Have you ever tasted something, and weren’t sure if you liked it? So, you continued to try it and you still were not positive if you liked it all that much, but you couldn’t stop eating it? This is how I felt with Trader Joe’s crunchy curls. I was so excited to try them, I mean they are famous on TikTok and have been in and out of stock at my local store for so long that I just have not had the chance until I finally did. I was walking down the aisle and there they were! I grabbed a bag and now I don’t know how to feel.
Trader Joe’s Crunchy curls are a chip-like snack that is made from potatoes and lentils. They are cute, and fun, and remind me of a curly fry with their shape. The ingredients are simple, lentil flour, potato starch, soybean oil, sunflower oil, and salt making this snack vegan and easy to understand. My fingers were a bit oily as I continued to eat, but that is expected with a potato chip.
While none of the ingredients actually contain gluten those with gluten allergies or sensitivities may want to stay away from these. The curls do contain soy (the soybean oil) and may contain traces of wheat. For that reason they’re NOT labeled Gluten Free (while naturally gluten free, lentils like oats are at a higher risk of cross contamination with grains containing gluten).
While I was reading the nutrition facts, I noticed the portion size was 31 curls and thought that seemed like a huge amount. The description on the bag also points out the number of curls you get per serving which makes me think it’s a big selling point for this snack. When I opened the bag though, there was so much space! The bag could have been half the size with the amount of room the crunchy curls took up. This also means that each curl is pretty small, making the 31 curls not as many as it sounds. The pictures below show you a full bowl of crunchy curls vs. what the bowl looks like with a serving size of 31 in it.
View Inside a Bag of Trader Joe’s Crunchy Curls
A Full Bowl of Crunchy Curls
31 Crunchy Curls in One Serving
The taste of a curl is not anything special, I almost want to say it isn’t even good. There is an odd aftertaste to the crunchy curls, but as you eat more the taste gets better little by little. This is what made me wonder if I liked them or not. I just kept eating them! The curls have a little bit of an earthy taste, just like a lentil, but there is also something extra that I can’t quite put my finger on.
I can see these being much better if they were offered with a dish or eaten with some dipping sauce. The crunchy curls are a snack that just does not do it for me on its own. After finally trying the crunchy curls, I went back to TikTok and searched for the videos that talked about them to see what people loved. I found the same type of situation, most of the videos where people were enjoying eating the curls had them with a dipping sauce or in addition to a meal. That led me to try them with the Spinach and Kale Yogurt Dip which turned out to be a perfect pair. The spiraled curls were great for scooping up the dip and offered a great crunch.
Where Can I Find At My Local Trader Joes?
Trader Joe’s Crunch Curls can be found on the wall amongst all the potato chip and pretzel varieties.
Overall, the crunchy curls get a 4/10 from me. They can be found on the same shelves that stock the potato chips, pretzels and popcorn. One bag costs $2.99 which is ok, but with only four small servings per bag, the price could be a little less. The lack of flavor and odd aftertaste is not anything to write home about. While the ingredients are simple and easy to understand, they truly aren’t that healthy. A lot of oil is used, and I feel a normal potato chip is very comparable in nutrition facts to Trader Joe’s Crunchy Curls.