Trader Joe's Confirms Popular Holiday Snack Was Pulled From Shelves

Every year, Trader Joe's releases different kinds of seasonal treats for the holidays. However, one popular item will not be available this year.

Last week, a customer posted on the Trader Joe's subreddit claiming they had been told that the chain's Candy Cane Joe Joe's cookies were pulled from shelves this season for not being up to par.

"Apparently the manufacturer put too much peppermint in and they couldn’t be sold," the Reddit user said. "I appreciate the quality control - but man, I look forward to these every year. I’ll have to find deep inner strength to thrive through this holiday season."

Now, we have confirmation this poster was telling the truth.

No Joe Joe's in 2025

Candy Cane Joe Joe's, which are chocolate sandwich cookies filled with vanilla creme containing candy cane pieces, have indeed be dropped, a Trader Joe's spokesperson told PEOPLE on Tuesday.

"This year, the Candy Cane Joe Joe’s simply didn’t meet our standards, so we made the decision to remove them from our shelves," the spokesperson said. "Our holiday season cookie selection is vast and includes a number of truly delicious cookies; we hope our customers will find a new favorite or two from among this selection."

The spokesperson declined to go into detail about where this year's batch of cookies fell short, but provided a quick glimpse into Trader Joe's quality control measures.

"Trader Joe’s searches the world for products we think our customers will love," the spokesperson explained. "Every product undergoes a rigorous tasting panel process, in which every aspect of quality, taste, and price is thoroughly evaluated before the product can earn a spot on our shelves. Even after products arrive in our stores, we continue to taste them regularly to ensure they meet those same standards."

More on the Joe Joe's

It should be noted that some Trader Joe's customers on Reddit and social media said they saw or purchased Candy Cane Joe Joe's this year before the product was pulled. Others said they encountered the gluten-free or chocolate-covered versions of the cookies.

The author of this piece most recently visited Trader Joe's a couple of weeks ago, and can remember seeing the store's Candy Cane Joe Joe's ice cream, but did not see if the cookies themselves were available.