It’s officially fall, and no place celebrates it better than Trader Joe’s does. The walls are decorated with warm colors, and the shelves are stuffed with dozens of pumpkin spice, cinnamon-coated and autumn-themed goodies. What more could we ask for? With so many fun flavors to choose from, I grabbed all the seasonal snacks I could possibly carry for a little taste test. So without further ado, here’s the Clog’s power ranking of some of Trader Joe’s fall treats based on taste and festiveness.
8. Ghosts & Bats Crispy Potato Snacks
In terms of texture, these chips are quite crunchy and can be addictive. However, they smell a bit like veggie straws and don’t have much flavor. If you’ve had Trader Joe’s Crunchy Curls potato and lentils snack, they taste a bit like those. On the flip side, these chips are adorably shaped as little bats and ghosts, making them the perfect fun and decorative spooky season snack!
Taste: 2/5
Festiveness: 3/5
7. Pumpkin Spice Batons
These batons are a variation of Trader Joe’s rolled wafer cookies, but they’re filled with pumpkin spice cream. The pumpkin spice flavor is quite strong and can be a tad too sweet if you eat more than one. In terms of festiveness, it’s pumpkin-flavored, and the packaging is cute. Colorwise, however, the wafer rolls themselves look a bit dull.
Taste: 3/5
Festiveness: 2/5
6. Maple & Sea Salt Kettle Corn
This snack smells strongly of maple syrup but tastes a bit like caramelized kettle corn. If you focus your taste buds hard enough, you do get a hint of maple every now and then. Overall, I’d say it does the trick for satisfying kettle corn cravings. It has a festive scent and somewhat festive flavors, but in terms of looks, it doesn’t give off major fall vibes.
Taste: 3/5
Festiveness: 2/5
5. Maple Streusel Bread
Decadent slices of cinnamon streusel bread coated with maple icing — need I say more? They’re also fun to eat toasted with butter or as French toast. The packaging oozes the sweet smell of maple syrup, even before you’ve opened it up! This bread definitely does a good job of diffusing fall scents throughout your home. Who needs air freshener when you can just get this bread?
Taste: 4/5
Festiveness: 4/5
4. Pumpkin Tortilla Chips
I didn’t taste the pumpkin or any of the spices listed on the packaging at first, but the flavor definitely builds with each bite. Surprisingly, this combination of subtle pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg flavors works well and makes for a versatile chip. It pairs well with salsa, hummus, guacamole and even sweet dips if you so desire. This snack effectively uses a combination of spices and pumpkin to bring us an orange and tasty tortilla chip. I’d call that a success.
Taste: 4/5
Festiveness: 4/5
3. Fall Leaf Corn Tortilla Chips
These are classic salted tortilla chips. Nothing special tastewise and no surprises here! Just a good old chip to go with any dip of your choice. In terms of festiveness, I was sold the minute I saw these multicolored and leaf-shaped chips. These are simultaneously satisfying to eat and to look at.
Taste: 3/5
Festiveness: 5/5
2. Non-Dairy Maple Oat Beverage
A slightly sweetened, creamy oat milk with subtle maple flavor — wow. I’m not the biggest maple syrup lover, but who knew oat milk could taste this good? This beverage smells like fall and tastes like it too. Plus, the carton is decorated with aesthetically pleasing maple leaf designs and colors.
Taste: 5/5
Festiveness: 4/5
1. Pumpkin Cheesecake
Just imagine pumpkin pie’s lightly spiced and nutty flavor infused into rich layers of cheesecake. Yes, it’s heaven on a plate. If you love pumpkin pie and cheesecake, this is the perfect treat for you! The cute and festive round of cheesecake speckled with cinnamon is a wonderful dessert to enjoy with family or with a nice cup of afternoon tea.
Taste: 5/5
Festiveness: 5/5
Next time you find yourself in the mood for some fall-themed treats, head over to Trader Joe’s and try one of these snacks! They’re sure not to disappoint.
