There are a few products at Trader Joe’s that are widely beloved and highly sought after, which leads to a pretty wild panic in the community when it seems like they might have been discontinued or are out of stock. You might have heard a few things recently or seen a gap on the shelves and be wondering: is there a Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter shortage?
Some Trader Joe’s locations have experienced a shortage of Speculoos Cookie Butter recently, particularly towards the end of 2022. Fortunately, this should only ever be a temporary issue, and most stores are back up to normal stock levels already.
Read ahead to find out what has actually been going on with this iconic Trader Joe’s brand and why it might have been harder to find than usual in recent months.
Cookie Butter Shortage at Trader Joe’s
So, the main question is: is there an actual shortage of Speculoos Cookie Butter at Trader Joe’s or not? Well, there certainly has been, but it seems like we’re out of the woods now.
Over the last few years, there have been a number of occasions where the supply of Cookie Butter on the shelves at Trader Joe’s has dwindled, with some locations even completely running out of stock for some time. It was a particular problem around September of 2022 when quite a few places in the country had none available at all.
This was a real blow for customers who are huge fans of the product, particularly because it’s such a unique spread. You can’t really fulfill a craving for it with a jar of regular peanut butter, so people were pretty upset.
While it does seem like the most recent shortage has passed and most stores are now fully stocked, don’t be surprised if Cookie Butter becomes scarce again soon.
To check the current price and availability of Speculoos Cookie Butter, click here to view the listing on Amazon.
Has Speculoos Cookie Butter Been Discontinued?
Over the years there have been multiple times when the Cookie Butter at Trader Joe’s seemed to be running low, and there has always been panicked speculation that it might even have been discontinued.
Despite what some people have been saying, Cookie Butter has not been discontinued and it is highly unlikely that it will ever be removed from the selection at Trader Joe’s completely. It’s simply too popular!
One possible explanation for why it might seem like something has been discontinued is due to the updated guidelines Trader Joe’s has put in place for labeling the status of their products.
Now, they deem a product to be “discontinued” when it is not available for at least the next 90 days. This could mean that it’s not coming back, or it could mean a temporary shortage.
This would explain why some people report being told by employees that Cookie Butter was “discontinued” at their local store, only for it to return a few months later.
Why Was There A Cookie Butter Shortage?
If Cookie Butter is so popular, why has there not been as much of it around recently? Well, it’s a complicated and multifaceted problem.
Supply Chain
The most important factor that’s been causing trouble in the last few years is the supply chain issues we keep hearing about. Early on in the pandemi
c, lockdowns caused shifts in demand, shortages in labor, and logistical problems that we are still feeling the knock-on effects of today.
Many companies can’t get hold of the same quantities and quality of ingredients that they were used to obtaining before, and manufacturing, transporting, and packaging have all become more difficult and more expensive.
Over the course of 2022, the fuel crisis and global restrictions on various countries greatly exacerbated these problems, which has led to even worse supply chain disruptions for a number of industries.
Demand
The other thing to be aware of is that popular products are more likely to run out simply due to how much is sold. This is particularly true at Trader Joe’s, because their brands are so unique.
You can’t buy most Trader Joe’s items at other grocery stores and they don’t deliver or have an online store, which creates additional demand.
People actually buy up large quantities of things like Cookie Butter to resell on marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, which can lead to temporary shortages.
Alternative Cookie Butter Options
So, if you are looking to buy some Cookie Butter and there isn’t any in your local Trader Joe’s, then you could turn to one of these third-party sellers.
You can expect to pay a huge markup, but it is often available on eBay, Amazon, and other online marketplaces.
As a Trader Joe’s brand, though, you won’t find the exact same product at other retailers, but there are a few very similar alternatives.
The Biscoff Cookie Butter from Lotus is a great option that is based on the same kind of recipe. In fact, the terms “Speculoos” and “Biscoff” are just two different words for the same blend of spices. You can even buy Lotus Biscoff Cookie Butter directly from their website.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is Trader Joe’s Out of Cookie Butter?
Trader Joe’s often runs out of Cookie Butter because it is a very popular product, but there have also been some shortages recently due to supply chain issues.
Did Trader Joe’s Get Rid of Cookie Butter?
Cookie Butter has not been discontinued at Trader Joe’s, although it might be labeled as such when it won’t be available for the next 90 days or more.
When Did Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter Come Out?
Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie Butter was released in 2012, with the Cookie and Cocoa Swirl coming out a year later, in 2013.
Final Thoughts
So, is there a shortage of Cookie Butter at Trader Joe’s? There have been some periods over the last couple of years where Cookie Butter vanished from their shelves, but the shortage seems to have passed for now.
Supply chain issues and high demand made the shortage such a problem that some stores even labeled their Cookie Butter as “discontinued”, although this just meant that it was going to be unavailable for 90 days or more.
Although Cookie Butter is mostly back in stock at Trader Joe’s across the country, don’t be surprised if it disappears again, as supply chain problems are still impacting many industries.
