Trader Joe’s—a grocery store so beloved that a Canadian dude opened a store reselling its products north of the border, named it Pirate Joe’s, then had to close its doors after Trader Joe’s sued him—is known for its large variety of affordable and delicious products.
Especially its seasonal products. Especially especially its autumnal goodies, which include hit favorites like the Pumpkin Pie Spice Cookie Butter and Pumpkin Pie Mochi Ice Cream.
Most of the following 29 TJ’s foods and bevs have been reviewed by at least one of two independent TJ-particular bloggers, Whats Good At Trader Joe’s and Eating At Joes. A couple have not been reviewed by either, and several have been reviewed by both. In the interest of impartiality, we’ve included both positive and negative reviews.
29. Pumpkin Cream Cheese:
What’s Good At Trader Joe’s review:
“I will say this: there is something light and fluffy about this cream cheese. It almost feels whipped. It’s not as dense as a regular cream cheese if you ask me. When you’re knifing it out of the tub, it comes out with ease. There’s very little resistance. But the full-bodied flavor is still there somehow. It’s a miracle of science. It’s a miracle of nature. Just like the pumpkin. And the pumpkin spices.”
28. Pumpkin Cheesecake:
What’s Good At Trader Joe’s review:
“It was tart, tasty, and kinda creamy, though it could have been creamier (see: just frozen)” and also, “The graham cracker crust was pretty good, too, and for $6.99, not a bad price for a family-sized dessert.”
27. Whole Wheat Butternut Squash Gyoza:
What’s Good At Trader Joe’s review:
“I’m not quite sure what it was. I generally do well with squash overall – spaghetti squash has become a favorite, I have no problems with roasted, either. Maybe it was the smushy texture.”
“Let me start by first reiterating my stance that I think experimentation with food is one of finest endeavors undertaken by man. By all means, let us mix, match and blend weird things together.”
26. Pumpkin Pie Spice Cookie Butter:
Eating At Joe’s review:
“In certain ways, Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spiced Cookie Butter is the most radical new member to the family. Here, for the first time ever, do we have a cookie butter not actually based on any real cookie…” and also, “More than anything this cookie butter tastes like a slice of pumpkin pie (complete with crust) that has been blended down into delicious sludge – a gooey pumpkin pie in a jar.”
25. Butternut Squash Parmigiana:
What’s Good At Trader Joe’s review:
“To describe the taste to you would be extremely difficult, since I’ve never had anything quite like it before. It actually tastes like its constituent parts, but they blend together oh so much better than I would have ever imagined. It’s a bit on the fattening side for a vegetable-based meal, but if you’re an adventurous eater, we think it’s absolutely worth a try.”
24. Iced Cranberry Orange Scone Cookies:
none!
23. Chocolate Mousse Pumpkins:
What’s Good At Trader Joe’s review:
“They were kinda like a fancy Little Debbie…”
22. Cranberry Apple Butter:
“Cranberry is actually the primary ingredient in the spread, followed by apples. That’s a choice you can taste – the cranberries are front and center here, in fact they taste so strong that this apple butter could be mistaken for cranberry sauce on first blush.”
21. Chicken Pot Pie Ravioli:
What’s Good At Trader Joe’s review:
“it’s fairly filling like a real pot pie. It’s all there: the carrots, the peas, the chicken, the white gravy sauce. It’s like there’s a whole balanced meal inside each little square. The only thing different here is the “crust.” It’s traditional old ravioli style pasta. And somehow, it works. It works quite well, in fact.”
