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FALL SEASON IS HEREEEEE!! I want to shout it from the rooftops – pumpkin spice season is back, everyone! All things autumn adorn the shelves at Trader Joe’s, and you know I don’t have any self-control when it comes to pumpkin flavored goodies. This year I was pleasantly surprised to find quite a few new things on the shelves at Trader Joe’s. I tried to branch out a little bit, and try some new things that I haven’t tried before. I found so many new favorites, I just hope they’re still in stock when I go back to pick up more! 

If you’re interested, you can find my previous Trader Joe’s Reviews here (last year’s), here, here, and here. Trader Joe’s still has a lot of the items in my previous posts, so they’re worth the read!

Hits

Pumpkin Spice Mini Sheet Cake

This is quite possibly the best thing I have ever put in my mouth!!!! This Pumpkin Spice Mini Sheet Cake honestly tastes homemade – it consists of a moist, spongy cake that tastes of pumpkin and warm spices with a rich cream cheese frosting piped on top. It is HEAVENLY. I had to stop myself from cutting little squares every single time I walked into our kitchen! I am even guilty of having it for breakfast one morning alongside my coffee.

Maple Pancake Snaps

I will go on record saying these are the best cookies Trader Joe’s has ever made. They are absolutely mouthwateringly delicious. These pancake-inspired cookies are definitely a butter cookie (not really a “snap”), and they taste strongly of maple syrup, in the best way possible! They are sweet but not too sweet and seem to melt gently on your tongue. I could eat these like I eat chips – by the handful! I just wish I had grabbed more boxes to last me all fall and winter long.

Apple Shortbread Cookies

While I didn’t enjoy these *quite* as much as the Maple Pancake Snaps, I still really loved these Apple Shortbread Cookies, and so did my kids! These cookies are made in small batches in the United Kingdom and the recipe includes dried apples, apple juice concentrate and lots of butter. You can definitely taste the dried apples in each bite – this added a really unique texture and flavor composition to the cookie, which I really enjoyed! They’re also super cute cookies, with a cute little apple impression in each one.

Organic Maple Butter

This Organic Maple Butter has one ingredient: organic maple syrup. It’s made by reducing maple syrup down to its purest essence, then whipping it into a creamy consistency. It tastes exactly like it sounds like it would: delicious! Try it on plain toast or French Toast, in yogurt, or my favorite: as a spread on a cheese board (it’s delicious paired with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese!).

Maple & Sea Salt Kettle Popcorn

Don’t start eating this while watching a movie because, before you know it, you’ll have eaten the entire bag (or is that just me??). This Maple & Sea Salt Kettle Popcorn is truly addicting! The popcorn is popped in coconut oil and seasoned with sea salt and a maple-sugar glaze. It’s sweet, a little salty, crunchy and SUPER satisfying. Trader Joe’s really nailed this one!

Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix

We have made several batches of pumpkin pancakes from this Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix, and it is a serious hit in our household, especially with the girls! Kennedy and Collins both DEVOURED these. We have not tried them in the waffle maker yet, but they are the perfect consistency for pancakes! They do require melted mutter, milk and an egg to make, but this really lends a homemade taste to the pancakes – they are not too sweet and have just enough of a pumpkin taste. We enjoyed them alongside Trader Joe’s maple syrup. Also, I love that one box lasts us a long time!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Croissants

Whenever I see these Pumpkin Cheesecake Croissants, I STOCK UP like the world is ending. Seriously, my entire freezer is filled. They are out-of-this-WORLD good. Whenever I make them for breakfast, I feel as if I have transported to a bakery somewhere in France, watching the rain come down on an autumnal day. The croissant part is thick, crispy and buttery – absolutely delicious. And then you get to the filling. There’s a generous portion of pumpkin cheesecake filling that tastes like, you guessed it, Heaven. The filling is not quite as sweet as you’d expect from, say, a pumpkin pie, but it’s close, and it has a nice, creamy consistency with a hint of cheesecake flavor. I clean every crumb off my plate!

Misses

Unfortunately, there were a few more misses this year than usual! Maybe my taste buds were just “off,” but I couldn’t get on board with the following items…

Pumpkin Spice Chardonnay

Never ever have I been so HYPED UP to try an item, just to be equally as let down! I saw so many people reviewing (and loving) this Pumpkin Spice Chardonnay on TikTok, that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it myself. I have come to the consensus that these people must be lying… because this was the worst wine I have ever tasted in my entire life. I took one sip and spit it out – I kid you not! I say this in the very nicest way possible: it tasted like cat pee.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Ravioli

I really wanted to like this Gluten-Free Pumpkin Ravioli, as I have been a big fan of Trader Joe’s pumpkin raviolis in the past! However, this one was not good – but I really think it had to do more with the filling, and not the fact that it was gluten-free. It was a little TOO rich for me, with the flavors of ricotta, squash, pumpkin and mozzarella cheese all fighting each other lol! I simply did not enjoy this one.

Pumpkin Loaf

I was surprised I did not like this Pumpkin Loaf, considering the Pumpkin Spice Sheet Cake is a similar item and was so good! However, I found this Pumpkin Loaf to be incredibly dry and dense, with the layer of crunchy sugar on top making it way too sweet for my taste buds.

PUMPKIN SPICED JOE JOE’S SANDWICH COOKIES

Why do I always buy these?! Every year I buy them, thinking the outcome will be different… I just don’t really like them! These cookies are covered in pumpkin spiced yogurt-flavored coating and topped off with sea salt. They are almost way too sweet and rich!!!

I’d love to know if you tried any of these items, and your thoughts!