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Trader Joe’s Semi Sweet Chocolate Chunks, reviewed

Trader Joe's Chocolate Chunks

Chocolate chunks aren’t usually my favorite addition to cookies, not unless you’re talking about the kind of chocolate chunks that you make yourself by chopping up a favorite chocolate bar with a kitchen knife. Storebought, prepackaged chocolate chunks tend to be too regular in shape and too large for my tastes. The large squares are indeed chunky, but they don’t melt as well into a freshly baked cookie as regular chocolate chips do, and their large size means that it is easy to get a poor distribution of the chunks in the batter.

Trader Joe’s Semi Sweet Chocolate Chunks caught my eye at first because their shape was much more irregular than the standard packaged chocolate chunks. The pieces are slightly larger than chocolate chips, but they are irregular, so they look like you might have cut them yourself. This translates to a fantastic homemade look in chocolate chunk baked goods. The chocolate also happens to be delicious. It is 58.9% cacao, with a nice balance of bittersweet cocoa and sweetness, as well as a touch of vanilla. The chunks melt smoothly on your tongue and also melt very smoothly in baked goods. You can substitute them into any recipe that calls for chocolate chips or chocolate chunks, and they’re also great for recipes that call for melted chocolate because the pieces measure and melt very easily.

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7 Comments
  • Linda
    March 6, 2014

    I discovered these around the holidays and keep buying bags because I “know” they will stop carrying them and consider them a holiday item at some point (like the white chips each year). I agree they are great to put in a cookie since they aren’t as large or regular. I do have one recipe where I do prefer the larger chunks because they “make” the cookie but other than that I think these are perfect. I wasn’t aware of the taste since I don’t eat them but just bake with them. Sounds like a double win to me!

  • Kate @ Coffee with Kate
    March 6, 2014

    Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chunks are my favorite … especially by the handful. I wish they made them in a darker chocolate too!

  • stephanie
    March 7, 2014

    Good to know!

  • Trisha
    March 17, 2014

    I’ve been buying these lately and they are wonderful!

  • Nancy Bradbury
    October 4, 2017

    What is the price of TJ’s chocolate chunks?

  • Nicole
    October 4, 2017

    I think they’re about $2 for 10 oz… but that could vary by region, so you might have to check your local store.

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