This Grocery Store Bakery Pumpkin Dessert Outshines Trader Joe's Mini Sheet Cake And Muffins

Fall and winter are some of our favorite seasons for specialty desserts. And one of the most iconic flavors of all is pumpkin. Pumpkin pies are common offerings, but grocery store pumpkin desserts have come to encompass a wide range of creative culinary creations. We sampled and ranked nine pumpkin desserts from grocery store bakeries, and Albertsons ended up beating some of Trader Joe's most iconic products.

Albertsons' Bakery Cake Coffee Pumpkin Danish outshined Trader Joe's pumpkin spice mini-sheet cake and pumpkin streusel muffins that came in 5th and 3rd place, respectively. We were looking at flavor and texture with these desserts, and the pumpkin spice mini sheet cake wasn't pumpkin-forward enough, while the pumpkin streusel muffins had a disappointingly soft, wet, and crumbly texture. The Coffee Pumpkin Danish from Albertsons not only passed both the flavor and texture test, but it was also one of the more unique desserts. It has a soft and fluffy danish pastry with a layer of pumpkin filling and a generous drizzle of glaze on top. The pumpkin filling had the consistency and spice of a pumpkin pie, balancing the fluffy bread of the pastry with a comforting density and earthy, spiced sweetness. The butteriness and breadiness of the pastry balance the sweetness of the pumpkin pie, even if it does lack the flaky freshness of an artisanal Danish. The hybrid of pumpkin pie and pastry that this Albertsons Bakery dessert offers is what made it stand out and earn its 2nd-place ranking.

Albertsons' Bakery Cake Coffee Pumpkin Danish is a unique offering that customers love. Safeway customers said the pastry had a "wonderful flavor profile" that was "not over[ly] sweet." It may be one of the more expensive offerings on our list, but it's certainly worth the price. Plus, since Albertsons encompasses national grocery stores like Randalls, Safeway, and Vons, to name a few, you're more likely to find the coffee pumpkin Danish no matter where you are in the U.S.

Trader Joe's famous pumpkin sheet cake and pumpkin scones may be lower on the ranking, but the creative chain ended up prevailing over Albertsons with our #1-ranked pumpkin cream cheese croissants. Ironically, both the #1 and #2 rankings are geared more towards breakfast items. Still, Trader Joe's isn't as widespread as the Albertsons umbrella. And, if Trader Joe's isn't in your area, the coffee pumpkin Danish is a second-place ranking that'll make for an easy addition to your next brunch spread. Serve it alongside a breakfast casserole or egg scramble for a sweet and savory fall-inspired brunch, or simply enjoy it with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. Since you're at Albertsons, you can pick up ground coffee and any other accompaniment you need for a well-rounded fall breakfast or snack. You can even bring some crunch by topping your pastry slice with chopped toasted pecans or slivered almonds.