the art of eating dessert in the pantry so you don’t have to share, these little aquatic confections might just be your new secret weapon!
What in the world is Taiyaki?
For the uninitiated, Taiyaki is a beloved Japanese street food that’s essentially a fish-shaped waffle with delicious fillings. Don’t worry—no actual fish are involved in this sweet treat! These adorable pastries have been swimming through Japanese culinary culture since the early 1900s, shaped like red sea bream (tai) which symbolizes good fortune. Think of them as Japan’s answer to the question, “What if waffles were more Instagram-worthy and came with built-in filling pockets?”
Swimming into Trader Joe’s Freezer Section
When I spotted these little fish shaped treats in Trader Joe’s freezer section, my heart beat a little quicker! We spent a couple of weeks in Tokyo last summer visiting my son who was studying abroad at a nearby University for several months. My son said we needed to try this street treat and my family and I became slightly obsessed with Taiyaki after that. Finding these mini versions at Trader Joe’s made me do a little jump for joy. It was one of our favorite snacks roaming the streets of Tokyo and the thought of them brought me right back!
During our Tokyo adventure, we sampled everything from traditional red bean paste fillings called Anko which is sweet (an acquired taste that my kids ultimately declared “actually pretty good”) to more modern variations like gooey cheese and Nutella filled options. The street versions were significantly larger practically a meal, while TJ’s minis are perfectly portioned for those “I just need a little something sweet” moments. The size is especially good for a party treat where everyone can sample them.
Preparation
Trader Joe’s lists three preparation methods for these fishy bites. The oven, the air fryer and the microwave. You can just toss out the microwave because what makes these so wonderful is the crispy crunchy outside crust. Putting them in the microwave will ensure that you just have a soft, boring crust.
I decided to use the air fryer for this review because I only wanted to make a couple of them and it was like 20 minutes less time in the air fryer. Making them in the air fryer is dead simple. Just turn it on to 375 f and heat them up for about 8 minutes. At least with my air fryer, five minutes wasn’t enough. They got crispy and slightly browned just perfect.
Taste Test
Tasting these on the street in Tokyo was an experience I’ll never forget. These look like mini versions of the street snacks we had. These are filled with custard, which is not traditional, but we saw plenty of vendors selling them filled with all kinds of stuff and we did have custard filled ones a couple of times (The cheese filled ones were my favorite!). These had a nice crisp and crunchy exterior that is very reminiscent of waffles. Slightly sweet with the crispy crunch. The interior is filled with a creamy, sweet custard filling that was to die for. The combination of the crunch and the custard in a bite was fantastic.
The Verdict
As someone who regularly juggles Zoom meetings while preventing kitchen disasters, I appreciate that these little swimmers require minimal effort with maximum reward. They pair perfectly with your morning coffee when you need a little “you time” before the chaos begins, or as an after dinner treat that makes you look like you actually planned dessert (we all know that’s rarely true).
Will these mini Taiyaki transport you directly to a Tokyo street market? Not quite—the authentic versions have that special something that comes from watching them being made fresh in those special molds. But for a Tuesday night when you’re craving something more exciting than the forgotten freezer-burned ice cream, these fishy little friends deliver a taste adventure without requiring a passport or breaking your grocery budget.
I really liked these and it was an unexpected treat seeing them in the freezer section. I am going to give them 9 out of 10 Stars! They are $4.99 for a bag of 8 of them.
Serve them with a full Japanese meal! Okonomiyaki or Japanese Vegan Fried Rice, or my favorite Japanese Chicken Karaage
Ingredients
- MIXED FLOUR BLEND (WHEAT FLOUR, RICE STARCH, DEXTRIN, SUGAR, BAKING POWDER, SALT, GUAR GUM, SUCROSE FATTY ACID ESTERS [EMULSIFIER])
- CUSTARD FLOUR PASTE (WATER, SUGAR, CANOLA OIL, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH [MODIFIED TAPIOCA STARCH, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH], NONFAT DRY MILK, VANILLA SYRUP [SUGAR, WATER, VANILLA BEANS], WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, WHOLE EGG POWDER, VEGETABLE JUICE [COLOR], GELLAN GUM, EGG WHITE POWDER, WHEAT FLOUR, SALT, CITRIC ACID [ACIDULANT])
- WATER
- EGGS
- SUNFLOWER OIL.
- CONTAINS MILK, EGG, WHEAT.
