Posted on by Jenna

Fall Treats Haul

I’m back from my biweekly Trader Joe’s trip with plenty of new-to-me Fall and pumpkin seasonal items.

Black cat not included

Chocolate Mousse Pumpkin cakes – $3.29
Pumpkin Danish Kringle – $7.99
Spooky Half Moon cookies – $2.99
Petite Pumpkin Spice iced cookies – $2.99
Hot Chocolate Marshmallow Stirring Spoon – $0.99
Pumpkin Spice Batons – $1.99
Spiced Cider – $3.29
Maple Streusel Bread – $3.99
Howling Gourds Pumpkin Ale – $6.99
Maple & Sea Salt Kettle Corn – $2.49
Cinnamon Broom – $0.99

I also picked up a couple of frozen things that aren’t shown

Pumpkin Frozen Waffles – $1.99
Frozen Mashed Sweet Potatoes – $2.49

I can’t wait to start trying and reviewing these goodies for you!

Posted on by Jenna

Pumpkin Butternut Squash Bisque

There’s nothing like soup when the weather cools off. And there’s nothing like pumpkin and butternut squash when Fall arrives.

So, Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Butternut Squash Bisque should check all the autumnal boxes. Which it does.

Kind of.

This is a good soup, not too thick and not too watery, with a smooth flavor that doesn’t taste too much of pumpkin or butternut squash, but a blend of both. There are a few chunks of sage in there for a flavor. It’s a nice, easy, sippable soup.

Which is good, but not great, and that’s what I’d say about this soup: It’s nice. It didn’t wow me, but it’s nice.

The soup is in the refrigerated case, and I got about two decent sized servings out of the tub when served with a sandwich or a salad. I think if I ate this as my only meal, it would be one serving.

I liked it but wasn’t blown away. I would probably repurchase it, but I won’t weep when it disappears like some seasonal favorites.

Price: $3.99
Seasonal: Yes
Buy again: Probably

Posted on by Jenna

Apple Cider Donuts

If you don’t feel like it’s Fall until your first warm apple cider, then these are the donuts for you.

Trader Joe’s Apple Cider Donuts are a Fall staple, and it’s easy to see why. These delicious cake-style donuts are coated with thick cinnamon sugar and while there’s no apple directly in them, they evoke happy apple cider memories.

Interestingly, I tried these last year and thought they were just okay. They seemed a little dry and the coating was sparse. I don’t know whether HQ got my memo or I just got a bad box, because neither of those things were an issue this year.

Apple Cider Donuts come six to a box, and are found in the bakery section near the front of the store (with the cakes, Kringles, etc.). As with all the seasonal products, they’re here for a limited time only, so grab them while you can.

Price: $3.99
Seasonal: Yes
Buy again: Yes

Posted on by Jenna

Abita Pecan Ale

Let me start off with an apology in case this isn’t available in your store and I get you all excited for nothing.

But when I saw that Abita had a new seasonal ale out and at Trader Joe’s, no less, I was all in.

Just a note: I live in Southeast, Louisiana and the Abita brewery is about 30 minutes from my house. So that may be why I could get my hands on this.

And let me apologize again: I don’t know much about beer. When I posted a photo of it to the Trader Joe’s subreddit, I got a long treatise about hops and heads and finishes and other stuff I didn’t understand that basically came out to:

“Meh.”

But, I had a whole 6-pack of it, so I decided I had to see for myself, and I’m glad I did. I may be a beer newb, but I really enjoyed it.

It’s somewhere between a red and a brown ale, and it reminded me a lot of Newcastle, which I happen to like. (I’m sure a beer lover somewhere is rolling over in his or her premature grave.) It had a nice thick head, and was very smooth, which I think is important in a beer.

It also didn’t set off my allergies, which I like, as well.

As for the pecan, I don’t know that I tasted pecan for sure, but there is definitely a warm, nutty undertone to the beer that just tastes like Fall.

All in all, I expect to have a fridge full of Abita Pecan Ale this season. And if you can’t, you’re definitely missing out. Sorry!

Price: $8.99
Seasonal: Yes
Buy again: Yes