A Trader Joes Autumn: The Best Fall Products
by Kate Sestero
It's pumpkin spice, chai, apple, pecan, and cinnamon season, and the ingenious Trader Joe's always supplies the best, fun, funky, fresh products for fall. This guide covers the flavors, compliments, product type, and price of most of their top fall themed items. Be sure to visit now as products leap off the shelves all too quickly!
Food:
Fresh:
Breakfasts:
Pumpkin Brioche Twist:
This sweet bread is moist and buttery. The swirl consists of pumpkin pie spices to accent the decadent bread. Try as French toast for an even better taste.
Price: $4.99
Complement with: Maple syrup, butter, cinnamon, whipped cream
Pros: Filling, sweet, moist
Cons: Lacks strong pumpkin flavor
Pumpkin Bagels (Gluten Free Available):
Check out the pumpkin bagels for yet another versatile option. They are made with real pumpkins and pumpkin spice to make a delicious treat. The pumpkin spice bits are an amazing addition to each bite. Once toasted, they smell amazing and work great with a layer of pumpkin cream cheese or butter.
Price: $2.69 for 6 traditional, $4.49 for 4 gluten-free
Complement with: Pumpkin Cream Cheese, Coffee, Cookie Butter, Pumpkin Butter, Cinnamon Butter, Almond Butter
Pros: Soft, easy, customizable
Cons: Gluten-free options are expensive
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Streusel Muffins:
These muffins are moist and sweet. Like the bagels, they also have pumpkin spice bits with an additional crumbly brown sugar oat coating.
Price: $5.99 for 4 muffins
Complement with: Coffee
Pros: Soft, easy, moist
Cons: Expensive, very crumbly, slightly gritty texture
Pumpkin Butter and Cinnamon Bun Spread:
These spreads are wonderful on toast, crackers, ice cream, or anything that needs a bit more fall. They are both quite sweet with hints of warming spices. The Cinnamon Bun Spread instantly transforms anything into a classic cinnamon roll with its honey butter and cinnamon pieces. Enjoy experimenting by trying these butters on everything.
Price: $2.99 for pumpkin, $3.99 for Cinnamon Bun Spread
Complement with: Toast, ice cream, rolls, or anything
Pros: Versatile, tasty, easy, sweet
Cons: Pumpkin Butter needs to be refrigerated after opening
Pumpkin and Honey-crisp Apple Cinnamon Greek Yogurts:
These yogurts are a wonderful way to start a fall morning. They are not overly strong flavor-wise but are still filling due to high protein.
Price: $0.99
Complement with: Apple slices, nuts, granola
Pros: Easy
Cons: Weak flavors, must be refrigerated
Pumpkin Overnight Oats:
Each container contains a warming, strongly pumpkin-flavored oat breakfast. It has a mushy texture, which would be great with added nuts for crunch. The almond butter provides extra protein for a filling meal. Although it is good cold, transferring it into a different container and warming it in a microwave is best. It is very portable but should be kept cold.
Price: $1.99
Complement with: Apple slices, yogurt, nuts
Pros: Gluten-free, dairy-free, simple ingredients, easy
Cons: Very strong pumpkin flavor, must be refrigerated
Pecan Pumpkin Instant Oatmeal:
On chilly fall mornings, there is nothing better than a quick, filling oatmeal like this. This sweet meal with a hint of pecan crunch keeps returning year after year for good reason. It is flavorful and smells amazing. Simply combine with water and microwave for a delicious breakfast.
Price: $3.79
Complement with: Maple syrup, more pecans, fruit
Pros: Easy to make, good flavor
Cons: Not many pecans, small serving
Pumpkin O's:
One up a typical bowl of cereal with these delicious Pumpkin O's. They are a play on traditional name-brand O-shaped cereal. They are flavored with real pumpkin accompanied by warming cinnamon. Try on their own, with spiced pumpkin seeds, milk, or granola.
Price: $2.99
Complement with: Pumpkin Oat Milk, granola, pumpkin seeds
Pros: Vegan, classic, easy to make
Cons: Complaints on rough texture
Dinner:
Honey Roasted Pumpkin Ravioli or Gluten-Free Pumpkin Ravioli:
For easy fall dinners, try these raviolis. Simply place it in boiling water for a few minutes for an amazingly decadent meal. The honey, ricotta, mozzarella, and pumpkin filling is both sweet and savory. Meanwhile, the gluten-free option resembles a traditional pumpkin dish without a strong, sweet finish. Both are colorful and need little embellishments for serving.
Price: $3.99 for Honey Roasted, $4.49 for Gluten Free
Complement with: Home-made brown butter sauce
Pros: Easy, creamy
Cons: Small serving size, chewy exterior
Fall Zucchette Pasta:
This pasta is festive, tasty and fun. Each bite resembles a tiny orange pumpkin, filling perfectly with sauce (Autumnal Harvest Creamy Pumpkin Sauce is best). Finding the butternut squash flavor is hard, but the fun shape makes up for it.
Price: $2.29
Complement with: Autumnal Harvest Creamy Pumpkin Sauce
Pros: Cute, colorful, high protein
Cons: Long cooking time, lacks flavor
Pumpkin Gnocchi:
Trader Joe's picked up the pasta game this season with this Gnocchi. Unlike their frozen Gnocchi, this one is found in the refrigerator section and keeps its shape much better. Simply plop in boiling water for about three minutes to make these dense, soft pasta bites. While they can be served plain, a brown butter sauce or sage elevates the dish further. Beware, these do not reheat well.
Price: $2.99
Complement with: Brown butter, sage, garlic, toasted nuts, cheese
Pros: Easy to make, flavorful
Cons: Small serving size, do not reheat
Autumnal Harvest Creamy Pumpkin Sauce:
This sauce tastes almost identical to the autumnal harvest soup but slightly thicker and without the chunks. To elevate fall pasta, try this pumpkin and butternut squash sauce, which is sure to amaze. It is thick enough to dip bread or crackers in as well.
Price: $3.99
Complement with: Pasta, focaccia, crackers, bread, cheese
Pros: Thick and creamy, hidden veggies, sweet
Cons: Not particularly strong flavors, lacks spice
Pumpkin Butternut Squash Bisque:
This classic soup is so comforting on a cold day. The simple ingredient list, including pumpkin purée, butternut squash, and honey, elevate the flavor in unison. Unfortunately, it tends to expire quickly. However, the microwave's quick warm-up time ensures this dish gets eaten.
Price: $4.49
Complement with: Sourdough bread, grilled cheese
Pros: Microwave-ready, simple ingredients
Cons: Quickly perishable, some complaints over aftertaste
Harvest Chili:
This vegan chili is warming and delicious. The black beans complement the sweet potatoes and pumpkin purée perfectly. Luckily, it is easy to warm up in the microwave because it tends to expire quickly.
Price: $4.99
Complement with: A nice side salad, potatoes, sourdough bread
Pros: Vegan, microwave-ready
Cons: Very liquidy, quickly perishable
Frozen:
Frozen Breakfast:
12 Mini Pumpkin Ginger Scones:
These scones are the perfect quick treat for all pastry fanatics. While it is difficult only to eat a few, it is easy to bake a couple at a time. Simply prep oven to 375°F and bake for 14 to 16 minutes. The flavor is balanced with pumpkin forward and ginger, acting as a complementary, complex sidekick. The texture is quite dense, typical of a frozen dessert, but thicker than a typical scone.
Price: $4.99
Complement with: Powdered sugar or maple syrup glaze
Pros: Great breakfast side, easy to customize how many to cook, pumpkin forward, requires no additional ingredients
Cons: Dense, not overly healthy, crumbly
Pumpkin Waffles:
These waffles are best enjoyed with a heavy topping of maple syrup, butter, and whipped cream. While the pumpkin taste lacks, they smell like a perfect fall morning. Just pop them in the toaster for a quick before-school breakfast.
Price: $2.79
Complement with: Lots of maple syrup, pumpkin whipped cream, butter
Pros: Quick
Cons: Lacks strong pumpkin flavor, not overly healthy
Frozen Dinner:
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese (and Mac and Cheese Bites):
These three-cheese creamy pastas are flavored with butternut squash puree and seasonal spices. They are a great way to get in the veggies while enjoying a favorite fall comfort food. The Mac and Cheese is easy to warm in the microwave and does not lose texture like many other frozen pasta dishes. Meanwhile, the Mac and Cheese Bites, best served as an appetizer, are made with smaller elbow pasta, then dipped in seasoned breadcrumbs and fried to perfection. They are easy to prepare and a great comforting snack.
Price: $3.79 for Mac and Cheese, $3.99 for Bites
Complement with: These are great on their own or dipped into red sauce
Pros: Easy, creamy, good texture
Cons: Not particularly healthy, hard to share Mac and Cheese
Mini Spicy Pumpkin Samosas:
While smaller than years past, these samosas continue to bring a quick savory pumpkin side dish to any meal. They obviously contain pumpkin, but also diced paneer cheese filling inside the flaky crust. While spicy is in the name, they are not overly hot but instead offer a simple warming spice. Ensure the samosas do not thaw before cooking, or the flaky dough will turn oily and soft. Although microwaving is an option to bake, placing them in a conventional oven is best. These do not reheat well, but making one serving at a time is easy.
Price: $4.29
Complement with: Rice, bed of greens, other pumpkin appetizers
Pros: Handheld, quick
Cons: Small (best for appetizers), not vegan-friendly, not reheat-able
Snacks:
This Pumpkin Walks Into A Bar:
Perfect for afternoon pick-me-ups, these seasonal favorites are filled with real pumpkin and surrounded by a wheat bran casing. They offer just the right amount of pumpkin flavors to satisfy the craving but not overwhelm. Pack for lunch or an on-the-go snack.
Price: $2.49
Complement with: Great on their own or crumble over a salad
Pros: Easy on-the-go snack
Cons: Crumbly
Pumpkin Spice Granola Bark:
These treats are fantastic snacks. Inside, find a flavorful but not overwhelming pumpkin granola coated with 66% cacao dark chocolate and toasted pumpkin seeds. They are very crunchy and can be crumbly but carry just the right amount of sweetness.
Price: $3.79
Complement with: Coffee, yogurt
Pros: Vegan, gluten-free, quality dark chocolate
Cons: Very hard texture, lacks numerous pumpkin seeds, not very healthy
Fall Harvest Salsa:
While this is far from a typical Mexican salsa, the sweetness still works well with chips or over a potato. It is more liquidy than traditional salsa. For a unique twist, try pouring into a pan with vegetable broth to create a quick fall soup.
Price: $3.49
Complement with: Chips, tacos, sweet potatoes, ricotta cheese, eggs
Pros: Mild heat, good mix of fall flavors
Cons: Very liquidy, not vegan
Nuts/Seeds:
Dry Roasted Maple Almonds:
These are great because they are festive for both fall and winter. They are not overly sweet but are clearly maple-spiced. Enjoy this crunchy, sweet maple snack any time of the day.
Price: $5.99
Complement with: Oatmeal, yogurt, kettle corn, ice cream
Pros: Healthy and filling snack, sweet and salty
Cons: Almonds tend to be more expensive
Pumpkin Spiced Pumpkin Seeds:
These seeds are an excellent addition to any pumpkin treat. They are coated with sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice and are best accompanied by a mellower dish. For example, the seeds add just enough crunch and sweetness mixed into yogurt.
Price: $3.49
Complement with: Oatmeal, yogurt, kettle corn, ice cream
Pros: Great addition, candy-like
Cons: Can be overly sweet
Deserts:
Quick/Snack-Like:
Pumpkin Joe-Joes, Halloween Joe-Joes, and Pumpkin Spiced Joe-Joe Sandwich Cookies:
While the debate between Oreos and Joe-Joes still rages strong, there is no debate these cookies are delicious. They have a perfectly balanced pumpkin spice flavor to accompany the sweet pumpkin filling. For even more pumpkin, the Sandwich Cookies are covered with a Pumpkin Spiced yogurt coating and a sprinkling of salt. For those who cannot quite tolerate all the pumpkins, the 10-year classic Halloween Joe-Joes are the solution. They are the traditional cookies and creme flavor but with an orange filling and a jack-o-lantern exterior. All options are a wonderfully sweet, quick, and festive treat.
Price: $2.99 for Pumpkin Joe-Joes, $4.29 for Sandwich Cookies, $3.99 for Halloween Joe-Joes
Complement with: Coffee, Warm Maple or Pumpkin Oat Milk
Pros: Easy, classic, portable
Cons: Complaints of being too sweet
Petite Pumpkin Spice Cookies:
Back again, these fall favorites work wonderfully as an on-the-go snack or dessert. They are crunchy, crumbly, and coated with yogurt-based white and orange icing, topped with adorable sprinkles. They are great for sharing and could star on a fall-based charcuterie board.
Price: $3.99
Complement with: Coffee, Tea, Apple Slices
Pros: Easy, classic, portable
Cons: Very crunchy, can melt
Pumpkin Spiced Teeny Tiny Pretzels:
For a fresh take on classic mini pretzels, enjoy these pumpkin-flavored yogurt coating topped with crushed pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds. They are a sweet, salty, crunchy, and shareable snack or dessert.
Price: $3.49
Complement with: No need
Pros: Easy,
Cons: Ununiform toppings, not healthy, can melt
Halloween Gummies:
Each pack resembles classic fruit snacks and brings excitement when finding the five spooky shapes. They are naturally colored using black carrot extract, apple, carrot, pumpkin, and black currant concentrates. They are vegan-friendly and made without gelatin. The mini bags can be packed well in a lunch or after-school snack.
Price: $4.49
Pros: Vegan, do not melt
Cons: Lots of plastic
Spooky Bats & Cats Sour Gummy Candies:
Scandinavian Swimmers fans must check out these sour, naturally flavored gummies. They are chewy, sweet, and sour, a perfect after-school snack or dessert. They do not contain milk or gelatin, so vegans can try.
Price: $3.49
Complement with: Autumnal Harvest Creamy Pumpkin Sauce
Pros: Cute, colorful, high protein, do not melt
Wicked Good Mini Chocolate Bars:
These are an excellent, traditional option for chocolate lovers. They resemble typical Halloween chocolates with 24 minis in a bag. The four flavors are: crisp Caramel & Wafer, crunchy Peanut & Caramel, gooey and chewy Nougat & Caramel, and classic Nougat. Enjoy trying each flavor.
Price: $4.99
Pros: Classic, easy to pack
Cons: Melting risk, not particularly festive, lots of plastic
Drink-Complements:
Pumpkin and Mini Maple Walnut Biscotti's:
Trader Joe's frequently comes up with some amazing biscotti's, which do not disappoint. Both are crunchy with balanced sweetness and depth. They are so flavorful they can be enjoyed alone or with coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.
Price: $4.49
Complement with: Coffee, tea, hot chocolate
Pros: Sweet and salty, warming, flavorful
Cons: Crumbly
Pumpkin Spice Batons:
Like the biscotti's, these wafer sticks are amazing on their own or in a warm drink. Each is filled with a soft, sweet pumpkin flavoring. It's good that they come in a tin container because they are very delicate.
Price: $2.29
Complement with: Coffee, tea, hot chocolate
Pros: Sweet, flavorful, unique
Cons: Crumbly and delicate
Bakery:
Apple Cider Donuts:
For sweet fall cravings, try these apple cider donuts. The outer cinnamon sugar casing is sweet to accompany the slightly tangy, crumbly, caky fried interior. They can be a bit dry on their own, so they are best with a glass of warm apple cider, tea, or coffee. For best flavor, heat in a toaster oven until warm to touch.
Price: $4.49
Complement with: Coffee, Vanilla Ice Cream, Apple Cider, Tea
Pros: Cinnamon sugar coating, easy, can freeze for later
Cons: Crumbly, lacks strong flavor
Teeny Tiny Apple Pies:
The buttery, flaky crust encases the cinnamon apple filling and brown sugar crumbles on these Canadian pies. They are practically a cookie due to their small size. Enjoy right out of the box or warmed with a microwave or air fryer.
Price: $4.99
Complement with: Coffee, Vanilla Ice Cream, Maple Ice Cream, or Caramel Sauce
Pros: Adorable, flaky, no preparation needed
Cons: Expensive for 4 tarts
Mixes:
Cinnamon Roll Blondie Bar Baking Mix:
This breakfast treat/dessert is easy to put together and is so tasty. They have a sweet cannon man filling and powdered sugar icing to accompany the wonderful smell. With eggs, butter, and water, this mix comes together quickly.
Price: $3.99
Complement with: Coffee, yogurt, fruit, chopped nuts, ice cream
Pros: Gooey, breakfast or dessert, pretty, cinnamon roll flavor
Cons: Requires additional ingredients, bakes for 25-30 minutes
Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookie Mix:
This mix is an incredibly easy fan favorite. It requires one egg, butter, water, and an oven for 24 average-sized cookies. They make the whole kitchen smell like fall and taste well-balanced. Note that for less dense cookies, spread out lightly with a spoon before baking. Try with different additions for more customization.
Price: $4.99
Complement with: Extra chocolate, nuts, pretzels
Pros: Easy, great smell
Cons: Requires additional ingredients, dense
Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Mix:
This pumpkin mix is just like from-scratch bread, except it is so much easier to make. Just add eggs, oil, and water for a delicious, versatile batter. Customize a large bread loaf or 12 muffins with nuts, dried fruit, or chocolate for even more flavor, or simply enjoy alone.
Frozen
Pumpkin Cheesecake Croissants:
Each square croissant is covered with a creamy spiced pumpkin cream cheese scoop. They are ready after 25-30 minutes in a 350ºF oven and make the whole kitchen smell amazing.
Price: $4.49
Complement with: Powdered sugar, coffee
Pros: Decadent, flaky, no need to rise/proof, well-balanced pumpkin flavor
Cons: Expensive for 2, oven for 25-30 minutes
Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Cakes:
These Bundt cakes are soft, sweet, and gooey. The cakes are flavored with pumpkin, caramel, cinnamon, and cloves and sweetened with dates and brown sugar. They only require a quick trip in the microwave to create a cozy, soft, warm dessert.
Price: $3.99
Complement with: Coffee, tea
Pros: Decadent, gooey, warm, easy, moist
Cons: Very sweet, not healthy
Pumpkin Ginger Hold The Cone:
For a small fall dessert, check out these handheld pumpkin ginger cones. They are sweet, salty and creamy. The vanilla coating on top solidifies the amazing treat.
Price: $3.99
Complement with: Great on their own
Pros: Creamy, cute, handheld, balanced flavor
Cons: Mushy ginger cone
Salted Maple Ice Cream:
This ice cream is a perfect mix of sweet and salty in a decadent creamy dessert. The extra sweet swirl ties together each wonderful bite.
Price: $3.49
Complement with: Coffee, whipped cream, pecan pieces, caramel sauce
Pros: Sweet and salty, creamy
Cons: Highly processed
Pumpkin Ice Cream:
Trader Joe's ice creams do not disappoint again! The Pumpkin Ice Cream is very strongly pumpkin (nearly 20%) but also has a bunch of pumpkin spice flavoring. It is very dense, not too sweet, and has a decadent gelato-like texture.
Price: $4.99
Complement with: Chocolate sauce, coffee, whipped cream, pecan pieces, Pumpkin Spice Pumpkin Seeds
Pros: Very creamy, not overly sweet, great base for toppings
Cons: Very strong pumpkin flavor
Drinks:
Spiced Apple Cider:
This cider is a great deal. Not only is it a very large container, it tastes amazing. It's made with apples, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves to create a mesmerizing experience. No added colors, preservatives, or sugar make it even better. Enjoy hot or cold.
Price: $3.99
Complement with: Festive snacks
Pros: Easy, hot/cold, smells great, good price
Cons: Some complaints over water concentration
Non-Dairy Maple and Pumpkin Oat Beverages:
These vegan milks are a great addition to any latte. They elevate flavors and foam well. However, using these kinds of milk in recipes is difficult as the additional flavors do not always mix well with the rest of the recipe.
Price: $2.99
Complement with: Expresso, cereal, seasonal smoothies
Pros: Great subtitle flavors, vegan
Cons: Hard to mix with other recipes
Mexican-Style Hot Cocoa Melts:
These pumpkin-shaped hot cocoa melts are adorable and tasty. Find mini marshmallows and chocolate chips inside the orange cinnamon white chocolate pumpkin. Simply drop it into a cup of warm milk (oat milk is best) and watch as it slowly melts away, revealing tasty hot chocolate.
Price: $4.99
Complement with: Biscotti's or pumpkin batons
Pros: Easy, fun experience
Cons: Expensive for 4 drinks, not vegan
Harvest Blend Herbal Tea and Pumpkin Spice Rooibos:
Both teas would be excellent companions on a crisp fall walk or pumpkin patch visit. The Harvest Blend Tea is very strongly cinnamon flavored, but not in a bad way. It also has notes of apple and ginger that provide some sweetness and spice. Meanwhile, the Pumpkin Spice Rooibos is also cinnamon-forward with only a note of pumpkin. The best part of the Rooibos tea is the adorable tin that it comes with.
Price: $2.49 for Harvest Blend, $4.99 for Rooibos
Complement with: Chocolate, biscotti's, cookies, pastries
Pros: Easy, warming
Cons: Both taste primarily of cinnamon
Group Activities:
Caramel Apple Dipping Kit:
This Kit would be fun as a group fall activity. It includes the caramel, peanuts, sprinkles, and 6 sticks, and only apples are needed.
Price: $6.99
Haunted House Chocolate Cookie Kit:
Another fun kit for a group fall activity. This kit resembles gingerbread houses with a spooky twist.
Price: $9.99
Self-Care:
Pumpkin Body Butter:
Back for the tenth year, this lotion smells amazing and works incredibly well. However, the smell disappeared fast.
Price: $4.99
Pumpkin Body Scrub:
Add this gently exfoliating, wonderfully smelling scrub to complement the body butter.
Price: $6.99
Honey Crisp Apple-Scented Candle:
Light this warming fall candle for the perfect study aroma and grab a snack.
Price: $3.99
Plants:
Fall Fantasy Pumpkins:
These unique pumpkins come in all shapes, sizes, textures, and colors. Enjoy digging through the stock to find the best one.
Price: 7.99 each
Product size: about 1 foot
Tillandsia Ghouls:
Try these adorable, spooky air plants for people without a green thumb. They are a great decoration and require no effort.
Price: 5.99 each
Product size: about 5 inches
Brain Cactus:
These cacti are spooky and fun! A skull shaped pot surrounds a creepy brain-like succulent.
Price: 7.99 each
Product size: about 3 inches
Cinnamon Broom:
While the spooky plants fill visual fall decoration needs, these cinnamon brooms fill the cozy fall smell needs. They fill rooms with a calming cinnamon aroma.
Price: 4.99 each
Product size: about 3 feet
