Fall may be one of the best times of the year when it comes to desserts and snacks. Who can refuse pumpkin spiced desserts and apple cider? One grocery store that excels in making delicious and creative fall foods is Trader Joe’s. They have everything from popcorn, to bagels, to cookies to satisfy all your fall munchies! Here’s what I thought of some of their fall favorites this year ranked worst to best!
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies
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These cookies were a new item this fall, and there was a decent amount of hype around them, so I knew I had to try them. After all, it sounds pretty standard, a chocolate oatmeal cookie with an added fall kick. However, these cookies were not a big hit in my house. Personally, I think there were too many different flavors happening and would have preferred if it had either pumpkin spice flavoring or chocolate, but not both.
- Pumpkin Bagels
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Here’s my humble opinion on all things pumpkin and pumpkin spice: Not everything should have pumpkin in it! If something would be better without the pumpkin flavoring, then it shouldn’t be pumpkin spiced. These bagels had a slight spice and sweetness to them, which I suppose lovers of the cinnamon raisin bagel would like, but personally I thought it was unnecessary and I will be sticking to my sesame and everything bagels from now on.
- Pecan Pumpkin Oatmeal
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Look, I love oatmeal. I have it for breakfast probably up to five days out of the week. So when I saw this pecan pumpkin oatmeal in my local Trader Joe’s I thought that it would be right up my alley. So I picked up a pack, super excited to try it. However, I would have to say this oatmeal did not meet my expectations. Don’t get me wrong — it’s a good product. It has a rich flavor and has lots of pecans in the mix for a nice crunch. But the reason this isn’t higher on the list is because it was way too sweet for my taste and not enough pumpkin flavor. Personally, I was expecting it to taste similar to pumpkin pie, but instead it was just full of sugar and not enough spices.
- Pumpkin Waffles
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Trader Joe’s waffles are my absolute favorite when it comes to frozen waffles. I find that they are always very fluffy and have a similar taste to freshly made waffles. These waffles, in particular, were super flavorful. Normally I would put butter and syrup on my frozen waffles, but these pumpkin waffles were sweet and tasteful on their own.
- Apple Cider Donuts
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Apple cider donuts have to be my favorite fall treat. Of course nothing beats the freshly baked donuts you can get from the farmer’s market, but these donuts do come close. They are moist and soft and have the perfect amount of flavor. The cinnamon and sugar are not too overpowering, which can be the case for a lot of store-bought donuts. Overall, these donuts are good, and I would definitely recommend it.
- Apple Caramel Yogurt
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I’m usually not a big fan of yogurt, but I thought I’d give this one a try. And I truly was not disappointed. This yogurt is creamy and tastes just like a dessert. This would be perfect with some granola and a little bit of fruit for breakfast, or even just as a snack.
- Autumn Maple Coffee
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This may be an unpopular opinion, but I hate pumpkin flavored coffee. I was never a fan of pumpkin spice lattes and after trying many fall pumpkin spice blends, I concluded that pumpkin and coffee were two things that just didn’t go together (at least in my opinion). So, when I saw this Autumn Maple ground coffee on the shelves, I thought that was an autumnal coffee blend that I could get behind. This blend is slightly sweetened because of the maple, but also has hints of nutmeg and clove which really make this coffee feel like fall in a cup.
- Petite Pumpkin Spice Cookies
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I got these for the first time last fall, and I just had to repurchase them. I’m not a big cookie gal, and I’m especially not one to just snack on cookies. But these little pumpkin-shaped cookies are the exception. They’re not excessively sweet, which means you can eat a good helping of them without getting sick of the taste. Overall, the taste and flavors in these cookies are very subtle and I think they would pair great with some coffee or tea in the afternoon.
- Maple Sea Salt Kettle Corn
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This popcorn highly exceeded my expectations. To be honest, I didn’t think I’d like it at all. But they’re the perfect snack, being slightly sweetened with maple and just a touch of salt. Not much else to say, except definitely try these before they leave this fall!
- Apple Cider Cookies
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And now for the best item I tried this season: the Apple Cider Cookies! I actually wasn’t planning on buying these at all, (remember—not a big cookie gal), but my roommate let me try them when she bought them, and I was pleasantly surprised. This cookie has a different kind of sweetness; it has a fruitier flavor rather than a sugary taste. These had a very unique taste and if you’re having friends over, this would be the perfect snack to have out for your guests.
- Bonus Item: Honeycrisp Apple Scented Candle
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Lastly, I actually did get one more fall-themed item from Trader Joe’s. This Honeycrisp Apple candle had a very fresh scent and immediately filled the room with its aroma. While it’s not a food-related item, this definitely was worth my purchase!
Trader Joe’s has so many different fall related snacks and foods that it would be a tad bit overwhelming to choose only a few to buy! Hopefully this list will help you decide which ones you want to try this season!
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