10 Random Trader Joe’s Fall Products, Ranked & Reviewed by a Food Editor

I’m sorry to say this, but this is giving potpourri. The sweetened pumpkin base has a great texture and nice balance, thanks to lemon juice and honey, but man, they went hard on the cinnamon, clove, ginger and nutmeg (particularly the clove). I think if you were to have this with something sweet, like cornbread or pancakes, or serve it with something tangy and acidic, like cream cheese or yogurt, it’d round out the flavor more.

Don’t let the image on the bag fool you: These pretzels are indeed teeny-tiny. Like, so tiny that you could eat them by the fistful. I like the tang of the yogurt coating and how it complements the salt of the pretzels, but 1) I wish they were bigger, because they feel less crisp under all that coating and 2) they definitely give pumpkin spice more than pumpkin. I also feel like the crushed pepitas are so small and powdery that their flavor is hard to detect; I would have kept them bigger and sized up the pretzels.

Made in the U.K. in small batches, the cookies are packed with dried apples, apple juice concentrate and a shocking amount of butter. (Seriously: Each cookie is nearly 25 percent butter by weight.) The cookies themselves are very crunchy but turn tender as you chew them. The apple flavor is semi-vibrant and authentic, but I wouldn’t have minded if it came through stronger or offered more tartness to the cookie.

If pancakes and kettle corn had a baby, you’d get this seasonal Trader Joe’s snack. Think caramel corn, but with a thinner coating that won’t bog you down after a few handfuls. The maple comes through strongest on the nose, IMO, but I appreciate the color and brown sugar-y note it gives to the sweet-and-salty seasoning. The popcorn itself is also very crisp and fluffy.

It’s a sweater season extravaganza in here. The rolled oat base is zhuzhed up with maple syrup, brown sugar and EVOO for a uniquely sophisticated, sweet-and-savory flavor. There are also dried tart cherries, pumpkin seeds, coconut flakes (which somewhat dominate the overall flavor), pistachios and pecans. The sourness of the cherries and the earthy richness of the pistachio clusters are my favorite highlights.

The confection is cooked in a traditional copper pan, then cooled for two days before being cut and packaged. But are the results as delectable as you think? I, for one, am a serious fudge fan, and this one is worth the buy. It boasts a salty edge that cuts right through the fudge’s sweetness, and the maple is notable without tasting fake or overwhelming. I love how the texture turns from crystalline to buttery smooth as you chew.

I’ve wanted to try this mashup of mezzi rigatoni pasta (equipped with thick ridges that hold sauce like a dream), three-cheese béchamel and butternut squash purée for years. The scent alone lived up to my expectations: sweet, luscious and herbaceous, thanks to nutmeg and sage. The flavor is certainly cheesy—think lightly aged and semi-sharp—rather than sweet in a gourd-forward way. However, my main bone to pick here is that it feels more like pasta with sauce rather than mac and cheese.

These Indian-inspired pastries are stuffed with spiced pumpkin filling and paneer cheese. If you bake them in the oven instead of heating them up in the microwave, the wrapper will be shatteringly crisp and provide a stellar foil for the potato-and-pumpkin interior. The flavor is savory and mild; it doesn’t bash you over the head with fall flourishes, or even pumpkin itself.

Tahini gives each spoonful a pleasant nuttiness that pairs beautifully with the creamy pumpkin base, while apple cider vinegar keeps the flavor bright and balanced. (I’d venture to say that its acidity makes this soul-soother what it is, don’t @ me.) Comforting, garlicky and not excessively warm-spiced, it’s an easy win for true pumpkin lovers, since purée is the first ingredient.

Your Black Friday leftover turkey sandwich will taste a million times better with this seasonal snack by its side. The chips’ piney scent will win you over the moment you open the bag. They’re stunningly thick and crunchy with the optimal amount of salt, but Trader Joe was not shy with the rosemary either. Savory and just a touch acidic, these chips are begging to be noshed on at a wine tasting, fall dinner party or Thanksgiving cocktail hour.