Vegan Trader Joe's Shopping List (2026): Best Finds

Trader Joe's has a cult following among vegans, and it's earned it. The store's own-brand range is small, cheap and constantly changing, and a surprising amount of it is plant-based: bulgogi with no beef, cream cheese–style dips made with cashews, and a freezer full of dumplings. This is our shopping list, sorted by aisle.

Every product here was listed as vegan by a recent source (2025 or 2026), and we checked the list in October 2026. Trader Joe's is famous for discontinuing things, so treat it as a list to look for and always check the label.

How to spot vegan products at Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's marks many of its own-brand vegan products with a small "V" on the front of the package. The organic tomato basil marinara, for example, has a V for vegan right on the label. It's a handy shortcut, but it isn't on every vegan product, so don't treat a missing V as a no.

When there's no V, read the ingredients for milk, whey, casein, butter, egg, honey and gelatin. Watch for near-twins: Trader Joe's sells two kinds of scallion pancakes, for instance, and only one is vegan. "May contain" lines are allergy notes, not ingredients.

How to read this list

Vegan: listed as vegan by a recent source.
Check the label: a non-vegan version or variety exists, or the product is seasonal.
Depends: some versions are vegan and some aren't.
Grey area: contains cane sugar that may be filtered with bone char. Most vegans don't avoid it; see our sugar guide.

Plant protein

Product	Status	Notes
Korean Beefless Bulgogi	Vegan	Soy protein strips in a sweet-savory sauce. A fan favorite.
Soy Chorizo	Vegan	Highly seasoned; great in tacos.
Chicken-less Orange Morsels	Vegan	Frozen.
Meatless Breakfast Sausage Patties	Vegan	Frozen.
Extra-firm tofu (vacuum-packed)	Vegan	Firm enough that you can skip pressing.
Organic silken tofu	Vegan
Teriyaki and sriracha baked tofu	Vegan	Ready to eat.
Steamed lentils	Vegan	Fully cooked, in pouches.
Greek chickpeas	Vegan	Canned; good roasted.
Impossible ground beef	Vegan	Name-brand, sold at Trader Joe's.

If you're new to cooking tofu, see Tofu 101.

Dairy alternatives

Product	Status	Notes
Vegan tzatziki	Vegan	Cucumber, lemon and dill.
Non-dairy mozzarella-style shreds	Vegan
Parmesan alternative	Vegan
Cashew Cheese Cheddar-Style Slices	Vegan
Organic cashew yogurt	Vegan	Vanilla bean, strawberry and plain unsweetened.
Dairy-free Boursin	Vegan	Name-brand.
Cinnamon Bun Oat Creamer	Check the label	Seasonal.

Frozen

Product	Status	Notes
Teriyaki Mushroom Mini Bao Buns	Vegan	Steam or microwave.
Jumeokbap rice balls	Vegan	Filled with beefless bulgogi and vegetables.
Vegetable soup dumplings	Vegan	Jackfruit and vegetable filling.
Thai vegetable gyoza	Vegan
Taiwanese green onion pancakes	Check the label	A non-vegan scallion pancake also exists. Look for "vegan" on the box.
Mini vegetable samosas	Vegan	Good in the air fryer.
Vegetable masala burgers	Vegan
Vegetable fried rice	Vegan
Falafel (including dill pickle mini falafel)	Vegan	Fully cooked.
Hashbrown patties	Vegan
Spanish style rice	Vegan
Sweet ripe plantains	Vegan
Vegan spinach and cashew ravioli	Vegan	Refrigerated, not frozen.

Snacks

Product	Status	Notes
Ridge cut potato chips	Vegan	Salt and pepper; seasonal flavors too.
Peanut Butter Caramel Popcorn	Vegan
Maple and Sea Salt Kettle Corn	Vegan	Seasonal.
Savory squares	Vegan	Cheese-style crackers, gluten-free.
Marcona almonds (rosemary, truffle)	Vegan
Pink Lady apple chips	Vegan
Fruity jellies	Grey area	Sugar-coated jelly candies, listed as vegan.

Chocolate and sweets

Product	Status	Notes
Pound Plus dark chocolate (plain or with almonds)	Depends	The dark bars are vegan; the milk chocolate bars aren't. More on dark chocolate.
Oat chocolate bars with crispy rice	Vegan	Made with oat milk.
Dark chocolate sticks with crispy rice	Vegan
Maple leaf cookies	Vegan	Creme-filled, year-round.
Pumpkin and Halloween Joe-Joe's	Grey area	Listed as vegan; contain sugar.
Mini Maple Marshmallows	Vegan	Set with carrageenan, not gelatin. Seasonal.

Pantry

Product	Status	Notes
Organic tomato basil marinara	Vegan	Has the V on the label.
Everything but the Bagel seasoning	Vegan
Nutritional yeast flakes	Vegan
Buffalo sauce	Vegan	Made with avocado oil instead of butter.
Bird's eye chile hot sauce	Vegan
Dolmas	Vegan	Canned stuffed grape leaves.
Tubed polenta	Vegan
Baguette and olive fougasse	Vegan	Bakery breads listed by vegan guides.

Fall 2026 seasonal finds

Fall is a good season for vegans at Trader Joe's. VegNews and PETA both list these as vegan this year:

Product	Status	Notes
Pumpkin Gnocchi	Vegan
Pumpkin Overnight Oats	Vegan	Made with almond butter.
Pumpkin Oat Bites	Vegan
Sliced Pumpkin Sourdough Bread	Vegan
Pumpkin Bagels	Vegan
Pumpkin O's cereal	Vegan
Pumpkin and Spice Snickerdoodle Cookie Mix	With swaps	Use vegan butter and applesauce instead of egg.
Fall Harvest Salsa	Vegan	Pumpkin, squash and apple.
Organic Fall Leaf Shaped Italian Pasta	Vegan

Seasonal products disappear when the season ends, so if you love one, stock up.

How to shop vegan at Trader Joe's

Look for the V first, then read the ingredients anyway.
Ask a crew member. Trader Joe's staff are known for being helpful, and they can tell you if something is discontinued or just out of stock.
Watch for twins. Scallion pancakes, chocolate bars and Joe-Joe's flavors all come in vegan and non-vegan versions.
Check the allergen line. In the US, milk and egg must be declared, so the "contains" line is the fastest way to rule something out.
Use the freezer aisle. It's where Trader Joe's vegan range is strongest.

Trader Joe's outside the US

Trader Joe's only operates in the US, so there's no UK or Irish version of this list. If you're shopping in Ireland or the UK, the big supermarkets' own-brand plant-based ranges are the nearest equivalent, and their labels show milk and egg in bold in the ingredients.

The bottom line

Trader Joe's is one of the best US grocery stores for vegans, especially for frozen meals and snacks. Start with the Korean Beefless Bulgogi, the bao buns, the vegan tzatziki and a bag of Peanut Butter Caramel Popcorn. Look for the V, read the label, and stock up on seasonal favorites before they vanish. For bulk staples like tofu, plant milk and nuts, see our Costco guide.

FAQ

How do I know if a Trader Joe's product is vegan?

Look for a small 'V' on the front of the package, which Trader Joe's uses on many own-brand vegan products. Not every vegan product has it, so read the ingredients too, looking for milk, egg, honey, gelatin and whey.

What are the best vegan frozen foods at Trader Joe's?

Popular picks include the Korean Beefless Bulgogi, Jumeokbap rice balls, Teriyaki Mushroom Mini Bao Buns, vegetable soup dumplings, Thai vegetable gyoza and mini vegetable samosas.

Does Trader Joe's sell vegan cheese?

Yes. There are non-dairy mozzarella-style shreds, a Parmesan alternative and cashew-based cheddar-style slices, and some stores stock dairy-free Boursin.

Are Trader Joe's mini maple marshmallows vegan?

Yes. They're set with carrageenan, which comes from seaweed, instead of gelatin. They're a seasonal fall product.

Is Trader Joe's Pound Plus chocolate vegan?

The dark chocolate Pound Plus bars (plain or with almonds) are vegan. The milk chocolate versions aren't.

Are Joe-Joe's vegan?

Vegan guides list the Pumpkin and Halloween Joe-Joe's as vegan. They contain sugar, which some vegans treat as a grey area. Check each flavor, since recipes vary.

Is Trader Joe's tofu vegan?

Yes. The extra-firm vacuum-packed tofu, organic silken tofu and the teriyaki and sriracha baked tofu are all listed by vegan guides.

Is there a Trader Joe's in the UK or Ireland?

No. Trader Joe's only has stores in the US. The UK and Ireland's closest equivalents for own-brand vegan ranges are the big supermarkets.

Vegan Finds at Trader Joe's