Every State’s Favorite Trader Joe’s Must-Have is Here

Oct. 21, 2024

Trader Joe’s is beloved across the United States for its unique, delicious, and often quirky products, but every state has a favorite TJ’s item – and the surrounding hype can get intense. From sweet treats to savory bites, the US is a conglomeration of food lovers who can’t get enough of Trader Joe’s items across a host of categories. Get out a pen and pencil and prepare to take notes on these favorites across the states (so you can use it as your shopping list):

Why it Matters:

Trader Joe’s is and has been notoriously good at representing a wide variety of cultures through flavor innovations and ethnically-inspired convenience items that allow a larger amount of people to try new flavors in the comfort of their own home, which is an important society-shaping tool.
People are able to try high-quality, fun, and niche items at affordable prices, making the entire shopping experience feel like a luxury – making it a great way to spend a date night or get into cooking for yourself. What a great way to reduce stress, get creative, and perhaps replace another unsavory habit with food intention?

Key Takeaways:

Trader Joe’s’ Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups is the most-loved item of all (we aren’t surprised).
Two seasoning blends made the list – which just goes to show you that Trader Joe’s is good at producing and sourcing products from essentially every category.
Florida loves their Organic Creamy Tomato Soup, New Mexico their Frozen Chicken Tamales, and Rhode Island their Caramelized Onion Dip
Over four ethnicities are represented in the top item picks across the states

There are so many Trader Joe’s items out there to discover and fall in love with, but most states have gotten smitten with their favorite already. Want to know what’s in the carts of Trader Joe’s shoppers across the US? We’ve got you.

Favorite Trader Joe’s Products by State

Alabama: Frozen Hash Browns
Alaska: No data
Arizona: Chicken Tikka Masala
Arkansas: Mini Vegetable Samosas
California: Mandarin Orange Chicken
Colorado: Mandarin Orange Chicken
Connecticut: Mini Vegetable Samosas
Delaware: Mozzarella Sticks
Florida: Organic Creamy Tomato Soup
Georgia: Frozen Hash Browns
Hawaii: No data
Idaho: Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches
Illinois: Mozzarella Sticks
Indiana: Mandarin Orange Chicken
Iowa: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Kansas: Everything but the Bagel Cheddar Cheese
Kentucky: Chicken Tikka Masala
Louisiana: Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice
Maine: Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets
Maryland: Beef Bulgogi
Massachusetts: Everything but the Bagel Cheddar Cheese
Michigan: Chicken Tikka Masala
Minnesota: Ranch Seasoning Blend
Mississippi: No data
Missouri: Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches
Montana: No data
Nebraska: Mini Vegetable Samosas
Nevada: Mozzarella Sticks
New Hampshire: Everything but the Bagel Cheddar Cheese
New Jersey: Everything But The Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend
New Mexico: Frozen Chicken Tamales
New York: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
North Carolina: Frozen Hash Browns
North Dakota: No data
Ohio: Ranch Seasoning Blend
Oklahoma: Japanese Style Fried Rice
Oregon: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Pennsylvania: Frozen Hash Browns
Rhode Island: Caramelized Onion Dip
South Carolina: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
South Dakota: No data
Tennessee: Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches
Texas: Aglio Olio Seasoning Blend
Utah: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Vermont: Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches
Virginia: Ruggero di Bardo Susumaniello
Washington: Mandarin Orange Chicken
West Virginia: No data
Wisconsin: Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets
Wyoming: No data

North, South, East, West: Which TJ’s Item Will You Like Best?

Mandarin Orange Chicken: A cult classic, this sweet and tangy chicken takes the top spot in California, Washington, Colorado, and Indiana. It’s no wonder—it’s a takeout-style dish that’s ready in minutes and packed with flavor.
Frozen Hash Browns: Beloved in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, these crispy potatoes are easy to make and satisfy every breakfast lover’s dream. Pair with eggs, or enjoy them solo—they’re crispy perfection!
Chicken Tikka Masala: Indian-inspired flavors are a big hit, especially in Arizona, Kentucky, and Michigan. This rich, spicy dish is ideal for a quick, satisfying meal and has plenty of fans across the country.
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups: This sweet snack is a favorite in Iowa, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, and, well, everywhere. The thicker cup size and dark chocolate version make – but no less delicious (look out Reeses!).
Mini Vegetable Samosas: A favorite in Arkansas, Connecticut, and Nebraska, these mini samosas are the perfect snack. Crispy, flaky, and filled with seasoned veggies, they’re a fun way to mix up culturally-inspired meals throughout the week.
Everything but the Bagel Seasoning and Cheddar Cheese: Kansas, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New Hampshire love their everything-bagel-inspired products (and who doesn’t, really). Whether as the cheddar cheese version or in its classic seasoning form on avocado toast, this perfect blend adds a can’t-say-no punch to just about any dish.
Ranch Seasoning Blend: This all-American flavor is Minnesota and Ohio’s pick. Trader Joe’s Ranch Seasoning Blend makes adding a burst of tangy, herby ranch flavor to snacks, salads, potatoes, popcorn – you get the picture.
Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches: Idaho, Missouri, Tennessee, and Vermont love these cold, creamy treats. Each sandwich pairs chocolate chip cookies with rich vanilla ice cream, and the mouthfeel is sweetly rich and delicious.
Mozzarella Sticks: Delaware, Illinois, and Nevada are all about these gooey, cheesy appetizers (or lazy girl meal for some?) Mozzarella sticks are the ultimate comfort food, and Trader Joe’s version doesn’t disappoint.
Aglio Olio Seasoning Blend: Texans love bold flavors, so it’s no surprise that the garlicky Aglio Olio seasoning blend tops the list in the Lone Star State (they know to sprinkle it over Texas Toast for an instant upgrade.
Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets: Maine and Wisconsin know that peanut butter makes everything better. These crunchy pretzel nuggets are filled with creamy peanut butter and make a satisfyingly salty snack.
Japanese Style Fried Rice: Oklahoma enjoys a little bit of the Far East with Trader Joe’s Japanese Style Fried Rice. It’s savory, loaded with veggies, and makes a quick side or main dish for busy nights.

No Data? No Problem!

Nearly a fifth of all states, including Alaska, Hawaii, and West Virginia, don’t have specific data for their favorite Trader Joe’s items (potentially because they don’t have many/any Trader Joe’s locations). That said, there is always a chance their residents will try something from Trader Joe’s when in a different state and fall in love like most of the country – and perhaps become the next big fans of something surprising, like Trader Joe’s Ube Mochi Pancakes!

It’s fairly safe to say that if every state in the US had a plethora of Trader Joe’s locations, there would be an even bigger battle between favorite items (we’re hoping this list doesn’t ruffle too many feathers). Because the holidays are a wild time for introducing fun new food items at TJ’s, it’s likely this list will look a little different come the new year. Until then, making sure you have a stash of dark chocolate peanut butter cups to make it until then might make the transition into fall and winter a bit sweeter.

Methodology

To determine the most popular products among Trader Joe’s customers in the US, we reviewed popular hashtags related to the store and the posts tied to these hashtags to build a list of the most positively discussed products across major social media platforms — Facebook, Reddit, Twitter & Instagram. The number of comments is used as a metric to rank the top products for each state are determined based on location based comments and Google trends data.