IKEA Is A Surprisingly Good Place To Shop For Groceries…

The perfect balance of sweet and tart, the lingonberry jam is a nuanced, more delicate alternative to cranberry jam. While you can take inspiration from the Swedish furniture giant’s in-store restaurant by pairing it with meat or plant balls, mashed potatoes, and peas, we also love it on dark rye bread or even as a substitute for muddled fruit in a gin and tonic.

According to IKEA, the vegetable balls have a carbon footprint that’s thirty times less than their meat counterparts. They also taste good too — made with chickpeas, corn, and peas, they have a chunky texture somewhat akin to bubble and squeak but without the potatoes. We like them as falafel substitute in a wrap or pita with shredded lettuce or tabbouleh, tomatoes, red onion, and a lemon tahini dressing.

If you’re desirous of replicating the taste and texture of IKEA’s classic Swedish meatballs, the plant balls should be your first port of call. Unlike the vegetable balls, they have a more even, homogenous texture (i.e. no visible vegetables) and contain pea protein along with oats, potatoes, apple, and onion. Upon biting into them, they’re firm but tender and replicate the taste of meat well without that fake, processed taste that sometimes accompanies meat substitutes.

Thicker than crepes but thinner than classic pancakes or hotcakes, these Swedish pancakes heat up quickly from frozen (either in the microwave or on the stove) and can be paired with sweet and savoury toppings alike. They’re chewier and lean more savoury than pancakes we’re used to; try them with lingonberry jam and a dollop of ricotta or cottage cheese, or team them with smoked salmon and cream cheese.

The addition of elderflower lends this spread an elevated taste that’s leagues above run of the mill orange marmalade. In addition to its conventional place on bread, it also works well atop oats or muesli, or in place of quince paste on a cheese platter.

IKEA is an underrated haven for gluten-free desserts. This almond cake teams a nutty, slightly crunchy almond base with a buttercream filling and frosting. The sweetness of the frosting is tempered by the almond base, making for a treat that pairs well with coffee. 

The Almondy brand also has salted caramel and ruby passionfruit versions of its almond cake, both of which are excellent (the former, in particular).

These are surprisingly pretty good? IKEA’s dark roast coffee beans are rich and far smoother than your average dark roast. There’s a fair bit of acidity towards the end, meaning they work best in milk-based coffees rather than black coffees.

These have long been a favourite at the in-store restaurant and the take home iteration doesn’t disappoint. Simply heat in the oven (or even the air fryer for extra crispiness) and enjoy. Sweet but not too sweet, they’re best paired with a cup of black coffee.

Many ginger biscuits tend to go easy on the ginger and play up the all spice notes, but IKEA’s ginger thins come with a generous hit of ginger which lingers on the tongue. While dough is dough, somehow ginger thins taste better than ginger cookies or biscuits — these ones are satisfyingly svelte and delightfully crunchy, making it easy to polish off the packet. Fortunately, IKEA has released a generously sized holiday edition box set to make them last at least a little longer.

With chocolate prices continuing to rise, IKEA’s milk chocolate makes for a solid value proposition. Priced at just $2AUD for 100g (yes, $1AUD price tag of the good ole days has also risen due to the global increase in cocoa prices), it’s indulgently smooth and made with Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa. 

Here, the aforementioned ginger thins are crumbled up and ensconced in IKEA’s signature milk chocolate. Simply delicious.

This cake is daim good. Like the Almondy almond cake, the Daim almond and chocolate cake is gluten free. It sees milk chocolate wrapped around layers of textured almond cake that are broken up by creamy caramel.

Something of an acquired taste, this is ready to eat straight out of the jar. While certainly not for everyone, those who are into tinned sardines will enjoy its sharp flavours — scoop direct debit into your mouth or have it with rye bread, dill, and the tiniest bit of horseradish.