Fall is my favorite time of year for many reasons. One of the biggest reasons is the return of fall food! Yes, that means a lot of pumpkin spice, but that also means fresh apple flavors and squash galore! No one does seasonal food offerings quite like Trader Joe’s. Each year they go all out and this year was no exception. Over the course of a month, I tried 20 of the fall seasonal items at Trader Joe’s so that you don’t have to. Not that I want to rob you of the joys of fall foods, but because I didn’t want you to waste your coins and calories on foods that don’t send your taste buds into a euphoric frenzy (yes, some of the products are just that good). It’s worth noting that this is not a sponsored post, I am just a really big fan of Trader Joe’s. 

Wondering where to concentrate your fall food tasting before they are removed from the shelves? Here is my list of 20 fall seasonal Trader Joe’s items that I thought were worth trying and those that you can leave in the store: 

Autumnal Harvest Alfredo Sauce

Verdict: Leave it

Thoughts: Ever since I discovered how easy it is to make a homemade alfredo sauce, I have had a hard time going back to store-bought. It was decent for a quick meal, but if you’re looking for a  great homemade pumpkin alfredo sauce, check out the one that I shared in this post here. 

Autumnal Pasta Sauce

Verdict: Worth it

Thoughts: Delicious! I loved how the creamy sauce perfectly married the flavors of tomatoes, butternut squash, carrots, and spices.  

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Verdict: Worth it

Thoughts: Though I am not typically a store-bought mac and cheese person, I think that this product was definitely worth trying. It surprised me in that it wasn’t sweet and I could tell that the recipe took care to include a good level of seasoning.

Candy Corn Popcorn

Verdict: Leave it

Thoughts: Maybe I am just getting old, but this is one of the first products that I filed in the “too sweet” category. There was not a strong candy corn flavor, but there was a sweet candy coating. 

Fall Harvest Salsa

Verdict: Worth it

Thoughts: This yummy salsa contains pumpkin, apples, and butternut squash. It was literally the salsa that I never knew I needed and the jar did not last long in my fridge. Went great with another product on this list.

Fall Leaf Tortilla Chips

Verdict: Leave it unless…

Thoughts:…there is a themed party involved. The colors and leaf shape are super festive, but in general, the taste didn’t wow me. There are some veggies sprinkled in if that does anything for you. 

Fall Zucchette Pasta

Verdict: Leave it

Thoughts: I thought that the orange pumpkin shape of the zucchette pasta was hard to pass up. I was additionally enticed by the fact that the pasta includes butternut squash. However, the pasta doesn’t keep its shape when you eat it, which kind of defeats the purpose. In my opinion, you can skip the zucchette and drown your favorite pasta in the autumnal pasta sauce instead.  

Harvest Chili (vegan)

Verdict: Leave it unless…

Thoughts: …you are looking for a fast vegan option. The harvest chili was hard for me to give a clear verdict for. I ultimately decided that I wouldn’t necessarily purchase it again unless I was looking for a vegan option.

Honey Roasted Pumpkin Ravioli

Verdict: Worth it

Thoughts: Year-round, I enjoy Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Triangoli. However, since it is pumpkin mania time I swapped it with the pumpkin ravioli. Both options are great with some butter and a sprinkle of parmesan (though you could add a pasta sauce if you desired as well). 

Maple Sea Salt Kettle Corn

Verdict: WORTH IT!

Thoughts: Y’all, this is my favorite product that I tried this season and I’m not even a big popcorn person. I ultimately purchased 3 bags and I am planning on buying more. You won’t regret this purchase. 

Pepita Salsa

Verdict: Worth it

Thoughts: I was a little skeptical about this salsa, but I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. It is very different from the Fall Harvest Salsa in that it is more savory than sweet. 

Pumpkin Bisque

Verdict: Worth it

Thoughts: Shout out to the Trader Joe’s sampling station for convincing me to try this one out! The bisque tastes amazing with cornbread crisps (also a Trader Joe’s product). The flavor is pretty close to the Autumnal Pasta Sauce…but in soup form. 

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Verdict: Leave it

Thoughts: Cheesecake is my favorite dessert, but I have yet to find a good pumpkin cheesecake. Unfortunately, Trader Joe’s pumpkin cheesecake just didn’t satisfy me.  

Pumpkin Cream Cheese

Verdict: Worth it

Thoughts: Great by the spoonful…or you know…actually spread on a bagel. One of my favorite products tried. 

Pumpkin Ice Cream

Verdict: Worth it!!

Thoughts: YUM. After I polished off a container of this ice cream myself, I brought some into my office. Notable comment paraphrased from a coworker: If you close your eyes (to negate the orange color of the ice cream), it tastes like eggnog. If you are into that flavor (me!) then you will enjoy this ice cream. 

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Verdict: Leave it

Thoughts: I brought these for our Fall Harvest Festival at work…was not a fan. 

Pumpkin Spice Rooibos Tea

Verdict: Leave it

Thoughts: I really wanted to like this tea. It smells amazing, but the flavor is lacking. I tried steeping two tea bags to help get the tea a stronger flavor and it didn’t really help. However, having the tea came in handy during the two weeks that I was sick. 

Pumpkin Tortilla Chips

Verdict: Leave it? 

Thoughts: This was another product that was hard to place. My first impression wasn’t spectacular, however, when I continued to eat it (with the Fall Harvest Salsa) the more I liked it. That being said, I probably wouldn’t buy it again. 

Pumpkin Waffles with Maple Butter

Verdict: Worth it

Thoughts: Spreadable maple butter was such an intriguing concept for me! I plan to add it to breakfast sandwiches as well. The pumpkin waffles on their own are skippable, but combined with the maple butter you have a delicious office breakfast. 

Spiced Cider

Verdict: Leave it

Thoughts: I’ve just had better spiced apple cider. For example, the store carries an Organic Cold Pressed Spiced Fuji Apple Cider that is delicious. My advice? Leave the TJ’s spiced cider and pick up a gallon at a farm instead.

There you have it, Ambitious Fam! For the record, I tried 20 items and that didn’t even put a dent in the number of seasonal products offered this year. For example, the apple cider jam was calling my name but I decided to skip it. Luckily, the store tends to bring back favorite’s the following year, so there may be future opportunities to try more. Below is a Trader Joe’s shopping list that contains only the items that I found worth the purchase because they made my soul happy. I consider the first 3 items on the list “must-tries.” Happy shopping (and eating)! 

Were there any surprises on the list or products that you think I should try? Let me know in the comments!