The Company That's Likely Behind Trader Joe's Snickerdoodle Cookies

Have you ever bit into a tasty snack at Trader Joe's and thought, "Hmmm, this tastes familiar"? That's because it actually may be the same as another product! This is one of the secrets of Trader Joe's — the retailer works with well-known brands to source its products and place private labels on them. A perfect example of this was its soft-baked snickerdoodle cookies.

These small, two-bite cookies were soft and chewy, generously coated in sugar and cinnamon. They were also gluten-free, vegan, and free of several common allergens. You know what other brand made allergen-free cookies with a similar flavor and texture? Enjoy Life Foods, which makes baking ingredients like chocolate chips and previously produced gluten-free packaged baked goods. If you have a hunch that Trader Joe's stocks a popular brand, you can do a bit of sleuthing and compare the ingredients and allergen list — this can help confirm sneaking suspicions. Product recalls and discontinued products are obvious reveals for which brands supply to TJ's.

The snickerdoodle cookies do not appear to have had a recall at any point — but they are discontinued at both Trader Joe's and Enjoy Life Foods. Trader Joe's employees on the r/TraderJoes subreddit confirmed two years ago that the cookies would not be stocked until the grocery chain was able to find a new supplier, and since then, the allergen-free cookies have not been seen on shelves. However, in 2024, Trader Joe's introduced a new snickerdoodle; this one, while still soft and chewy, is not allergen-free and is a larger cookie. It's more expensive than the previous product ($4.99 compared to $2.99) and certainly from a different, but unknown, producer.

Aside from it simply being an intriguing and entertaining activity to track down who supplies Trader Joe's cookies, it's also practical. It can actually save you money to know what brands the grocer is sourcing from. Because TJ's uses its private label and doesn't spend money on marketing, this means the Trader Joe's-branded products come with a lower price tag. The same product from a name brand is generally more expensive due to marketing and distribution costs. This was true for the discontinued snickerdoodle cookies — the box at Trader Joe's sold for $2.99, while Enjoy Life Foods' version was $3.99. Another example: One of the best deals at Trader Joe's is its private label wine, but the grocer is notoriously secretive about what high-end and exclusive wineries it works with. 

Trader Joe's products can be hit or miss. But if you know you love a particular brand and Trader Joe's sells it under its label, then that makes decision-making while shopping so much easier. The same is true vice versa — if you dislike the original product, it will be the same at Trader Joe's.