Trader Joe's Unexpected Cheddar Cheese Snackers is the on-the-go version of the cult-favorite Unexpected Cheddar - eight individually wrapped ¾-ounce medallions of that sharp, faintly Parmesan-y cheese, packed in a green pouch in the refrigerated cheese case. They're a few feet from the Unexpected Cheddar Cheese Spread and the Frozen Cheese Blintzes, and they exist because the regular Unexpected Cheddar - a Customer Choice Award winner since 2012 - was screaming to be portable.
Quick Take: The TJ Hall of Fame cheese, individually wrapped for lunchboxes and desk drawers - sharp, nutty, and way more interesting than a Babybel. Verdict: Repeat-Buy. Scores: Taste 5/5 · Value ⅘ · Convenience 5/5 · Cult Score 5/5.
First impression
I'd been a die-hard fan of the regular Unexpected Cheddar for years, so when these landed in the snack case I grabbed two bags without thinking. The first one was eaten in the car between the store and my front door, which tells you everything. The medallion is small (think a thick poker chip), wrapped in clear plastic that opens easily, and the flavor hits exactly the same as the block version - sharp, slightly crystalline like an aged cheese, with that little Parmesan-style funk that gives it the "unexpected" name. The portion size is small but exactly right for a snack.
Price & value
The 6 oz / 170g bag of 8 medallions runs about $4.99 at most TJ's. That's roughly 62 cents per piece, or about $13 per pound - meaningfully more expensive per pound than buying the regular Unexpected Cheddar block (~$8-9/lb), but you're paying for the convenience of pre-portioned and individually wrapped. Compare to Babybel snack cheeses ($5.99 for 5 pieces at most grocery stores, roughly $1.20 per piece), and the math actually works in TJ's favor for a much more interesting cheese.
Nutrition snapshot
Nutrition snapshot (per medallion): 80 cal · 5g protein · 6g fat. Notable: a high-protein, low-carb snack with real cheese-not-cheese-product ingredients - milk, salt, enzymes, and the magic of aging. Naturally gluten-free.
Taste, quality, or performance
This is where this product earns its place. The cheese itself is the same Unexpected Cheddar that won Customer Choice in the Best Cheese category enough times that TJ inducted it into its Product Hall of Fame in 2023. It tastes like a sharp aged cheddar that's been crossbred with Parmesan - nutty, salty, with little crunchy tyrosine crystals if you get a good piece. The texture is firm but not crumbly, melts beautifully if you decide to put it on a cracker and broil it, and holds up well at room temperature for a couple hours (perfect for school lunches and desk snacks).
A few prep notes worth knowing. The medallions soften nicely after about 20 minutes on the counter - straight from the fridge they're a little firm, but at room temp the flavors open up. If you're packing for a lunchbox, the seal keeps the cheese fresh until lunchtime, no ice pack needed for a few hours.
Pair with apple slices or grapes for the simplest grown-up snack of all time. They also crumble surprisingly well over a salad if you tear one apart with your fingers.
The one honest knock: the wrappers are a little hard to open. Not impossible, but you usually need to find the seam and peel - not the cleanest user experience for a snack.
What other shoppers are saying
These get near-universal praise on the TJ shopper boards and r/traderjoes - the most common comment is "finally, my favorite TJ cheese in a portable format." Shoppers consistently say they keep a bag in the fridge specifically for school lunches and work snacks. The most common complaint is the price creep - early reviewers note the snackers used to be closer to $3.99. A few people mention they wish the bag had 12 instead of 8 pieces (a totally fair note - 8 goes fast in a family).
Who it's for & best uses
This is the perfect snack for working parents packing lunchboxes, anyone who keeps a snack drawer at their desk, charcuterie-board enthusiasts who want individually portioned cheese, and kids who like sharper flavors but won't eat from a deli block.
Three uses I'd actually pass to a friend: lunchbox cheese alongside fruit and crackers; a quick "I'm not making a real dinner" plate with a few medallions, Smoked Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers, and grapes; or grated finely over a salad with Air Fryer Shredded Chicken for a 10-minute lunch. Dietary notes: gluten-free, vegetarian, contains milk.
Similar items
- Trader Joe's Unexpected Cheddar Cheese Spread - the spreadable sibling, perfect on crackers if you don't need portability.
- Trader Joe's Frozen Cheese Blintzes - the sweet-leaning, dessert-adjacent cheese option from a totally different aisle.
- Smoked Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers - pair these with the medallions for the easiest snack board move.
- Air Fryer Shredded Chicken - wrap with a medallion in a tortilla for an instant cheese-and-chicken wrap.
- Trader Joe's New York Deli Style Cheesecake - the sweet-cheese dessert pairing when you want to finish a meal on a cheese theme.
The scores
- Taste - 5/5. Same cult-favorite cheese in a portable format. The flavor is uncompromised.
- Value - ⅘. Pricier per pound than the block, but cheaper per snack than Babybel - and way better cheese.
- Convenience - 5/5. Toss in a bag, grab from the fridge, no slicing required.
- Cult Score - 5/5. This is literally Hall of Fame cheese in a portable wrapper. Cult-favorite math.
Verdict
Repeat-Buy. This is the snack I keep restocking - for school lunches, for the post-school witching hour, for the desk drawer at work. Worth keeping a bag in the fridge at all times once you've started buying them. The only caveats: the wrappers are a little fussy, and 8 medallions disappears faster than you think.
Where to find it: Trader Joe's Unexpected Cheddar Cheese Snackers, 6 oz at Trader Joe's. Pack size: 6 oz / 170g bag (8 individually wrapped ¾ oz medallions). Price: ~$4.99 at most stores. Storage: refrigerated. Aisle: refrigerated cheese case near the snack cheese and Babybel section.
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