It’s no secret that Trader Joe’s has some of the best seasonal products in the business. Most people usually only think of their pumpkin products, leaving their non-pumpkin fall items behind. I tried 10 of these items to figure out if they could beat their famous pumpkin products.
Fall Leaf Tortilla Chips: 9/10
These chips are a surprising standout among Trader Joe’s non-pumpkin seasonal items. The tortilla chip texture is familiar, and the seasonal shapes are perfectly decorative. They do look more festive than they taste—the fall flavors are pretty subtle, made from natural beets and carrots. They also remind me of a more processed version of Terra brand chips because of the way they use unconventional vegetables to make chips.
Maple Spiced Nut Mix: 5/10
This snack is conceptually appealing but not properly executed. Everyone loves fall-spiced treats and, in theory, a nut mix seems like the perfect conveyor for these flavors. The maple taste is initially pleasing but becomes excessive after just a small serving. The “spice” is actually just a black peppercorn flavor, which was surprising upon first bite and too strong.
Caramel Apple Mochi Ice Cream: 3/10
The fake sweetness of the fall mochi flavor fails to live up to the legacy of Trader Joe’s successful seasonal desserts, with artificial apple and caramel flavors overpowering the mochi. It’s more like eating a scented candle than real food. I would not recommend trying this dessert and would instead choose a different seasonal treat like the mini Pumpkin Ginger Hold the Cones.
Apple Shortbread Cookies: 6/10
Similarly to the caramel apple mochi ice cream filling, these cookies are dominated by their apple taste, though the cookie’s flavor is much less intense. Although the cookies are drier and are more crisp-adjacent, they are addicting. They’re not too sweet, so it’s easy to lose count of how many you’ve eaten.
Apple Cider Donuts: 8/10
These donuts are definitely one of the standouts of this fall’s seasonal products. They have the perfect amount of true apple taste—enough to be present but not overpower the donuts’ cinnamon sugar taste. Although they are pretty sweet, the density of the donut balances that out. The grainy sweetness of the sugary coating was hard to resist, and it was hard to put the box down.
Salted Maple Ice Cream: 6/10
This flavor is one of Trader Joe’s sweeter ice cream options, with ribbons of golden maple syrup mixing nicely with the creamy maple taste. Despite its richness and recognizable maple flavor, it lacks textural variety. However, I found that adding in some crumbled-up Maple Pancake Snaps added textural variety while keeping the maple theme consistent.
Maple Pancake Snaps: 7/10
The name of this snack is misleading, as they are not really “snaps,” but instead mini chewy cookies. The buttery sweetness of pancakes and maple flavors are difficult to recognize, making the treat taste simply like a sweet mini cookie. The size is perfect, with the “snaps” being bite-sized and easily snackable. They also pair quite nicely with the Salted Maple Ice Cream.
Maple & Sea Salt Kettle Corn: 5/10
This treat was somewhat of a letdown—it just tastes like normal kettle corn. The maple and sea salt flavors were not distributed among the kettle corn pieces: some were way too sweet while others just seemed to be pieces of plain popcorn.
Autumnal Harvest Creamy Pasta Sauce: 7/10
This pasta sauce has the consistency of a thick butternut squash soup. Although its flavors are primarily dominated by tomato, subtle touches of butternut squash and carrots add richness to the sauce’s taste. It can be an easy alternative to typical tomato sauces, but it doesn’t stand out among all Trader Joe’s seasonal products.
Organic Fall Zucchette Pasta: 6/10
Although this pasta is pumpkin-shaped, it is butternut squash-flavored. It was hard to get the al dente texture right since the pumpkin shape made it difficult to cook the pasta evenly. This meant that it fell apart easily and didn’t look appetizing when plated. The pasta wasn’t recognizably butternut squash-flavored, but there were earthy undertones that were brought out when paired with the Autumnal Harvest Creamy Pasta Sauce.
