Review: Trader Joe's - Dutch Griddle Cakes

Trader Joe's Dutch Griddle Cakes are like pancakes but are described as "thicker, with a springier, slightly chewier texture." They're made for the chain by a supplier in the Netherlands (i.e. they are truly "Dutch").

A 14.11-oz package was $3.49.

I wonder if I got a package that had been defrosted and re-frozen as my Dutch Griddle Cakes were well stuck together. I had to pry them apart with a knife and some bits of crust remained stuck to one or another piece.

You can toast these the same way you would a frozen waffle and they develop a thin, lightly-crisped crust.

Inside, they're fairly dense and moist with a soft, slightly chewy texture. There's a sweet, rich, custard-like quality to the crumb that brings French toast to mind.

Apparently, these are making the round on social media as a convenient at-home substitute for McDonald's McGriddles and I can see that. They're about the same size and thickness, they're both pancake-like, and they're both sweet. The two are a little different though as Trader Joe's Dutch Griddle Cakes have a light sweetness and custard flavor throughout, while a McGriddles griddle cake has pockets of maple-flavored syrup sporadically throughout and lacks that custard quality. Between the two, I would actually say that the Dutch Griddle Cake is better than a McGriddles cake as it has a richer flavor, a moister crumb, and a slightly crispy crust (probably due to the toaster; I've never tried toasting a McGriddles griddle cake but I've never got any crunch out of one from McDonald's).

Overall, Trader Joe's Dutch Griddle Cakes are a nice change-of-pace from the typical breakfast pancake that's quite enjoyable eaten on its own but is also the ideal size for making a sweet-and-savory breakfast sandwich.

Nutritional Info - Trader Joe's Dutch Griddle Cakes
Serving Size - 2 griddle cakes (190g)
Calories - 350 (from Fat - 90)
Fat - 21g (Saturated Fat - 2g)
Sodium - 280mg
Carbs - 34g (Sugar - 15g)
Protein - 6g