The Trader Joe's Chocolate Bar That Belongs In Your Shopping Cart

Whether you're visiting Trader Joe's for the first time or the hundredth time, there are always a slew of products that should make it into your cart. The TJ's products I buy every time are fresh flowers, wine, a tub of stracciatella burrata filling, a box of naan crackers, and some dark chocolate peanut butter cups. But apparently, there is another must-have item that I've been missing. 

This popular, sweet, and delicious essential item is a chocolate bar called Trader Joe's Swiss Milk Chocolate with 30% Whole Hazelnuts. According to a taste tester from The Takeout, it is among the best Trader Joe's chocolate bars. As the name suggests, this bar hails from Switzerland and is chock-full of crunchy hazelnuts surrounded by silky, luscious, and decadent milk chocolate. Unlike nutty chocolate bars offered by competitors, this bar contains real, whole hazelnuts instead of tiny, fragmented pieces you can barely taste. It has the perfectly balanced texture of smooth, high-quality chocolate alongside real, rich whole hazelnuts.

Although the Trader Joe's Swiss Milk Chocolate with 30% Whole Hazelnuts bar is delicious on its own, its chameleon-like versatility is a great addition to homemade sweets and cocktails. For example, you can make unique summer s'mores by replacing a standard milk chocolate bar with this nutty TJ's one. Or, use a single square of the chocolate bar to garnish a handcrafted hazelnut espresso martini. You can even crush the candy bar and sprinkle it on top of a scoop of your favorite ice cream or blend it into a Ninja Creami recipe.

The Trader Joe's Swiss Milk Chocolate with 30% Whole Hazelnuts bar works wonders in baked goods, too. Try chopping up one or two bars to use in place of regular chocolate chips for a sophisticated, European twist on an American cookie classic. Or, add the candy bar pieces to a rich, fudgy brownie batter. And don't underestimate how garnishing store-bought cupcakes or a Sam's Club cake with a sprinkle of crushed-up hazelnut chocolate can make for an extraordinary finish.