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Trader Joe’s giveth, Trader Joe’s taketh away—and sometimes, if you’re lucky, Trader Joe’s bringeth back.
The cult-favorite grocery chain has quietly revived one of its more niche (and very French) desserts: cannelés, the petite fluted pastries with a caramelized shell and custardy center. The catch? These Bordelais treats are only here for a limited time—again.
If you missed them the first time around, these frozen cannelés were previously discontinued but have resurfaced this spring in four-packs for $5.49. They’re rolling out nationwide now and are expected to stick around through May, according to the company.
For the uninitiated, cannelés (short for cannelés de Bordeaux) date back centuries and are famously fussy to make. The most traditional versions are baked in copper molds lined with beeswax; they require a delicate balance to achieve their signature contrast: a caramelized, chewy exterior and a soft, custard-like interior. Even seasoned bakers tend to treat them as a project.
Trader Joe’s version skips the copper-and-beeswax ritual in favor of custom silicone molds, an efficient swap that still delivers the same textural magic. The flavor of the grocery store version also leans more toward vanilla than the classic rum-heavy profile, making them feel a bit more crowd-friendly.
Preparation is blissfully low-effort compared to making them from scratch. Directions say to pop them in a 350-degree oven for about 10 to 12 minutes, let them cool briefly and you’ve got something that tastes far more high-maintenance than it actually is.
Early reactions have been largely enthusiastic. One fan review called them “full of buttery custard” with a satisfying caramelized bite, even if the pastries run on the smaller side. (Early reviewers caution, however, don’t overbake unless you want to veer into hockey puck territory.)
Why bring them back only to yank them again? Trader Joe’s hasn’t said. In typical fashion, the company frames these limited runs as part of its ever-rotating treasure hunt: products appear, disappear and occasionally return in slightly tweaked form.
"Our buyers travel the world searching for products we think are exceptional and will find a following among our customers,” a spokesperson told USA Today. “Sometimes that's a re-invention of something we've offered in the past."
So if you’re the type to fall hard for a freezer-aisle find, consider this your heads-up. These little Bordeaux-born bites won’t be sticking around—and if history is any indication, there’s no guarantee they’ll be back anytime soon.