18 Trader Joe's Snacks Your Kids Will Love

Trader Joe's can feel like an adult's version of the Willy Wonka factory. Whimsical snacks, seasonings, and dips come and go with dizzying abandon, inspiring cult loyalty and buzzy excitement with each new product. While there's always something delicious for the grown-ups on hand, it can seem a little tougher to pick something to satisfy the finicky palate of a kid. Even if your little one has some fun trying to locate one of the classic Trader Joe's hidden stuffed animals that can be tucked in any aisle, they might as lucky at finding a treat they want. After all, unique products like the fan-fave Trader Joe's Greek Chickpeas may be a hard sell for any tyke despite inspiring fervor among older eaters. 

Still, if you look in the right places, you can locate excellent snacks that are filling, nutritious, and a true treat for the younger crowd. These are the best snacks for kids that you can find at Trader Joe's, featuring items that are either healthy, allergy-friendly, or just simply delicious. Fortunately, you can likely find an option for even your pickiest little eater on this list.  

A classic option, Trader Joe's offers a slightly sophisticated twist on fruit leather with these buttons. Available in grape-mango (my personal favorite), strawberry-mango, and mango flavors, these half-ounce packets contain chewy, tasty circles that just happen to be organic and gluten-free. 

While fruit leather is always a great choice for kids, the fun part about this snack is the packaging. Like a fruit roll-up, kids can peel the circles from a sheet, much like they were peeling off edible stickers. The tactile element promises a bit of playfulness for kids, not to mention these are already conveniently portioned out so parents can easily tuck them into a lunch box. 

While Trader Joe's has plenty of potato chip options that can please parents and kids, none have a shape as adorable as these Crunchy Curls. Made with a blend of lentil flour and potato starch, these are both gluten-free and vegan, a helpful detail if you've got an allergen-sensitive kid. 

Some people have knocked the taste of these curls as being slightly blah, but this mellow crunchiness suits a lot of kid palates, particularly the ones who prefer it bland — you know, the kid that craves white rice and boxed mac and cheese on the regular. For them, these puffy corkscrews promise a nice amount of saltiness and crunchiness to satisfy any afternoon hunger pangs. 

Anything that can taste like candy without actually being candy is worth buying, especially if you're an adult managing a kid's sweet tooth. I think these Pink Lady Apple Chips with cinnamon sugar fit that bill very nicely, offering a crunchy and sugar-coated snack that has that classic tangy apple flavor. 

Though it can taste like dehydrated apple pie filling, the simple ingredient list is free of dyes and artificial preservatives. Some buyers noted the odd stem still being stuck on random apple chips, but I haven't had that bad luck myself. Overall, I think this is a great fruity option for the juvenile sweet hounds. 

When in doubt, throw something pizza-flavored toward your kids. Like TJ's recent foray into bold pizza-inspired salad, these Pizza Seasoned Crackers are the perfect, lighter-weight option for any savory pie cravings. Essentially crackers covered in a marinara sauce and a sprinkling of oregano, these fun rounds are delicious on their own but also easily customizable. 

If your tyke needs a bit more razzle-dazzle, a touch of string cheese, shredded mozzarella, or pepperoni slices on top will make this even more pizza-like. If you're looking to avoid stuffing your kids with Totino's pizza rolls or want to give them something a bit more compact than a pizza Lunchable, these crackers are a nice option.

There's applesauce, then there's Trader Joe's Fruit Sauce Crushers. Like TJ's fruit leather buttons, these fruit sauce packs have a nice blend of flavors, including apple strawberry, apple mango, and apple carrot. Beyond being delicious, it helps that they come with a lot of appealing labels like organic, vegan, and gluten-free. 

Better yet, the packaging for the crushers makes them super convenient for preventing messes. Plus, the resealable top lets your moody eaters take a break in between snacking whims. If the kids like to play with their food, they might enjoy drawing shapes and squiggles on crackers or toast with the package, too. 

I've never been a huge fan of Goldfish Crackers or Cheez-Its, even when I was the same age as my toddler niece and nephew (the guinea pigs for most of my kid snack testing). So, naturally, I was skeptical when I got these for an upcoming kid visit. Consider me converted. These Cheddar Cheese Rocket Crackers are so much better tasting than the typical cheese snack on the market, and that doesn't even touch on their adorable shape. 

I've got nothing against fish-shaped crackers, but rockets? It's a fun contrast that unlocks plenty of creativity and excitement for kids who like to look to the stars. Of course, some kids will riot if their regularly scheduled crackers change shape, so be prepared to have to win them over first. 

Last year, I found TJ's limited edition Sugared Rice Cracker Stars to be a solid hit with the kids. So I was excited when I found out that Trader Joe's was continuing the fun, this time with a pink and white heart-shaped take for Valentine's Day. As I was checking out, the Trader Joe's clerk mentioned she thought they tasted like the sugary bits you'd find in a cereal blend. That's a fairly fitting description in my opinion. 

These are supposedly meant to mirror the flavor of the Japanese snack called senbei, and these are indeed made in another Asian country, Thailand. Along with featuring rice flour and sugar, it has a touch of soy sauce, but not enough to freak out the kids. Sweet, crunchy, but overall nondescript in flavor, it's another good option for picky eaters. 

This is one of the weird snacks that the kids I'm around love, but I just don't understand. Like a savory twist between peanut butter puffs and corn crunchies, I didn't think they would be sweet enough to go down easily, but they were a huge hit! Something about the combo of corn and peanut butter powder made them particularly happy campers. Who am I to judge?

Of course, a lot of adults dig this combo too — it's actually a remake of a cult Israeli snack food. In Israel, Bambas were also a popular after-school snack, straddling the delicious line between sweet and salty. In 2017, Trader Joe's brought the concept to America, and now a new generation of kids get to enjoy it for snacking. 

I've been a fan of Trader Joe's sunflower seed butter, so I was hoping that these cookies captured some of that magic. While they're not full-blown sugar bombs (they can't compete with a chocolate chip cookie or Oreo) they have a nice balance of sweetness and salty nuttiness. They're pretty soft and a bit chewier than a typical cookie. 

Parents may reach for this product because it promises to be free of a whole slew of allergens, like milk, wheat, soy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, and sesame. Even if your kids don't have any allergies, they may have playmates who do, so it's nice to have these cookies waiting in the wings.  

Trader Joe's has a lot of absolutely delectable yogurt options, from Icelandic-style skyr yogurt to goat milk-based yogurt. Luckily, one of the best yogurts at Trader Joe's is also one your kids will want to eat. Trader Joe's Yogurt Cups come in four iconic flavors: Strawberries & Cream, Bananas & Cream, Peaches & Cream, and –  the very best of the lot — Mangos & Cream. This is the Rolls Royce of sweet yogurt, decadent and creamy and bordering on dessert territory.  

For an extra boost in protein (for turning it into a quick before-school breakfast rather than a snack), you can add another Trader Joe's high-protein snack: the Peanut Butter Protein Granola. It makes it taste like a textural mash-up of a PB&J in a way, which is half the charm for the kids. 

This Trader Joe's snack requires two products, but I find them to be a dynamic duo. The Creamy Almond Butter (I prefer the salted version but unsalted is another good option) is a delicious alternative to peanut butter and the perfect topping for rice cakes. Sure, rice cakes aren't the easiest sell to kids, but they have crunch and when masked with creamy nut butter, they make for a hearty snack that is healthy and nourishing rather than floating with empty calories.  

This is a flexible combo too. You can add a bit of honey or jelly if they like it a bit sweeter, or salted, chopped nuts if they like it saltier. I prefer the brown rice cake thins because they mimic more of a cracker than a too-thick health food wafer like typical ones can feel like.   

This is one of those rare treats that please both adults and kids. In fact, this made Chowhound's recent list as one of the best Trader Joe's snacks (where no age limit was considered). Trader Joe's tends to knock it out of the park when it comes to dried fruit and nuts in general, but the Soft & Juicy Mango is a particular standout. More plump than other dried mango varieties, kids appreciate the texture and taste of this super-sweet item. 

Admittedly, there is one flaw with this snack: the added sugar. Yes, while it's a nice and natural option for kids with a sweet tooth, this comes with 9 grams of added sugar per serving. If that's a deal breaker for you, know that TJ's also sells Just Mango Slices, which are unsulfured and unsweetened. It may not cause such an electric response from the kids, but is a slightly healthier option. 

I've had great luck with the Gone Bananas frozen banana slices and greatly enjoyed these for roughly the same reason. Frozen fruit can seem to imitate the appeal of sorbet for youngsters, and these chilled strawberry pieces double down on this sweetness with a covering of dark chocolate. I like the small size of the individual bites because it makes it seem like I'm doling out generous portions. 

As noted by the retailer, these are best enjoyed straight from the freezer, so that they have a chilly crunch to them. That makes them a snack you can't exactly travel with but works great as an at-home treat. 

Mini pancakes make kids go berserk. I don't make the rules; they just do. While you can reheat these in a number of ways, including in the microwave or on the stovetop, the most convenient element about these frozen pancakes is that itsy-bitsy size. One serving is equal to 10 pancakes, clocking in at 240 calories, with very little added sugar. And did I mention they are organic, too?

Of course, how nutritious or decadent the snack can be depends on what you serve it with. If I go healthy, I may pair it with high-protein nut butter and low-sugar jelly or some applesauce (you can make a kid-sized Appalachian apple stack cake that way). If I want it to be a real treat, I'll serve it with a bit of maple syrup (for dipping rather than pouring over), whipped cream, or melted chocolate.   

When yogurt isn't doing the trick for the tykes, Trader Joe's Overnight Oats are a great option. Though it comes in both peanut butter and vanilla flavors, I like to stick with peanut butter as the kid-friendly option. This one cup packs a nice amount of fiber and protein, just what I need to tide over a hungry kid between lunch and dinner. 

This is not an overly sweet cup of oats, so if you want to make it sweeter, a dollop of jam or honey could be nice; even a scattering of mini chocolate chips would be welcome. For a healthier, sweet incorporation, add in some diced, fresh green apple, or some peeled grapes. 

My brother and sister-in-law were the first to show me that frozen waffles can be so much more than breakfast food. Once it gets crispy in the toaster, you can slice these discs into individual waffle fingers, perfect for dipping into nut butter, syrup, honey, or applesauce. And if I'm going to use a particular brand of frozen waffle, I'll skip the famous ones for Trader Joe's Whole Grain Waffles.

Because these are made with whole grain flour, your kids will get a higher dose of fiber and potassium than they would if they were just noshing on a plain Eggo waffle. I find these also have a pleasantly nutty flavor, though the kids don't seem to notice it — which may be a blessing in disguise. 

Trader Joe's has a lot of fantastic breakfast bars that will likely please your kid. The store's fruit-filled "Walks into a Bar" series is always a crowd-pleaser, as is the tried-and-true Organic Chocolate Chip Chewy Bars. But I don't think the brand's ABC Bars get enough love for how addictive yet low-sugar they are. 

Another good allergy-sensitive option, these almond butter and cocoa bars have a nice blend of salty and sweet notes. Though this choice doesn't pack as much fiber or protein as some of the other items on this list, its minimal amount of sugar makes it a good choice nonetheless. The children I shared them with found that the soft, chewy texture was a nice selling point as well.  

Again, kids love tiny things. So, baby corn is going to be hit as soon as they see it. Unlike the pickled variety you can find in stores, these tender little veggies offer raw, plain sweet corn flavor in a crunchy form. Think of them as celery sticks with twice the character. 

Normally, I can get little ones to eat these without anything to go with it, but I imagine a bit of ranch or hummus would be a good pairing. If you have leftover baby cobs that need to be enjoyed by the adults hanging around, do yourself a favor and add them to salads. They're the perfect veggie substitute for carby croutons. 

I based most of my snack selections on past success with my niece and nephew, not to mention a few sweet neighborhood kids I've had the pleasure of hosting. I also tried some recommendations from parents on Reddit who listed what snacks made the cut with their picky children. 

Each snack was also evaluated for some basic qualities that many parents are looking for when giving their kids a snack, including allergy-sensitive items, nutritious options, and organic, minimally processed choices. Of course, plenty of the snacks are just meant as sweet treats that spark childlike joy — a quality worth preserving no matter what age your kid is.