I’m finally starting to feel better after being sick for more than a week (perks of babysitting my two very adorable and germ-filled nephews). To commemorate, I went for a cautious walk around my neighborhood and the remaining piles of snow before starting my workday. Somehow, I ended up at the nearby Trader Joe’s.
Okay fine, I intentionally headed in that direction because I needed more peanut butter (I was down to a single jar, which almost never happens in my home), eggs, and a few more of my favorite Trader Joe’s staples. Frozen pastries weren’t on my mental list, but as it often happens at Trader Joe’s, an unintended item ended up in my cart — and I’m really glad it did.
What You Should Know About Trader Joe’s Morning Buns
For starters, they’re new to TJ’s. The morning buns popped up in the freezer aisle earlier in January, and have been rolling out across the country since. The French-inspired pastries are made with the very same dough as the grocer’s popular chocolate croissants and almond croissants, according to Trader Joe’s website. (They taste like it, too.) The buns contain a cinnamon and brown sugar filling and are seasoned with orange zest.
They come in a paper cup for baking. Similar to their croissant cousins, the buns require proofing for seven to nine hours (or overnight) before they’re ready to bake. They’re sold four to a box and retail for a chill $4.99, or roughly $1.25 per bun. You can’t beat that price where I live in New York.
My Honest Review of Trader Joe’s Morning Buns
When I first unboxed a frozen morning bun, I sighed at its diminutive size. I should have known better (after all, I’m well acquainted with the magic of proofing TJ’s double chocolate croissants). I waited roughly eight hours before baking the puffed up bun for 16 minutes in a 375°F oven, as the package suggests. It came out a gorgeous golden color and piping hot.
I set a timer for five minutes, at my own suggestion, and waited for the sizzling bun to cool just enough to not completely burn my mouth. (I didn’t make it the full five minutes.)
The exterior is flaky — delicate shards of pastry crackled as I took my first bite, giving way to a surprisingly buttery inside. The orange zest is bright and prominent, but not intrusive, with generous ribbon of cinnamon sugar filling to balance the doughiness. Plus, there’s a thin layer of caramelized brown sugar that pools at the bottom of the bun, thanks to the contained paper cup. No icing needed here.
It’s the perfect amount of croissant crossed with a pillowy-soft cinnamon roll. In fact, I like this morning bun better than both.
Find it in stores: Trader Joe’s Morning Buns, $4.99 for 4 pastries
Have you tried Trader Joe’s new Morning Buns? Tell us about it in the comments below.
