Updated! Pick Up This, Not That: Trader Joe's New August Foods

POPSUGAR Photography | Erin Cullum
POPSUGAR Photography | Erin Cullum

A new month means a new variety of Trader Joe's products, and we've tried them all. From tikka masala popcorn to peanut butter and jelly granola bars, we're bringing you the good — and the bad — so that you know what to pick up and what to skip on your next trip to the grocery store. Read on for our reviews of each new item, and then recap on all the best Trader Joe's products of 2016 so far.

01
Pick Up: Organic Melon Juice ($4)

Pick Up: Organic Melon Juice ($4)

The sole ingredient in this is organic honeydew melon juice, and the major perk is there's no added sugar. It's plenty sweet as it is, and it tastes like you squeezed all the liquid out of a juicy melon and bottled it up. A cold glass of this juice is a refreshing pick-me-up on a hot day.

02
Pick Up: Organic Vanilla Fudge Chip Ice Cream ($3)

Pick Up: Organic Vanilla Fudge Chip Ice Cream ($3)

Sometimes simple is better, and this ice cream is proof. A creamy organic vanilla ice cream that's filled with the perfect ratio of chocolate chips . . . I mean, really, what more could you ask for in a dessert? This ice cream is dangerously good.

03
Pick Up: Pinks and Whites: Shortbread Cookies With Yogurt Coating and Sprinkles ($3)

Pick Up: Pinks and Whites: Shortbread Cookies With Yogurt Coating and Sprinkles ($3)

You know those pink and white frosted animal crackers with sprinkles? These are like those . . . but better. Trader Joe's version isn't overwhelmingly sweet, and the buttery shortbread cookies taste homemade.

04
Pick Up: Jalapeño and Honey Chevre ($3)

Pick Up: Jalapeño and Honey Chevre ($3)

This new jalapeño and honey flavor joins other TJ's goat cheese staples, and it's dangerously snackable. The cheese is soft enough to scoop up with a cracker, and a slight touch of sweet honey balances out the heat of the jalapeño. Eat this on its own with crackers, or spread it on a bagel or sandwich as a cream-cheese alternative.

05
Pick Up: Hot and Sweet Jalapeños ($2)

Pick Up: Hot and Sweet Jalapeños ($2)

True to its name, this jar of hot and sweet jalapeños delivers in both flavor departments. The addition of sugar sweetens up the soft slices of jalapeños, but watch out: the spiciness comes in strong the more you chew. If you can take the heat, you'd love these as a replacement for regular jalapeños in dips, chilis, and sandwiches.

06
Pick Up: Sweetened Dried Orange Slices ($2)

Pick Up: Sweetened Dried Orange Slices ($2)

"Sweetened" is the key word here — 31 grams of sugar in just three slices! — but these dried oranges are delicious. We can think of so many ways to make use of the sweet and soft oranges: dip them in dark chocolate, add them to sangria and cocktails, or chop them up and add to yogurt for a refreshing burst of citrus.

07
Pick Up: Bollywood Popcorn ($2)

Pick Up: Bollywood Popcorn ($2)

This Bollywood Popcorn is flavored with a vegan tikka masala seasoning that's so aromatic you can smell it from feet away. If you're a fan of spices like turmeric, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika, you'll be into it, although you might not be able to eat more than a handful at once. It's a little much for an everyday snack, but our tasters agree we would totally look forward to ripping open a bag after a night of drinking.

08
Pick Up: Somewhat Spicy Dill Flavored Kettle Cooked Potato Chips ($2)

Pick Up: Somewhat Spicy Dill Flavored Kettle Cooked Potato Chips ($2)

Tangy, salty, spicy, and straight-up irresistible, these dill-flavored and kettle-cooked potato chips deserve a spot in your shopping cart. Some pickle-flavored snacks completely miss the mark, but these get everything right. Each chip delivers an audible crunch and is coated in the perfect amount of a spicy (but not too spicy) dill seasoning. They're like a hybrid between sour cream and onion chips and salt and vinegar chips with a heavy dose of dill and a slight cayenne finish.

09
Pick Up: Salted Caramel Coconut Cookies ($3)

Pick Up: Salted Caramel Coconut Cookies ($3)

Satisfy your sweet tooth with these bite-size salted caramel coconut macaroon cookies. Each soft coconut cookie is filled with a generous dollop of smooth, salty caramel. Serve these up at a dinner party, and you'll fool everyone into thinking you made them from scratch.

10
Pick Up: Black and White Diamond Cocktail Cookies ($4)

Pick Up: Black and White Diamond Cocktail Cookies ($4)

Part cookie and part cracker, these diamond cocktail cookies are a salty and sweet treat reminiscent of shortbread. They're rich, buttery cookies topped with black and white sesame seeds that add an interesting layer of flavor. Eat a few of these on their own or add them to a cheese plate for an unexpected and appreciated cracker.

11
Pick Up: Rice Cracker Medley ($2)

Pick Up: Rice Cracker Medley ($2)

This rice cracker medley with Asian flavors is a lot more appetizing than it looks. You'll find sneaky hidden gems throughout the bag (wasabi green peas!) that add a punch of flavor that complements the rest of the crackers, which are flavored with soy sauce, salt, vinegar, and chili. Each crunchy baked cracker is a different shape and texture (one is even wrapped in nori), and together, they make for a dangerously snackable savory treat.

12
Pick Up: PB&J Bars ($3)

Pick Up: PB&J Bars ($3)

Let's back up: only pick these up if you are a fan of those Nutri-Grain bars with a jelly filling, because these Trader Joe's PB&J bars taste almost identical. Otherwise, they're nothing special. The filling would benefit from more peanut butter because the strawberry jelly is much more prominent, but the outer coating gets bonus points for mimicking a soft oatmeal cookie.

13
Pass: Dried Kalamata Olives ($2)

Pass: Dried Kalamata Olives ($2)

There's certainly nothing wrong with the taste of these olives — salty, bitter goodness — but it's really the packaging that makes us hesitant to buy them. The olives are sealed up in an airtight bag that's not resealable, so putting them back in the fridge is a bit of a chore. Plus, the olives are dried (sort of like a raisin), which makes them not nearly as meaty as a regular kalamata olive. You're left sucking on the pit and wishing for more of the actual olive's flesh.

14
Pass: Raises the Bar Chewy Granola Bar With Chocolate Chunks ($3)

Pass: Raises the Bar Chewy Granola Bar With Chocolate Chunks ($3)

Unless you want to start your day with an incredibly disappointing breakfast, don't bother picking up these dark chocolate chewy granola bars. The slightly sticky bars fall flat in flavor and leave a bit of a chemical aftertaste in your mouth — yum! As much as Trader Joe's gets right, it just doesn't seem to excel in the granola-bar department.

15
Pass: Raises the Bar Chewy Granola Bar With Maple ($3)

Pass: Raises the Bar Chewy Granola Bar With Maple ($3)

These maple chewy granola bars with pumpkin seeds are even worse than the chocolate ones. Seriously, just don't even waste your $3.