As the leaves change colors (or at least in places outside of LA) and the days become shorter, we enter my favorite season of all time: autumn. From the cozy colder weather and the beautiful colors of the leaves to the anticipation of the holiday season looming around the corner and the smell of pumpkin spice filling every kitchen, it is so hard not to fall in love with this season. But my favorite part of autumn is the plethora of seasonal goods that line the shelves at Trader Joe’s each year. Whatever California lacks in fall weather, we make up for in pumpkin spiced goods! Below I have compiled a list of my top gluten-free seasonal products at Trader Joe’s:
- Maple and Sea Salt Kettle Corn
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This kettle corn is hands-down the best I have ever tried. I am currently finishing a whole bag as I write this! Be warned, it’s incredibly addicting, so buy with caution! The popcorn kernels are generously coated with the sweet kettle sugar and just a touch of maple. It almost tastes like a fusion of kettle corn and caramel corn. I expected these to be way too sweet for me, but they are the perfect level of sweetness. 10/10 recommended as a midterm stress snack!
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Baking Mix
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I usually don’t buy cake mixes and prefer to make the batter from scratch because most mixes have a lot of additives and often hide dairy within the mix. This mix, however, definitely caught me by surprise! The ingredients are exceptional and the final outcome is even better! It definitely tastes like homemade pumpkin muffins, without requiring any of the effort that actually goes into making gluten-free muffins from scratch. By substituting the eggs with flax eggs, this mix can easily be made vegan as well! I usually use half the recommended amount of water and add oat or nut milk instead! I also throw in (way too many) chocolate chips. Try eating it with almond butter for a delicious breakfast treat!
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Bagels
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These bagels are a staple in my pantry every autumn. Made with pumpkin puree, these bagels are amazing! I love adding almond butter and bananas or vegan butter and tart jam to the bagels for breakfast. Honestly, these bagels are even good enough to eat by themselves as a dessert. I’m so grateful that Trader Joe’s brings these back every year!
- Harvest Chili
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This is actually the first chili I have ever tried so I don’t have much to compare it to, but it is absolutely delicious. I am a sucker for anything that includes sweet potatoes and pumpkin, so I knew I had to try this. It definitely did not disappoint!. It is super thick, and because of the how many healthy proteins and carbs are included, even a small amount is incredibly filling. This makes a delicious dinner for those on a budget!
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancake Mix
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My roommates and twin sister are obsessed with these pancakes. The wonderful aroma when they cook the pancakes in the morning makes my mouth water! It smells just like a cozy fall day. Unfortunately, I bought this so quickly out of excitement that I forgot to read the ingredients list, and it does include dairy, which I can’t have. But, if dairy is part of your diet, you should 100% try these out this season!
Make sure to pick up these delicious goodies on your next Trader Joe’s run! Trader Joe’s amazes me each year with how versatile they are with their products. All of these products were also under $6 which makes my wallet happy as well. Happy fall food tasting!