I tried 17 of this year's award-winning products from Trader Joe's and I'd buy at least 13 of them again

Some people wait for the Oscars but if you're like me, you wait for the annual Trader Joe's Customer Choice Awards.

On Monday, the chain published the winners of its 14-annual Customer Choice Awards, giving shoppers a glimpse into what people are really buying and enjoying.

Notably, the chain didn't tally votes for reigning fan-favorite champions like Mandarin-orange chicken, dark-chocolate peanut-butter cups, Unexpected Cheddar, soy chorizo, and peanut-butter-filled pretzel nuggets this year. Instead, these items were moved to the Product Hall of Fame.

As a longtime Trader Joe's shopper, I tried as many of this year's Customer Choice Award winners and runners-up as I could get my hands on.

I thought Trader Joe's $4 chocolate lava cakes tasted surprisingly expensive and luxurious, possibly better than some of the molten cakes I've had at restaurants for triple the price.

The center reserve known as the chocolate "lava" was decadent and rich. The cake component was wonderfully moist and tender with an intense brownie-like dark-chocolate flavor. And boy, do I mean intense.

I ended up topping mine with whipped cream to cut through some of the richness.

But the size of the lava cakes is what makes them stand out. One cake was about as big as my palm, so a couple of bites of the rich dessert were more than enough for me.

With a scoop of ice cream, I could easily share a lava cake with a roommate or a date.

VERDICT: Although I don't necessarily need more desserts in my house, I'd say this is worth having on hand for when I want to treat myself to something that feels more luxurious than a cookie.

Trader Joe's BBQ-teriyaki chicken is a solid entrée that comes with enough dark-meat pieces in the bag to serve three.

The soy-based teriyaki topping was thinner and milder in intensity than sauces I've had from restaurants. It tasted fine to me with a yummy, slightly sweet flavor, though I didn't find it as bright or sugary as the sauce belonging to Trader Joe's Mandarin-orange chicken.

Once poured on top of the chicken, the sauce glistened and created a beautiful, appetizing sheen so was like a feast for the eyes and palate in one.

I ate the chicken with some rice but I could see it pairing well with broccoli, carrots, and green onions.

Best of all, I was able to cook the entire bag in less than 10 minutes on the stove. You can microwave the teriyaki chicken too, but because I didn't have to wait for the chicken to thaw or marinate, I could afford to take the time to pan-fry the meal.

VERDICT: For the price point and how much time this saves, I'd totally buy Trader Joe's teriyaki chicken again.

As gimmicky as it seems, I agree with the general public that the brookie is one of the best things Trader Joe's has to offer.

As someone with a serious sweet tooth, the brookie really hit the spot. The brownie layer was chocolaty, dense, and fudgy, and the cookie component offered a satisfyingly sweet, soft bite that, to me, tasted more like the dough than the actual baked good.

I also loved the added chocolate chips from the cookie part.

I think Trader Joe's brookie is best eaten right away. Within two days of opening the package, it seemed like the cookie part dried out and developed a crumbly texture.

You might be able to remedy this by microwaving the brookie for a few seconds but if your house is anything like mine, you won't have to worry because the entire box will probably be devoured within 24 hours.

VERDICT: It's taken so much restraint for me to not buy Trader Joe's brookies literally every time I see them.

Trader Joe's has carried vegetable fried rice for years so I was genuinely pleased to see my personal staple finally get the recognition it deserves.

I think the vegetable fried rice is super easy to cook and turns out pretty much perfect every time. It's fluffy and soft but not mushy at all.

The flavor is pretty neutral and noticeably milder compared to the fried rice I'd had at most restaurants. But personally, I appreciate the mild flavor because it means I can control the level of salt to my liking.

And, perhaps best of all, each bag of Trader Joe's fried rice comes with all the vegetables mixed in, including peas, onions, carrots, corn, edamame, and red peppers so no chopping is required.

I'll be honest, I'm not one to complain about finding ways to sneak more vegetables into my day.

VERDICT: Trader Joe's vegetable fried rice is the kind of product that deserves to be a regular purchase.

As much as I love a country potato in the morning, they're a bit of a pain to cook. Trader Joe's hash-brown patties, on the other hand, are elite.

As someone who grew up on fast-food breakfast, the box of patties gives me a special kind of joy only nostalgia can bring.

The first time I made the hash-brown patties, they tasted like they were drowning in grease because I fried them. Through trial and error, I've learned to cook Trader Joe's hash-brown side in the air fryer to make them significantly less greasy and produce the optimal amount of crunch reminiscent of McDonald's patties.

But the pan-fry method also works, turning out a beautiful golden starchy exterior with yummy, crispy edges all around.

VERDICT: If you're a big breakfast person, Trader Joe's hash-brown patties are the only potatoes you'll ever need.

After sinking my teeth into Trader Joe's chocolate croissants, I felt like I was transported to a Parisian cafe.

Despite being sold in the freezer section, I thought they tasted like a fresh piece of bakery. The croissants themselves were puffy and light, with a delicious buttery taste and flaky exterior.

The texture wasn't squishy or floppy at all and the added bit of sweetness from the chocolate was divine.

The only drawback to making Trader Joe's chocolate croissants is preparing for when you're going to eat these because they have to proof overnight. If you spontaneously get a hankering for chocolate croissants one morning, you're out of luck but otherwise, they're perfection.

VERDICT: As someone who probably spends $20 a week buying chocolate croissants from a coffee shop, the Trader Joe's version is worth every single penny.

Initially, I worried the flavor of Trader Joe's wine-soaked Toscano cheese would be a bit harsh but it turned out to be surprisingly mellow.

Like the peppery Toscano, this cheese has a delicious, slightly salty profile like aged Parmesan, but with a drier, slightly astringent finish. I don't have the palate to detect the "blackberry and plum notes," but I got very faint sweet undertones.

I imagine pairing Trader Joe's wine-soaked Toscano with a full-bodied red or eating it in the same bite as some grapes would only enhance the mildly sweet flavors.

VERDICT: I'm not in a hot rush to buy Trader Joe's wine-soaked Toscano right away but I can totally see it being a hit on any charcuterie board.

In my opinion, this cheese is a great option for people who want to try something new but aren't sure if they're ready for something more intense.

After whipping up Trader Joe's kung-pao chicken for dinner I have reason to believe it's time we crowned this entrée the new one-pan dinner supreme.

Between the savory dark-meat chicken, spicy ginger soy sauce, piquant red peppers, onions, and peanuts, layers of flavor were built into this dish. Similar to the kung-pao cauliflower, another Trader Joe's entrée I love, this sauce wasn't terribly thick or heavy but boasted a pleasantly peppery heat that warmed the sides of my mouth and kept me going back for more.

Per box instructions, I cooked the chicken to perfect tenderness to make a meal that was genuinely comparable to takeout.

I also enjoyed the varying levels of crunch from the peanuts, water chestnuts, and dried chilis that appeared in the mix.

To top it all off, the entire entrée came together in one pan in less than 10 minutes on the stove.

VERDICT: Step aside, orange chicken. Trader Joe's kung-pao chicken is officially my new go-to weeknight dinner.

Following the immense success and popularity of the corn-chip dippers, Trader Joes's introduced an elote version, and if you're a fan of spicy food like me, these are perfect.

Once I took a bite, I couldn't put the Trader Joe's elote corn-chip dippers down. Habanero and chipotle powder gave the dippers a bold kick of smoky heat that tickled my lips and the back of my tongue, growing even more pronounced with each successive bite.

Each dipper is just a touch thicker than a regular tortilla chip, with a yummy, strong corn flavor that goes with pretty much anything. I also found the slightly curved, oblong shape to be optimal for scooping up dip.

VERDICT: Of all the corn chips I've tried from Trader Joe's, the elote corn-chip dippers were by far the most flavorful and delicious. I'll definitely be stocking up for the summer.

Some cheeses need a jam or mustard to really pop but not Trader Joe's cheddar with caramelized onions. The onion flavor permeates every corner of this block of English cheddar, creating an irresistibly savory profile with subtle hints of sweetness.

It sort of reminds me of Trader Joe's caramelized-onion dip. It left a slight oniony aftertaste in my mouth, which I don't mind. The texture was firm but crumbled ever so slightly and according to Trader Joe's, it grates and melts really well too.

I initially planned to use the cheddar with caramelized onions for grilled cheese but it was so good to snack on I ate more than half the block in a few days.

VERDICT: Trader Joe's cheddar with caramelized onions has a very distinct taste and its savory flavor profile is delicious and palatable so I can see it working in a variety of contexts. For that reason, I think its first-place award is well deserved.

Trader Joe's beefless bulgogi is made with textured soy protein, which I think is a bit disappointing for those looking for an allergy-friendly alternative, but it does an incredible job capturing the essence of what it's trying to mimic.

Out of the bag, I thought the frozen block looked like astronaut food. However, after six to eight minutes on the stove, I got strips that looked, smelled, and tasted exactly like a marinated grilled steak. From the beef-like savory, slightly salty, faintly sweet flavors to the chewy, fibrous texture, it was unbelievable.

Admittedly, a few strips in my batch turned out more rubbery and squishy, but even they reminded me of fatty pieces of beef.

VERDICT: As impressive as this beefless bulgogi is, I don't enjoy regular beef enough to go out of my way to get a vegetarian version of it, so I don't see myself buying it again.

But if you're someone who likes meat and wants to cut back on your consumption, I cannot recommend this product enough.

I've sung the praises of Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel Seasoning ad nauseam at this point but I'll continue to do so. With a winning combination of toasted sesame and poppy seeds, minced onion, dried garlic, and sea salt, this holy grail goes with pretty much anything.

You can put it on eggs, avocado toast, dips, pizza, Bloody Marys, Greek yogurt, and, heck, even actual bagels. It makes my plain toast taste like something I ordered from a restaurant and coming from someone who is a very mediocre home cook, I can't ask for more.

Trader Joe's has released other seasonings since the Everything but the Bagel Blend made its grand debut, I've yet to find another that can match the umami, crunch, and deliciousness of this one.

VERDICT: All you need to know is I keep a shaker of Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel Seasoning in my spice cabinet at all times.

The fact that Trader Joe's cauliflower gnocchi made the awards list yet again genuinely surprises me. I thought by now everyone was over the cauliflower-everything trend, but I guess not.

I've sampled Trader Joe's cauliflower gnocchi three times now, and my opinion is pretty much the same as before. It's good enough if you're looking to be more plant-based without the calories that potato-based gnocchi brings.

Stovetop preparation yields a chewy, sort of squishy, yet buttery texture with slightly browned edges. I still struggle to get past how slick and slightly slimy the exterior is but it's easy to get over that once it's covered in sauce.

The cauliflower flavor isn't as strong as you might expect it to be but it's definitely there. More than anything, I think the gnocchi as a whole is like little gummy balls of starch.

VERDICT: Though Trader Joe's cauliflower gnocchi is a pretty good plant-based product to have on hand if you're looking to cut calories, for my liking, I'd just rather have the potato version.

Now Trader Joe's chili-lime rolled-corn tortilla chips are my jam. Per the package description, the tube-shaped snack is made out of stone-ground masa that's been fried, rolled, and coated in a chili- and lime-flavored seasoning.

To me, they taste just like Takis, though noticeably less salty, and with the citrus cranked up. They're crunchy, extra spicy, and bright and I love them. I especially appreciate that I can recognize the ingredients on the packaging as well.

I personally didn't find them to be very hot, but as someone who grew up eating snacks like Hot Cheetos, I have a fair tolerance for spice. The burn stuck to the front of my lips and tongue.

VERDICT: I may have an emotional breakdown if Trader Joe's ever discontinues the chili-lime rolled-corn tortilla chips because they're a staple snack for me.

Eating the World's Puffiest white-cheddar corn puffs is like having little airy, light clouds of mild cheese. I appreciate the way they dissolve on my tongue and love that they don't leave any orange dust on my fingers.

When I previously tried them, I complained about the cheese flavor not being strong enough. Now, I think that's because I was used to super salty, ultra-processed foods with fake American-cheese flavoring.

I've since evolved and think that the World's Puffiest white-cheddar puffs rule. I like having it on hand for when I want to put out a snack for a movie that isn't sweet.

VERDICT: I'm not sure if I would buy the cheese puffs again on my own, but I definitely wouldn't turn them down if someone had them on a tray in front of the TV.

Trader Joe's seems to turn out new desserts every minute but in the end, nothing beats the classics. Though other ice-cream cones are thrice the size and melt all over my hand before I can finish, these mini Hold the Cones satisfy my after-dinner sweet tooth without being too heavy.

The treat is made up of chocolate-dipped ice cream over a tiny cone and is absolutely delightful. The ice cream is creamy and sweet and the chocolate shell is velvety and smooth.

I've tried the majority of the flavors Trader Joe's offers and can confirm they're all wonderful.

I'm particularly partial to the chocolate-chip Hold the Cones because how can I resist chocolate chips and a chocolate core? But even the basic chocolate-dipped vanilla cones are great.

VERDICT: At this point, it's pretty much impossible for me to not pick up a box of the Hold the Cone ice-cream treats every time I'm at Trader Joe's.

As suggested by the name, Trader Joe's butter chicken was tender, moist, and practically melted in my mouth, which is why I was disappointed at how little meat I had.

Based on the picture on the box, I thought there would be a massive pile but instead, I had what I consider three small pieces and a huge serving of rice. At least those chicken pieces were good.

On the bright side, the sauce that came with Trader Joe's butter chicken was fantastic, with a rich, creamy, and spicy tomato flavor.

I thought it was comparable to Trader Joe's chicken tikka masala but thicker and richer. It's too bad there wasn't enough of it to cover all the rice.

VERDICT: Although I appreciate the convenience of Trader Joe's butter chicken, I'm not sure if I would go out of my way to buy it.

I was so happy to see Trader Joe's vegan kale-cashew pesto be rewarded for the gem it truly is because it's one of my favorite products.

Straight out of the container, the pesto tastes fresh and fragrant, arguably even more so than the regular version. It has just the right balance of garlic and basil and a slight saltiness.

The cashew base creates a consistency that's as creamy and full-bodied as in pestos made with Parmesan and pecorino. In my opinion, the nut base in lieu of cream also made it feel less oily than regular pesto.

As for the kale, I think its flavor is barely detectable, save for a faint bitterness at the end. And even then, it blends so well with the herby basil, I can barely tell it's there.

VERDICT: With how delicious Trader Joe's vegan kale-cashew pesto is, I honestly don't know if I'll be able to buy the regular version again.