All the fall things.
That’s the word from Trader Joe’s, where the annual selection of seasonal items has now hit shelves — and fans of the beloved grocery store chain are already delivering their reviews.
From pumpkin spice to butternut squash, TJ’s autumnal array is a highlight of the year for dedicated shoppers — who are as quick to critique as they are to buy.
A flurry of activity on social media began as the company began rolling out the hotly-anticipated lineup — with excited cart-pushers swapping tips, news of product sightings and advice on what to buy.
A clear winner this season, so far — Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese, a returning favorite.
“Cannot wait for Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese!!” said one fan on Instagram.
“Can someone answer if the Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese is back this year? I only get to go to Trader Joes every once in a while and I neeeeeeeed it,” one asked.
Others said the Butternut Squash Lasagna was a must — sharing that it’s very rich and one person can get three servings out of just one container.
Another winner — the cocoa truffles with maple syrup, which were described to be “out of this world” by one fan.
“The top of the list has to include the Autumn Harvest Pasta Sauce,” another said.
The Salted Maple Cold Foam Creamer, which allows customers to bring the Starbucks experience into their own kitchens, appeared to be a hot commodity — with some people even saying they used it to enhance their dirty sodas.
“You have to try this. I didn’t want a coffee so late in the day but just bought this salted maple cold foam creamer and had an idea. I’ve been eyeing those dirty sodas that haven’t made it to my area yet. I made a fall Trader Joe’s dirty soda…so good,” someone gushed on Reddit.
Another said that the Mini Maple Walnut Biscotti has “been my absolute fave fall product the last couple years.”
More maple products, such as the maple ice cream sandwiches, are fan favorites, with people calling them “ridiculously good.”
“Why is no one mentioning the Maple Spiced Nut Mix?” a user asked. “Literally the best fall item!! I can eat an entire can in one sitting!!”
The Maple & Sea Salt Kettle Corn was another talker. One person said that they “loved this last year and [are] glad to see it back,” while someone responded, “Yeah I killed most of a bag the first night.”
Gluten-free customers shared that there were a lot of options for them as well.
One user posted a haul of organic Vermont maple syrup, gluten-free cranberry raisin toasts, gluten-free pumpkin bread and muffin baking mix, gluten-free glazed and pumpkin pie spice donut holes, pumpkin butter and maple butter.
“The gluten free pumpkin pancake mix is the best one on the market. You can’t tell it’s gf at all,” a user shared on Instagram.
“the lil package of gluten free pumpkin spice donut holes is a nice tasty option for us GF folks,” someone added. “They were nicely but not overwhelmingly spiced and a nice treat.”
Then there’s the non-food items, such as the popular fall-scented candle trio.
Customers also raved about the Pumpkin Hand Cream, saying that it has an amazing formula that’s “nourishing but also absorbs fast and isn’t greasy or heavy but does the job.”
The Cinnamon Roll Lip Mask smells similar to the hand cream but smells more like pumpkin icing than cinnamon, one user said.
“This tastes slightly sweet and yes it has a weird waxy flavor. The formula itself doesn’t make my lips peel after it’s faded and makes them smooth and without feeling nasty or gooey,” they noted.
Meanwhile, people were disappointed to discover that the Maple Oat Beverage is discontinued.
“It’s the one food item I was most excited about for Fall. I guess I can add maple syrup and such to coffee and make my own?” someone wrote. “This was the most balanced coffee addition I had tasted, so disappointing.”
“I was also absolutely devastated that this was discontinued. My favorite fall item!!” another said.
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