A while back, we tried the Trader Joe’s Maple Flavored Poffertjes, and we were quite impressed. While we were expecting a batch of warm, tasty pancake bites, what we got was a surprisingly sweet and flavorful breakfast. So when we spotted the Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Poffertjes Mini Pancake Puffs at our local TJ’s store, we knew we had to try them. Take the super delicious pancake puffs and add chocolate chips? We’re totally on board for that!
Apparently, these were new as of September of 2022, so they might be getting a little bit lost amidst the fall foods frenzy that’s going on at TJ’s right now. But the Freezer Meal Frenzy staff is on top of it! We’re not going to let these slip through the cracks!
The bag gives cooking instructions for both the oven and the microwave, but neither method takes all that much time. Because we really liked how the maple version turned out in the oven, we decided to go with the oven for this batch as well. (If you want to read the full cooking instructions straight off the bag, check out the package scans at the bottom of this review.)
When cooked in the oven, the outsides of these pancake bites get just the slightest bit crispy, which makes them an absolute delight to bite into. The insides, of course, stay soft and warm, so getting through that slightly crispy outer layer exposes the absolute bounty within. We do recommend eating these before they cool completely, though, because the warm insides are especially delightful. Just don’t eat them right out of the oven or you might burn your mouth!
Like their maple-based brethren, these are definitely designed to be eaten with a smattering of maple syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar. But also like their maple-based brethren, they don’t actually need all this fancy-pants decoration to be fully enjoyed. These are quite good even if you eat them plain.
We compared the maple version to vanilla wafer cookies, and we’d compare these ones to mini chocolate chip cookies. The pancake portion is a little bit sweet, but it’s the melty chocolate chips that really drive the flavor here. These will definitely satisfy a sweet tooth!
The bag suggests 12 pieces as a serving, and there should be about three servings’ worth inside. If you stick with that amount, you’ll be consuming 370 calories and 290 mg of sodium. If you go completely feral and eat the full bag in a sitting, like some sort of pancake-loving Cookie Monster, you’ll be up to 1,110 calories and 870 mg of sodium. While the sodium is lower than you might expect, these treats do have some calories in them.
The Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Poffertjes Mini Pancake Puffs are yet another indulgent breakfast snack from the TJ’s crew. If you tried and loved the maple version, you should definitely give these a try, but even if the maple version wasn’t quite your thing, the chocolate chips here might win you over.
To learn more about the nutrition content, ingredients, or cooking instructions for these pancake puffs, check out the package scans below.
