As we head toward the most wonderful time of the year, it’s time to pull out all the stops on meals, snacks, and sweet treats that have us feeling festive. It’s no secret that Trader Joe’s dessert aisle is chock-full of delicious, seasonal bites from peppermint bark to iced gingerbread people, but two of the grocer’s new desserts are giving these holiday classics a run for their money.
The newly released individual servings of Italian Tiramisu and Pretzel Bread Pudding could be the perfect nightcap for your Christmas feast, and we recommend testing each one out a few times before the big day to figure out exactly what will satisfy your holiday sweet tooth.
Creamy, spongy tiramisu and sticky-sweet bread pudding are classic Christmas desserts for a reason—they scream special occasion and offer a perfect, decadent sweet course to dig your spoon into. While Christmas cookies may rule the roost in certain households, there’s a reason why everyone from celebrity chef Jamie Oliver to the Today Show has a Christmas tiramisu recipe up their sleeve and why a plate of fresh, steaming bread pudding drizzled in sauce instantly calls up crackling fireplaces and mugs of hot cocoa. You can’t beat the cozy experience of these impressive-looking pastries (and it doesn’t hurt that both typically involve a boozy element, from the rum or Marsala wine typically added to tiramisu to the bourbon in traditional Southern bread pudding recipes).
With these new Trader Joe’s additions, you can get all the festive quality of ornate dessert plates without the hours of careful Great British Bakeoff-style sweating over hot pans—just heat and serve, and, judging from the early reviews, neither you nor your holiday guests will be remotely disappointed.
Posts from the traderjoes
community on Reddit
Trader Joe’s aficionados took to Reddit to weigh in on both the Italian Tiramisu, sold in boxes of two individual servings, and the Pretzel Bread Pudding, also served in two individual pudding cups and topped with a side of salted caramel sauce.
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One satisfied shopper called the bread pudding “amazing” and said they were “going back to buy 10 more.” Another called it “insanely delicious,” with a third shopper confirming this treat got a “thumbs up, way up” from her: “It’s all I can do to keep from eating the other one,” they wrote, after digging into their first.
As for the tiramisu, while some non-coffee-drinking shoppers noted on Reddit that the caffeine content in this dessert might give those who typically abstain a buzz, others saw the caffeine boost as just one more reason to pick this up ASAP. If you enjoy an after-dinner coffee, this might just be your new TJ’s favorite, and could be an especially good pick-me-up for a holiday food coma.
“A delicious dessert AND something to wake [me] up all in one?? I’ll take 5,” wrote one enthusiastic commenter. “I [loved] this tiramisu as a frequent coffee drinker and tiramisu fan,” another added. Even the original poster who warned that the caffeine kept her up far later than intended noted that the dessert was “delicious” and that she “couldn’t get enough” while eating it.
So, if you’re still on the hunt for your Christmas desserts and baking from scratch isn’t your thing, take this as a sign—as usual, Trader Joe’s has your back with easy-to-prepare, crowd-pleasing holiday desserts that, plated well, will look like you’ve been bent over mixing bowls all day.
Louisa Ballhaus
Louisa is a culture writer and author from New York City covering entertainment, celebrity, and lifestyle content for outlets like Cosmopolitan and Bustle. Read more about Louisa
