- Trader Joe's has announced the winners of its 15th-annual Customer Choice Awards.
- Chili-lime rolled-corn tortilla chips and bananas won again.
Trader Joe's has announced the winners of its 15th-annual Customer Choice Awards, which revealed some repeat favorites and new champions.
The winners were selected based on shopper surveys, and categories include things like best beverage, best sweet treat, and best overall winner.
The list is notably missing some beloved favorites, like the Mandarin-orange chicken, because five-time winners are now taken out of the running and moved into the Product Hall of Fame to give other items a chance to compete.
Here are the winners of Trader Joe's 15th-annual Customer Choice Awards.
Chili-lime rolled-corn tortilla chips took the spot for overall winner for a second time in a row
After the fan-favorite Mandarin-orange chicken was placed in the Hall of Fame last year, the chili-lime rolled-corn tortilla chips took the crown as fans' No. 1 product at Trader Joe's.
Now, the crunchy, spicy lime-flavored chips have won for the second year in a row.
In the overall category, they beat out steamed chicken soup dumplings, kimbap, steamed pork-and-ginger soup dumplings, and butternut-squash mac and cheese.
The tortilla chips also won in the best snack category.
Runners-up included organic elote corn-chip dippers, World's Puffiest white-cheddar corn puffs, crunchy curls, and the limited-time-only patio potato chips.
Goat cheese has taken the top spot for the best cheese at Trader Joe's
Many shoppers love Trader Joe's cheese selection, so much so that the company's Unexpected cheddar is one of only five products in the Product Hall of Fame.
The winner this year, though, is a simple goat cheese. It didn't even make the top five in the last awards.
Runners-up include the Syrah-soaked Toscano cheese spread and dip, burrata, Toscano cheese with black pepper, and English farmhouse cheddar with caramelized onions (last year's winner for this category).
When it comes to beverages, shoppers love apple cider
Trader Joe's has a pretty robust beverage selection, and that's not even counting its budget-friendly alcohol products.
This year's best beverage winner is the seasonal spiced cider, a flavored apple juice that hits stores in the fall.
Runners-up in the beverage category include French Market sparkling lemonade, triple-ginger brew (another seasonal product), 100% tangerine juice, and the non-dairy brown-sugar-flavored oat-based creamer.
Bananas were crowned winner of the produce category again
Last year, Trader Joe's bananas took over the produce category, dethroning teeny-tiny avocados. This year, bananas won for the fifth time, earning them a spot in the Hall of Fame.
Unlike many other grocery stores that sell bananas by the pound, Trader Joe's has become known for selling them at 19 cents per banana.
Teeny-tiny avocados remained in the No. 2 spot this year, followed by Honeycrisp apples, which are also in third place for the second year in a row.
The list is rounded out by Trader Joe's Persian cucumbers and the lemony arugula-basil salad kit.
This year's pick for the best appetizer is creamy spinach-and-artichoke dip
Trader Joe's creamy spinach-and-artichoke dip won best appetizer, beating out many fan-favorite products.
The appetizer category's runners-up were mac-and-cheese bites, Parmesan pastry pups, Greek spanakopita, and vegetable bird's nests with soy dipping sauce.
In Business Insider's own Trader Joe's appetizer taste test from food writer Lucien Formichella, the chain's Greek spanakopita actually scored a second-place spot.
Hash browns won the breakfast and brunch category
Trader Joe's shoppers chose the chain's frozen hash browns as their favorite breakfast and brunch pick. These shredded potatoes are ready quickly, whether they're baked or air-fried.
The hash browns were up against chocolate croissants, almond croissants, the limited-edition double-chocolate croissants, and chicken-sausage breakfast patties.
Last year, the hash browns came in second place for overall best product though they didn't make the top five this time around.
Butter chicken with basmati rice was the top lunch and dinner pick
Trader Joe's replaced its entrée category with the lunch and dinner category, and the butter chicken with basmati rice won again.
The dish includes cooked basmati rice with chicken and a creamy sauce made with tomatoes and onions.
Other top contenders in the category include chicken tikka masala, steamed pork-and-ginger soup dumplings, vegetable fried rice, and steamed chicken soup dumplings.
Sublime ice-cream sandwiches beat Hold the Cone products in the sweet-treat category
Hold the Cone's mini ice-cream treats won last year's dessert category, but they lost to the decadent Sublime ice-cream sandwiches this time around.
This dessert features two chocolate-chip cookies around creamy vanilla ice cream rolled in miniature chocolate chips.
Trader Joe's mint-chip ice cream took second place, chocolate-chip Hold the Cone treats won third, and chocolate Hold the Cone treats finished fourth.
The seasonal almond kringle, which came in second place in last year's sweets category, moved down to fifth this year.
Brazil nut body butter won the bath, body, and home category
Trader Joe's Brazil nut body butter — which some say is a dupe for the popular Brazilian Bum Bum cream — won in the bath, body, and home category.
This moisturizing lotion has scent notes like pistachio and salted caramel — and the smell was such a hit that Trader Joe's made a candle to match it.
Second place in the category went to the daily facial sunscreen for the second year in a row. Runners-up also include the coconut body butter, lavender hand-sanitizing spray, and the seasonal eight dripless candles.