No retailer does pumpkin season like Trader Joe’s. This year, the autumnal array of products includes a sizable number of returning bestsellers and a few new options. We bought two grocery bags’ worth of snacks and treats and put them to the test in a newsroom full of pumpkin-loving reporters, editors and photographers.
We’ve tried to note which products contain pumpkin puree and which ones are merely pumpkin spiced, though many of the latter still won us over.
Here are the results. (No fair skipping ahead to find out which ghastly sounding product is actually quite popular and which product needs to RIP after the witching season ends.) There are plenty of yummy ones. Honest.
Oh, and perhaps the best news: Trader Joe’s, good corporate citizen that it is, did NOT raise prices on any of the products we tried last year and again this year.
THE CLEAR FAVORITES
Hold the Cone! (8 for $3.99): As one taster joked, “If it’s going to be 100 degrees in October, I might as well have a pumpkin spice-flavored ice cream cone to go with it.” He, like others, enjoyed the rich, full-flavored ice cream with a hint of ginger. The “white confectionary coating” keeps drips in check. One person noted what he called “cone inconsistency” (a little soggy at the top, good crunchiness at the bottom), but we’ll put up with that for an 85-calorie treat.
Pumpkin Butternut Squash Bisque ($4.49): “Best thing in the batch,” one taster raved. “It’s my favorite thing here,” another said. Turns out there are two TJ’s pumpkin soups, the jarred version that we tried last year (unpleasant aftertaste) and the fresh version we found in the refrigerator case. This one has a much better flavor, courtesy of a clean ingredient list — pumpkin, squash, onions, carrots, “finished with brown butter and sage.” Tasters recommended serving this soup piping hot for the best flavor.
Fall Harvest Salsa ($3.49) and Fall Leaf Corn Tortilla Chips ($3.99): Like last year’s tasters, this year’s group praised this snack duo. Pumpkin is first on the ingredient list for the savory-and-sweet autumn salsa, followed by tomatoes, fire-roasted tomatillos, onions, apple and more. Jalapenos add a bit of heat. This “tasty novelty” would be a good choice for football weekends in front of the TV. The chips don’t contain any pumpkin, but their fun fall leaf shapes make them a perfect vehicle for the salsa.
Pumpkin Butter ($2.99): The pumpkin purists in our group, especially those whose mothers and grandmothers used to make apple butter at home, loved this one. “It’s a classic!” one said. Tastes old-fashioned — thick, sweet and very heavy on the cloves. Serve on bread or muffins, as an ice cream topping or poultry glaze, Trader Joe’s suggests. You can even make soup if you add a few tablespoons of fat-free sour cream, the label says.
Pumpkin Cranberry Crisps ($3.99) and Pumpkin Cream Cheese ($2.49): Again this year, this duo scored well in our informal tasting. The crackers, which are a seasonal variation on Trader Joe’s Raisin Rosemary Crisps and Fig & Olive Crisps, are a sophisticated snack and would be terrific for a Thanksgiving appetizer tray because they get a nice pop from the cranberry. “The cream cheese is a little sweet but with the pumpkin cranberry crisps, truly addicting!” one taster said.
Pumpkin Blondie Brownies with White Chocolate Chips and Pecans ($4.99): “Delicious, reminiscent of a tender spice cake,” one taster said. As another fan noted, though, “This might be more accurately described as a pumpkin bread than a dense blondie.” True, these treats aren’t as thick as brownies but that’s OK — the pecan pieces add crunch and taste. That helps since pumpkin puree is No. 12 on the ingredient list. No matter, these were a winner with our crowd. “I would eat this entire carton,” one admitted.
Pumpkin Loaf ($4.99): Pumpkin puree is No. 1 on the ingredient list, making this a flavorful and moist choice. The spiced sugar topping (new this year, TJ’s told us) adds a nice crunch. These slices may have been overshadowed on the tasting table by the Pumpkin Blondie Brownies, but we say this is a solid choice for breakfast or dessert.
Pumpkin Spiced Teeny Tiny Pretzels ($3.49): Tasters found these sweet-and-salty little snacks irresistible. “Amazing,” one said, “but it’s hard to go wrong with dipped pretzels.” Trader Joe’s coats them in yogurt infused with pumpkin spices and then sprinkles spiced pumpkin seeds on top.
SPLIT DECISIONS
Pumpkin Spice Mini Sheet Cake ($5.49): When you see the thick layer of cream cheese frosting, you’ll think carrot cake. This dessert — one of the new products — is made with pumpkin puree, giving it a lot of flavor and moistness. But … that frosting layer! “Good, creamy icing carries the cake,” a taster said, “but there’s a lot. If you don’t like the icing, it’s a no.” And another chimed in: “If it had half the amount of cream cheese, it would be a slam dunk.”
Petite Pumpkin Spice Cookies ($3.99): These shortbread cookies with a yogurt coating taste like ginger snaps, not pumpkin. So the reviews depended on who likes ginger snaps (and how much) and who doesn’t. We fans couldn’t stop dipping into the box. Besides the ginger flavor, one taster loved the “satisfying crunch.”
Pumpkin Biscotti ($4.49): These evoke fall for the sophisticated palate, one taster said, because they’re not too sweet. Good crunch, and probably best dunked in hot coffee. They’d be better with the addition of another flavor or some crunch — maybe walnuts or pecans.
Pumpkin Brioche Twist ($4.99): The dough was soft and pillowy and much moister than the version we tried last year. One taster was puzzled: Does this want to be a sweet or savory bread? Either way, most thought this would make a dynamite French toast.
THE PRODUCT THAT SURPRISINGLY SOLD OUT EARLY
Pumpkin Chardonnay: This sounded so ghastly that we actually couldn’t wait to try it. We even figured we’d take the bottle over to a couple of sommeliers to get their (presumably) horrified reactions. But guess what? Turns out the Trader Joe’s staffers (at least at the San Jose/Coleman location) liked the wine, and so did customers. We were too late to buy a bottle — and that was on Oct. 2!
BACK TO THE TEST KITCHEN
Pumpkin-Spiced Joe-Joe’s Sandwich Cookies ($4.49): As Trader Joe’s explains, “We’ve taken our celebrated Pumpkin Joe-Joe’s, dipped them in a sweet and impeccably pumpkin spiced yogurt-flavored coating, and topped them with some sea salt.” Bad move, TJ! All tasters agreed these are too sweet, even “cloying” and “gross.” The regular Pumpkin Joe-Joe’s tasted fine and cost a buck fifty less per box.
Pumpkin Cold Brew Concentrate ($8.99): Trader Joe’s regular cold-brew concentrate isn’t the best around, so we’re not sure why we thought pumpkin flavor would improve the taste. A reformulation of the recipe would be a good idea. But, one optimistic taster said: “Theoretically, a bit of hot cold-brew concentrate served with pumpkin ice cream could be a fun affogato.” Nice save.
Pumpkin Spice Batons ($2.29): These long, crunchy wafers have a “pleasant texture” and a mild flavor — but they taste mainly of vanilla. There just isn’t enough pumpkin flavor to warrant buying them.
RIP, BREAKFAST BARS
This Pumpkin Walks into a Bar … Cereal Bars ($2.49): What’s stronger, the negative opinions or the aroma of these breakfast bars? One editor took a nibble and declared: “They taste like Michael’s (arts-crafts store) smells at holiday time.” Another taster compared the scent to an awful cinnamon candle. The only redeeming quality is the clever name: “They get 10 points for that,” one said. Still, we can’t even suggest that Trader Joe’s reformulate the recipe. These bars just need to go bye-bye when the clock strikes midnight on Halloween night.
