Introduction
Trader Joes is a popular chain of grocery stores headquartered in Monrovia, California, the United States with 530 stores nationwide. Boba or tapioca pearls are toppings added to desserts & beverages and are made from tapioca.Let us know about Trader Joes boba ice cream and the cons of trader Joes Boba frozen dessert in this article.
Trader Joes sells boba ice cream in two flavors – Cold Brew Coffee & Boba Coconut Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert, and Black Tea & Boba Coconut Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert. Technically it is not called ice cream because it does not contain cream, instead, it is made with a coconut milk base and is vegan.
Trader Joes Cold Brew Coffee & Boba Coconut Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert
- The Cold Brew Coffee & Boba flavor is a very popular dessert choice among Americans because of its dominating Thai-grown Arabica coffee flavor and of course, boba.
- This dessert is a combination of smooth-creamy and coarse-chewy texture. The boba has a perfect texture – not too soft & not too hard.
- Although it has a coconut milk base, it tastes nothing like coconut
- It retails for $4.49 per 16 fl oz and has 2-3 servings per container
- Each serving is 114 g and has 230 calories, so 3 servings would give you 690 calories
- Ingredients: coconut milk (coconut cream, water), water, sugar, tapioca pearls (glucose syrup, water, modified tapioca starch, powdered sugar [sugar, tapioca starch], glycerin, rice bran oil shortening, caramel color), ground coffee beans, maltodextrin, dextrose, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, guar gum, sea salt, carob bean gum.
Trader Joe’s black tea & boba coconut non-dairy frozen dessert
- The Black Tea & Boba flavor is loved by all who love tea and boba. This is also a vegan dessert with a coconut milk base but tastes nothing like coconut
- The prominent rich flavors in this dessert are the strong Assam black tea & brown sugar flavor of the frozen coconut milk blend and the cherry on the cake is the perfectly chewy & rich honey-flavored boba
- Boba is uniformly distributed in the pint so that there is boba in each bite
- It retails for $4.49 per 16 fl oz and contains 2-3 servings per container
- Each serving of 114 g gives you 240 calories and 630 calories for the entire container
- Ingredients: water, coconut milk, tapioca pearls (glucose syrup, water, modified tapioca starch, powdered sugar [sugar, tapioca starch], rice bran oil shortening, caramel color), brown sugar swirl (water, brown sugar, glucose syrup, sugar, sea salt), sugar, maltodextrin, black tea powder, dextrose, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, sea salt, guar gum, carob bean gum
All About Boba
Boba or tapioca pearls is a topping added to desserts & beverages and is also made of cassava root starch in America which is a root vegetable grown in South America, also known as yuca. Boba sometimes also refers to the whole drink with the tapioca balls in it, famously known as bubble tea. Boba originated from Taiwan and was brought to America by the Taiwanese people.
Preparation: Cassava root or tapioca is rolled into bite-sized balls and then boiled. These boiled balls are then soaked in brown sugar or honey to give them a refreshing flavor. The balls become chewy & sweet and are a perfect topping to add to your desserts and teas.
Cons of trader Joe’s boba frozen desserts
The boba dessert range by Trader Joe’s has polarizing reviews
- If you do not like boba then these frozen desserts are not for you
- Both the variants have strong rich coffee and black tea flavors, so again, if you do not like either coffee or black, you will not like these desserts
- Although vegan, lactose-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free, these boba desserts do not fall into the healthy category because of the high calories, high sugar, and fat content
Conclusion
Trader Joes has the perfect dessert for all the vegans (and non-vegans as well) out there – the boba ice cream. They are dairy-free, lactose-free, and gluten-free as well. These frozen desserts are available in two flavors, one for coffee lovers and the other for tea lovers. Both these variants are super smooth & creamy and have refreshing flavors. Although high in calories, these desserts can be enjoyed in limited servings by all, just like any other dessert.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can we buy boba pearls from Trader Joe’s?
Yes, Trader Joe’s sells these boba pearls separately.
- What ingredients can boba pearls be made from?
Boba pearls can also be made from tapioca flour, cassava root, aloe vera, grass jelly, red bean, sweet potato, etc.
- Does Trader Joe’s boba ice cream contain caffeine?
Trader Joe’s boba ice cream variant Cold Brew Coffee & Boba has actual ground coffee beans in the ingredients list so it contains caffeine.
- Are Trader Joe’s boba desserts have genetically modified organisms?
No. All of Trader Joe’s products are sourced from Non-GMO (genetically modified organisms) ingredients.
