Ice Cream Lovers Can't Get Enough Of Trader Joe's Tiny Treat

With spring in full swing and summer quickly approaching, you may have ice cream on the brain. Trader Joe's fans certainly do. Earlier this year, the chain asked customers "If you were to spend the rest of your life on a deserted island, which nine Trader Joe's products would you take with you?" The request led 18,000 participants to vote for the store's Hold the Cone! Mini Ice Cream Cones as their #1 Sweet/Dessert. The popular dessert maintained its title from last year. In 2021, the dessert was still a runner up, being beaten by Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.

Celebrity chef Ted Allen told The Kitchn "I'm not actually a regular at Trader Joe's, but I'll make a special trip for these mini ice cream cones with chocolate on top." Customers who are interested in the bite-sized treat can enjoy flavors that include vanilla, chocolate, chocolate chip, and vegan chocolate. Trader Joe's also carries Pumpkin Ginger, Coffee Bean, and Peppermint flavors, but these are seasonal. 

In a video Trader Joe's shared on its Instagram channel, the chain announced that it made updates to this fan-favorite, miniature dessert. The video's caption reads "Stop the presses! Hold the phone! We've updated our Hold the Cone! Mini Ice Cream Cones... The Cone is now crisper. The bittersweet chocolate that lines the Cone and covers the scoop is notably richer. The ice cream that goes inside is considerably creamier — with 40% less overrun (read: 'air') than most frozen novelty treats." 

In a Reddit poll, one user asked Redditors "Which (dairy) Hold the Cone! Mini Ice Cream Cones flavor is your favorite?" The seasonal flavors performed best, with Peppermint (available during the winter) taking the lead with 252 votes and Pumpkin Ginger (available during the fall) coming close behind with 237 votes. Chocolate Chip was a close third with 227 votes, followed by Coffee Bean (available during the spring), vanilla, then chocolate. One user wrote, "the poll is pretty surprising, the chocolate one is objectively the best and I don't even like chocolate." Another user wrote, "I voted peppermint but I like the original peppermint with the chocolate cones. When they changed it I bought them 1 more time, tried them, didn't like them & stopped." 

While opinions vary on the snack's flavors, the flavors' cones are distinct too. For example, Trader Joe's writes on its website that the Chocolate Chip Hold the Cone doesn't come with a "traditional sugar cone," but instead comes in a chocolate cone. The serving size for this variety is 3 cones that are 280 calories per serving. The Coffee Bean flavor comes with a chocolate sugar cone. Three cones are 250 calories per serving. Each box costs $3.99. You may want to check out individual packages to determine which flavor is the best fit for you.   

YouTubers Tami Dunn and her husband Kevin put several Trader Joe's Hold the Cone Flavors to the test in this video: vanilla, chocolate chip, and chocolate. Dunn shares that each box comes with eight cones. "Aren't they cute?" she says as she opens the box. She also notes that there is chocolate at the bottom of the cone she tries. "It's something you could eat in about three bites because they're so small," Dunn says. She suggests that because the chocolate cone is so intense, it's difficult to taste the chocolate chip. Her husband also said he would've preferred this version to contain milk rather than dark chocolate on its coating because the chocolate tastes too bitter.

One YouTube user responed, "Thanks for the review. The chocolate topping tastes the way it does because it's not real chocolate. When they say chocolatey, legally they can't call it chocolate because the chocolate Butter is replaced with something like vegetable oil 'cheaper.'" While the Dunn duo voted for the vanilla flavor as their favorite, other YouTubers commented that they appreciate a bitter rather than sweet chocolate taste, like the chocolate chip variety has. On its website, Trader Joe's confirms that the cones are solely made for the grocery store chain, so you may want to check with your local store to see what flavors are available. In addition to this sweet treat, you may also be interested in exploring what you should buy on your first trip to Trader Joe's.