Why Ice Cream Lovers May Want To Skip Trader Joe's

For some, Trader Joe's ice cream selections may be appealing. The grocery store chain offers seasonal flavors like candy cane, s'mores, and ube (which usually makes an appearance each year in late spring). However tempting those seasonal treats may be, you may want to pass up the frozen dessert during your next shopping trip to Trader Joe's if you consider yourself an ice cream connoisseur.

Shoppers have reported that some of the ice creams don't taste exactly like they're advertised to. The s'mores variety, for example, was criticized in a Reddit thread. 

While the original poster first noted that the ice cream inside the carton didn't resemble the appearance of the photo on the outside, some commenters were unhappy with the flavor. One user wrote, "It just tastes like chocolate ice cream," despite the carton claiming it to be graham cracker-flavored. Another commenter called the chocolate chunks "foul-tasting."

But the s'mores ice cream isn't the only offender. In general, Trader Joe's ice cream has been dismissed for its lack of quality.

When it comes to ice cream with mix-ins, it seems that fans have been disappointed in their quality, too. In that same Reddit thread, another user reported trying a lemon ice cream with cookies but found it to have only "like three cookie chunks" throughout the container. 

Others who tasted the Trader Joe's lemon cookie flavor, however, reported that their pints did include more shortbread cookies dispersed through the ice cream — but that their texture was unappealingly soggy and soft.

That's not the only texture issue that has been reported with the grocery store chain's ice creams. Trader Joe's displays its frozen offerings in open freezers — without a door or lid to keep the cold air trapped inside. Unfortunately, this can allow the ice creams to melt and refreeze in the cartons if they get too warm.

Or, while it is safe to eat, you may wind up with a layer of odd-tasting freezer burn coating your ice cream if it's exposed to air. If you're planning on buying your favorite flavor of ice cream, it may be best to buy them from a store that keeps its freezers shut when customers aren't grabbing products.

Trader Joe's may cater to vegan diets with plenty of savory product offerings, but some social media users have expressed disappointment when it comes to the chain's vegan ice cream. In a Reddit post regarding the oat strawberry ice cream flavor, some commenters thought the frozen dessert was lacking in flavor. One commenter stated that they had to enhance the dessert with a "homemade roasted strawberry sauce."

Another user wrote that the ice cream also had an overly hard texture, and the consistency was slightly grainy. Although the original poster did ultimately give the product a positive review, they noted that the ice cream did mimic other issues that the brand has had: Unpleasant textures for mix-ins, which are also only found in smaller quantities. The dessert's candied strawberries were described as "jelly-like," while the almond brittle was "very soft."

While everyone has their own personal taste preferences, it seems that quite a few Trader Joe's shoppers have been disappointed with the grocery store chain's frozen dessert offerings. Instead, it may be better to spring for a pint of your favorite national brand and stick to buying more highly praised snacks at Trader Joe's.