It’s Not Your Imagination: These 4 Trader Joe’s Products Have Disappeared in 2025—And Shoppers Are Upset!
Let’s be clear: When it comes to Trader Joe’s, fans are die-hard. Nothing gets past them. And this quirky private-label grocery store is known for discontinuing products without a peep, so it’s never too much of a surprise if a product is suddenly out of stock … forever. Shoppers know the drill: One day you’re buying your favorite flourless chocolate cake, and the next day—poof, it’s gone!
If there’s one thing fans expect from this outlet, it’s that it keeps you on your toes. In fact, TJ’s ruthless roster cuts are a running joke on the internet. Say you love a Trader Joe’s product (the Ginger Mints, for example). As a Reddit user warns, “Better grab a bunch before they discontinue them.”
Others don’t even share what their favorite is, because as one shopper says: “I’m not telling you because they’ll discontinue it.” Another admits to being “SO SCARED” their favorite creamer had been discontinued—joking that their ability to function solely depends on it.
What gives, TJ’s? We talked to Shari Robins, a former culinary creator for Trader Joe’s, who explains that “there are a lot of moving parts involved when they cancel a product.” And even though shoppers are used to the so-called “product fade”—where you’re left wondering whether it’s on the chopping block or just out of stock—something about 2025’s disappearing items has really set the internet on fire.
Keep reading to find out which Trader Joe’s items are no longer on shelves and if any of them might make a comeback.
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Which Trader Joe’s items have disappeared in 2025 so far?
Every year, Trader Joe’s has a long list of items they’ve “un-alived” from their shelves, so it’s not uncommon to experience multiple disappearances. In fact, a Reddit shopper posted all the confirmed discontinued items in 2023—and the list topped 25 things!
But these beloved grocery items just seem to hit differently. (Because it’s happening now, of course!) Here’s what you won’t find on the shelf anytime soon, TJ fans.
Traditional carnitas
One particularly upsetting disappearance has been the refrigerated TJ’s carnitas, which went missing in August.
Strangely, this is an over-performing discontinued product. So why the disappearance? It’s speculated that the suppliers went out of business. So, technically, this was not a discontinuation, but rather a sad goodbye. In the meantime, Trader Joe’s is looking for a new supplier for the carnitas, so it is possible these will make a reentrance.
Banana chocolate chip muffins
A resurrected product, the banana chocolate chip muffin has been discontinued again—and fans have lots to say about it. One Redditor shares they’re “genuinely at a loss” to say goodbye to their daily breakfast of choice for the past five years. Others say, “RIP banana muffins.”
Despite these heartfelt comments, TJ’s called it quits on the banana muffins in April this year, likely due to low performance.
Chicken, cheese and green chile pupusas
This Salvadorian appetizer had mixed reviews. While some shoppers grieved the loss of their favorite chicken pupusas, others on Reddit said the pupusas “tasted like nothing” or were “flavorless.”
The savory pupusas were discontinued around March 2025. There’s no evidence for the reason behind the discontinuation, so we can only speculate that it wasn’t flying off the shelves the way Trader Joe’s wanted.
Pancake bread
The infamous pancake bread was also discontinued in March. An Instagram post from March 26 shared the bad news with a picture of the bread with a “to be discontinued” sign attached.
Shoppers loved the fluffy, moist texture, with some Reddit users comparing it to coffee cake. The reason pancake bread was axed is unclear. However, one shopper shares that a conversation with a Trader Joe’s employee led them to believe it wasn’t selling, as their store had to donate a lot of it.
Why does Trader Joe’s quietly pull items off the shelves vs. making an announcement?
You have to admit, with such visceral responses from customers, it makes you wonder whether Trader Joe’s does this on purpose. Why does the store always seem to discontinue the good products?
Robins explains that one reason might be the store’s contract flexibility with suppliers. “Trader Joe’s doesn’t take slotting fees like big chains do, so they pull items when they are underperforming,” she says. (Slotting fees are fees suppliers pay retailers to keep their products on shelves.)
Not charging suppliers is one reason Trader Joe’s prices are so cheap. However, Trader Joe’s has to make even more sacrifices to keep its all-time amazing prices … and sometimes, that includes releasing your favorite foods. So it could be that “items have become too expensive to produce and maintain at an acceptable TJ’s price,” Robins says.
Other times, it comes down to supply and demand. Robins notes that suppliers can (and do) run out of ingredients or packaging materials. This could be why there may be long stints without an item on the shelf … only to see it return a few months later.
Is there a way to tell what’s being discontinued at TJ’s?
Unfortunately, no. You can never truly know until a product is gone. If you’re lucky, you might see “to be discontinued” signs on certain products if you keep your eyes open. However, this is not always the case. Most of the time, you are just out of luck.
Could these items ever make a comeback?
As evidenced by the banana chocolate chip muffins, yes! It’s possible for items to make a comeback. But it’s definitely not the norm. In fact, it appears to be a pretty rare occurrence when an item makes a second appearance.
However, if you find that one of your favorite items has been taken out of stores, Trader Joe’s does have an online form specifically to hear feedback on discontinued products. Make your voice heard, and you never know what could happen!
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Sources:
- Shari Lynne Robins, strategic culinary innovator and chef; interviewed, September 2025
- Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves: “Trader Joe’s CARNITAS (M.I.A.) update”
- Instagram: @trader_joes_treasure_hunt
- Reddit: “I cannot live without my gingermints”
- Reddit: “What is your holy grail TJ’s item?”
- Reddit: “Is there an official list of discontinued items?”
- Reddit: “Carnitas discontinued? Is it true?”
- Reddit: “My beloved banana chocolate chip muffins RIP”
- Reddit: “Is anyone else sad TJs discontinued the pupusas”
- Reddit: “Does anyone know why the pancake bread is being discontinued???”
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