7 Trader Joe's Pumpkin-Flavored Items To Try In 2026, And 7 To Skip

Considering Trader Joe's probably stocks one of the widest selections of pumpkin and pumpkin spice items this time of year, it would be natural to think that the store has these flavors nailed, with a consistent level of quality throughout the selection. The thing about Trader Joe's, however, is that the store does not typically produce its own private-label items. Instead, it works with a wide variety of third-party producers, which can vary by product line.

As such, there's actually a wide range of quality when evaluating the store's different pumpkin and pumpkin spice items. Some, in other words, are excellently done, while others seem like they should've never made it through the QA process. This, of course, is where I come in: trying a variety of these products, so you don't have to. (It's a difficult job, but we here at The Takeout sacrifice for you, dear reader.) Without additional delay, let's take a look at which Trader Joe's pumpkin and pumpkin spice items you should try in 2026, and which you should avoid.

While pumpkin cheesecake is hardly as ubiquitous as pumpkin pie throughout the autumn, this particular version makes a compelling argument that it should be at least as popular. This stuff, plainly, is incredible. While there is never a doubt that this is cheesecake — it features all the hallmark flavors and textures — this dish also brilliantly incorporates the squash and spices, which act as balancing background elements rather than aggressive components. The spices in particular also help bring out the best in the already tantalizing graham cracker crust. In sum, this cake is dangerous!

Also, while this was actually one of the more expensive items reviewed here – $8.99 for a whole pumpkin cheesecake — it's big enough that it feels like a bargain. (The Wegmans near me, for example, charges $5.25 for just a slice.) Altogether, this is not only delicious and a great buy, but even fancy enough to consider serving at upcoming holiday dinners.

A few years ago, for Thanksgiving, I decided to swerve from the classic pie options and serve a chocolate chess pie (if you know, you know) instead. Not wanting to completely leave pumpkin off of our dessert plates, however, I served each slice with a hearty scoop of pumpkin gelato from a local purveyor. This combination was indeed as fantastic as it sounds. As such, I was particularly excited to try Trader Joe's pumpkin ice cream, thinking ahead to perhaps another great holiday dessert pairing in my future.

Disappointingly, this particular ice cream — which some speculate comes to TJ's via Crystal Creamery — was a big letdown. It tastes, frankly, like medicine. Prominent notes include a synthetic, unappealing sweetness, along with an improper use of spices that leaves the whole thing out of whack. Two bites in, it was abundantly clear that I had taken my last bite of Trader Joe's pumpkin ice cream ($4.99).

Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from these pumpkin streusel muffins ($5.99), as they initially seemed like relatively straightforward — in other words, fine, but unexciting — packaged baked goods. And while I'll certainly never turn down a good streusel, visually it didn't seem like that was a huge part of these (especially compared to something like a coffee cake).

Having said all that, I can also add that these are absolutely delicious. They're super moist, and packed with clean, pure pumpkin and spice that balance beautifully with the inherent sweetness. While one muffin does notably contain 44% of the recommended daily intake of added sugar, this pastry never seems cloying.

Another interesting aspect of these muffins — that I didn't realize until after I purchased them and got home — is that they are gluten-free. The flour mixture, in fact, is made from a blend of white rice flour, brown rice flour, potato starch, corn starch, and tapioca starch. As someone who enjoys their fair share of gluten, however, there was nothing about this muffin that suggested it wasn't made with wheat flour; it featured none of the off notes or textures sometimes associated with those alternative flours. As such, it's a great sweet treat for both people who eat gluten and those who don't.

When we think of the usual suspects during pumpkin spice season, there are surely many desserts included, but flan — the custard-based treat also known as crème caramel — probably isn't one of the first things that would come to mind. Even when shopping at Trader Joe's, a place known for its quirky selection of peculiarities, I didn't go into this exercise thinking pumpkin flan ($3.49) would be on the list. (Yes, TJ's does also sell caramel flan, but still.) As such, my anticipation was high for this one.

Unfortunately, much like the pumpkin ice cream, the flavor here just doesn't come together. It is, simply put, odd. There's almost an alcoholic element, but not in a good way. Instead, it comes across as tasting incorrect, as if one spilled way too much imitation vanilla into a dish. So, while this might look like one of the more elegant options on the list — TJ's even promotes it as something to whip out when guests are imminent — it's not one that I'd recommend buying.

Upon first biting into one of these pumpkin tortilla chips ($2.49) — which are made with both pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices — my initial thought was that they were probably going to fall into the skip category for this article. It wasn't, however, because they tasted bad — they came across as relatively standard, solidly made tortilla chips — but rather because the pumpkin spice aspect seemed to be missing in action.

As I continued to eat a few more of these chips, however, I realized that the pumpkin and pumpkin spice elements were indeed present, especially in the lingering aftertaste. These notes are, to be clear, quite subtle — something I would describe as background hints of flavor. But this actually works quite well here, because rather than overpowering the corn chip aspect of these tortilla chips, these flavors instead add an intriguing element to look forward to occasionally encountering. That, in the end, is clearly enough for me to recommend these.

One in a line of several chocolate barks available at Trader Joe's, this on-theme option ($5.49) starts with a base of pumpkin-spiced white chocolate, adds tantalizing mix-ins of gingersnap cookies and pretzels, then finishes with a dark chocolate drizzle and sea salt. White chocolate can be a divisive ingredient, one that many people love to hate. I actually find myself in the middle here: While I don't love the stuff, in the proper context or with judicious use, it can be good. In this bark, however, there's simply too dang much of it. White chocolate, it seems, works best as a complementary ingredient rather than the main one.

It's a shame, because everything else about this bark is fantastic. Salty and sweet, plus spices like ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and more? It's all there to become a great snack. While TJ's doesn't seem to feature products with dark chocolate and pumpkin spice — perhaps because they both want to be the star — in this case, if the chocolates were merely swapped, this product would probably be a lot better. If the base were dark chocolate and the drizzle were white chocolate, in other words, I'd likely be buying this by the cartful.

When something is called pumpkin bread, this is typically a sneaky way of describing pumpkin loaf cake, a sweet, dessert-like product. As for actual savory bread being pumpkiny, while I wouldn't say that doesn't exist, it is definitely less common, especially as a seasonally appropriate use of everyone's favorite autumn gourd. As such, I wasn't really sure what to expect with Trader Joe's pumpkin sourdough bread ($4.99). Would it be a dessert? Sandwich bread? A snack? I tried to keep an open mind.

As it turns out, I need not have worried; this stuff is terrific. Though slightly sweet from the ample pumpkin purée (which is listed third on the ingredient list) and sugar, this definitely presents more as a savory item than a sweet one. The slight sweetness, however, does contribute complexity, which, combined with notes of pumpkin pie spice and little hits of sour flavor, all work together wonderfully. The resulting bread is also quite versatile. It's great as breakfast toast or sandwich bread, or on its own as an afternoon snack. (Try it with natural peanut butter!)

These are apparently a perennial TJ's favorite, with the store reporting they've been selling the same item (same producer, same formula) each fall for the past 13 years. I also happen to love roasted pumpkin seeds, so initially this seemed like an easy check for the try column.

And yet, there is one major flaw with these pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds ($3.99) that I can't get past. They're sweet, but not salty. I actually expected these to be a savory snack, not a sweet one — that is, after all, what pepitas usually are — but that's probably on me to not figure that pumpkin spice-flavored anything wouldn't be at least a little sweet. Here, however, it's not the sweetness that is problematic, but rather the lack of saltiness. Yes, there is salt added (it's the last ingredient listed), but it isn't nearly enough to counterbalance the sugar. Were these truly a salty-sweet combo, they would likely be fantastic. But as is, they fall flat.

Of all these different TJ's pumpkin-spiced snacks, one of the common ingredient additions seems to be yogurt coating. Without speculating further about why that is, what I will say is that these petite pumpkin spice cookies ($4.49) are my favorite of the yogurt-covered items featured here. Actually, these cookies — made from shortbread that's lightly spiced — come in two distinct types: one is yogurt-coated and topped with orange nonpareils, and the other is covered with a pumpkin spice icing and white nonpareils.

I do prefer the orange ones — it is pumpkin spice season, after all, so why not lean into that flavor profile? — but both options are solid. Either way, both cookies feature a classic, well-executed shortbread base that's simple but delicious. The spice profile is, as noted, bolder in the orange cookies and more subtle in the white ones, but both are tasty. (Although, to be honest, if there were a box of just the orange ones, I would probably opt for that one instead.)

Unlike some of the aforementioned skips, these taste fine. There's a natural contrast between the salty pretzel and the sweet yogurt coating that's become a regular in a variety of snack mixes. My issue with these pumpkin spiced teeny tiny pretzels ($3.49), however, is more basic: They don't taste like pumpkin spice. People who like yogurt-covered pretzels would likely be happy with this product, but it is difficult to recommend for a pumpkin spice fix.

While Trader Joe's describes these as "classic mini pretzels" on its website, these pretzels truly are teeny tiny. They are, in fact, significantly smaller than even a common mini pretzel. (Their widest point measures slightly more than one inch.) In addition to the yogurt, the coating also features a small amount of crushed, pumpkin-spiced pumpkin seeds (see above), though, to be honest, these don't add much to the overall flavor profile.

Pumpkin (or butternut squash) ravioli have become a classic for a reason. Adding both the vegetable and some pumpkin pie spices to the standard ricotta filling creates a sweet-savory delight, and in this case the combination offered by Trader Joe's is well-balanced and harmonious. Yes, these honey-roasted pumpkin ravioli ($3.99) are a bit sweeter than standard ravioli, but they're restrained enough to still feel like a hearty, savory dish.

These ravioli are also quite visually striking, adding to their appeal at the table. One side bright orange, the other yellow-orange, they shine — both aesthetically and from a flavor standpoint — with a simple sauce. I like to serve these with browned butter and sage, which is just about as close to autumn in a bowl as one can get. To make it more of a meal, other toppings I might include are red peppers, roasted walnuts or pecans, and diced chicken breast.

Trader Joe's calls these "brioche-style" waffles, though as far as I can tell, this neither describes a subcategory of Liège waffles nor is a particularly common way to speak about them. It's probable that the brand has chosen this descriptor because Liège-style waffles are not as prominent in the U.S. and are significantly different from the dish we typically call waffles. These are certainly richer and more buttery — thus, brioche-like — though I might instead suggest that they are closer to what we call donuts than waffles, as both are coated with a sugary glaze and are mostly meant to be eaten as is rather than topped with a variety of ingredients.

As for why these are a skip, though they are by no means terrible, there are a few notable issues with these pumpkin and spice brioche-style Liège waffles ($4.49). For one, they are a bit too dry, which is obviously not something one wants to say about good pastries. In addition, they aren't particularly pumpkiny or spicy. I get a hint of cinnamon on the finish, but that's not enough to make these feel like they fully fit the theme. Lastly, the prominent fruity sweetness comes across as somewhat manufactured. Altogether, the end result is rather disappointing.

When I was shopping at Trader Joe's to purchase the items for this roundup, I came upon a display of ready-to-eat pumpkin loaf cake. Amusingly, just next to the loaves was a box of this pumpkin bread and muffin mix ($3.49) — which, by the way, is normally situated on the other side of the store. I could easily recreate the story in my head: A shopper noticed the mix and realized a nice loaf of pumpkin bread would hit the spot. Later, however, when they came across the already baked pumpkin loaves, the idea of making them themselves quickly flew out the window. As for me, maybe I'm a glutton for punishment, but I thought it would be fun to bake my own loaf.

It took me only about five minutes to get this batter into the pan. Yes, after that came the hour-long cooking time and the cooling period, but that was a small price to pay for the lovely smell that emanated from my kitchen for the afternoon. As for the final pumpkin bread, it is a solid version that balances the savory, sweet, and spicy notes well. If I had a nitpick, it would be that it's slightly too nutmeg-heavy, but otherwise this is a tasty, straightforward pumpkin bread that's an absolute snap to make and enjoy.

Joe-Joe's are Trader Joe's answer to the Oreo, and the regular ones are without a doubt a cult favorite among TJ's shoppers. The store has amped up everything about its seasonal pumpkin-spiced Joe-Joe's ($4.49), dipping the standard autumnal favorite in a pumpkin-spiced yogurt coating, then adding a touch of sea salt.

While I have noted on a few of the above products that they lacked the pumpkin or spice flavor to be considered quality products in this category, these cookies suffer from the opposite problem: the spices are overwhelming. (Even TJ's seems to acknowledge this, writing in the website description that "it's pumpkin spice on pumpkin spice here, people.")

In the end, these cookies are a great example of how important balance is in any recipe. While too little flavor can be disappointing, too much can be even more offensive. These cookies are almost good, but the overly aggressive use of spice simply devastates my palate, making me not only want to stop eating them but also to spit out the bite I've already taken. It's not a particularly pleasant experience, even for a pumpkin spice obsessive like me.

I purchased each of these items at my local Trader Joe's in the Philadelphia area. Prices listed are correct as of the date of publication, but may vary by region. Trader Joe's has more pumpkin-themed items than I could include in this piece, so I chose items that seemed like they might be interesting, delicious, or both.

Once I had the items in hand, I tasted them each as suggested by the packaging or product description. I then rated them on overall flavor, as well as how well they backed up their pumpkin or pumpkin spice promises. In other words, I wondered not only whether they were enjoyable and satisfying, but also whether they provided an enjoyable and satisfying pumpkin-forward experience.