Trader Joe’s ain’t no slouch when it comes to making house brand snacks. Their Honey Wheat Pretzel Sticks, Multigrain Crackers, and Organic Peanut Butter’s rival anything you can get from a big brand. And last year’s Cornbread Crisp’s? One of the best chili co-pilot’s you’ll find anywhere. Comin’ in strong for 2018 TJ’s have unleashed a new snack gunning straight for my cinnamon-soaked heart with Baked Churro Bites.

The crispy crunchy coated churro bites immediately channel corn-based breakfast cereal, caramel popcorn, and Cheetos Puffs. There’s no glistening cinnamon sugar dusting on the outside, but the specks of brown lingering in the thick golden glaze and lovely spicy aroma let me know my best bud cinny are very present in the bag.

The flavor is sweet and slightly spicy with a smooth buttery finish that tastes much more like caramel corn than a churro. They have a serious chomp to them with the hardened brown sugar cinnamon glaze taking over almost all of the exterior of the baked bites. There’s a nice burnt sugar presence that adds the right amount of depth that I want from a caramel – not purely or overly sweet. The baked element makes them very different from the delicious and greasy Cheetos Sweetos, with a firm and dry bite that highlights and elevates the overall sweetness.

Trader Joe’s Churro Bites are essentially the love child of Cheetos Puffs and cinnamon caramel corn and that’s a Franken-snack I can really get behind. While the crispy-yet-soft textural delight of a churro isn’t really represented, I’ll gladly munch these in lieu of the real warm street treat anytime.

Rating: 8/10

Found at: Trader Joe’s ($2.49)