With 597 locations in the United States, Trader Joes is a smaller grocery store chain known for their fresh produce and fun snacks. They’re also commonly recognized because of their unique and creative packaging in addition to their display signs. With two locations in the Charleston area (one of them being brand new but still in Mount Pleasant), it is definitely accessible to go and check out. Beyond their new fall foods, they also have many year-round staples such as their chili & lime flavored rolled corn tortilla chips (off-brand Takis), sublime ice cream sandwiches, and many more!!
PASTAS:
Pasta may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of fall flavored foods, but Trader Joes knows how to do it right. Their Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese ($3.79) is a fun fall adaptation to their regular mac & cheese, with rigatoni noodles and a bechamel sauce complete with gouda and squash flavoring. This pasta is very rich, but delicious as a meal by itself or a side dish to complete any entree. Another option they have in case you’re not a squash fan is their Honey Roasted Pumpkin Ravioli ($3.99). Colored like the inside and outside of a pumpkin, this pasta looks just as good on the outside as it does on the inside. Complete with pumpkin, honey, ricotta, sweet potato, mozzarella, and brown sugar, this ravioli filling brings all the fall flavors together all at once! Personally, out of the two I would recommend the mac & cheese, but you can’t go wrong with either.
DESSERTS:
Dessert is the place where autumn flavors really come to life at Trader Joes. A festive twist on their regular ice cream cones comes in the form of their Mini Pumpkin Ginger Hold the Cone Ice Cream Cones ($2.99). Honestly these were not my favorite things I’ve ever had, and I wouldn’t recommend them. Their regular cones are normally pretty okay but these fell a little bit short. Although they’re a cheap and easy find with eight mini cones in the pack, I still would not say it’s worth the money spent. Something that is worth your money is their Petite Pumpkin Spice Cookies ($3.99). They shape a classic shortbread into a pumpkin shape coated with either white or orange icings and sprinkles on top, with opposite color pairings where white icing corresponds to orange sprinkles and vice versa. Small, cute, and very tasty, these are perfect to add a little treat into your lunchbox or just have a sweet snack at home. I would definitely recommend these, but if you like a sweet/savory mix, the Pumpkin Spiced Teeny Tiny Pretzels ($3.49), would be perfect for you. Small salty pretzels are coated in a pumpkin spice infused yogurt layer, which is then finished off with pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds and other toppings. Both crunchy and sweet, these are a great fall snack. Finally, we have their Salted Maple Ice Cream ($3.79): a non-pumpkin take on a fall dessert. This limited edition ice cream is definitely going to be a fantastic addition to their array of desserts. It is a maple blend ice cream with sea salt in addition to a salted caramel maple swirl throughout the container. They recommend eating it with maple pecan granola, on top of a pumpkin toffee cake, or just on its own. Overall, there are many many more options to choose from, but here are my takes on just a few.
DRINKS:
Although they technically have it year-round, their Spicy Chai Tea Latte Mix ($4.99) is a good way to celebrate fall in a non-pumpkin flavored way. I will say it is on the sweeter side, so I wouldn’t recommend it if you like your chai more bitter. However, it can be used for other things besides just drinking, such as incorporating it into a homemade ice cream blend to get that cinnamon-y taste. My personal preference is their Spiced Cider ($3.99), and the Trader Joes community agrees because it was rated one of the best drinks of the whole year even though it is seasonal! Packaged in large wavy shaped jugs, their traditional apple juice base is then brewed with a variety of spices including cinnamon, allspice and cloves. This is perfect when served hot to complement the cold weather outside!
OTHER:
These are two extra items I tried, but they don’t necessarily fall into categories of their own. However, this doesn’t make them any less tasty. Trader Joes’ Pumpkin Brioche Twist ($4.99) is a moist bread which combines a classic brioche loaf with all of the pumpkin flavors, and tied together by pumpkin pie spices, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Coming pre-sliced in the bag, this is a great grab and go breakfast, but in my opinion it is best served toasted. Some even enjoy adding cream cheese or butter to the top of it to add something extra! Last but maybe least is their Pumpkin Recipe Dog Treats ($4.29), which may or may not be good. Although I can’t sample them myself, the website describes them as full of pumpkin flavor. If you’re at Trader Joes picking up some fall treats, there’s things for you and your pets.
Speaking of their website, if you don’t want to spend a ton of extra time in the store running around trying to figure out what you want, you can pre-make a shopping list online. Their produce tab allows you to search for items, flavors, and other groceries to see what they have available, and then you can add them to your shopping list which can be printed out! Although you can’t order this list online, the website has many other perks to make up for that. The three accompanying tabs are Discover, Recipes, and Listen. Discover features guides, stories, and multiple updated posts about entertaining. Following a similar line of thought, the recipes page is exactly what you would expect: it lists recipes that can be made from scratch using only Trader Joe’s ingredients. Whether you’re on the website or in person, there are so many great fall favorites to choose from this season!!!!
