9 Trader Joe’s Items That the Middle Class Needs To Buy in 2025, According To Superfans

The votes are in and the winners have been announced for the 2025 Trader Joe’s 16th Annual Customer Choice Awards.

Over the last 16 years, Trader Joe’s customers have rocked the vote for their favorite products at the supermarket chain spanning across 11 categories. From new arrivals to sweet treats, shoppers might discover new favorite grocery items via the Customer Choice Awards (or staples that can help them save money every week).

Keeping middle-class shoppers in mind, GOBankingRates pulled nine fan favorites under $5 each from the list of nominees and winners. Find out which Trader Joe’s items you should shop for this year.

• Price: $3.99

The produce category was stacked with an incredible lineup of nominees this year, but first place went to the teeny tiny avocados. 

We can’t say we’re surprised. The avocados have now been ranked first for Trader Joe’s produce four times thanks to the avocados’ versatility in meals and snacks and their affordable price. With six teeny avocados in every bag, shoppers pay about 67 cents per avocado.

• Price: $0.23 each

Coming in second place in the produce category are bananas, which cost just 23 cents each at Trader Joe’s. 

Compared to Target where Good & Gather brand bananas are 29 cents apiece, middle-class shoppers are able to save six cents without sacrificing good taste.

• Price: $1.29 each

In third place for produce are crunchy honeycrisp apples, available at the sweet price of $1.29 apiece. 

The same apple variety retails for $1.79 each at Target, so Trader Joe’s shoppers save a cool 50 cents.

• Price: $2.79

For the second year in a row, hash browns are reigning supreme as the top breakfast and brunch buy. 

Each package contains at least eight fully cooked hash browns that are easy to heat up in the oven or in a skillet. Pair with bacon and eggs or a quiche for a cheap and filling breakfast.

• Price: $2.99

Keep a bag of vegetable fried rice in the freezer for the nights where you need a satisfying dinner that takes only a few minutes to cook up. 

This fan favorite landed fifth place in the best overall products category thanks to being equal parts delicious and convenient to make. Each frozen bag is packed with rice, carrots, edamame, corn, green peas, leeks and red bell pepper and seasoned with soy sauce and rice wine. Enjoy it on its own or add to a stir-fry or fried tofu.

• Price: $3.49

Eagle eye readers will notice that the steamed pork and ginger soup dumplings made two appearances in this year’s Customer Choice Awards. The dumplings took third place in the best lunch and dinner category and second place as one of the best overall products at Trader Joe’s.

We added these dumplings as a freezer staple to keep handy on the nights when you want takeout, but don’t want to pay takeout prices. These dumplings require about two minutes in the microwave before they’re hot and ready to enjoy.

• Price: $2.49

Organic corn chip dippers were voted as the third most popular snack, and they’ll go a lot easier on your wallet than other name-brand chips. 

By comparison, a 9.25 ounce bag of Fritos is available at Target for $4.69 each. This is more than double the price of the dippers at Trader Joe’s — and fewer chips, too, as the dippers come in 9.75-ounce bags.

• Price: $3.99

Two flavors of Hold the Cone! — strawberry and chocolate chip — received honorable nods as runners-up in the new and sweet treat categories. 

For the price, you can’t beat adding a box of the chocolate chip to your Trader Joe’s shopping cart. Every box contains eight mini cones filled with ice cream, coming out to about 50 cents each.

• Price: $3.99

Save the date for fall 2025 when the spiced cider is back in stock at Trader Joe’s. 

This limited-time favorite received honors from shoppers as the No. 1 beverage. Shout out to the voters and the cider’s refreshing fall flavor full of cinnamon, allspice and cloves, coupled with a refreshing price tag for making this win possible.

Editor’s note: Prices and availability are accurate as of Feb. 6, 2025, and are subject to change.