I compared 3 Trader Joe's cult-classic products to the Whole Foods versions, but only one was worth the money

The first items on the list are the dark chocolate peanut butter cups, which are considered a fan favorite online. The Whole Foods brand costs $5.29, while the Trader Joe's one costs $4.49.

Although both treats are made similarly to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, the flavors in both products elevated it above the popular candy.

I couldn't find much difference between the chocolate — both are rich and not too bitter — but the peanut butter helped Trader Joe's take the win.

Compared to Whole Foods, I think the chocolate peanut butter cups from Trader Joe's had a better flavor and were slightly sweeter, making them extra addicting.

I tried Trader Joe's Mandarin orange chicken, which people have raved about on social media. On TikTok, there's a plethora of users who ranked the dish and showed how they make it at home.

As a result, I was very excited to give the $4.99 meal a try. The package offered different ways to make the chicken, including a skillet, but I chose the oven because I thought they would taste crispier in comparison. I heated the oven to 400° Fahrenheit and baked them for 20 minutes. Additionally, I warmed the sauce in the microwave for one minute.

Unfortunately, I was a bit underwhelmed by Trader Joe's Mandarin orange chicken. In my opinion, the sauce needs bolder flavors to give it a delicious kick.

On the bright side, I thought the chicken had a nice crunch to it.

After trying Trader Joe's Mandarin orange chicken, I hoped Whole Foods' version was better. It cost $8.99 at my local store.

The instructions said the chicken can be cooked via air fryer or oven, but I chose air fryer since my oven was already in use for Trader Joe's version. I followed the instructions: cook the chicken at 350° Fahrenheit for 15 to 18 minutes. Separately, I de-thawed the sauce in warm water for five minutes.

In my opinion, the Whole Foods version had a better sauce than Trader Joe's, making it this round's winner. Looking at each ingredient list, I noticed that Whole Foods used more orange juice than Trader Joe's, which definitely gave the flavor a needed kick.

Lastly, I cooked Trader Joe's cauliflower gnocchi. The gnocchi was frozen and cost $3.29.

I followed the package's instructions, which told me to sauté the gnocchi in a skillet over medium heat for seven to 10 minutes while seasoning. I seasoned my dish with salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, and a bit of Rao's roasted garlic Alfredo sauce.

Overall, I though the gnocchi was soft with a bit of crisp from the skillet, which I found to be a nice texture. Tastewise, it didn't stand out too much from other cauliflower gnocchi I've tried in the past.

Whole Foods' cauliflower gnocchi differs slightly from Trader Joe's because it's not frozen. I bought my bag for $6.29.

Per the instructions, I cooked the gnocchi in a pan for three to seven minutes over medium-high heat and seasoned it exactly as I did for the Trader Joe's version. Since I liked Whole Foods's orange chicken better than Trader Joe's, I thought that might be the case with the cauliflower gnocchi.

I was very, very wrong.

I think Whole Foods' cauliflower gnocchi had an off-putting aftertaste that I couldn't place when looking over the ingredient list. Although it includes potato flakes, I couldn't figure out why I kept getting hints of squash.

While none of these products are bad, the only one that stood out to me was Whole Foods' orange chicken. It was quick and easy, and I feel like I got bang for my buck.