As a devotee of Trader Joe’s, the arrival of this season marks a special time for indulging in their chocolate-covered treats. Among these delights, the Trader Joe’s Sweet & Salty Snack Mix stands out, even though it doesn’t scream holiday cheer with festive shapes or packaging. Yet, the appealing image on the package suggests it would be a perfect addition to your festive gatherings.
This mix is a delightful blend of four key components, highlighted by two that are generously coated in luxurious, smooth milk chocolate.
The first ingredient and the star of the show is the caramel popcorn, which forms the bulk of the mix. It offers a satisfying crunch, enhanced by a rich caramel layer and topped with chocolate, creating a snack that’s both crunchy and rich. As I mentioned, this is the bulk of the mix and not a bad thing to have to make up the majority of it. There is something to be said for handfuls of that sweet, crunchy, salty, chocolatey popcorn. But in my opinion, it is not the star of the show.
The chocolate-coated potato chip shards are another highlight, offering a deliciously addictive crunch. I wish I could have a whole bag of these. I thought this part was genius but then I find myself wishing for more of these delightful pieces in the mix. I’ve had chocolate covered potato chips before and like the chocolate covered caramel popcorn, it offers that delightful salty sweet combination that we all crave. If it was just the popcorn and potato chips I would be a happy person. The pieces are small and not enough. More please!
The next two ingredients don’t have chocolate drizzled on them and that I think is a big mistake by Trader Joe’s.
The mini peanut butter-filled pretzels in the mix, although devoid of chocolate, are enjoyable. They pack a surprising peanut butter punch despite their small size. If only they had put chocolate on these, we’d all be in heaven. They seem out of place next to the popcorn and potato chips all naked and just boring old pretzels.
Rounding out the mix are roasted peanuts, a simple yet satisfying addition. Like the pretzels, these too seem like filler for the other good stuff.
Final Verdict
Priced around $4, this snack mix is a great choice for various occasions, from adding a sweet touch to your afternoon to simply treating yourself without needing a specific reason. But I feel like most people will just eat around the peanuts and pretzels and go for the popcorn and potato chips because I know I did! What I had to force myself to do is just grab a handful and not look at everything and when I popped all that in my mouth, it was a great mix. This is a fun snack mix to put out for the holidays.
I am going to grant this Holiday snack mix a solid 7 out of 10 Bells!
INGREDIENTS:
MINI PEANUT BUTTER, FILLED PRETZEL NUGGETS (UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID], PEANUT BUTTER ROASTED PEANUTS, SUGAR, SALTI, SALT, PALM OIL, CORN SYRUP, L-CYSTEINE HYDROCHLORIDE [DOUGH CONDITIONER], SODIUM HYDROXIDE [PROCESSING AIDI), CARAMEL POPCORN (CANE SUGAR, BROWN RICE SYRUP, POPCORN, SUNFLOWER OIL, SALT, BAKING SODA), ROASTED AND SALTED PEANUTS (PEANUTS, PEANUT OIL, SALT), SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE (SUGAR, COCOA MASS (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI], COCOA BUTTER, MILK FAT, SOY LECITHIN, NATURAL VANILLA FLAVOR), POTATO CHIPS (POTATOES, SUNFLOWER OIL, SEA SALT).
CONTAINS MILK, SOY, WHEAT, PEANUT.
MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF EGG, ALMOND, CASHEW, COCONUT, PECAN.
