Turkey Hill Mini Maple Syrup Jug

When the corn syrup-based pancake syrup at the diner just won’t do, it’s a boon to have a little jug of real maple syrup in your pocket or purse. Sure, one small spill will make the local dry cleaner your new best friend, but if you are shopping for someone who is willing to risk it all for the sweet, sweet flavor of real Canadian maple syrup, this is the perfect World Market stocking stuffer.

Read our ranking of the best pancake syrup

Jacobsen Salt Co Pure Sea Salt Slide Tin

Is your friend always complaining her food is bland? Give the gift of salt! This tiny tin of sea salt is adorable and it’s the perfect thing to make a mid dish a 10 out of 10. This is the perfect World Market stocking stuffer for people who aren constantly enduring seasoning emergencies. And hey, at least if this one spills in your purse, it’ll be a little less messy than the maple syrup.

Mini Truff Black Truffle Hot Sauce

Miniature bottles of hot sauce are always among the best World Market stocking stuffers because a little goes a long way. But this hot sauce is a perfect pick for other reasons, too. See, TRUFF hot sauce is kinda pricey at around 15 bucks a bottle. Before you splurge on buying a full-size bottle of their unique blend of hot sauce and truffle flavor for someone who may or may not like it, you can test the waters with this micro bottle of TRUFF black truffle hot sauce from World Market. Now, that’s thoughtful!

Read our ranking of the best hot sauce

Fishwife Smoked Rainbow Trout

Tinned fish in a stocking?! Why the heck not! Tinned fish was made to fit into a stocking, and Fishwife tinned fish is extremely adorable sans wrapping paper, which makes it a perfect World Market stocking stuffer for the foodies in your life. World Market is a tinned fish mecca, and you can’t go wrong with this Fishwife smoked trout, which tastes “rustic and homemade,” according to Sporked‘s own taste testers. I mean, stick this in a stocking and you just might be treated to smoked trout omelets on Christmas morning. Not a bad deal!

Read our ranking of the best Fishwife products

Goodman’s Pure Vanilla Extract

Imitation vanilla extract is cheap, but the real deal stuff will cost you. If you’re shopping for World Market stocking stuffers for a serious baker, this little bottle of genuine vanilla extract is a lovely gift. Sure, getting excited about vanilla extract in your stocking on Christmas morning is peak adult, but I can’t lie, I’d be pretty pumped, too.

World Market Holiday Blend Ground Coffee

A 2 oz bag of coffee won’t get you very far. It is, however, just the right amount for people who like variety and simply cannot commit to an entire 10 oz bag of grounds. It’s also perfect for travel (just pack a pour-over setup) and for people who might want to give World Market coffee a shot. Also, I know this is a list of World Market stocking stuffers for adults, but this little bag of coffee is just plain adorable.

Mrs. Bridges Mini Preserves Collection

This is like the uber-mega-budget version of Bonne Maman’s mini spreads advent calendar (not that an advent calendar could fit in a stocking, I suppose). This three pack of preserves from World Market is perfect for people who couldn’t possibly dream of consuming 24 little jars of jelly. Honestly, getting someone the Bonne Maman calendar is kind of like buying them a pet parrot or something. It’s a big commitment to foist on a foodie friend! Anyway, this three pack of lemon curd, orange marmalade, and strawberry preserves is much less of a project.

Stirrings Old Fashioned Cocktail Mixer

This is the foundation for the best one-two punch Christmas gift. Fill their stocking with a few bottles of this old fashioned mix from World Market. Then give them a bottle of bourbon all wrapped up. A powerful pairing and the perfect World Market stocking stuffers to help anyone get through even the worst of holidays with the in-laws!

The post World Market Is a Treasure Trove of Stocking Stuffers for Grown-Ups appeared first on Sporked.

While, obviously, there are some safe and solid coffee options from around the world on the shelves at World Market, there are also some truly oddities, too. Here’s the best coffee at World Market for the curious coffee drinker for whom French vanilla just won’t cut it.

Dark Matter Unicorn’s Blood Whole Bean Coffee

We’re coming in hot (literally) with this World Market coffee from Chicago-based roaster Dark Matter. I probably should’ve put this lower on the list since it’s going to be hard to top a World Market coffee called “Unicorn’s Blood,” but here we are. This coffee has notes of cherry, semisweet chocolate, and praline, plus it’s an espresso blend, which bodes well for people who like something bold. The best World Market coffee also tends to come in a pretty bag, and this certainly excels in that category.

Twix Flavored Ground Coffee

There’s an entire line of candy bar-themed coffees at World Market. To make my job a little easier, I looked at Sporked’s definitive ranking of best candy bars and worked my way down until I found a match. That led me to this World Market coffee, which is flavored to taste like Twix (aka the best cookie candy bar of them all). I’m not mad about it, but I do think a Reese’s Take 5 or Butterfinger coffee would be pretty damn good. But alas, we’ll “settle” for the flavors of milk chocolate, caramel, and cookies in our coffee instead.

Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey Ground Coffee

It’s generally frowned upon to put whiskey in your coffee first thing in the morning. It is, however, perfectly fine to drink coffee that simply tastes like sour mash whiskey, so this World Market coffee is an excellent loophole for people who don’t actually want to catch a buzz before work. Jack Daniel’s recommends brewing this up for brunch parties, holiday mornings, or cold winter afternoons. But we gotta say, it probably hits pretty hard with a glug of actual whiskey in it on a hungover morning.

Bones Coffee Company Star Wars Twin Sun Tiramisu Ground Coffee

I’m not a coffee snob by any means, which is probably why I was won over so easily by this gimmicky ground coffee I spotted in the World Market coffee section. Bones Coffee Company had a few options that I spotted: the Pumpkin King Pumpkin Pecan Praline, Fallout Atomic Apple Pie, and “Holy Cannoli” Godfather-inspired coffee. If you love coffee and pop culture, you kind of can’t go wrong. I went with this World Market coffee for our haul not because I’m a big Star Wars fan, but because tiramisu is, in my opinion, a god-tier dessert. And tiramisu already has coffee in it, so you know the flavors work. This is a low-to-no risk coffee to buy as we see it.

World Market Stroop Waffle Ground Coffee

World Market has an impressive lineup of its own coffee beans and grounds. While there are plenty of traditional and safe options, this list is all about exciting and unique coffee blends (hey, remember that Unicorn Blood?). World Market’s stroopwafel ground coffee really beat out the competition because it best fits the theme of the store: global delicacies! I mean, how good would a stroopwafel be dunked in coffee that tastes like a stroopwafel? Very good, that’s how good.

We Found the Best Instant Coffee for Busy Mornings

Cafe Du Monde Coffee and Chicory

Transport yourself to an institution that pumps out coffee and beignets like no other. Sorry, Disneyland! Let a real pro show you how it’s done. This World Market coffee from Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans may lack any fancy flavors, but it packs a mean punch that’s best paired with a hunk of fried dough and a dust cloud of powdered sugar. World Market just so happens to sell Cafe Du Monde beignet mix, too, so you can get the full experience if you so choose.

Borgo de’Medici Italian Coffee Break 3 Piece Gift Set

Treat yourself, your loved ones, or your cranky boss to a luxurious Italian coffee gift set from World Market this holiday season. It has everything you need in one box: authentic Italian coffee grounds, caramel syrup for a touch of sweetness, and almond cantucci cookies for the perfect pairing. While it may not make as many cups of coffee as some of the other offerings on our list of the best World Market coffee, you can’t beat the convenience of an easy gift straight from the shelf.

The post Weird World Market Coffee to Add to Your Cart appeared first on Sporked.

There are teas that promise to soothe your stomach, help you sleep, and wake you up. And there are flavors—so, so many flavors. And we’re not just talking about Earl Grey, lemon ginger, or English Breakfast—the variety here puts your usual grocery store’s selection to shame. Here’s some World Market tea to take home and mix things up.

The Republic of Tea Bridgerton Featherington Blood Orange Mimosa Tea

It’s safe to say that Bridgerton is a bit of a cultural phenomenon. And like most cultural phenomenons, it’s being merchandised. You can buy Bridgerton coffee creamer, Bridgerton petit fours, and, naturally, Bridgerton tea. There were a few options in the World Market tea section, but this blood orange mimosa tea—made with hibiscus, orange peel, apple bits, and “natural Champagne flavor”—sounded like the most intriguing thing to sip while you binge your favorite bit of history porn.

Read our roundup of Bridgerton products

Teekanne Organic Advents-Kalender Assorted Tea Holiday Box

This World Market tea assortment is a little tricky. It’s marketed as an advent calendar, which is why I was drawn to it in the first place. On further inspection, it’s actually eight sets of three bags of each flavor. That still equals 24, meaning you can use it as an advent calendar, it’ll just get a little bit repetitive. The offerings range from concepts—“sleep and dream” and “calm and relax”—to more tangible flavors, like sweet apple. We have a hunch those “calm and relax” tea bags are going to come in handy as 2025 approaches.

The Republic of Tea S’mores

Can tea really taste like s’mores? We’re not so sure, but this World Market tea claims to be able to deliver notes of chocolate with hints of marshmallow and graham cracker—yep, all in a cup of tea. Which is, as you know, really just flavored water. Not very heavily flavored, for that matter. Basically, we don’t expect this to bring big s’mores flavor, but rather a soothing whisper of s’mores. It’s certainly a lot easier (and neater) to consume than a smushy melted chocolate and marshmallow sandwich.

The Republic of Tea Stollen Bread

Stollen, or German Christmas bread, is a sweet, spiced bread filled with cranberries, raisins, candied citrus, and a luscious almond filling. If s’mores tea sounds like too much of a stretch, this probably sounds a little more reasonable. And good, too. I mean, just picture yourself sipping this sweetly spiced World Market tea on Christmas morning. Heaven.

David Rio Red Panda Pumpkin Chai Mix

There are a lot of World Market tea bags on this list, but the store also stocks mixes, like this canister of Red Panda Pumpkin Chai. This stuff is perf if you’re not quite ready to say goodbye to pumpkin spice season. It promises the flavors of black tea, warm spices, and sweet pumpkin. Before you go looking at the ingredients, no, this doesn’t actually contain pumpkin, but the spices do the heavy lifting. All you have to do is add hot milk and, voila, chai tea latte, baby.

Read our rankings of the best chai concentrate and the best chai tea bags

Wangderm Thai Iced Tea

We’ve covered teas that are perfect for a British-style tea time and some Indian tea, too. Now it’s time for something even bolder: Thai tea. Thai iced tea is an experience. It’s way more powerful than the iced tea you’re used to, but if you want a World Market tea that really packs a punch, this is the stuff to buy. You get 23 tea bags for 23 individual cups of iced tea. Yes, you still need to steep the tea in boiling water and then refrigerate it until it’s cold (we do love those iced tea bags that can steep in cold water), but the extra steps will be worth it when you’re sipping something that slaps you in the face with flavor.

The Tea Collection Loose Leaf Tea Vials

I think a lot of people are intimidated by loose leaf tea. What is this stuff, why does it look like catnip, and what do I do with it if it doesn’t come in a bag? Well, all you need is a tea ball or tea infuser, which they just so happen to sell at World Market (including this cute frog-shaped one) and the world is your loose-leaf-tea oyster. This World Market tea sampler pack is the perfect way to dip your toe into the unfamiliar waters of loose leaf tea. You get a mix of black, white, and herbal teas, including honey bush rooibos tea, rosehip and lemon Infusion tea, ginger and licorice white tea, and raspberry black tea. If you want to get serious about tea, this is the best World Market tea to buy.

The post The Best World Market Tea for Hot-Bev Season appeared first on Sporked.

Président Brie

A well-appointed appetizer table is essential to a good Friendsgiving. Especially when you have a friend group like I do. God forbid anyone gets anywhere on time! The beauty of stocking up on Friendsgiving appetizers at Costco is that you’ll have plenty of food to keep the early arrivals satiated until your “fashionably” late friends stumble through the door right before the turkey gets cold. Président’s Brie is perfect to simply plop on the table with some crackers and a nice summer sausage, but this would also be perf for baked brie, brie bites, or other recipes if you really love your friend group.

Read our ranking of the best brie

Cedarlane Foods Turkey Sausage & Herb Stuffing

Every Friendsgiving needs stuffing. And I’m not necessarily talking about the food! Ayy-oooo. Well, okay, in this instance I am talking about the food. When I was looking for what to buy at Costco for Friendsgiving, I found two stuffing options, but I quickly learned no two stuffings are the same. The other option was a dried stuffing, which I’m sure tastes great and is plenty easy to prepare, but you gotta love a Friendsgiving side dish you can just pop in the oven. Plus, this stuffing has turkey sausage—even the best instant stuffing can’t hang with that.

Read our ranking of the best instant stuffing mix

Noel Consorcio Serrano Ham Reserva Leg

If you’re busting out this entire leg of jamon serrano for Friendsgiving (it costs around 120 bucks), then you are certainly in another tax bracket than me. But please do invite me over. This is swanky. This is elegance. This should require an online course to properly dish it out. But it doesn’t, so you can just throw it in your cart at Costco and hope for the best! You never know what you’ll find through those doors and I find that so beautiful.

Wellington Bites by Chef Gordon Ramsay

Okay, if an entire ham leg isn’t in your budget, you can still add a little cheffy flair to the Friendsgiving spread without going broke. Gordon Ramsay’s Wellington bites are classy and you don’t even have to futz with any puff pastry. Costco makes it easy to cook Gordon Ramsey’s signature dish and in a poppable form, which is scientifically proven to make eating 200% more enjoyable.

Read our ranking of all the Gordon Ramsay frozen meals

The Snak Yard Sweet Potato Sticks

Sweet potato casserole is a classic for a reason, but who says classics can’t be upgraded?! What do you think of pairing these dried sweet potato sticks with a big ole jar of marshmallow fluff?? All the flavors and none of the hassle! Unfortunately, Costco doesn’t sell five gallon buckets of marshmallow fluff in their stores, so you’ll have to get a more reasonably sized container at your local supermarket. Probably for the best!

Read our ranking of the best marshmallows

Darigold Classic Eggnog

You might turn some heads when you pull out a carton of eggnog from Costco this early in the year, but there are no rules for Friendsgiving! I like to think of it as the perfect way to usher in the holiday season. Pour everyone a glass and raise a toast to the time you’re about to spend with friends and family—not to mention that bitchin’ annual bonus you’re about to get. Then you can buy that ham leg!

Read our ranking of the best eggnog

Delizza Patisserie Belgian Mini Cream Puffs

See, poppable foods are in! My mouth. Poppable foods are in my mouth because they’re just too damn easy to eat. While there are quite possibly too many dessert options at Costco to bring to a Friendsgiving, I finally landed on these mini cream puffs. Your job as a friend group is to bring as much food to share as humanly possible so there’s no feasible way anyone will have room for dessert. Enter the mini cream puff. These things are transportable! And poppable! (Did I mention they’re poppable?)

Soul of Spain Wine Box

I know very little about wine. When it comes to pairing wine varietals with certain dishes, I’m as clueless as Alicia Silverstone. Soul of Spain wine seems to have solved all of my issues by creating one simple box with five options. I’m popping open all five bottles and just letting my Friendsgiving guests choose their own adventure. That’s the power of buying in bulk from Costco!

The post What to Buy at Costco for Friendsgiving appeared first on Sporked.

Meatless Breakfast Patties ($3.99)

Breakfast sausage is a breakfast GOAT, but this one is decidedly not goat. Or pig. Or turkey. This plant-based patty is proof that there’s no reason non-meat eaters should have to miss out on the salty, savory goodness that is the breakfast sausage. This take is a blend of textured soy protein and wheat gluten seasoned with classic sausage spices like sage, fennel, and, of course, garlic and onion.

Hash Browns ($2.79)

Hash browns. Need we say more? No, but be will, because we can’t contain our excitement. Potatoes are always a solid start, but fried up to be crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and frozen for our convenience? Just a quick trip detour to the airfryer or oven, and these quickly become perfect partners to scrambled eggs, a sopper for a runny yolk, or a landing zone for copious amounts of sriracha.

Mango Blueberry Chia Bowl ($3.49)

BAM! POW! THWACK! That’s the sound of this chia bowl fighting off illness, fatigue, and a life of flavorlessness all in one go. The delicious mix of mango puree, coconut cream, passionfruit juice, and black chia seeds is cheaper than any tropical vacation and will leave you with way fewer mosquito bites. Simply thaw, top with crunchy granola if you’d like, and tell that $11 smoothie bowl place to suck it.

Silver Dollar Pancakes ($3.29)

Yeah, there are pancake mixes that are pretty easy, but sometimes we want easier than “pretty easy.” We want grossly easy. We want easy that’ll have grandpappies everywhere saying, “Don’t you know how lucky you are? Back in my day…” These frozen pancakes are that easy. All you need to do is pop them in the microwave. And since they’re so small, you don’t have to commit to just one topping. You can have many with a bunch of different toppings.

Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche ($2.99)

Who said classy can’t be quick? If you’re hosting a tea or a brunch, nobody needs to know that delicious quiche came from the freezer, and Deborah best be minding her own business if she’s trying to judge any food that isn’t homemade or from a patisserie. Though this sophisticated savory can hold its own amidst debutantes, it’s also easy enough for a simple breakfast at home. Buttery crust, fluffy eggs, and tender broccoli all living together in harmony with cheddar cheese? That’s a roommate situation we could get behind. 

Egg Frittata ($3.49)

These frozen mini egg frittatas do two things really well. First, they’re a great breakfast. Made up of eggs, Swiss cheese, cauliflower, and fried onions, they’re as good on their own as they are between English muffins or with a side of bacon. Secondly, they’re also a great catalyst for flirtation. Simply approach your crush and ask if they’d like to splittata a frittata. All worthwhile partners will immediately oblige.

The post 6 Trader Joe’s Frozen Breakfasts You Can Get for Less Than $4 appeared first on Sporked.

Pagoda Crab Rangoon

There are no rules for Friendsgiving! No one needs “traditional” appetizers. Hell, you don’t even have to serve turkey. You could honestly just serve a bunch of frozen crab rangoon and a bunch of wine and everyone will have a great time. Okay, but even if you’re going a traditional route with the rest of your spread, no one will be mad that you picked up these cream cheese-stuffed bites at Dollar Tree.

Read our roundup of the best frozen appetizers from our taste tests

TGI Fridays Spinach & Artichoke Cheese Dip

No party is complete with dip, and that goes for Friendsgiving, too. If you and your posse love to hit up chain restaurants at the mall, this TGI Fridays spinach dip will make everyone feel at home (or, better yet, like they’re in a booth at TGI Fridays during happy hour). Unlike a lot of other store bought spinach dip, this one is made to be served hot, which we love. This is a core-warming Friendsgiving app that everyone will destroy. Honestly, if you’re adding this to your list of what to buy at Dollar Tree, go ahead and buy two or three boxes. They will be eaten.

Read our ranking of the best spinach artichoke dip

Glory Foods Seasoned Southern Style Green Beans

Dollar Tree sells a lot of canned food, a lot of which will come in handy for Friendsgiving. I’m all about saving time on Friendsgiving prep so I can hang out with friends instead of hanging out alone in the kitchen, so these pre-seasoned, heat-and-eat green beans are a no-brainer.

Read our ranking of the best canned green beans

Idahoan Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

I don’t know if you’ve ever made homemade mashed potatoes, but it’s a pain. You boil. You mash. You season and season and season some more, and still achieving a robust flavor and velvety texture is way too labor intensive for the night we’re about to have. While Dollar Tree didn’t have any of Sporked’s favorite instant mashed potatoes they did have a close cousin to many that qualified: Idahoan Roasted Garlic mashed potatoes. And if there’s anything that can cover up a few issues, it’s a butt load of garlic. So keep that jarlic on standby!

Read our ranking of the best instant mashed potatoes

Bruce’s Yams

Canned yams are a little confusing. As faithful Sporked readers know, yams and sweet potatoes aren’t quite the same thing. And Bruce’s “yams” aren’t actually yams—they’re actually sweet potatoes. Either way, they’re excellent, whether you’re making candied yams or sweet potato casserole. There are no rules on Friendsgiving and there are no rules in the realm of canned yams—YOLO, baby (yams only live once). Anyway, you can use these in a casserole, mash em up with some maple butter, or just heat as serve straight from the can. Yams always make a good complement to the salty stuff on a Friendsgiving plate, so add these to your list of what to buy at Dollar Tree.

Read our ranking of the best canned yams

Martha White Apple Cider Muffin Mix

Carbs are required for any event that you invite me to, Friendsgiving definitely included. Dollar Tree has boxed cornbread and biscuit options that will fit right into the mix. I however saw this apple cider muffin mix and couldn’t stop thinking about it! How great would it be to pull these out of the oven in the middle of dinner and watch everyone take a fat pad of butter and spread it all over as it melts into the nooks and crannies. That’s where I want to be!

The post What to Buy at Dollar Tree for Friendsgiving appeared first on Sporked.

Here are six returning or new Trader Joe’s products you gotta snag this month. 

Cranberry Ginger Chutney

The age-old debate has shaken families to their cores and sullied countless Thanksgiving dinners. Canned or fresh cranberry sauce? While the only correct answer is “yes,” TJ’s offers a third option in the form of a south Indian take on the contentious condiment: cranberry ginger chutney. It doesn’t offer the slurp of jellied sauce sliding out of the can or the stray hair found in Aunt Becky’s homemade sauce, but it does have a lovely balance of sweet, savory, and tangy cranberry, ginger, garlic, and cayenne. May this chutney bring peace to your Thanksgiving discussions. Or just add one more thing to fight about. Yikes.

Herb Seasoned Brined Bone-in Half Turkey

A whole turkey is a big commitment, and lord knows your family members have reminded you time and time again that you “have commitment issues.” Trader Joe’s to the rescue! Picking up this pre-brined half turkey means that you won’t have to stare down the barrel of turkey leftovers for days on end, and you can appease both white and dark meat lovers. It cooks up in about half the time of a full-sized bird, and comes pre-seasoned, so you’ll have plenty of extra time in the day to munch on apps, watch football, or conduct extremely important quality assurance exams on the cookie platter.

Teeny Tiny Pecan Pies

Anyone else have nightmares about getting that first slice of pie out? You try to lift the piece but watch it fall apart before your eyes, mirroring your reputation, hopes, and dreams? No? Just us? Well, that’s a fear of the past, with these mini pies. No slicing necessary! The single serving desserts are easy to dole out but just as delicious as the full-sized version. Bonus if you’re a crust fan, since the mini-nature ensures a higher ratio of buttery crust to filling.

Cheesy Herby Biscuits

Sure, there was a huge presidential election and every company ever went on strike, but you know the news that really shook us recently? Red Lobster’s bankruptcy. Thinking about life without those Cheddar Bay Biscuits had us shook, so we’re thrilled that TJ’s is offering a similarly cheesy, herbaceous potential dupe. These bad boys are frozen and ready to fill your home with smells of thyme, rosemary, cheddar, and parmesan. We’d say “happiness,” but that’s redundant.

Cheesy Creamy Greens and Veggies

Although we love roasted Brussel sprouts and we totally get the kale trend, a blanket of cheese does wonders for making already yummy foods feel like a wholesome meal to share with others, especially in the chillier months. Even a mediocre cheese sauce can heal almost any wound, but this frozen side dish is packed with the flavors of onion, garlic, black pepper, nutmeg, and dried porcini mushrooms for extra umami. We’re not psychic, but we foresee considerably fewer complaints about having to eat veggies around the holiday table. Also, take two steps to the left—that chandelier is about to fall. Okay, maybe we are a little psychic.

Spicy Farfalle Pasta with Italian Chicken Sausage

Is this one out of left field amidst the turkey day priming? Yes. But we welcome pasta at any and all times, and sometimes it’s nice to have a little relief from fall-specific flavors. This new frozen pasta’s got a little heat in the tomato sauce, a little savory in the Italian chicken sausage, and a lotta class because the whole thing is black-tie formal and full of bowties (a new shape for Trader Joe’s frozen pasta line-up). Keep it in your freezer for when you want a quick meal, sprinkle on some extra cheese or herbs, and cackle at those who are stressing about cooking.

The post 6 New Trader Joe’s Products Out Right Now appeared first on Sporked.

Mrs. Freshley’s Reese’s Peanut Butter Flavored Cupcakes

It’s no surprise that Reese’s found a way to slap their name on some cupcakes. Reese’s would probably collab with a toilet paper company if they thought you’d buy it. Frequent shoppers know that Reese’s cupcakes aren’t quite as new as other products on this list but they are new to my Dollar Tree. Plus, Sporked’s Jordan Myrick and Justine Sterling didn’t try them in their taste test of Reese’s products, so you can one up them when you grab a pack from Dollar Tree.

Werther’s Original Cookie Butter Creme Soft Caramels

I’ll say what we’re all thinking: The world needs more cookie butter in it. Whoever created this stuff—it’s basically like peanut butter made with crushed-up cookies—deserves a medal. So you better believe I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw that Werther’s made soft caramels with a cookie butter filling. That’s an easy snag from Dollar Tree.

Read our ranking of the best cookie butter

Chocolate Lovers Twinkies

There’s probably an alternate dimension out there where Twinkies are like Oreos. A new formula getting thrown together each month leaving you with a Twinkie in every flavor imaginable. Unfortunately, we don’t live in that dimension so we have to savor the new Twinkies as they slowly trickle out. These chocolate lovers are new to shelves, and you know Dollar Tree got in on the ground floor of that action.

Read our ranking of the best snack cakes

Juice Monster Papillon

I’ll be honest: I first noticed this Monster flavor among the sea of other Monster flavors based solely on the design of the can. A peach-colored can of Monster adorned with butterflies is far from the Monster imagery I grew up with, but hey, it got me to take a closer look! This flavor didn’t make Sporked’s ranking of the best Monster flavors, but I did notice a few fans of the flavor in the comments!

Read our ranking of the best Monster energy drink flavors

Victor Allen’s Peppermint Mocha Iced Coffee Latte

We’ve barely gotten past Halloween, but there are already some holiday products on shelves at Dollar Tree, like this festive iced coffee. Victor Allen’s iced lattes come in a lot of flavors, but if you’re a proponent of seasonal creep, give this chocolate-peppermint variety a shot if you see it at your local Dollar Tree. No one will judge you for ringing in the season a little early.

Read our ranking of the best canned lattes

Snack Pack Banana Cream Pie

Snack Pack pudding cups make a good midday snack, and honestly, there’s nothing more fun than a super desserty flavor to go with your lunch (we are firm believers in breakfast dessert and lunch dessert here at Sporked). Banana cream pie you can eat with a spoon after the mediocre sandwich you packed? Sure, why not.

Read our ranking of the best pudding cups

Mrs. T’s Classic Cheddar Pierogies

Frozen pierogies are underrated. What’s not to like about mashed potatoes stuffed inside pockets of dough? Add cheese into the mix, and you just have my favorite foods all in one place. Sorry, vegetables but you can take a back seat this time! Okay, okay, we can be responsible and get a side of mixed veggies from Dollar Tree to try to balance it out a bit.

Golden Krust Jamaican Style Mild Beef Patty

Jamaican style beef patties are an easy savory snack or delicious main dish to work around for a filling dinner. Either way to choose to go about it, you’ll be glad you added a few of these to your cart at Dollar Tree. I just wish they were around last month so I could have included them in our roundup of easy lunches from Dollar Tree!

The post What to Buy at Dollar Tree in November appeared first on Sporked.

Kellogg’s Squishmallows Cereal

When it comes to gimmicky products, I typically keep my expectations low—especially when it comes to cereal. Still, this cereal is pretty perfect for parents to buy for their Squishmallow-loving kids. It’s apparently a lot like Lucky Charms—frosted cereal pieces mixed with crunchy little marshmallows—and there’s nothing wrong with that (besides the obvious: Why aren’t the marshmallows squishy??). The last thing you want is a tantrum in the morning when your kids don’t like eating the breakfast you cooked for them. Just give in and serve them what they really want: A bowl of sugary cereal.

Read our ranking of the best cereal for kids

Coconut Chocolate Pocky

Sometimes, the best things to buy at Costco are those products that just missed what you’d think would be their target season, like the time they released a dreamsicle-inspired dessert at the end of summer. They’re at it again with this tropical Pocky that would have been a perfect complement to a coconut cocktail. Instead, these Coconut Chocolate Pocky—one of Sporked’s favorite Pocky flavors—are one of the best things to buy at Costco in chilly November. Who woulda thunk it!

Read the full ranking of the best Pocky flavors

Kirkland Maple Butter Pecan Bar Cake

Okay, and now for a highly seasonally appropriate Costco treat: Kirkland Maple Butter Pecan Bar Cake. Maple and pecan are two flavors you simply can’t get enough of during fall and winter, so this cake seems like a no brainer to add to your list of what to buy at Costco in November. It’s made of vanilla sponge, a maple flavored buttercream mousse, and a layer of pecan praline. Insane. Bring it to a gathering and pass it out, or keep it in your fridge and slowly chisel away at it until your next trip back to Costco. You kind of can’t go wrong.

Read our ranking of the best Costco bakery items

Heritage Specialty Foods Lasagna Soup

Now this is a winter dinner. It comes refrigerated and you get two pouches of lasagna soup in a box. It’s got those good crinkly noodles, beef, Italian sausage, in a tomatoey base. It seems like the kind of stuff that could warm you up enough to save some money on your heating bill. I can hear thermostat-obsessed dads everywhere rushing out to Costco as we speak.

Read our roundup of the best soup

Royal Asia Thai Fried Bananas

I really don’t like frying anything in my kitchen. I also don’t have a recipe handy for Thai fried bananas in coconut and sesame seed batter. So I truly lucked out with this next new Costco product to pick up this month. It’s just icing on the cake that these bananas come with both a coconut cream sauce and a caramel honey sauce all in one easy box in the frozen aisle of Costco. They really thought of everything—but don’t forget the vanilla ice cream.

East Coast Seafood Lobster Sliders

So your favorite tiny shack by the sea closed up shop for the winter? Don’t worry, Costco’s got you covered. These sliders may be tiny in stature but every last ounce of them is carefully crafted to blast your brain with flavor. Brioche slider rolls are filled with lobster meat and a heaping serving of lobster butter so you don’t have to go digging around your spice cabinet to add anything extra. Just heat it up and scarf it down in .5 seconds.

La Boulangerie Smoked Ham & Swiss Cheese Pockets

I’m a sucker for convenience and it doesn’t get much more convenient than this. And I really mean it. This box comes with six (!) sets of cooking instructions—so you can kind of heat them however you want. Then comes the price. Are you kidding me?! A ham and cheese croissant would cost me what a whole box of eight of these beauts cost at Costco.

The post What to Buy at Costco in November appeared first on Sporked.

Chef Boyardee Beefaroni

Last time we went shopping for the best Dollar Tree canned food, we picked up Spaghetti-Os with Meatballs, aka Sporked’s second favorite canned pasta, but this time I spotted their third fave—nothing wrong with the bronze! If it’s been a while since you’ve had Beefaroni, you should give it a shot. It’s beefy and the sauce is sweet in a highly nostalgic way. The team taste tested every canned Chef Boyardee entree they could find, and this was the best of them. Maybe that’s not saying a lot, but hey, for a buck twenty-five, you could do worse!

Read the full ranking of the best canned pasta

Hormel Chicken Tamales in Chili Sauce

You can get actual chicken tamales in a can—what a time to be alive! While they won’t be as good as the ones you get from a tamale vendor (or frozen tamales, most likely), they’ll still do just fine in a pinch! The true beauty of Dollar Tree is that you never know what you’ll find when you walk through those (automatic) doors and this Dollar Tree canned food find just proves there’s real wonder to be discovered. Isn’t that beautiful?

Read the full ranking of the best avocado salsa

Pace Medium Nacho Cheese Sauce

This is exactly what I thought of when I first laid eyes on King’s Hawaiian Sweet Pretzel Bites during my last visit to Costco. The exact thing you need to go alongside a honking tub of pretzel bites is a vat of nacho cheese sauce to dip them in! I started daydreaming about sitting my butt in front of the TV while binging a season of Survivor and just going to town on this combo the second I saw cheese sauce in a can at Dollar Tree.

Read our ranking of the best nacho cheese

Brunswick Ranch Tuna Kits

Okay, I know we’re rounding up the best canned food at Dollar Tree, and that makes this one’s a bit of a cheat. Nom, the crackers that come with this tuna salad kit do not come in a can, but the tuna does, so let’s just go with it. It’s got everything you need: a tinned ranch tuna salad, crackers to put it on, and a teensy spoon to get it from point A to point B. You can be Instagram ready straight from Dollar tree!

Read our ranking of the best canned tuna

Mother’s Maid Cherry Pie Filling

While I think cherry pie is more of a summer pie, fall is undoubtedly pie season. Those who favor cherry over apple pie or pumpkin pie still deserve to enjoy the festivities! And thanks to Dollar Tree, they can. While Dollar Tree may not have pie crust or many ingredients to help you create a suitable substitute, they have a banging deal on pie filling. A comparable can at my grocery store is well over two times the price of this can at Dollar Tree. It’s worth grabbing Mother’s Maid while you’re at Dollar Tree and looking for our favorite pie crusts at your local grocery store to go with it.

Read our ranking of the best cherry pie filling

Southgate Beef Stew

It’s starting to get chilly outside, so do you know what else you need from the Dollar Tree canned food aisle? That’s right, a hearty beef stew! As the temps drop, this is a good, rib-sticking meal to have in the pantry. It’ll essentially serve as a molten substance to heat your body up from the inside. Beef stew is perfect for the job! Dollar Tree may not have winter coats that’ll keep you from freezing but you can buy cans of beef stew by the dozen, so I think it evens out.

Read the full ranking of the best canned beef stew

Island Choice Diced Fruit Cocktail

You can do a lot with a can of fruit salad. You can add it to a Jell-O mold. You can mix it with flour and sugar to make a very easy (but very delicious) dessert. Or throw a whole can of fruit cocktail into your kid’s lunch box—okay don’t really do that, but I think you could easily put it in a Stasher or small Tupperware and send ’em with it that way. Stock up on school supplies and fun toys for your kids at Dollar Tree while you get a few cans of diced fruit.

Read the ranking of the best fruit cocktail

The post The Best Canned Food at Dollar Tree appeared first on Sporked.

Contrary to popular belief, Dollar Tree comes in handy for many shopping needs: canned foods, frozen foods, healthy snacks, and, of course, budget-friendly beverages. In fact, during our last trip there, we explored the beverage aisle with a sense of childlike wonder. So here’s a guide to the best kinds of Dollar Tree drinks we found, from us to you. 

Pro tip: Not everything you see in-store at Dollar Tree will show up online. (In fact, a lot of it won’t! Isn’t that fun?) You’re going in blind, folks. But that’s what makes every trip to Dollar Tree an adventure! Make peace with the chaos, and you’ll be just fine. 

International Delight Reese’s Iced Coffee

You’d be hard pressed to find a product that hasn’t done a Reese’ collab. I’m sure some brand or another is working on a Reese’s flavored salad kit as I type this. Well, while we wait for that beauty to grace grocery shelves you can sip on a can of International Delight x Reese’s iced coffee, which I spotted in the Dollar Tree drinks aisle. Now you can start your mornings with a tantalizing combo of peanut butter and coffee breath!

Read our ranking of the best canned lattes

Jones Cane Sugar Green Apple Soda

The perfect time to sip on a Jones green apple soda is when Halloween celebrations are in full swing, but you certainly don’t have to limit your green apple soda consumption to times when it’s seasonally appropriate. When the Sporked crew taste tested every flavor of Jones soda, this one performed quite well. It’s not just a gimmick! Although, it would still be worth picking up in the Dollar Tree drinks aisle for a buck twenty-five even if it were.

Read our ranking of the best Jones soda flavors

Welch’s Passion Fruit Drink Mix Packets

I can’t make a trip for Dollar Tree drinks and not check out the drink mixes. I always see a lot of tasty ones I could totally see being part of my daily routine. That said, I always spy a few obscene flavors that make me wonder who could come up with such a concept, let alone who’s buying them. While I do love and appreciate Dollar Tree for supplying a bounty of fun drinks, I went with a more sensible pick. Welch’s passion fruit drink sounds just intriguing enough without being so weird you won’t actually want to drink it.

Read our ranking of the best water flavorings

Hawaiian Punch Lemon Berry Squeeze Juice Pouches

You can buy 32 ounces of Hawaiian Punch Lemon Berry Squeeze in one bottle, or you can buy the more convenient pouch version instead. Real Hawaiian Punch heads know that it’s best sipped on the go, so the pouches are ultimately the better option I saw in the Dollar Tree drinks aisle. Bring ’em on a road trip, throw one at your kid while they rush out the door and onto the school bus, or just strap a couple to your chest and sneak them into the movie theater. The world’s your oyster thanks to Dollar Tree!

Read our ranking of the best fruit punch

3D Candy Blast Energy Drink

The Dollar Tree energy drinks selection is robust. Do you go for the patriotic-themed can? Too triggering this close to Election Day. A shiny can of Rockstar? Too reminiscent of early mornings in high school. I’ve been fascinated with the design of the Candy Blast 3D energy drink for a long time because it certainly jumps out at you. It’s time to finally give in and check out what this Dollar Tree staple is about.

Read our ranking of the best energy drinks

Arizona Arnold Palmer Lite Half & Half

I recently learned that Arnold Palmer had a massive…golf club. In all seriousness though, the half iced tea and half lemonade drink that Arnold Palmer created is a classic for a reason. While this isn’t a true Arnold Palmer (that’d be three parts iced tea to one part lemonade) it still gives you a nice balance of iced tea with lemonade to pair. All in one bottle. That’s true convenience straight from the shelves of Dollar Tree!

Read our ranking of every Arizona beverage

Sparkling Ice + Caffeine Tropical Punch Sparkling Water

Sparkling Ice with caffeine has a niche corner of the market that I think is valuable to highlight, especially as a person who doesn’t love drinking soda or coffee all that much. I still need a hit of caffeine to get me through the day from time to time! That’s why Sparkling Ice’s sparkling water with a hit of caffeine is perfect for me. The Sporked team didn’t try caffeinated Sparkling Ice when they sat down for their Sparkling Ice taste test, but the punch flavors performed pretty well.

Read our ranking of all the Sparkling Ice flavors

The post The Best Dollar Tree Drinks to Buy Right Now appeared first on Sporked.

Kirkland Muffins

Kirkland muffins were made to be split between two people! Costco sells them by the dozen, but you get to mix and match your preferences between two sets of six. Meaning you can grab six of the flavor you like best, and your partner (or roomie) can grab six of their favorite. Or, if you’re truly in sync, you can grab a dozen of one flavor. They have some good options, too, like Coffee Cake, Double Chocolate, Blueberry, and Banana Chocolate Chip. Kirkland muffins are among our favorite things to snag at the Costco bakery, and we think your S/O will be into them, too.

Read our ranking of the best grocery store muffins

Sabatasso’s Thin Crust Pizza Singles

These are called pizza singles, but I have it on good authority that you can buy these if you’re in a relationship! This pizza variety pack—which comes with six Pepperoni and six Four Cheese personal pizzas—is perfect for the omnivorous couple that can never quite figure out what to order. Do you order your pizza with half meat and half veggies and trust them to get it perfectly split down the middle? Or do you order one meat pizza and one cheese pizza and wind up with too much left over? Well, add these little individual pizzas to your list of what to buy at Costco and you don’t have to worry about blending toppings. It’s a win for everyone!

Read our ranking of the best frozen pizza

Herdez Avocado & Habanero Hot Sauces

Sweet and spicy isn’t just a perfect mix in the bedroom—it works for hot sauces too! Okay, the avocado hot sauce is more creamy than sweet but talking about creaminess in the bedroom sounded a little too raunchy for a guide to Costco for couples. This Herdez hot sauce two-pack from Costco is ideal for couples with different heat tolerances—the avocado hot sauce is perf for people who value their taste buds, while the habanero sauce will singe the tongues of serious heat-seekers. Everyone’s happy with this Costco find.

Read our ranking of the best hot sauce

Sargento Balanced Breaks Cheese & Crackers

Sargento’s Balanced Breaks cheese and cracker packs from Costco come in two flavors: Pepper jack and colby jack cheeses with Ritz Minis, and Monterey jack and mild cheddar cheeses with Wheat Thins. You can have a little fun with things by matching up these packs to your personalities rather than your tastes and I think this is the perfect example of that. Pepper jack and colby jack cheese with Ritz offers a little more excitement in taste than the more reserved option of Monterey jack and cheddar cheeses with Wheat Thins. Just like a relationship. There should always be a balance of goofball and groundedness. You can swap roles in a relationship just like you can with this snack pack. Grab whichever set matches your mood on any given day.

Yoplait Go-Gurt Simple Low Fat Yogurt Variety Pack

Adults don’t consume enough Go-Gurt, and it’s time we all worked together to fix that. Why is Go-Gurt reserved for kids? I too would like my yogurt on the go. Think of the uses! Squeeze a tube into your mouth on your daily commute, fill your pockets with them so you can enjoy them on a walk in the park, or bring them with you in the shower to get an extra boost after a long day. This pack comes with Strawberry and Mixed Berry, so just make sure you’re a berry-loving couple before you grab this from Costco and you’ll be set.

Read our ranking of the best yogurt

GoodPop Just Juice with Bubbly Water Variety Pack

Let’s address the greatest grievance with this variety pack first. There’s something absolutely cursed about a two pack of flavors that come in uneven numbers. Eight lemon-lime and seven orange sparkling waters in one pack? You couldn’t just make it ten and ten or eight and eight? Luckily for GoodPop, I’ll overlook the inequity because I think it can say something beautiful about a relationship if you feel safe to grab this variety pack. Buy this for a lemon-lime loving partner. It says “I love you enough to give you more.” It’s selfless. It’s considerate. Look at Costco bringing you together.

Read our ranking of the best sparkling water

Clif Bar Variety Pack

The Costco aisle with the biggest selection of two-packs to choose from is the protein bar aisle. With a plethora of options in front of us, what do we choose? Costco’s Clif Bar variety pack seems like a safe bet. These don’t have the most protein, but you can’t go wrong with a combo of Chocolate Chip and Crunchy Peanut Butter bars.

Read our ranking of the best protein bars

The post What to Buy at Costco if You’re Shopping for Two appeared first on Sporked.