The 16 Best Trader Joe's Breakfast Items

Trader Joe's is a treasure trove for impulse shoppers ... like myself. Not only does the grocer carry staples that you can find at other grocery stores — occasionally for a better price — but it also carries items that you can't help but "ooh" and "ahh" over. You'll play grocery roulette with these fun products, so long as the packaging is entrancing enough to convince you to add them to your cart. Luckily, Trader Joe's has a great return policy, but you still don't want to get swindled into buying something that isn't top-notch. And unfortunately, the store's breakfast selection can be really hit or miss. 

To save you some time in deciding which items to add to your grocery cart, I took the liberty of assembling some of my favorite Trader Joe's breakfast products on one list. These items represent the best that the grocery store has to offer. Not only are they satisfying options that rival the taste and texture of products available at other stores, bakeries, and breakfast joints, but they also run the gamut of savory, sweet, and everything in between.

I could wax poetically about Trader Joe's peanut butter protein granola until the end of time. I bought it for the first time on a whim, not thinking it was going to be that good. But now, whenever I make a trip to the grocer, I always buy a couple of bags for my pantry. This granola not only tastes like peanut butter, but it also has massive chunks of peanuts spread throughout. Every bite has a nutty undertone, making it the perfect addition to a Greek yogurt bowl. 

You could also eat it out of hand if you prefer, or toss it with your other favorite Trader Joe's cereal in a bowl of milk. The extra protein in this product will help you start your day on the right foot, while the flavor will have you dreaming of all things peanut buttery. It's a must-have Trader Joe's product, and it's one you'll want to add to your breakfast routine.

I'd be hard-pressed to say that Cheerios are anyone's favorite cereal. But, they're definitely up there for me, mostly on account of how versatile they are. This Trader Joe's cereal, under its Joe's Os umbrella, isn't nearly as flashy as some of the other breakfast choices on this list, but it certainly does the job. If you fed me a bowl of Cheerios and a bowl of Trader Joe's covert attempt at imitating the iconic toasted whole grain oat cereal, I couldn't tell you the difference between them. 

Whether you're eating this cereal in a bowl with milk or opting to mix it into a bag with some of Trader Joe's nuts or dried fruit, you know its flavor is predictable and high-quality. At the time of writing, my local Trader Joe's was preparing for back-to-school season, so the endcaps were absolutely packed with this cereal, but it's also good to know that this option is available for eaters of all ages year-round. 

The one thing that I love most about Trader Joe's is that it has a great balance of unique, novel, and fun products that you buy on a whim, as well as those dependable choices that you always keep stocked in your pantry, fridge, and freezer for weekday routines. This 10-pack of hash brown patties certainly aligns with the latter. Even though I can get more nationally accessible brands of hash browns at my local grocery store, including offerings from Ore-Ida and Great Value, I usually add a pack of these frozen ones from Trader Joe's into my grocery cart. 

They keep for a long period of time and are an excellent breakfast side dish. I've found that the best way to cook them, aside from making them in the air fryer or conventional oven, is to pop them into my toaster for two cycles. They get perfectly brown and crispy and make a great addition to my breakfast burrito. 

Anyone who has ever made cinnamon rolls knows that the time and effort are rarely worth the reward (no matter how gooey, sticky, and sweet they are). Luckily, Trader Joe's organic cinnamon rolls are so easy to make and are always a worthwhile breakfast buy if you're stopping into the store. The recipe recently underwent a revamp; now, it's made with organic ingredients. I can confirm that the rolls of yesteryear and the recent ones really aren't all that different. They're still just as soft and plush and easy to whip up in your oven as the old recipe. 

Plus, when Trader Joe's calls these rolls "jumbo," it means it. The grocer doesn't skimp on the filling, nor does it shortchange you on the icing included in the pack. My hack? Try grabbing a jar of Trader Joe's organic maple butter during the fall months and slathering it on your rolls instead. 

As you will soon realize, for being such a small grocery store, Trader Joe's carries an impressive array of waffles to appease all dietary needs. For these brioche-style liège waffles, though, you'll want to look not in the freezer section, but in its bakery. Each pastel-colored bag comes with six individually wrapped liège waffles. Now, these aren't the plain, freezer-burnt buttermilk waffles that you may be used to. Rather, these waffles are quite pillowy and decadent.

The use of enriching ingredients gives these waffles a decadent texture and beautiful color, while the pearl sugar adds a bit of sweetness to each one. They're also the perfect middle ground of being soft and crunchy, making for a satisfying breakfast. They definitely lean sweet, though not so much that they overwhelm your palate. They're best served warm, though I won't blame you if you crack open one and eat it on the car ride home. 

I'll admit it, chocolate croissants are not my favorite food. Croissants in general are overrated, though I can understand the hype behind this deceptively simple option from Trader Joe's. Unlike other croissant options (which, like its waffle selection, is impressive considering the store's size), this set of chocolate croissants must be proofed overnight. Now, I know exactly what you're thinking — because I thought exactly the same. "Why would anyone ever want to wait for croissants?" I can assure you that, although these are not my idea of a quick breakfast, the proof time is worth it. 

The croissants that come out of the oven are remarkably flaky and soft and boast just the right amount of chocolate filling. They are real evidence that patience is a virtue and that some of the best things in life take time. Serve them with a cup of coffee or as a brunch treat; aside from the baking, they're relatively hands-off. 

Trader Joe's breakfast section is filled with a lot of sweet options, from croissants and waffles to açaí bowls and pancakes. But if you look hard enough, you will discover that there are a fair number of vegetarian-friendly, savory dishes worth buying, including these small tortilla Españolas. Don't let the name fool you here; there are no flour tortillas involved in this product. Rather, this unique omelet combines egg, potatoes, and onions into a savory bite that can be enjoyed for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and even a simple dinner. It can be prepared either in the microwave or on the stovetop (I find the latter method yields a better texture, but I'll leave it for you to decide). 

This product is about as good as a pre-made egg dish can be. It's the perfect blend of salty and savory, and could be dressed up with a little bit of hot sauce or served alongside a fresh bed of greens. 

Smoothie bowls are a great idea for some folks — although if you, like me, don't have the freezer space for one, you may want to skip over this selection. I admit that I was skeptical about TJ's organic frozen açaí bowl, which comes with berries, banana, granola, and dried coconut, though I was inclined to buy it after a fellow food writer recommended it. 

This bowl is large compared with many of the other options on the market, and I think it would easily satisfy someone who's looking for a fruit-forward start to their morning. The fruit is also plentiful, though Trader Joe's also rounds out each serving with a more-than-ample serving of crunchy granola and dried coconut. Do I think that the granola included is one of Trader Joe's best options? Not at all, but it will suffice for the purposes of a quick and easy breakfast. It's hard to dislike the selection, especially if you're looking for something that accommodates gluten-free and vegan eaters.

Aside from the original flavor, blueberry is arguably the second most popular frozen waffle flavor. Though there is no shortage of offerings from different brands, it's hard for companies to nail down a good frozen waffle recipe. You don't want the blueberries to taste fake or soapy, nor do you want to abandon the buttermilk undertones of the waffle. Luckily, Trader Joe's achieves the ultimate flavor balance in its product. These blueberry waffles aren't just good — they're great. 

You can reheat these frozen waffles in a toaster, air fryer, or even an oven. Their flavor is mild and inviting, and the waffle base never entirely eclipses the fruity flavor of the blueberries. Kids love them, and adults love that they can get breakfast on the table in no time flat with the help of Trader Joe's. While I will forever be partial to the liège-style waffles, I do have a special place in my heart for this frozen Trader Joe's offering. 

I'm going to be honest with you; I didn't plan to include Trader Joe's chocolate Brooklyn babka on this list of its breakfast greatest hits. But when my store was out of pancake bread — another Trader Joe's favorite — I knew that it was a sign that the chocolate Brooklyn babka was poised to take its place. This pastry is certainly decadent and chocolatey, and it's clear that Trader Joe's doesn't skimp on the sugar when it comes to its recipe. But, aside from that sweetness, it's a pillowy, soft bake that rivals what you'd find at a bakery. 

When you cut a cross-section of it, you can see the signature twists and layers. It's really a beautiful bake, and I have no doubt that you could serve it at a brunch or upscale gathering, and everyone invited would assume you paid a pretty penny for it. Growing up, my family would eat babka on Christmas morning, but I wouldn't blame you for adding this selection to your cart year-round. 

Egg frittatas were a popular breakfast-for-dinner dish for me growing up, since all you need to do is bake the eggy mixture with your favorite add-ins in a cast-iron skillet until it pulls away from the sides. Trader Joe's makes the process a bit more seamless with its frozen egg frittatas, which are flavored with Swiss cheese and cauliflower. Cauliflower can go one of two ways in a frozen dish — it can be hidden (as is the case with another one of my TJ's favorites, the cauliflower gnocchi), or the cruciferous flavor can completely dominate the entire profile. I was worried this would be the case, especially with the eggs and the Swiss cheese, both of which taste pretty neutral. 

However, like many other Trader Joe's breakfast foods, this one is arguably pretty good. These bite-sized frittatas have some cauliflower flavor, but picky kids may not even know it's there. The cheese is creamy and nutty, and the egg base is solid. If you're looking for a cheaper, at-home alternative to Starbucks egg bites, these frittatas are definitely an option. 

Calling these Dutch griddle cakes "pancakes" is nothing short of an insult. These are more like what you'd see adorning a McDonald's McGriddle than a diner's blue plate special menu. Each of these cakes is perfectly crispy on the exterior, making them an excellent choice for your breakfast sandwiches. While they lack the signature syrup pocket that makes the McGriddle so iconic, there are more than enough ways you can add your own sweet spin to them — like by using a maple-infused condiment or just eating a plate of them with a pat of butter and a generous drizzle of maple syrup. 

Reheat them in the toaster, microwave, or conventional oven, and you'll have a tasty short stack ready for all of your breakfast tinkering. I'd venture to say that there is no wrong way to eat them, making them one of the most versatile finds in the Trader Joe's frozen breakfast aisle. 

Honey bunches of whom? Move over, because there's a new sheriff in town. This maple pecan clusters cereal is versatile, fun, and a must-have for your breakfast routine. Each bag is packed with oat and pecan clusters — which almost resemble a very nutty granola — corn flakes, and multi-grain flakes. This is an incredibly hearty cereal that can also function as a topper for your yogurt bowl or parfait. 

It would be really easy for the nutty notes in the clusters and the sugary maple flavor to overwhelm every bite, but this cereal keeps things in check quite well. If you aren't a fan of super sugary breakfast cereals but want something fibrous to start your day, this is a good cereal to add to your cart. 

Like the chocolate Brooklyn babka, this loaf of cinnamon swirl bread barely made it onto the list. I had my sights set on what I consider to be the pinnacle of breakfast bread: the maple streusel loaf. I patiently wait for its arrival every fall — like Charlie Brown waiting for the Great Pumpkin — and was sad to find that Trader Joe's didn't yet stock it in my store. Instead, I was left with this cinnamon swirl bread, which puts almost every other cinnamon swirl bread I've ever had to shame. It was a pleasant surprise, to say the least. 

I primarily use the maple streusel loaf for French toast-ing, and this one makes an equally delicious base. The cinnamon swirl is spread throughout the loaf, infusing every bite with a delectably sweet flavor. It's more dessert-leaning than anything, so if you don't like sugar before 10 a.m., you may want to skip it in favor of one of Trader Joe's other breads. But that will just leave more for the rest of us — yipee!

Joe's Os isn't done yet. Not only does it sell its Cheerios knock-off in both regular and honey form, but it also sells 5 packs of its cereal bars, which are covered in peanut butter. Based on my run-in with the peanut butter granola and these grab-and-go bars, I can assure you that peanut butter is something that the grocer does remarkably well. These bars are not only coated in peanut butter, but they also contain chunks of roasted peanuts and peanut butter in the bar itself. The flavor of the cereal is rather neutral, so the peanut butter does a good job of keeping these bars intact and infusing each bite with a rich flavor. 

Can one bar make for a whole breakfast? If you're as hungry as I am in the morning, probably not. But these are still a convenient option to keep tucked in your purse or backpack for when the craving strikes. 

Thinking about frozen quiche admittedly strikes fear deep down in my baker's heart. But the crust and the filling on this broccoli and cheddar cheese quiche surprisingly aren't too bad. This quiche is 6 ounces, making it a good fit for a hungry eater or a simple breakfast for two. The crust is buttery and flaky (as much as store-bought pie crust can be), while the center is generously filled with eggs, cheese, and broccoli. I find that quiches tend to prioritize the egg filling, but this one does a great job of balancing the flavorful add-ins and the eggy base. It's really a triumph. 

While this is far from the best quiche I've ever had, it's a tasty and easy option to throw together, bake, and enjoy. While you probably can cook it in the microwave, as some TJ's shoppers have tried, my inclination would be to always cook it in the oven or air fryer to ensure that the crust gets perfectly crispy. 

While I could have relied on customer reviews to assemble this list of the best Trader Joe's breakfast products, I instead considered my own experience with each of these products. Besides boasting a satisfying taste and texture, a product needed to have the same — if not better quality — as an item I've found at another grocery store, café, or bakery. Trader Joe's is known for two things, value and novelty, so I tried to select items that I've tried within the past year or so that met one, if not both, of these criteria. This can include a competitive price and/or be an item that you can't find easily at another store. 

While everyone's preferences may vary, this list covers a wide range of products that I believe will appeal to breakfast lovers everywhere. You can rest assured that these selections have been personally tested and are worthy of a coveted spot in your cart.