Happy almost Turkey Day everyone!! 🦃
Why go from Halloween straight to Christmas without enjoying Thanksgiving? I enjoy Christmas as much as the next holiday fanatic, but to me, that’s like skipping the best feast of the year.
Fall isn’t quite over yet so here are my reviews on all the Trader Joe’s fall items I got this year, now that I have finally gotten around to trying them all. Make sure to pick up the ones that peak your tastebuds the most to add to your delicious Thanksgiving meal!
Pumpkin Spiked Seltzer
💭 Think of a White Claw but for pumpkin lovers. There is a slight hint of pumpkin that doesn’t overpower the drink and can be enjoyed in the crisp air after a long work day. I was expecting a stronger taste, but surprisingly like how subtle it is.
👍🏻 8/10
Spiced Apple Cider
💭 My favorite apple cider ever – even better than the ones from the apple orchids IMO. Can be served in a variety of different ways from savoring the taste straight out of the fridge to enjoying it heated up with a cinnamon stick and some rum.
👌🏻 10/10
Pumpkin Spice Tea
💭 Perfect for sipping while bundled up by a bonfire or cozy in PJs by the fireplace. I love adding honey for a more soothing effect. Stronger pumpkin taste than the hard seltzer, but in the best way possible!
👍🏻 9/10
Butternut Squash Soup
💭 As a butternut squash lover, I was expecting a lot more when it came to this soup. Unfortunately, it was nothing special and honestly had quite a weird aftertaste. I tried adding fresh thyme from my garden to add some flavor, but it didn’t save the meal at all. Note to self: nothing can beat my mom’s homemade version!
👎🏻 4/10
Pumpkin Butter
💭 Not a bad taste at all, but doesn’t compare to their pumpkin spread. It’s a thumbs up from me, but barely as I personally would not purchase again since I prefer the jam texture.
👍🏻 6/10
Pumpkin Spread
💭 Literal chef’s kiss!! I bought like 5 jars of this just to make sure I have it throughout the year LOL. Just look at how cute the packaging is! My go-to breakfast now is a slice of sourdough bread, melted brie cheese, topped with this delicious spread.
👌🏻 10/10
Autumnal Harvest Creamy Pasta Sauce
💭 Yum, yum, YUM! This autumnal sauce is a great substitution to marinara sauce during the fall. It has the perfect balance of pumpkin and butternut squash, but never overpowers the entire dish. I top mine with fresh basil from my garden!
👍🏻 9/10
Maple Sea Salt Kettle Corn
💭 Genuinely cannot get enough of this tasty snack. Like I went through a whole bag in one sitting. If you’re a sucker for kettle corn, this is an upgrade. The combination of sweet & salty is absolutely amazing and the hints of maple makes this treat stand out.
👌🏻 10/10
Maple Leaf Cookies
💭 If you love maple, this is the cookie for you. With the same idea of an Oreo, the smooth maple filling simply melts in your mouth! My only critique is that it can get filling, quick, but I guess on the bright side it can save you from eating too many at once!
👍🏻 9/10
Fun Fall Shaped Belgian Chocolates
💭 I had high hopes for these because they look so cute and the details are amazing, but sadly I was not impressed. To me, they were no better than a Hershey’s chocolate bar for 3x the price. I’ve had better Belgian Chocolates!
👍🏻 7/10
Pumpkin Cranberry Crisps
💭 I kid you not, these are the best things I’ve ever tasted. Typically I get the fig & olive crisps (and trust me, I’m obsessed with those), but every bite of these just taste like fall. They pair perfectly with the Toscano cheese dusted with cinnamon!
👌🏻 10/10
Pumpkin Empanadas
💭 Typically when I think of an empanada, beef or chicken comes to mind, so I was a bit skeptical when purchasing these. Thankfully, they were delish! I had them for dinner one night, but wish I saved them for dessert instead since they’re so sweet.
👍🏻 8/10
Toscano Cheese Dusted With Cinnamon
💭 If you know me, you know my love for cheese is strong. I was very curious to see how cinnamon and cheese would be combined, but I was pleasantly surprised with how heavenly it tasted. This cheese is so flavorful and the hint of cinnamon makes the world of a difference. Low-key wanna start a petition to keep this around all year long 😂
👌🏻 10/10
Butternut Squash Ravioli
💭 Ravioli has always been one of my favorite kinds of pasta (next to angel hair of course), but to be honest, I wish the squash taste was stronger! I was between a 7 and an 8 for this rating, but chose the lower one since I felt like it needed a flavorful sauce to make this meal complete.
👍🏻 7/10
Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese Bites
💭 These lil’ mac & cheese bites were not only mouthwatering, but super easy to make! You literally just place them on a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake them in the oven. Ideal for when I’m lazy and don’t want to put too much effort into my lunch or dinner. I had them plain, but would love to try with some of the autumnal harvest sauce on the side. The texture is extremely soft and the hint of butternut squash is so yummy!
👌🏻 10/10
Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
💭 I only think the rating for the regular butternut squash mac & cheese is so low because of how obsessed I am with the mac & cheese bites. This is still delicious and flavorful, but the slight crunch of the bites increases the quality and I feel like this meal can become too much, very quickily.
👍🏻 7/10
Pumpkin Ginger Mini Cones
💭 I normally get the coffee or chocolate flavored version of these, but got so excited when I found the pumpkin ginger flavor at my local Trader Joe’s – and let me say for good reason! This has to be one of my all time fav desserts that TJ’s has to offer. I also may be guilty of stocking up on these so I can enjoy them after they discontinue (if they haven’t already). The pumpkin ice cream filling tastes just like their pints, but I feel like the gingery cones and the white icing takes this dessert to the next level!
👌🏻 10/10
Pumpkin Bread & Muffin Mix
💭 To be fair, I’m much better at cooking than baking, so I may not have done these correctly, but I burned mine a bit. The texture wasn’t as moist as I was anticipating, but that totally could be because of the lack of skill I have when it comes to baking 😂 I do suggest this though and will deff be trying it again next year! I actually topped the bread with some of the maple butter when served and this addition made the bread super tasty!
👍🏻 8/10
Maple Butter
💭 Don’t get me wrong, I did love the maple butter especially on the pumpkin bread, but I do prefer a syrup version. I wish the consistency allowed for an easier spreading experience, but the taste was very sweet, rich, and delicious!
👍🏻 8/10
And last but not least…
Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
💭 If you love an oatmeal cookie, this pumpkin version is SO FREAKIN’ GOOD. These were very easy to make with very little ingredients and you can really taste the pumpkin! I consider this to be a excellent activity to do as a family on Thanksgiving and would be the perfect ending to your festive meal!
👍🏻 9/10
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a great kick-off to the holiday season surrounded by loved ones! Remember to enjoy all the joyful moments this time of year has to offer 😘 Gobble gobble! 🦃
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