Every year, the aisles of Trader Joe’s fill with festive food items to celebrate the incoming season. The shelves are stocked with items ranging from the classic Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese to Maple Leaf Ice Cream Sandwiches. In honor of fall, Pregame tried out some of the iconic grocery store chain’s seasonal items. Here’s everything you need to know about Trader Joe’s fall-themed treats: the good, the bad and (especially) the pumpkin.
Pumpkin Spice Mini Sheet Cake
This festive twist on a Trader Joe’s classic — the mini sheet cake — is flavorful, soft and very sweet. The highlight of the treat was the cake itself, which was moist and slightly spongy with a subtle pumpkin and cinnamon flavor. It was rich without being overpowering or artificial — a hard balance to strike. However, we had some reservations about the cream cheese frosting, which was too sweet for our liking. After a couple of bites, its flavor profile became overwhelming. That being said, this treat would pair nicely with a cup of black tea or coffee — something with enough bitterness and acidity to cut through its sweetness. If you have a huge sweet tooth, this sheet cake is right up your alley. For the average Trader Joe’s goer, though, maybe sit this one out.
Pregame Consensus: “Good but not great.”
Pumpkin Joe-Joe’s Cookies
When a new flavor of Oreo comes out, everyone gets excited. The same holds true for these autumnal Joe-Joe’s – the Trader Joe’s version of the signature sandwich cookie. However, while every iteration of the Oreo can start to feel saccharinely similar, Pumpkin Joe-Joe’s strike something unique with their warm, gingery spiciness. We appreciate the crunch of the wafer, which, paired with the soft, smooth cream, resulted in a perfectly crumbly texture that melts in the mouth. When it comes to flavor, the cookie leans more into “spice” than pumpkin. Trader Joe’s says the pumpkin can be found in the crème filling, but it was really just sweet, and we would have easily believed it was simply vanilla. These Joe-Joe’s are great for a sweet pick-me-up — as long as you aren’t expecting pumpkin pie.
Pregame Consensus: “Where’s the pumpkin?”
Petite Pumpkin Spice Cookies
For a tiny package, these cookies sure pack a punch. A perfectly bite-sized treat topped with vibrant icing and sprinkles, they look like something straight out of a Girl Scout cookie box. Each bite is delightfully snappy, with the shortbread dough offering a delicate, crumbly mouthfeel. The texture is surprisingly reminiscent of a Biscoff — just in a thinner, smaller form that hopefully won’t remind you of Delta flight trays. As for the taste, one thing is clear: You will know that fall is in season. Pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg immediately grip your taste buds, making these cookies a perfect companion to a chai latte or vanilla ice cream. The only downside for us was the sweetness; the icing, while good, tastes like typical royal icing swelling with added sweeteners. While Trader Joe’s claims it’s made from a yogurt base, any hint of tanginess is overshadowed by sugar — a running theme in these fall-fest snacks.
Pregame Consensus: “Lesser of four evils.”
Pumpkin Blondie Brownies
If you purchase this item looking for a treat that is a cross between a blondie and a pumpkin, it’s safe to say that you will be very disappointed. Not only could you barely taste the “pumpkin” part of “pumpkin blondie brownies,” but they didn’t taste like much of anything at all. The blondie had an indistinct sweet taste that was only broken up by a few nuts and white chocolate chips. Still, these additives did not offer anything special besides a much-needed crunch. The texture of the blondie was also disappointing; it was too spongy and airy to be a brownie, and tasted more like a cake than anything else. For being marketed as a pumpkin blondie, it did not satisfy either of those requirements. The treat sits comfortably in mediocre territory, and we can confidently urge you to skip it the next time you’re hungrily browsing at Trader Joe’s.
Pregame Consensus: “Mid.”
The one thing we have learned through this experience is that just because you can make something pumpkin-flavored, doesn’t mean you should. We’ve also learned that attempting to make something taste like a pumpkin has a low success rate, at least when it comes to Trader Joe’s snacks. While these treats are a festive way to get yourself into the autumn mood, they may not be suited for everyday use. We also don’t recommend eating them all in one sitting. If you’re looking to switch up your usual Trader Joe’s haul, give these snacks a try, but if you’re not one to branch out, we won’t hold that against you. Plus, there are always Trader Joe’s winter treats to look forward to!
Print design by Grace Wang.