Oh Trader Joe’s, you did it again. As always, this year’s Trader Joe’s Fall Haul did not disappoint. They brought back old favs and I found some new products I can’t wait to try.

If you know anything about me, you know that Trader Joe’s is my FAVORITE place to shop. And Sam? Well, this week he said to me, “Eating feels like a waste of time, I’d probably just eat chicken and rice for every meal if you weren’t here”. So, I also love that Trader Joe’s makes it quick, easy, and healthy to cook for two and avoid nutritional deficiencies.

That being said, it has been a HOT minute since I’ve made the trip. We live about 30 minutes away and with all of the wedding planning craziness going on and the fact that I switched up my breakfast that used to necessitate a once-a-week trip, this was the first chance I’ve had to get my butt there since the fall treats hit!

I’m home and my Trader Joe’s Fall Haul has been put away in our pantry, fridge, and chest freezer (specifically purchased for Trader Joe’s frozen foods due to the 30 min drive).

I’ve hunkered down with a cup of Harvest Blend Herbal Tea and I’m ready to fill ya in on some of my FAVORITE things I found.

Let’s do this thing…

My Top 10 Trader Joe’s Fall Haul Favs

YES these ARE in a particular order. I’m counting DOWN to my #1 fav Trader Joe’s Fall Haul food. I either tried them last year or took a little nibble when I got home to help with my rankings;)

#10: Pumpkin Danish Kringle

Okay – I have to clear this up real quick. This is BOMB. But, when doing these rankings, I took how often I reach for these foods into account and I’ve only had this a few times. Not for lack of taste but for lack of not-needing-it-calling-my-name-in-my-house-at-all-times.

If this was a tad healthier, it would have gotten a higher ranking on my list but because I’m a big believer in picking and choosing my treats and I’d pick chocolate 11/10, I had to rank this #10!

#9: Spicy Pumpkin Curry

YUM! This stuff is great! I love spice and I love curry but it isn’t super pumpkin-y which is why I ranked it #9! Need some curry inspo? Here is how I love to eat it…

• Throw frozen peppers, onions, and broccoli on the stove to sautee. You could also grab their Asian Vegetable Stir Fry from the refrigerated section.
• Pick your protein. Shrimp or chicken would be my stir-fry go-to’s but beef is another great option. If you already have them cooked, you can throw them into the pan to heat up with the veggies. If you have to cook the protein, do that in the pan before adding the veggies!
• Mix the curry into the veggie/protein sautee.
• Serve over rice or cauli rice (or a combo of both!). Trader Joe’s has microwave-in-a-bag rice and cauli rice in both the frozen and refrigerated sections.

#8: Pumpkin Bread

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I’VE HAD THIS AND MANNNN it is good! It isn’t overly sweet which is really nice. I love the combo of seeds, the teeny bite of cinnamon and the oats on the top are the perfect fall combo. I can’t wait to toast it up and eat it with #1;)

#7: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancake Mix

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TBH – I’ve never used the pancake mix for pancakes. It is my fav pumpkin muffin base! So, I’m super excited to try out the pumpkin bread & muffin baking mix this year and I’ll obviously report back.

Although I’m not gluten intolerant (see #7), I do generally feel better when it isn’t a huge staple in my line-up. So, I opt for gluten-free when I can…and when it still tastes good… which the pancake mix DEFINTIELY does so I bet the bread mix does too!

Here is my fav pumpkin muffin recipe. Ive only tried this with the pumpkin pancake mix so adjust accordingly if you give it a shot with the bread mix:

Ingredients:

• The entire bag of Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancake mix
• 1/2c egg whites
• 4oz pumpkin puree
• 2c almond milk
• A handful (or two!) of dark chocolate chips
• A dash of pumpkin pie spice

Easy Peasy Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix all of these things in a big bowl (in no particular order… but I usually add the almond milk last).
3. Spoon into muffin tins (I love mini-muffins but you do you)
4. Bake for 15-20min (depending on how big your muffins are).

BOOM.

#6: Pumpkin Greek Non-Fat Greek Yogurt

… I couldn’t take a picture of this because I couldn’t find it at the store! But, it is one of my VERY favs from last year so I put it in my line-up and I’m holding out hope that it will be there next time I go.

Yogurt is one of my “if I could only eat 5 things for the rest of my life” kinda foods. I eat it at least once every day and usually opt for plain Greek yogurt (I love the tanginess and I’m not a huge fan of fruit chunks or added sugars) but there is somethin’ about all pumpkin everything this time of year!

#5: Spaghetti Squash Harvest Spirals

I LOVEEE spaghetti squash and these are delicious. I cook one package for Sam and me and we both add a little extra of what we want/need on the side. I’ll usually add extra spaghetti squash and sam usually adds real pasta. Then, we top it with our protein source and – if needed – a little extra sauce!

On that note (since it didn’t make the list but it is still delicious) if you wanna keep it straight Trader Joe’s, their Autumnal Harvest Creamy Pasta Sauce is delish!

#4: Organic Pumpkin & Pumpkin Pie Spice

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I grouped these two fall baking essentials together! Whether it is muffins, breads, cookies, or cakes, you gotta have both of these in your house once the weather cools down.

But, there are some other things you can use this duo for! Here are my fav non-baking recieps:

• Turkey Pumpkin White Bean Chili from Skinnytaste
• Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte from Inspired Taste
• Pumpkin oatmeal or overnight oats
• Mix it into homemade applesauce (slow cooker recipe coming soon)

#3: Butternut Squash Pizza Crust

Alrighty, another one I’m hoping drops this year because I couldn’t find it today. But, I did get a picture because I saved one (okay, two) in our chest freezer from last year. Still to be seen how freezer-burnt they are but hey, you can always scrape that off, right?

Although you can cook Trader Joe’s crusts (butternut, cauliflower, kale & broccoli – love ’em all!) with sauce, we usually just go with cheese, seasoning, and maybeeeee turkey pepperoni. Otherwise, it gets a bit soggy. Pro tip: cooking your crust on a pizza pan is also a game-changer!

#2: Honey Pale Ale

This is one of the most used condiments at our house. I consider it seasonal because I’m pretty sure it hit the shelves last fall (right?) it was MIA for a bit and now it is back! We eat it on SO many things…

• On turkey or beef burgers
• On salmon burgers (Costco and Trader Joe’s both have great ones!)
• In veggie soup (recipe coming soon!)
• With homemade air-fried potato fries
• With homemade oven-roasted veggies

#1: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread

Yep – this takes the cake. Or the cheesecake since that is EXACTLY what this tastes like. Some of my fav ways to eat this: On toast (#8), with yogurt and berries (#6), on the side of frozen yogurt, on warm baked goods (#7)

I love this stuff – I am wondering if it freezes well? What do you think?

What’s Missing?

I know, I skipped some of the traditional “favs” like butternut Mac & Cheese, tortilla chips, pumpkin cookies, etc. They’re delicious for sure, but they’re not my go-to’s so, I didn’t share ’em!

That, or they’re not something I tend to keep in my house on the reg. Read: I’ll eat an entire bag of tortilla chips in one sitting so they’re better left on the shelf!

What are some. of your favorite Trader Joe’s fall favs? Let me know so we can try ’em out over here outside the shop!