This Cheese Won Trader Joe’s Customer Choice Awards 2 Years in a Row—and It’s Totally Worth the Hype

When shopping at Trader Joe’s, there’s always a bevy of delicious items to choose from, from frozen appetizers to snacks and desserts. And while TJ’s doesn’t often get it wrong, dedicated shoppers will tell you that some products are definitely better than others. Additionally, some finds are so good that they win a coveted Trader Joe’s Customer Choice Award.

The trophies are handed out annually each January, across several different categories, and the winners earn millions of votes from TJ’s shoppers all over the country. This year, for the 16th Annual Trader Joe’s Customer Choice Awards, the winning items spanned across 11 distinct categories, including favorite snack, favorite beverage, favorite sweet treat, and more.

One winner worth profiling? The TJ’s product that managed to take top honors in the Favorite Trader Joe’s Cheese category. As virtually any Trader Joe’s shopper will tell you, TJ’s really excels when it comes to cheese. Not only are the offerings unique and delicious (we see you, Toscano Cheese Crunchy Chili Onion!) they’re also reasonably priced. The winner, all varieties of TJ’s Goat Cheese, ticks all of these boxes. 

The award-winning goat cheese is akin to what you might find at a specialty cheese shop, and shoppers have a litany of delicious options to choose from. You’ve got simple options such as Chèvre Goat Cheese, which boasts an earthy, tangy taste and a spreadable texture that makes it easy to enjoy in a variety of ways.

Then, there are seasonal goat cheese varieties available, such as Cranberry Chèvre Goat Cheese that hits shelves in the fall and Blueberry Vanilla Chèvre, which has been spotted on shelves in the summer. Additionally, there are other flavors of goat cheese often in stock, like Chèvre with Fine Herbs and Chèvre with Honey—so many tasty goat cheeses to choose from!

No matter which Trader Joe’s goat cheese you add to your shopping cart, there are many ways to enjoy it. Any flavor shines when slathered on toast or as part of a cheese board, while an herby, savory goat cheese is delicious when mixed into a pasta sauce or fried and covered with breadcrumbs. If a sweeter goat cheese is more your speed, serve it with crackers and fruit, or as part of a dessert.

Additionally, many of the goat cheeses you can find at Trader Joe’s are (relatively) healthy, too. Generally speaking, goat cheese is lower in fat and calcium when compared to other cheeses, but higher in vitamin A than cheese from cow’s milk. Goat cheese also has less lactose than many other cheeses, making it more digestible for many children and elderly people who may be less able to process lactose.

Long story short: Add Trader Joe’s goat cheese to your grocery list ASAP!