We might be barreling headfirst into the Christmas season, but fall isn’t over yet! And that means it’s still perfectly acceptable to fill your grocery cart with all the pumpkin spice, puree and pepita products your squash-loving heart could desire. Of course, there’s no more preferable place to pack that cart than Trader Joe’s, the affordable grocery chain with locations all over the Chicago area. Without further ado, here’s five Trader Joe’s pumpkin products I decided to sample so you wouldn’t have to, ranked from decent to spectacular.
5. Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice Almond Beverage ($2.29)
Trader Joe’s Matcha Almond Beverage has been an essential in my refrigerator for some time now, and upon discovering a pumpkin spice version, you could color me intrigued. Once I got past the general weirdness of this product, I actually started enjoying it. It’s a bit like drinking pumpkin pie. I recommend heating it up, topping it with whipped cream and cozying up with it, hot chocolate style.
4. Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Joe-Joe’s ($2.49)
Joe-Joe’s — Trader Joe’s version of the Oreo — are a staple of the indie grocery joint. Logically, they had to roll out a pumpkin version once fall rolled around. These sandwich cookies have an admirably thick layer of pumpkin cream filling and they’re a great choice for an on-the-go autumnal snack. However, if you’re aversive to foods that are a little too pumpkiny, you might want to stick to the regular Joe-Joe’s.
3. Trader Joe’s Autumnal Harvest Alfredo Sauce ($4.99)
This “creamy, cheesy alfredo sauce with pumpkin puree and butternut squash pieces” is a mouthwatering accompaniment to any rigatoni, linguine or pasta of choice. I poured mine over freshly boiled cheese tortellini and topped with shaved parmesan. It might be my new favorite fall-time dinner. Although, with only 11.6 ounces per tub, this sauce might not be optimal for college students on a budget.
2. Trader Joe’s Pepita Salsa ($2.99)
Pepitas — or pumpkin seeds, as the laypeople call them — aren’t the first thing that comes to mind when I think of salsa. So you can imagine my hesitance to put it in my mouth. I thought it would taste like a spicy pumpkin puree, but I was so very wrong. After eating a single chip, I immediately poured myself a little bowl for a post-lunch snack. It’s sweet with some mild notes and a medium consistency, like a restaurant-style salsa, and an “Mmm!”-inducing bring-along for holiday parties.
1. Baker Josef’s Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread & Muffin Baking Mix ($3.99)
For the record, I didn’t actually realize this mix was sans gluten until I unpacked my groceries when I got home. “Shoot,” I thought. “This is going to be terrible.” Once again, I couldn’t have been more wrong. This mix only requires two eggs, a cup of water, half a cup of oil and 50 minutes in the oven to achieve perfection. It’s soft and moist on the inside, with a better blend of spices than any store-bought bread I’ve ever tasted. It’s affordable, delicious, edible for people with celiac disease and an easy bake for the upcoming holidays.