For those of us who live in places with definitive seasons, it's starting to get chilly outside, meaning it is time for Indoor Desserts. S'mores and ice cream had their moment in the sun, but now that said sun is sinking into the sky earlier with each passing day, it is officially time for the kind of desserts you appreciate most in the self-imposed hibernation of winter. Enter: Trader Joe's Chocolate Salted Caramel Mug Mix, which looks so decadent based on the picture of the box alone that I may just purchase 20 of them and never deign to leave my apartment again.
By now you have seen your fair share of mug cake mixes — the baking aisle of the grocery store is basically my second home — but TJ's truly elevates the mug cake experience with this latest addition. Each box comes with two packets of cake mix and four salted caramels, which you add in mid-microwaving, so you know you're legitimately going to get caramel swirls in your cake and not just something adjacent to it. All you have to do is add water to the mix, microwave for a bit, add two caramels, microwave a bit more, and BOOM. You pretty much have the be all, end all of mug cakes, ready to bless your mouth and your Instagram feed.
The best part may be how affordable it is, especially compared to other mug cakes on the market — each of these is only $1.99 per box, or a dollar per mug cake. Meaning you could, ostensibly, just replace all your meals with mug cakes, save a ton of cash, and live forever.
I have yet to try this latest addition, but a few Instagrammers and bloggers have, and everyone seems to have good things to say; one Instagrammer called it their "new favorite product," and the Daily Waffle dubbed it "chocolatey and rich," and also advised people to stock up now, in case it ends up being a seasonal product.
If you still have a hankering for delicious, affordable desserts, then Joe has your back. A few months ago the Trader Joe's Deep Dish Cookie made some major waves on the internet, partially for looking decadent, but mostly because it clocks in at a whopping half of a pound. Per Trader Joe's, it is made with "real butter, brown sugar, and vanilla, as well as copious amounts of rich chocolate chunks," which are all words my brain truly enjoys seeing in a sentence together.
If you're feeling a bit more autumnally-inclined, Trader Joe's also has a slew of pumpkin deserts available right now, from cookies to muffins to ice cream to teas to I'm going to stop myself right now before I abandon my desk for the Trader Joe's down the street.
I can also vouch for the Apple Cider Donuts recently added to the seasonal lineup — unlike a lot of donuts that claim apple cider flavor and just taste like regular sugar ones, these actually have that tart kick in them. Joe knows his desserts, y'all.
Anyway, if anyone needs me, I have changed all my weekend plans to revolve around that mug cake, and would appreciate everyone respecting our privacy at this time.
