The Best Trader Joe's Pumpkin Products Of All Time

What's your most anticipated Trader Joe's seasonal item? For some, perhaps it's the summer strawberry items that crop up when the weather gets warm, but for many of us, it's the fall goodies. Few grocery stores do fall quite like Trader Joe's, and more specifically, few stores can compete with the array of pumpkin products that TJ's has offered over the years. While there's no guarantee that every product will return the following season, it is true that there are certain Trader Joe's pumpkin products (of past, present, and hopefully future) that are absolutely beloved and, well, the best.

Obviously, labeling certain Trader Joe's pumpkin products as the absolute best is a subjective matter, but I did my due diligence when narrowing down this list. For starters, I'm an avid TJ's shopper and pumpkin product lover, so I've tried (and loved) nearly all of the products on this list at some point or another. My opinion aside, however, I've also considered what pumpkin products are generally beloved by others, making for a comprehensive list of the best Trader Joe's pumpkin products of all time (at least, so far).

So, what makes these pumpkin products the absolute best of the best? For starters, all of the products listed below will have an excellent pumpkin flavor, be it pumpkin spice, pumpkin and toffee, or even pumpkin with ginger. Also, many of these products stand out for being unique (as in, you're not going to find these types of items in other stores). As far as texture and flavor are concerned, the products on this list exceed in that arena as well, be it a pumpkin cake with a delectably moist texture or a pumpkin samosa with the perfect soft filling to flaky pastry ratio. 

Trader Joe's has quite the selection of baked goods, ranging from mini sheet cakes and muffins to cookies, breads, and loaves. As expected, these baked goods can range in terms of sweetness, with some products (ahem, the mini sheet cakes) being incredibly sweet, and others managing to hit a sweet spot of being, well, not too sweet. Trader Joe's seasonal pumpkin loaf definitely falls into that latter category, offering up a subtly sweet and nicely spiced bite without overdoing it.

The first time I tried the pumpkin loaf, I went into it feeling somewhat certain that the texture of the bread would be dry. However, I was proven very wrong, as this bread managed to pack in quite a bit of moisture, making for a treat akin to something you'd bake fresh at home. The flavor of the pumpkin bread is very spice-forward, with notes of cloves coming through strongest of all. Spiced, moist, and sweet-but-not-too-sweet, Trader Joe's pumpkin loaf hits all the right seasonal notes.

There's no shortage of sweet pumpkin products in Trader Joe's fall repertoire, so it's always nice to have a more savory or even spicy option in the mix. Trader Joe's mini spicy pumpkin samosas definitely check the savory and spicy boxes, offering up bite-sized snacks that work wonderfully as a fall party appetizer.

It's common for samosas to have fillings like potato or cheese, so TJ's pumpkin and paneer take on the Indian staple makes a lot of sense. The earthy pumpkin pairs exceptionally well with paneer cheese, and both of these neutral ingredients form a nice base for plenty of warming spices to take center stage (specifically garam masala, cumin, and chili powder, just to name a few). And we can't forget about the pastry on the outside, one that perfectly encapsulates the filling and provides a slightly crispy texture with each bite. For optimal pumpkin samosa enjoying, try heating them up in the air fryer for that perfect soft-on-the-inside and flaky-on-the-outside balance.

It's hard to beat a good snickerdoodle cookie. Add in the seasonal goodness of pumpkin spice, and you've got a winning product. That's exactly what Trader Joe's did with its pumpkin and spice snickerdoodle cookie mix. It's a convenient product for those who want that fresh-baked taste without having to make your own cookie dough from scratch. While you do have to source a few extra ingredients yourself to make these cookies (butter, an egg, and milk to be specific), it's still an incredibly easy and straightforward mix to work with.

Though some TJ's cookie or cake mixes can be hit or miss, there's no denying that the pumpkin spice snickerdoodle mix is an absolute win. I've sampled this product first-hand, so I can account for the fact that the cookie mix is very easy to make and that the cookies bake up wonderfully. The result is a soft, chewy snickerdoodle cookie with a little extra seasonal pizzazz, thanks to spices like ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves.

There are quite a few types of bread out there, with some of them being outright sweet in nature (think quick breads like banana bread) and others being more neutral but sweet-leaning. Brioche is one of those more sweet-leaning breads, as it's not incredibly sweet by default and certainly has a more classic French bread-like texture. It's easy to take brioche to the next level, however, and jazz it up with sweet additions without affecting the integrity of the loaf itself, which is exactly what Trader Joe's accomplished with its pumpkin brioche twist.

The first time I tried this bread, I did go into it expecting an absolute sugar bomb. However, there was a lot more balance to the bread than I initially gave it credit for. It's definitely sweet and spiced, but it's still clear that it's a bread as opposed to a loaf or cake. The brioche also has the perfect amount of pumpkin flavor, making for a delicious product that would be ideal for Sunday French toast breakfasts in October. 

The humble tortilla chip is an absolute snacking staple, but it's not exactly a product that we're constantly looking for new variations of. A tortilla chip is just that — a piece of tortilla, fried into a chip, perhaps sprinkled with some salt for good measure. It's a formula that works, but when Trader Joe's came out with its pumpkin tortilla chips, a delicious new fall-inspired formula was born (which is a great pairing with one of Trader Joe's many jarred salsas).

Now, I'm not going to sit here and say that these pumpkin tortilla chips taste drastically different from regular tortilla chips, because they don't, and that's sort of the point. These chips do have a nice earthiness to them thanks to the pumpkin, and they also have a subtly spiced flair thanks to spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. It's like a tortilla chip with just a whisper of fall, making it perfect for those who want a little something extra but still want that tried-and-true tortilla chip flavor and crunch.

As someone who has had nothing but good experiences with Trader Joe's frozen croissants, I was extremely pleased to discover that the seasonal pumpkin cheesecake croissants were just as good. These croissants almost look more like Danishes thanks to a pool of pumpkin cheesecake right in the middle of each one. They also don't require any proofing, unlike other types of TJ's frozen croissants, like the chocolate or almond ones, so there's the added convenience of being able to pop these puppies right into the oven (and then right into your mouth, of course). 

Despite looking a little different from a traditional croissant, there's no denying that these pumpkin cheesecake croissants taste just as good as the competition. They've got a wonderfully flaky, crisp outer crust and an absolutely decadent, rich cheesecake filling. The pumpkin flavor is just right in these croissants — not too sweet and perfectly spiced. Considering how easy these are to bake and how delicious they are, it's easy to understand why this is an absolutely top-tier TJ's pumpkin product.

Cream cheese is one of those staple ingredients that is decidedly delicious, but not something that many of us are necessarily giving a second thought. Trader Joe's pumpkin cream cheese has given us a reason to think long and hard about the dairy product, however, proving that even the simplest of refrigerator staples can be transformed with a little seasonal flair.

This pumpkin cream cheese is so good, in fact, that it earned first place in our 2023 Trader Joe's fall items ranking. So what, exactly, makes this cream cheese so delicious, you ask? It all just comes down to that pumpkin flavor, which adds just the right earthy, subtly sweet flair without being overbearing. This slightly spiced cream cheese also has a certain warmth and added depth to it, making it a product that still tastes like the dairy product we all know and love, but with just the right amount of pumpkin flavor and sweetness. Obviously, this stuff tastes great on a pumpkin bagel, but it's also just as good smeared onto crackers.

If there's one store that knows how to do ice cream and frozen desserts in general, it's Trader Joe's. You can always find a decent selection of ice cream flavors any time you might stumble into the store, but around fall, it's all about the pumpkin ice cream. Trader Joe's itself boasts this super-premium ice cream as "thicker, creamier, and dreamier than your average ice cream." As someone who has enjoyed my fair share of this ice cream over the years, I can attest to it being the best pumpkin ice cream I've ever had, both in terms of flavor and texture.

There's no denying the sheer creaminess that this frozen treat has to offer, but what truly makes this a "best of all time" type product is that delectable pumpkin flavor. The natural earthiness and slight sweetness of pumpkin itself work well in ice cream format, and added spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves help amplify the pumpkin spice flavor overall. If you like pumpkin-flavored things and you like ice cream, then there's a good chance that you'll absolutely love this popular Trader Joe's product.

Trader Joe's offers quite a few flavors of mini sheet cakes, some seasonal and some available year-round. Flavors include the staple Chantilly cream vanilla bean flavor, a yellow cake with chocolate frosting, and a dark chocolate ganache mini sheet cake, which was so good that I gave it first place in my Trader Joe's chocolate treats ranking. And of course, once fall rolls around, a pumpkin spice mini sheet cake flavor hits shelves.

Needless to say, like most of TJ's mini sheet cake flavors, the pumpkin spice one is an absolute hit. The cake itself is delectably moist, offering up just the right amount of spice without going overboard (so even if you don't typically like pumpkin spice products, you might like this one). The cake comes slathered with a cream cheese frosting, something that tastes sweet and delicious on its own while still offering a slight tanginess to offset the sweet cake. It's true that you have to have quite the sweet tooth to enjoy this product, but for anyone who does love a sweet treat with a fall flair, it doesn't get much better than this pumpkin spice mini sheet cake.

The first time I stumbled across Trader Joe's pumpkin butter in-store, I was intrigued but unsure about exactly what I might do with it. I decided to give it a try anyway, and as it turns out, the better question might be what I couldn't do with such a versatile spread. TJ's struck gold with this product, which is essentially just pumpkin puree jazzed up with some added sweetness and plenty of warming spices.

If you like pumpkin pie, then there's no doubt that you'll like this pumpkin butter. The flavor is deeply spiced and perfectly sweet, with wonderfully rich and earthy undertones that could only come from straight pumpkin itself. You really can't go wrong just enjoying this pumpkin butter by the spoonful, but other worthy pairing options include spreading it onto toast, on a bagel (with TJ's pumpkin cream cheese), dolloped onto yogurt, or even layered between cakes.

Joe-Joe's can be hit or miss, especially with the sheer variety of flavors that TJ's comes out with on the regular (on top of the staple, Oreo-like Joe-Joe's that are available year-round). There are even two types of pumpkin-flavored Joe-Joe's alone, plain old pumpkin Joe-Joe's and pumpkin-spiced Joe-Joe's sandwich cookies. What's the difference between the two, you may ask? Well, the pumpkin spiced Joe-Joe's are essentially the elevated version of the plain pumpkin Joe-Joe's, featuring that familiar sandwich cookie but with an added pumpkin spice yogurt coating.

Needless to say, that pumpkin yogurt coating goes a long way in transforming regular pumpkin Joe-Joe's into something decidedly more delicious. You get double the pumpkin flavor, double the spice, and the added textural goodness of a yogurt coating on the outside of the cookie. In terms of Trader Joe's seasonal cookie offerings, these yogurt-coated treats are a little too easy to snack on and simply delicious from cookie to coating.

Though the idea of a big dessert often seems appealing in theory, mini desserts provide a more practical option, especially for those who are still full from dinner but want a little something sweet nonetheless. Trader Joe's certainly got the memo about mini desserts, with its ever-popular line of mini Hold the Cone! offering up an assortment of ice cream flavors, all in a mini ice cream cone format. Quite a few flavors of these mini cones have hit TJ's shelves over the years, including chocolate chip, vanilla, and seasonal pumpkin ginger.

Of all the Hold the Cone! flavors out there, the pumpkin ginger one is absolutely top-tier. The cone in particular is where the ginger flavor comes into play, while the ice cream is pumpkin-flavored (and coated in white chocolate). Considering that ginger is a key spice in pumpkin pie spice, it only makes sense that the flavors of this cone work so well together. There is definitely a distinct gingeriness to this dessert, but any of that intense spice is offset nicely by the smooth, creamy, and rich pumpkin ice cream.

Though this list is mostly full of pumpkin products that eventually make their way back to Trader Joe's shelves year in and year out, that's sadly not the case for the pumpkin sticky toffee cakes. These little Bundt-shaped cakes were a huge hit amongst Trader Joe's fans once upon a time, but alas, they were discontinued after the 2023 season. Though you won't be able to grab these in the freezer section at your nearest TJ's this season, we'd be remiss not to highlight these decadently sweet cakes in a roundup of Trader Joe's best pumpkin products of all time.

In my opinion, pumpkin's naturally neutral flavor works well alongside quite a few flavors, like vanilla and spices, and as these cakes proved, toffee. In fact, the combination of rich, strong toffee flavor and pumpkin was precisely what made this product so special. These cakes were easy to heat up in the microwave, had a surprisingly moist and spongy texture despite being from-frozen, and had just the right fall-inspired pumpkin flavor to contrast that super-sweet toffee. Trader Joe's pumpkin sticky toffee cakes may be gone, but they certainly won't be forgotten anytime soon. 

Rounding out our list for the best Trader Joe's pumpkin products of all time is a product that might strike the unsuspecting shopper as skippable: the pumpkin cranberry crisps. At first glance, a pumpkin cracker doesn't seem like anything special, but these little crisps really do have much more to offer than your average cracker, both in terms of flavor and texture.

These crisps are simply delicious, offering a subtle pumpkin flavor without necessarily tasting like pumpkin spice. The dried cranberries provide a certain sweet-tartness, a flavor profile that works really well with the pumpkin base itself. Texturally, these crisps have a nice snappiness to them while also being a little bit chewy. The dried cranberries are also chewy, making for a texturally interesting bite that tastes just as good on its own as it does with cheese or spreads. These crisps are an absolute staple for a fall-themed charcuterie board, and simple as they may seem, they're a Trader Joe's pumpkin product that should not be overlooked.

As someone who has been an avid Trader Joe's shopper for years and years, I largely considered my own experience with the products on this list. I've tried all of the products at some time or another (many of them I look forward to repurchasing every season), so I feel confident that they are some of the absolute best pumpkin products that Trader Joe's has offered or continues to offer. My opinion and experience aside, I also considered products that are generally beloved (be it from positive online reviews or from raving Reddit threads) and items that we've praised in other Tasting Table rankings or reviews. 

Specifics I look for when considering a "best" product include exceptional flavor and texture. For example, it's all too common for a shelf-stable, store-bought baked good to have a dry and unappetizing texture, but the TJ's pumpkin baked goods on this list — like the pumpkin loaf, mini sheet cake, or pumpkin brioche twist — all have impressively moist, tender textures. The same principle even applies to something like the pumpkin cranberry crisps, which strike a unique balance between being crispy-crunchy yet chewy. And, it probably goes without saying, but the flavor of all the items on this list is very tasty and perfectly pumpkin-forward — not all pumpkin products are inherently a hit, but in terms of what Trader Joe's has to offer, these items absolutely are.