Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Haul

pumpkin, Trader Joe's, fall food, Treats and Trends

Happy Halloween! Hope everyone had a fun time celebrating this weekend. Rob and I went to a wine walk at Red Rock Resort on Saturday and spent the rest of the weekend watching Stranger Things.Β It was sooo good! We also made our first pumpkin pie of the season! It’s hard to believe I’m not sick of pumpkin everything yet, because I’ve had a lot of it this season. Trader Joe’s is definitely the place to go for autumnal flavored goodies.Β I limited myself to only spending $25, but I easily could have spent $100Β since they have SO MUCH! So before the shelves are filled with peppermint and gingerbread for the holidays, I wanted to share my favorite picks and what to skip. I’d love to hear about your favorite pumpkin items, too, so leave a comment if there’s something else I need to try!

pumpkin, Trader Joe's, fall food, Treats and Trends

I’m a big herbal tea drinker, so the Pumpkin Spice RooibosΒ was a must try. This fall flavored drink is theΒ perfect way to warm up as I sit in a cold office all day. Plus it pairs perfectly with theΒ Pumpkin Spice Scone Mix with Maple Icing. They are really easy to make (just add water!), but still moist and flavorful. TheΒ Pumpkin Cereal BarsΒ would also complement the tea well, but honestly these were just okay. I probably wouldn’t buy them again. Another item I wasn’t too impressed with was theΒ Pumpkin Spice Almond Beverage. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought it would be like a normal white almond milk and have some subtle flavoring. However, it’s an orange color and thicker consistency with A LOT of flavor. I used it to make my oatmeal and it tasted like I was eating a full on pumpkin pie. I plan on bringing it to work and adding some to a cup of coffee, so I’ll let you know how that is!

pumpkin, Trader Joe's, fall food, Treats and Trends

pumpkin, Trader Joe's, fall food, Treats and Trends

I wasn’t sure what to expect with theΒ Greek Yogurt, but it was really tasty! It’s not overly sweet because there is still the tanginess of the Greek yogurt. I topped it with theΒ Pumpkin Spice Granola, which adds a nice texture. The granola is good, but if I tried it blindly I don’t think I would have picked up on the pumpkin flavoring.

pumpkin, Trader Joe's, fall food, Treats and Trends

If you’re looking for a more savory meal or side, theΒ Pumpkin SoupΒ orΒ Honey Roasted Pumpkin RavioliΒ would be a good choice. I made the ravioli for dinner one night and wanted to pair it with a brown butter cream sauce, but I screwed up that recipe :( we ended up serving it with some extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Still really good and simple to make!

pumpkin, Trader Joe's, fall food, Treats and Trends

The snack aisle is always dangerous for me. I tried theΒ Pita Chips with Cranberries and Pumpkin SeedsΒ last year, which have a great sweet and salty flavor. This year I opted for theΒ Pumpkin Tortilla ChipsΒ and was not disappointed! They have the subtle pumpkin flavor and are perfect for crumbling over a bowl of chili or serving with your favorite salsa. I also boughtΒ the Pumpkin Spice Caramel CornΒ to snack on during our Wyoming road trip and could have eaten the entire bag! It was so addicting.

pumpkin, Trader Joe's, fall food, Treats and Trends

On to my personal favorites: DESSERT! I could have spent a fortune on all of the sweet items they have to offer. Last year I used theΒ Pumpkin Pie Spice Cookie ButterΒ for my homemade Reese’s cups. You can find the recipe in this postβ€”I think they turned out really well :) This year I bought the Mini Pumpkin Pies, which come frozen. I haven’t had the chance to try those yet, but they sure look delicious!

—- 2017 UPDATE —-

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We now live in Destin, FL and don’t have a Trader Joe’s nearby, so my mom surprised me and sent a big box of their pumpkin goodies this fall! Out of all of them, the pumpkin spice granola bark is probably my favorite. Mostly because it’s covered in chocolate :) I also love the pumpkin Joe-Joe’s and petite pumpkin spice cookies. And don’t even get me started on the caramel corn! So. Good.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the oatmeal (not worth the sugar to me). The toaster pastries were also just okay. I wish the filling was thicker, you mainly just taste the pastry party.

What are your favorite fall items at Trader Joe’s?