Trader Joe’s Fall Food Haul: Try These Nineteen Autumn-Themed Goodies

Each fall, Trader Joe’s kicks off the season with a delicious lineup of autumn-inspired treats. Join me as I share my top picks from this year’s cozy fall food haul!

by Esme Addison

One of my favorite places to shop for fall food is Trader Joe’s. I honesty feel like they are the official grocery store of fall! They go all out creating new fun autumnal treats that really evoke all the vibes of cozy fall.

Whether it’s hearty fall breakfasts, warm beverages and treats for cozy reading and movie watching, harvest spice anything… or snacks for a festive Thanksgiving get together, Trader Joe’s has a diverse group of grocery items to choose from.

I’m a little late in posting this article, but I went to Trader Joe’s the week they launched all of their goodies. And it took me three trips to really try all the items I was interested in sampling.

This list will include all the items I was interested in trying, plus my absolute favorites. i.e. The ones I went back to the store and stocked up on, and a few reccs for how to use them. I’m also sharing my honest opinion on items I didn’t love.

If you follow me on my Instagram feed you know I love being cozy. For me, cozy is tea, coffee and delicious treats. So the first thing I was excited to try were some of their seasonal cookies. I am not a big cookie eater (more cake and pie) but I do love short bread.

All Butter Apple Shortbread Cookies

I practically swooned when I saw they had apple shortbread cookies to pair with my autumnal coffees and teas. I purchased some of their other cookies, but the apple shortbread was the true winner and my favorite treat. Not as moist and crumbly as I would’ve liked, but the taste was delicious and I loved the chewy texture of the dried apples in the cookie. Buttery, full of apple flavor but not too sweet.

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Apple Cider Donuts

Second only to their apple cider donuts which were also good. They could probably be a little more moist but for grocery store donuts they’re pretty good. The apple cider flavor was present but light, more sugar and cinnamon flavor. But a nice pair to coffee.

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Trader Joe’s has a couple different fall-themed coffees. I selected their Autumn Maple Coffee because I’m more of a maple gal in the fall versus pumpkin spice which was their other flavor.

Autumn Maple Coffee

I normally purchase organic coffees, but they didn’t have that option in their fall flavors so that was a negative for me. Otherwise, the maple flavor was very light but pleasant. It’s a nice solid coffee – Trader Joe’s has great coffee offerings and I wasn’t disappointed.

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And as I’ve pointed out, their coffee partners well with their shortbread cookies and other fall breakfast items.

Harvest Blend Herbal Tea

My absolute favorite cozy warm beverage on Trader Joe’s fall food list is their Harvest Blend tea. It’s just the right blend of spice and fall flavor. It’s very robust and smells just like a cool evening at a fall festival.

If you’re having a cozy evening in reading a book or watching a fall movie, I recommend you pair Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend Herbal Tea with their Apple Shortbread cookies for cozy vibes.

Pumpkin Biscotti

I enjoy biscotti every now and then. I tried Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Biscotti… I don’t love pumpkin so maybe I’m not the best judge of this item. The favor was a bit bland and I’d rather have the shortbread to be honest. But I didn’t hate it… just wasn’t my cup of tea.

This fall, there were a few sweet treats to choose from. Like sweet like candy. Not a big candy eater but I do love maple syrup. And I love anything shaped as food!

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Maple Syrup Fudge

So, I tried Trader Joe’s Maple Syrup Fudge first. Very tasty. The flavor was full on butter and maple syrup. Didn’t have any extra ingredients which I was happy to see.

Would make a cute gift during the holidays and I’d definitely buy again.

Harvest Chocolate Collection

The autumnal shaped candies were very cute, and I think they’d look very pretty as part of fall holiday party. The chocolate itself is a bit dense and the taste was fine.

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If I were to buy them again, (and I might) it would be just for decoration though any children around would probably grab them.

There were two seasonal extras that caught my eye. One was a spice and the other a condiment.

Vanilla Bourbon Extract

I love the taste of bourbon in coffee and tea and spices like vanilla. So, I was excited to try this fall-themed vanilla. I usually add a splash to my half-and half for coffee.

So, I tried it.

It’s a solid vanilla extract but I couldn’t taste the bourbon at all. A bit of a disappointment. I already had an organic vanilla extract at home, and this one really didn’t taste any different. So, I really can’t recommend this one if you’re hoping for bourbon flavor. But as a traditional vanilla extract it’s fine.

Whipped Maple Butter

I had better look with the whipped maple syrup which was ah-may-zing! I could’ve eaten it straight out of the jar with a spoon it was that good. Something about the change in texture really delighted me. I slathered it on buttered biscuits for my youngest, and he ate two and wanted a third.

I went back to find more and it was all gone! I’ve heard that when Trader Joe’s is out of their seasonal products they are not always restocked. I will have to try and find another source of whipped maple syrup. I’ve never had it before, and now I’m in love. I’ll never go back to plain ol’ liquid maple syrup!

Let’s pivot to party planning, shall we? I found a few items that seem perfect for festive fall-themed parties.

Fall Leaf Corn Tortilla Chips

Beginning with leaf-shaped tortilla chips. I was really charmed by the shapes of the chips, but not so much with the taste. They were a bit bland, thick and dense and could’ve use a bit more salt.

Sorry not to have better news – I really wanted them to be awesome. But I couldn’t get two of my sons – who love any kind of chip to eat them past one taste. So, I can’t recommend those.

Fall Harvest Salsa

I also tried out the Fall Harvest Salsa. I liked the concept. Not very photogenic in a bowl! The taste was okay but I was expecting more flavor. A choice needed to be made concerning the taste profile. Sweeter. Spicier. Fruitier. Anything would’ve helped. Instead it was a glop of bland sauce.

If you pair the leaf tortilla chips with the sauce, they are both eatable. And I imagine if you had a beer or two, they would taste even better. No shade – things taste better after you’d had a drink, and then you’re thirsty and wanting something salty or spicy to pair with it.

My verdict on both the chips and sauce? The chips are pretty to look it, and would make nice decoration on a fall-themed table but Trader Joe’s has other tortilla chips that are much tastier.

But party planners never fear, because I did find three amazing items that are perfect for your next get together.

Maple Spiced Nut Mix

First up is there Maple Spiced Nut Mix. So good! It’s that perfect mix of sweet and savory: candied pecans, dried cranberries and punches of rosemary. I love rosemary but have never had it with anything sweet.

Turns out I love it. Hard not to eat the entire jar. And it tastes like Thanksgiving. I’m definitely bringing these to Thanksgiving along with the next two items to add to a Thanksgiving charcuterie board.

Pumpkin Cranberry Crisps

Going along with the sweet and savory theme, the Pumpkin Cranberry Crisps are full of dried cranberries and rosemary. Again, I love this combo. It’s a crispy bite of Thanksgiving dinner. Perfect texture and taste. I didn’t taste any pumpkin, which for me is a good thing.

I loved them so much, I decided to go back to Trader Joe’s and try out one of their fall cheeses I declined to get on my first trip. But I really wanted to test the cracker with another food. I thought I’d eat them with the soup on my list (more on that later) but I found something even better.

White Stilton Cheese With Apple & Pear

I love Stilton cheeses. I’ve had blueberry from another grocery store which was amazing. But if you’ve never had a Stilton cheese, they are sweet, dense, crumbly and bursting with fruity flavor.

This cheese was made with apples and pears, chunks of it which you can see from the image. The fruit flavor is bold and sweet.

Honestly? I could eat this cheese like a candy bar. And OMG – paired with the Pumpkin Cranberry Crisps? A match made in heaven.

This is what I’m bringing to Thanksgiving as a snack: the nuts, the crackers and cheese. Perfect for a fall-themed charcuterie board.

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I mentioned a soup. I’ve tried Panera’s Autumn Squash Soup, so I thought I might like this soup.

Pumpkin Bisque

But as I’ve mentioned earlier, I don’t like pumpkin. So I didn’t enjoy this soup. It was an odd mixture of bland and too much of a vinegar taste. Maybe I just don’t know my pumpkin soups but this was a hard pass for me.

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In keeping with the pumpkin theme, and my adventurous spirit, I also decided to try the Pumpkin Cheesecake Croissants. I love croissants. Love filled pastries.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Croissants

It was okay. I tasted a bite and gave it to one of my sons. Again, I just find the pumpkin taste to be a bit bland and I didn’t love the consistency of the filling but the croissant was flaky.

I didn’t hate this item. But I didn’t love it. If presented to me at a meal, I’d eat it with ease. But this is not something I’d purchase again, or recommend – unless you love pumpkin pie. Pumpkin pie lovers might enjoy this croissant.

Pecan Pumpkin Instant Oatmeal

Classified under hearty fall breakfasts, Trader Joe’s Pecan Pumpkin Instant Oatmeal is a nice choice for a fall breakfast. You could even go as far as topping with the Maple Spiced Nut Mix and flavor with the bourbon vanilla.

Nice taste. Good easy breakfast.

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Spiced Cider

Nothing says fall than a good apple cider. Trader Joe’s has a nice spiced version which can be served cold or heated up. You can even add additional mulled spices or other ingredients if you’re inclined to.

I’d prefer the cider be organic, but besides that I thought it was very good. The balance of apple and spice was just right. A little on the sweet side but some may prefer that. I had mine cold but next time, I’ll heat it up for cozy fall beverage.

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Mashed Sweet Potatoes

And finally we come to the sweet potato! I’m from North Carolina, and we eat sweet potatoes in the fall – not pumpkins. So, I was excited to see that Trader Joe’s had one product for autumn that included sweet potatoes.

It’s very simple. Just frozen mashed potatoes. Easy to use. Just heat up, season (I use butter, cinnamon, vanilla and brown sugar or maple syrup) and serve. It doesn’t have to be fall for me to enjoy sweet potatoes but it is the time when I begin making sweet potato pies.

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I think that if you were in a time pinch, you could use these frozen mashed sweet potatoes for pie filing! Of course, real potatoes are best. Just saying.

Mine turned out very well. I bought a few packs of this item and if you enjoy sweet potatoes, I recommend you try them.

So. To recap. Here’s a list of my favorites!

1. All Butter Apple Shortbread
2. Harvest Tea
3. Maple Syrup Fudge
4. Maple syrup
5. Maple Spiced Nuts
6. Pumpkin Cranberry Crisps
7. White Stilton Cheese With Apple & Pear
8. Spiced Cider
9. Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Learn more about these items at Trader Joe’s. They have many more fall goodies to choose from – in fact after looking at their website, I’ve found a few more I’d like to try! Salted Maple Ice Cream, I’m looking at you!