For folks who shop at Trader Joe’s, you know that the holiday confections go quickly, and when they’re gone they may never come back.
One of the new introductions that I saw on the shelves isn’t seasonal. It’s called Trader Joe’s Soft Peanut Brittle. At first I didn’t even know what that meant. Soft peanut brittle? Is it more like toffee, which means more butter than the traditionally less fatty brittle? The package simply says covered in milk chocolate, a flaky, crispy peanutty treat. The image looks like little mini bars of peanut brittle, but it looks like the peanuts are crushed instead of whole. So maybe that’s what makes it soft.
After opening the package and biting into one, I know what this is, and it isn’t “soft peanut brittle.”
They’re like Butterfinger or Clark Bars. Flaky layers of peanut butter crunch. It’s all covered in chocolate and striped with some darker chocolate.
I have nothing against Clark Bars (I love the new ones) but that’s not what I was expecting here.
The milk chocolate coating is a bit scuffed on all of them. The stand up pouch is economical, it holds a half a pound, but the bars aren’t well protected. Each little bar is about an inch and a quarter long and three quarters of an inch wide. It’s one big bite or two small ones.
The crispy layers are soft and have an kind of melt that’s like halva and a bit like cotton candy, with spindly & spiky shards of hard candy infused with the flavor of peanut butter. It’s a little sweet, a little salty and a lot nutty. There’s no molasses in there, which often helps to support the deep roasted flavors of the nuts and the woodsy notes of the chocolate. They’re quite munchable, definitely something I’d like to have while watching a movie.
The price is decent, especially because this version uses no artificial colors or flavors and has a real chocolate coating (unlike Butterfinger or Fifth Avenue). But Clark Bars are now all natural and come in milk or dark chocolate ... so I’m kind of torn. The back of the package suggests using it in desserts, like chopping it up and crumbling it on top of a cake or ice cream. No wrappers makes that infinitely simpler. But no wrappers also encourages endless munching. So just remember, you’ll have to control yourself once you open the bag (which has a zipper top).
The package says that they’re gluten free and Kosher.
Related Candies
- Head to Head: Clark, Butterfinger & 5th Avenue
- Clark Bar (Get Real - Milk & Dark)
- Green & Black’s Peanut Milk Chocolate
- Atkinson’s Peanut Butter Bar
- See’s Peanut Brittle Bar
- Chick-o-Stick
Today I had Trader Joe’s milk chocolate covered toffee popcorn. A little disappointing, unfortunately, as the chocolate overwhelmed the popcorn and toffee.
I was wondering about this stuff when I saw it at TJ’s - so thanks for the report. Like you, I was perplexed by the name; it seems rather oxymoronic, right? I mean, “brittle” means breakable, which means hard. And hard is not soft.
What I’m trying to say is that brittle is the opposite of soft. “Soft brittle” is like saying “smooth crunchy” peanut butter, or “raised flatbread”...or something.
Inappropriately-named, but tasty nonetheless, apparently!
Wow the picture on that packet is pretty misleading.
Next entry: Snyder’s Peanut Butter Pretzel Sandwich Dips
Previous entry: RM Palmer Peppermint Patties