Tis the season! From pumpkins to apples, everyone needs a favorite fall snack. Every September, Trader Joe’s releases their seasonal fall menu which has a perfect sweet treat for everyone. After scouring the store for the top contenders, five items ended up making the cut to review. After thoroughly taste testing each item, here’s the breakdown.
The first item reviewed were the Pumpkin Pie Spice Donut Holes. To be honest, they were kind of a rough start to the taste testing. The second you take a bite, it feels as though your mouth is filled with sand. While the flavor profile was quite nice and I could appreciate the cinnamon to pumpkin ratio, the texture could be greatly improved. They tease you with the soft glazed exterior, but once you sink your teeth in, you’ll wish you hadn’t. 4.5 /10.
Our next candidate were the Chocolate Mousse Pumpkins, miniature pumpkin shaped cakes layered with smooth mousse. The presentation was beautiful: the color was on point, they were equal in size, and they even had a fun green colored stem. Also, $3.99 for a package of 6 is not too shabby. Upon taking a first bite, the first thing noticeable is the overly sweet glaze which was worrisome but they saved themselves once you get to the rich chocolatey interior. The layers of mousse paired with the moist chocolate cake were very enjoyable to eat. 7.5/10.
The third item put to the test were the Gluten Free Pumpkin Streusel Muffins. They were very appealing to look at, covered in pumpkin spice bits and a spiced streusel. (I mean, who doesn’t love a good streusel?) These were utterly phenomenal. Light, fluffy, airy, everything you could want in a muffin. The spices really come through without overpowering the pumpkin and it’s completely unnoticeable that they’re gluten free. 10/10
Our next snack to try were the This Pumpkin Walks Into A Bar… cereal bars. Right off the bat, loving the creative title. The first bite makes it difficult to pick up on the pumpkin flavor but once you take a few nibbles, the smooth pumpkin filling really comes through. A perfect, satisfactory quick breakfast or midday snack. 7/10.
The final food reviewed was the Pumpkin Brioche Twist. Immediately, it passed the sniff test smelling just like delicious fall flavors. Just eating it on its own was divine, but once toasted with a little bit of butter it was a gamechanger. This would be incredible for pumpkin french toast on a crisp fall morning. 9/10
Overall, Trader Joe’s did not disappoint. With only a couple items missing the mark, most of their new items were absolutely delectable. Be sure to hightail it to Trader Joe’s and review them for yourself.
