Why Trader Joe's Chocolate Milk Is Richer Than Name Brands

Trader Joe's wants you to know that their chocolate milk is different. It's not like other chocolate milks, name-brand or otherwise. It's made from fair trade cocoa sourced from family farms in Peru, which is then mixed with Grade A whole milk and cane sugar, making it richer and more flavorful than most other brands. Sure, it's enriched with vitamin D just like almost every other milk in the U.S., and it's stored in the fridge and usually poured into a standard pint glass before someone drinks it ... but this is one chocolate milk that at least deserves a curly straw. 

While you can't always trust a company's own copy, TJ's Fair Trade chocolate milk genuinely is excellent. Personally, I often find chocolate milks chalky or overly sweet, and I hate discovering that the chocolate flavoring is hiding the fact that the milk is a watery 1%. Of course, as a fully-grown adult, I don't drink the stuff all that often unless I'm making a slightly more mature version. But if I'm at Trader Joe's, I'm getting a carton of the good stuff. It's genuinely creamy, and the fairtrade cocoa doesn't fade into the background. It has deep notes of dark berries, a flavor you'll know if you're a fan of cacao nibs or quality drinking chocolate. It's still chocolate milk, of course, so it wouldn't be too sophisticated for a five-year-old. But it's really delicious chocolate milk. And you don't have to rely on one Daily Meal writer's opinion, either. The fair trade choccy milk has a big following on Reddit, with users discussing whether it's "the best chocolate milk ever," while one gourmand on r/chocolatemilk declares that "it's very well balanced." 

As with many of TJ's best value items, their chocolate milk's sticker price is surprisingly low given the product's quality. At $4.49 for a 64-ounce carton, it's cheaper than Fairlife Chocolate Milk at Target, and both Simple Truth and Promised Land Dairy chocolate milks at Kroger. 

Beyond value and flavor, Trader Joe's Chocolate Milk With Fairtrade Cocoa is the ethical choice. Unfortunately, the chocolate industry at large has a dark side. Child labor is common, tropical forests are often cleared for cocoa farms, and a few powerful chocolate companies tend to manipulate cocoa prices to the detriment of small farmers. So, in choosing to work directly with small family farms and committing to using fair trade cocoa, TJ's is doing its bit to change things. Fairtrade cocoa farmers are fairly paid, empowered to organize, and encouraged to move towards sustainable farming practices. They have safe working conditions, while women are allowed access to higher-up positions within businesses, and children in their communities receive an education. 

Trader Joe's may have had more than its share of controversies recently, but you can enjoy this exceptional chocolate milk guilt-free. And if you're looking for more fair trade chocolate to sweeten up your life, several of Daily Meal's 20 best dark chocolate brands are stamped with the tell-tale logo, and most of the brands offer fairly produced milk chocolate, too.