11 Trader Joe's Snacks Perfect For A NYE Party

Trader Joe's, like its German cousin Aldi, is known for keeping its prices low. But while the latter chain is a great place to shop for staples, Trader Joe's has the edge when it comes to offering the widest variety of ready-to-eat foods. At holiday time, it's practically Party Prep Central. This is good news at New Year's, since whether you'll be pregaming before you go out to party or hosting a countdown celebration at home, your snack selection is crucial.

Everything on our list was chosen because it requires minimal prep. A few of the items need heating, one should be thawed, and others are better with a few embellishments. Even so, nothing will need more than a few minutes of hands-on time. Many items can be balanced on small paper plates or eaten with one hand while the other is kept free for cocktail clutching. The best thing about these TJ's products, though, is that all of the apps (plus a pair of desserts) are as tasty as they are eye-catching.

One of the runners-up for Trader Joe's 2025 Customer Choice Awards was a product called Garlic Gondolas. This item consists of canoe-shaped pizza dough baked with a garlic butter filling and cheese topping. For party purposes, each boat can be chopped into four equal parts and skewered with a toothpick (preferably the kind with a frilly top). As there are two pieces per package, each box will yield eight bite-sized pizza boats. If you don't mind a minute or two of extra work, you can amp up Garlic Gondolas with a few add-ins such as Trader Joe's Teeny Tiny Tomatoes or Italian-style meatballs cut into quarters.

The original, mid-century cheeseball was a kitschy hit no holiday party could resist. It fell out of favor in the new millennium, but cheeseballs seem to be having somewhat of a renaissance at present, inspiring Trader Joe's to remake the product in a less spherical form. Totally Cheeseball cheese spread is made with Unexpected Cheddar and Syrah Toscano, and is flavored with almonds, garlic, and parsley. To carry out the retro theme, throw in a box of Golden Rounds Crackers (Trader Joe's answer to Ritz).

Norwegian smoked salmon from Trader Joe's makes a perfect party platter if you separate the salmon slices and arrange them on a serving plate. (You can also snip them into small squares for symmetry and portion control.) In keeping with the salmon's origin, pair it with Trader Joe's Norwegian sourdough rye chips. You could also decorate the plate with a few edible garnishes. Lemon slices have long been a traditional fish accompaniment, while sliced red or green onions, cucumbers, and radishes would add color and crunch. 

Apples and pumpkins are early fall fruits, but from Thanksgiving on, the tart-sweet flavor of cranberries carries us through the rest of the year. This year, why not go with a two-fer by pairing Trader Joe's gluten-free cranberry raisin toasts with cranberry chevre goat cheese? (The latter, of course, is also a Trader Joe's item.)

Japan may not have invented the cheesecake, but they certainly took the concept and ran (or rather, wobbled) with it. Japanese cheesecakes are wonderfully bouncy because the egg whites are whipped before being folded into the batter. The cakes' light and airy texture withstands freezing temperatures just as well as denser cheesecakes do, allowing Trader Joe's to offer single-serve Japanese soufflé cheesecakes in its freezer case. Of all the items presented here, these cheesecakes require the longest preparation time, but also the least effort. Three hours before the party, transfer them from the freezer to the fridge so they can gently thaw.

Kimbap, ba duba do ba kimbap ... Okay, Trader Joe's kimbap isn't actually a '90s earworm, but rather a delicious Korean sushi-style roll filled with sesame oil-flavored rice, tofu, sauteed carrots, greens, and pickled radishes. Each package includes nine pieces, and it's party-perfect since you can take it right out of the freezer and heat it up in the microwave for a minute or two. If you'd like to dip your kimbap, try Trader Joe's yangnyeom sauce, a sweet and spicy blend of gochujang, sugar, and spice.

Nuts are a classic cocktail nibble, possibly due to the fact that the salt makes us thirsty and want to imbibe more. Fortunately, they also provide healthy fat and protein to help absorb the alcohol. The main reason for serving them, however, is that they just taste good with drinks and this goes double for the Nuts About Rosemary mix from Trader Joe's. The blend includes almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, and pecans seasoned with salt and sugar along with the eponymous herb.

By the last day of December, pumpkin season may be nearing an end, but you can send fall's favorite flavor out in style by heating up a package or two of Trader Joe's pumpkin cheesecake croissants to serve at your New Year's Eve party. In defiance of their name, these sweet croissants aren't crescent-shaped, but are instead neat little squares topped with circles of cheesy, pumpkiny goodness.

Brie en croûte sounds so fancy, doesn't it? Trader Joe's pastry crust-encased cheese looks just as elegant as its name, but requires very little effort from you since all you need to do is heat and eat. If you want to give it some extra je ne sais quoi, however, you could sprinkle it with chopped pistachios or walnuts and a drizzle of honey before it goes into the oven.

Guac and chips is always a party pleaser, but it's become almost as much of a cliché as Ruffles and onion dip was back in the '70s and '80s. To put a sweet and spicy spin on it with zero effort, all you need to do is open a tub of Trader Joe's mango habanero guacamole. The mangos bring the sweet while the habaneros have the heat angle covered. Throw in a bag of chips (TJ's has no shortage of these) and you're all set.

Hard, crunchy pretzels are a party staple, but soft ones are so much tastier, and Trader Joe's soft pretzel twists up the ante with a fun spiral shape. Each is about the size of a hot dog bun and can actually be put to that use, but they can also be cut into quarters for party purposes. These two-twist pieces are perfectly sized for dunking in a sauce, or you could skewer them with bite-sized chunks of cheese and deli meat (or hot dogs) to make cocktail sandwiches on a stick.