The Trader Joe's Treat I'd Pick Over Its Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups Any Day

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If someone asks you to close your eyes and think of a Trader Joe's candy, which one is going to come to mind? It's unlikely to be the Gaggle of Gummy Candy (which I thought was weirdly wet and will never buy again), but it might be the Scandinavian Swimmers — which are a far better option. However, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the most well-known candy at Trader Joe's is the little plastic container of Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. I will agree that these TJ's peanut butter cups taste really good, and chocolate and peanut butter are clearly an iconic pairing. But I won't say that these fan-favorite sweets are the best the grocer has to offer, especially when the Dark Chocolate-Covered Espresso Beans are just waiting in the wings. 

Nowadays, I have to add a container of the Dark Chocolate-Covered Espresso Beans to my cart every time I go to the grocer because they are just that good. The chocolate is smooth and creamy, and the espresso bean inside is not at all harsh or hard to bite into. The flavor is mellow and mocha-y, and when combined with the rich and not-at-all-bitter chocolate, it's a heavenly bite that beats the savory mashup of dark chocolate and peanut butter every time. Moreover, while the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups make me feel sluggish and slow in the middle of the day (note to self: Maybe don't eat three in a single sitting?), the Dark Chocolate-Covered Espresso Beans make me feel energized and willing to conquer the rest of my day with gusto.

Although I may be making it seem like no one is paying attention to the Dark Chocolate-Covered Espresso Beans, that cannot be further from the truth. There are many folks that have also tried and fallen in love with them. Many shoppers have praised the ratio of chocolate to coffee bean, while shoppers living too far from a TJ's have resorted to buying them on Amazon, despite the super high markup. Aside from their flavor, reviewers report eating this treat to help them stay awake. "Awesome travel aid! Getting drowsy on the road, eat a handful of these," suggested one Amazon reviewer, while another, who noted that these are a bit of an acquired taste that kids may not love, said, "Just a few of these tasty coffee-lovers candies can give you the spark you need at the end [of] your workday."

Perhaps the greatest benefit of these beans, and the reason why I like them more than Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, is because you can use them for more things. They are excellent when eaten out of hand (just make sure to savor them, not just shovel them into your mouth as I usually do), though I love them on top of a scoop of high-quality store-bought chocolate ice cream. They would be just as tasty in a trail mix, and since Trader Joe's stocks many excellent nuts (which I tried for a previous taste test), you should have no shortage of options. I recommend pairing them with the Caramel Coffee Almonds for a double dose of java goodness.