Dairy-Free Items at Trader Joe’s That Are Actually Worth Buying
Recently, a friend needed to go dairy-free and reached out to see if I could help. It’s a frustrating transition, even though there are a lot more dairy alternatives out there now than even a few years ago! After a few weeks, she was just stuck, eating the same foods on repeat, and needed a little variety.
Off to Trader Joe’s I went! I already had a few dairy-free products in mind that even I, a dairy consumer, love and buy regularly. So I started there and made it my mission to find all of the DF items that actually taste good.
1. Brown Sugar Oat Creamer
Image: Trader Joe’s
This dairy-free creamer is my favorite coffee creamer, period. It’s sweet, but not too sweet. It’s actually creamy and not sad and watery. This is a Trader Joe’s staple for me!
If you’re not into flavored creamers, TJ’s oat milk is a good option, too!
2. Cashew Yogurt Alternative
Image: Trader Joe’s
Yogurt was one of the biggest struggles for my newly dairy-free friend. Everyone (read: people on Reddit and Tiktok) raved about Trader Joe’s Cashew Yogurt, so I grabbed every flavor they had: Plain, Strawberry, and Vanilla. It was creamy, and a pretty good option for a non-dairy yogurt.
In the fall, TJ’s usually has a seasonal pumpkin flavor too.
3. Vegan Cream Cheese
Image: Trader Joe’s
We’ve raved about this vegan cream cheese before, and I think it’s a must-try for cream cheese lovers, dairy-free or not. Get it and then use it to make our recipe for PB&J Mini Cheesecakes.
4. Vegan Kale, Cashew & Basil Pesto
Image: Trader Joe’s
Another Trader Joe’s favorite for everyone, regardless of dietary preferences. Eat this with veggies, tossed with your favorite pasta, or spread religiously on a sandwich.
5. Vegan Buttery Spread
Image: Trader Joe’s
People often forget that butter is a dairy product. And “real” butter is a tough thing to replace. Trader Joe’s dairy-free buttery spread has good flavor and actually spreads pretty well! This one is definitely worth trying.
6. Cinnamon Rolls
Image: Trader Joe’s
Thought about gatekeeping this one because these are the best canned cinnamon rolls I have ever tasted. I learned to make cinnamon rolls from scratch because canned just wasn’t doing it for me when I needed a soft, fluffy, gooey roll. But these make me wonder if I really ever need to spend 4 hours making my own again.
They’re that good, and you’d never know they’re dairy-free.
7. Vegan Cookies & Creme Bon Bons
Image: Trader Joe’s
My only complaint here is the fact that only 6 come in a box. No other notes.
8. Penne Arrabbiata
This is a quick and tasty lunch or dinner option. The pasta is tender, the sauce is tasty, and you can “dress” it up in so many ways! Toss in some spinach, add a little vegan cheese, lentils, OR… (see below)
9. Turkey Meatballs
One of the most unexpected, hard-to-find dairy-free products – Meatballs! These are fully cooked, making them a super convenient source of protein. I like to make mine crispy on the outside using an air fryer! 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes works well for me.
10. Sunflower Seed Butter Cups
Image: Trader Joe’s
Another yummy dairy-free sweet treat.
11. Vegan Buffalo Dip
Image: Trader Joe’s
If there’s one food I’m always in the mood for, it’s buffalo chicken dip. I was skeptical of the vegan alternative (full disclosure: I was sure I would hate it), but WOW. This was surprisingly good.
The ingredient list consists of cauliflower (this is what makes the creamy base), red peppers, carrots, pumpkin seeds, cayenne pepper, lime juice, and garlic. It’s flavorful, spicy, and tangy.
12. Dairy-Free Boursin
This is another product that the dairy-free community raved about when I made my list of products to try. Boursin isn’t an exclusive TJ’s brand, but it seems like this garlic and herbs flavor is hard to find in other stores (at least in my area!). If you’re a snacker, grab this to have with crackers or veggies. I have a feeling it would be v tasty melted into some pasta or on a sandwich too.
13. Popcorn with Herbs and Spices
Last but not least, one of my favorite Trader Joe’s snacks, which just so happens to be dairy-free! This popcorn is bursting with savory, herby flavor that makes it feel gourmet compared to traditional butter popcorn.
What are your dairy-free Trader Joe’s picks?
What did I miss?!
8 thoughts on “Dairy-Free Items at Trader Joe’s That Are Actually Worth Buying”
There are 8 comments posted by our users.
As usual when it comes to food allergies and intolerance, we have to be our own advocates and read labels.
Thank you for these options. I can’t wait to try them all. I am lactose intolerant and it’s difficult for me not to eat certain things if it is not dairy free.
I picked up the vegan buffalo dip on my last Trader Joe’s trip and it is SO GOOD!! I’m glad you put it on this list because I might have ignored it otherwise. I also picked up the cinnamon rolls and am looking forward to trying them!
Another dairy free/vegan option are the vegetable masala burgers, probably the best thing at Trader Joes and I’ll cry if they ever get discontinued.
you’re DIETICIAN AND YOU DON’T KNOW THIS?!
As a dietitian, I know that seed oils are NOT “extremely toxic” and plenty of research supports that. I’d argue that unnecessarily obsessing over ingredients is worse for your health.
almost all of these have extremely toxic seed oils in them (not to mention the gums and other poopy things!), how can you possibly make a list like this?? there’s no way you don’t know about seed oils O.O
I’m so confused about the “Turkey” meatballs being on this list — are they vegan or turkey?? Also, the vegan caramelized onion dip is to die forrrrrr!!!
This list is just dairy-free items, and many of them just happen to be vegan. But the meatballs are real turkey!