While other places wait till October or November to release their fall items, Trader Joes releases their autumnal goods in September to let shoppers begin enjoying fall treats early. Trader Joe’s is a popular spot to shop at because of their unique product selection, affordable prices, and high quality products.
Eagerly walking into the store, the fall decor popped out at me such as pumpkins, leaves along the shelves, scarecrows above the freezers, and displays of featured fall items.
Aware of the “Trader Joe’s fall goods to buy 2024” videos I had seen on YouTube, I knew there were gonna be a lot of amazing options to choose from.
Though it was hard to decide which things to purchase, I bought these four items: Pumpkin Tortilla Chips, Caramel Apple Mochi, Pumpkin Spice Sheet Cake, Pumpkin & Spice Snickerdoodle Cookie Mix.
First I tried the Pumpkin Tortilla Chips. I was quite skeptical at first because I had no idea how tortilla and pumpkin flavors could possibly taste good together.
The first thing that surprised me once I put it in my mouth was how the chip was salty; I wasn’t expecting salt on what I thought would be a mostly sweet flavor profile.
I tasted bitter cinnamon, but no pumpkin. I thought the chip was fine, but it was falsely advertised as “pumpkin” instead of “cinnamon”. The cinnamon flavor was underwhelming and it tasted like a normal tortilla chip with a bitter aftertaste.
Given the odd flavor combination, I was expecting these chips to be unappetizing, but instead they were just mediocre and bland.
I thought a ‘pumpkin tortilla chip” could potentially be a fun twist of flavors for fall, however the sweet and salty combination didn’t land on this one, and left an odd aftertaste in my mouth. Though not disgusting, I wouldn’t purchase it again.
Next was the Caramel Apple Mochi. Having never tried mochi before, I didn’t know what to expect, but I saw it recommended in a few videos.
During the first bite it truly did taste like a caramel apple with the caramel ice cream and apple-flavored rice dough components. The dough had a sour “zing” to it, and I appreciated that they tried to get creative because I wouldn’t expect a sour flavor profile for a fall dessert.
However after the first bite I enjoyed it less and less. The outside dough was mushy and didn’t keep its shape well, leading the ice cream to melt and fall out of the dough: it got messy quickly. Maybe I’m just not a fan of mochi in general but I wouldn’t purchase this again because of its unpleasant texture.
Up next, I tried the Pumpkin Spice Sheet Cake. I had high hopes because I had seen multiple videos of people recommending it. It was a reasonable size for a cake for 1-3 people, and well priced at $5.49.
My first impressions of it were good; though a little dry, the flavor was incredible. It tasted exactly how Thanksgiving feels: warm, comforting, and familiar.
As a person who is not a fan of frosting, I was pleasantly surprised at the rich cream cheese frosting piped on top. This cream cheese frosting was not as sweet as many frostings are and it complemented the warm spices in the cake. The cake was not as fluffy as I thought it would be but the smooth, creamy icing definitely made up for it. I would definitely purchase this item again due to its rich, sweet, pumpkin flavor!
Lastly I tried the Pumpkin & Spice Snickerdoodle Cookie Mix. During my first bite the cookie immediately started melting in my mouth: always a good sign! The middle was soft, the outside was firm, and it had the perfect chewy texture.
The ratio of pumpkin to cinnamon was divine; the cinnamon sugar spice on top complemented the pumpkin base of the cookie.
These cookies exceeded my expectations and satisfied my craving for a sweet treat. I definitely recommend purchasing this while it’s still in stock!
I highly recommend going to Trader Joes for their cozy seasonal offerings to get into the autumn spirit. My top picks for this year were the Pumpkin Spice Sheet Cake and the Pumpkin & Spice Snickerdoodle cookies because they were both divine and taste like fall!
