Trader Joe’s fall drop is basically Christmas for basic girls—no shame. We taste-tested our way through every cozy, spicy, pumpkin-packed thing they threw on the shelves. Some items? Instant cart. Others? Immediate regret. Here’s the rundown.
This is my favorite sparkling water flavor from TJ’s. I’m not a huge fan of their sparkling water so that should further explain my love for it. It’s so refreshing! The green apple adds a hint of sweetness with a little dash of tartness. I buy some every week, so you could say it’s a seasonal staple in my life! What’s your favorite flavor of sparkling water from Trader Joe’s?!
This was my first time trying this spread and honestly, I shouldn’t have because I now have a new obsession. This spread is essentially a caramel type of product (at least to me), with some cinnamon chazzle dazzle. I tried this both heated and chilled, and I prefer the chilled version. This has a tapioca/jelly consistency which isn’t shocking since it contains tapioca syrup. I enjoyed how thick it was so the consistency wasn’t an issue for me. The cinnamon flavor was immaculate. Yes, immaculate. It had this glorious combo of brown sugar and cinnamon that truly reminded me of a cinnamon roll! Long story long, this is amazing and dangerous. I’ll be sure to stock up before it leaves the shelves. What do you put this on?!
This was my first time trying these brownies and I am obsessed. I inhaled 3 pieces in one sitting, with no regrets. The pumpkin flavor isn’t overpowering and the pecans add some nuttiness. The white chocolate chips and the drizzle make this really light, contributing to the subtleness of the pumpkin spice flavor. I took off one point because I found the texture to be more cakey and less like a brownie. I’d definitely buy these again, but I bet I could make something really similar! Have you tried these?!
This is one of my favorite products during the spooky season. It’s yummy and super convenient (aka to throw in the microwave). The Gouda cheese is the star of the show, which I’m obsessed with. The butternut squash is pretty mild so don’t be nervous about a squash forward product! I could definitely taste the thyme which added a little fall-time chazzle dazzle! I’ll definitely be stocking up on this product and I couldn’t recommend it more! What’s your favorite mac and cheese from TJ’s?!
Everyone asks me what TJ’s product I can’t live without… this is that product. This makes my whole kitchen smell like maple while providing a subtle flavor to actual coffee. I tried this for the first time last year and managed to ration out 5 boxes. This year I purchased 12 boxes and will be back for MORE! I drink this coffee year round (switching between this and the iconic Gloria Jean’s French vanilla). If you couldn’t tell by my stockpile… I am obsessed with this product. I highly recommend you get your hands on this! Have you tried this coffee?
This popcorn is the bees knees. Consider this to be a farmers market kettle corn, with a little twist. The maple coats the popcorn (some pieces more than others) with the salt hiding I’m the crevices… which heavily blows my skirt up. This product is a seasonal item so you definitely want to stock up! It’s a simple yet tasty snack that’ll definitely put you in a spooky mood. Have you tried this?!
How could I possibly kick off the spooky season without trying the infamous pumpkin ice cream? This ice cream is light and super creamy. One thing I wasn’t expecting was how subtle it was. I thought it didn’t have enough pumpkin flavor, which was a tad disappointing. I found this ice cream to be yummy but it’ll be a one time a year purchase for me! I’ve tried other pumpkin desserts that I’d prefer to stock up on! What’s your favorite pumpkin dessert?!
I honestly didn’t think that this cauliflower rice would hold up well when combined with a sauce. I was wrong! The cauliflower never got mushy and the butternut squash pieces were cooked perfectly despite being much larger than the rice. I also really enjoyed the sauce. It was light with a little bit of creaminess. The rosemary added a nice touch as well. I took off one point because as you can see in the photo, the sauce was a little more liquidy than I would have preferred. I let the risotto sit for 7 minutes before serving because it was really runny. Letting it sit fixed the problem for the most part so I’m not too mad about it!
I will definitely purchase this again. The whole bag is 210 calories and would go great with some chicken thighs (my favorite protein to cook). Have you tried this seasonal product?!
This is everything I want in a pumpkin spice cookie. The pumpkin spice wasn’t overbearing and it paired nicely with the yogurt coating. If you aren’t super into pumpkin spice but are wanting to try a seasonal treat, I’d recommend these! I enjoyed the texture from the little sprinkles too! This is a very short review but I don’t have much to say other than I love these! They are festive and delicious… what more could I ask for? Will you be trying these cookies?!
To be honest with you, I haven’t enjoy TJ’s overnight oats in the past. I picked this up because I was intrigued by the pumpkin… and I thoroughly enjoyed it! This tasted like a cleaner version of a pumpkin pie filling. The pumpkin was not overpowering at all which is great for those who aren’t super into it. I took off two points because of the texture. It was just a big pile of mush, which wasn’t appealing. I would have loved for the oats to be a tad more bulky versus just blending in with everything else. With that being said, the combo of the oats, strawberries and pecans easily bumped this product up to a 9/10. I can look past the consistency with all the added chazzle dazzle, but obviously I want to base my review on the product by itself! Have you tried the overnight oats at TJ’s?!
This was my first time trying the infamous maple oat milk. It was so fun to shake it up in the morning and put this in my coffee. The milk on its own is very very sweet, but it paired nicely with my coffee. I took off a couple of points due to the amount of sugar and the sweetness level. I found it to be too sweet for a stand-alone milk (aka not in coffee, cereal etc.).
Personally, this isn’t something I’d pick up again but I’m glad I tried it! If goes well in my coffee but I don’t think I’d drink it alone or use it in another way! Have you tried this?!
Normally minestrone soup isn’t my favorite, but I was intrigued by the plethora of orzo in this one! The orzo really bulked it up which is what I was hoping for. I ate the whole container for lunch and was content! With that being said, I definitely wasn’t content with the amount of sodium given it didn't have much flavor. Essentially this is just a veggie soup. There’s nothing wrong with that but I wouldn’t grab a veggie soup over other options!
If you are into minestrone soup, I recommend you give this a try! It’s not my favorite kind of soup which is why it didn’t blow my skirt up… but hey, maybe it’ll toast your buns!