Trader Joe's 'Joe-Joe's' Cookies

I never understood what all the fuss is about when it comes to Oreo cookies. There is just something about how they taste that I didn't like. That was until I met Joe Joe's, the Trader Joe's equivalent of the Oreo cookie. Unlike Oreos, Joe Joe's do not contain HFCS and artificial vanillin, the vanilla is the real deal. By no means are they healthy, but healthier than the Oreo in my opinion. I limit myself to just two cookies a day.

The Joe Joe's come in three flavors. I am reviewing the Oreo look alike, chocolate with vanilla filling, and the all vanilla flavor. I like them both equally but prefer the all vanilla because of the ingredients. The palm oil in these is organic - and although it is the only organic ingredient in these cookies, if you know how these particular palms are grown and sprayed with pesticides you will understand why that is a big deal. The chocolate with vanilla version has regular palm oil and soybean oil, again - if you know how soy is grown it will also make sense to you why I prefer the all vanilla version. Also, even though the nutrition facts say that there are 11 grams of sugar in both, I find the vanilla ones to be less sweet. Regular Oreos have 14 grams of sugar - too sweet for my taste.

Aside from great taste, you can't beat the value either! Compare the 20 oz Joe Joe's package for $2.49 to an 18 oz Oreo package at $3.99. That is in addition to the absence of High Fructose Corn Syrup which has potential links to the obesity and diabetes epidemic in the United States. In case you haven't noticed, it is virtually in all processed food you buy. When you open the box keep in mind that it is best to keep these sealed in a bag if you live someplace humid like me (MA), otherwise they'll get soggy in a few days if you leave them in the open box.

The photo is of the scrumptious all vanilla version, and you can try the fun directions for eating it according to the Toucan bird!