Reviewing Trader Joe’s Fall Foods

By Kristen Adams ‘25 and Kelsey Cheng ‘25 

Fall is finally here! In southern California, there’s one thing that truly signals the start of the season. It’s not the weather or changing leaves––it’s the Trader Joe’s! Starting in September and October, Trader Joe’s ( aka TJ’s) rolls out an array of pumpkin-spiced, apple-flavored snacks and pastries. Below is Kristen and Kelsey’s review of five fall products that you can purchase from the Village’s Trader Joe’s.  

Pumpkin Spice Cashew Yogurt 🥧

Price: $1.69

Flavor: The yogurt definitely is pumpkin-pie esque. It’s almost savory, like the pie crust of a pie. However, the yogurt has an overall sour taste, considering that it’s made of cashews. 

Texture: The texture is thick and a little lumpy, which is not that different from a normal yogurt. No complaints here. 

Does it taste like fall? The pumpkin flavor is not the best, but it’s strong. Big pumpkin-lovers would like this, and I commend Trader Joe’s attempt on “fall-ifying” a yogurt, a cashew yogurt, at that. But was the execution the best? No. 

Would I buy it again: No

Overall rating: 2/5 

Spiced Cider 🍂

Price: $3.29

Flavor: Woah, one sip hits you with a hit of apple, cinnamon, and other spices. It’s a perfect mix of sweet and sour.

Texture: The cider goes down smoothly. There are no tiny bits of spice particles either. 

Does it taste like fall? Yes, the spiced cider gives me major “sitting by the campfire” vibes. I drank it at room temperature, but I think this cider would be even better hot (and in a cozy mug). 

Would I buy again: Yes

Overall rating: 5/5

Pumpkin Brioche 🎃

Price: $3.99

Flavor: The first bite into my pumpkin brioche slice was incredibly underwhelming. All I could taste was the bread; I had to actively search for the flavor of the pumpkin. However, the bread itself was pleasantly sweet and buttery. 

Texture: The pumpkin brioche bread has a beautifully pillowy and soft texture. It is very easy to bite into since its exterior is rather fluffy for a bread. The bread also includes its signature layers of brioche, which can be peeled away for prolonged enjoyment.

Does it taste like fall? With “pumpkin” in its name, it was quite disappointing to find that the brioche was severely lacking in that flavor. While the bread was delicious, it did not entirely taste like fall.

Would I buy it again: Yes 

Overall rating: 3/5

Apple Cider Donuts 🍁

Price: $3.99

Flavor: I absolutely love these apple cider donuts! All the flavors hit me in just the right proportions: the cinnamon, the apple, the sugar crumbles! The donuts were pleasantly sweet, and I could easily find the apple flavor

Texture: The donuts were honestly a little dense in texture, as well as a bit moist. Their appearance in the box was not too appetizing due to their moistness. To improve their texture, these donuts could be thrown in a convection oven to achieve the perfect, crumbly, warm donut experience that I had been craving.

Does it taste like fall? Yes! The cinnamon was delicious, and it immediately gave me the fall vibes I was looking for. I just wish I got more of the apple, possibly in the form of apple chunks sprinkled throughout the donuts, to drive home the ultimate fall aesthetic.

Would I buy it again: Yes

Overall rating: 4/5 

Pumpkin Coffee Pods ☕

Price: $4.49

Flavor: After popping a pod into my Keurig, I immediately smelled the coffee’s notes of spices. However, upon drinking, I was disappointed with the drink. Even considering the natural acidity of coffee, I thought the pumpkin coffee was abnormally sour, and the spice blend was disappointing. The cinnamon and cloves were dull, giving an ambiguous, “oversteeped chai” flavor. 

Texture: The pod does a great job of fitting into my Keurig and pumping out a smooth coffee. 

Does it taste like fall? No. The coffee pods promised a warm, pumpkin-pie-like flavor, but delivered a weird, acidic cup of joe. If you want to add some autumn in your beverage, I would stick with creamer/milk products like Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Oat Beverage. 

Would I buy it again: No

Overall rating: 1/5

Reflection

For being a small location, the Village’s Trader Joe’s has a good collection of fall items. I’m a huge pumpkin spice lover (call me basic, I know), so this year’s collection made me so happy and ready for the season. My favorite was the spiced cider, which was both affordable and delicious. While some products were misses, I think the hits were terrific and worth the buy. I commend Trader Joe’s attempt to sneak in fall flavors into foods that you least expect. In the future, I hope that TJ’s focuses on the quality of each product rather than the quantity of its selection. While some products hit the mark, others lacked that quintessential fall flavor. I recommend having a tasting party or hog all of the snacks to yourself! 

As a food-lover, there is nothing I love more than a Trader Joe’s run to find all of their new, fun and fresh fall selections. Trader Joe’s never disappoints, and after tasting all of the fall items they had to offer this year, I stand by that statement. While some items did fall short of my expectations (cough cough, the pumpkin coffee pods), I would absolutely go to Trader Joe’s next season to buy some of these snacks again (TJ’s spiced spider will always have a special place in my heart). I learned a lot about myself as a snack indulger and food critic, and I’m so glad that I had this experience. One piece of advice that I have for readers is to go out of your comfort zones and try new foods and flavors – you might be surprised by what you like!

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