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In my tasting notes for one of these items, I literally just wrote, "WOW."
Even though I love to bake, I also love to see ready-to-bake products that require zero effort or time. Sometimes I just want a scone without overpaying for one at a coffee shop or spending a ton of time making my own. Plus, I'm a sucker for anything mini, so Trader Joe's kind of got me with this one. The pumpkin ginger "Hold the Cones" are already a favorite, so I had high hopes for this flavor combo.
I'm no scone expert, but apparently, milk is supposed to help the tops brown better and get a little crispy.
I don't think anyone is shocked that Trader Joe's came out with a new ravioli flavor for the season. Well, I guess the flavor isn't new, but the gluten-free part of it is. I'm personally not gluten-free, so I'm not super familiar with how TJ's products stack up against the rest. What I do know is that it's super difficult to make a gluten-free pasta dough that doesn't end up being mushy.
I know this is a gluten-free pasta, so it's definitely not fair to compare it to regular pasta, but TJ's really could've done better here. Per the package instructions, I boiled them in salted water for only two minutes, and they still came out so mushy and gummy. It's not super surprising given that they're made with tapioca and potato starch — I think chickpea or lentil flour would've held up a lot better.
While I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt when it came to texture, I absolutely could NOT give a pass to this filling. It tasted exactly like it smelled — no seasoning or cheesiness, just canned pumpkin. The filling is meant to have both ricotta and mozzarella along with some seasonal spices, but I honestly could not taste any of that, save for maybe a hint of nutmeg.
Overall Rating: 3/10 — After I dressed these up, they were a bit more tolerable, but I'm still sad to say this is the first product I've had to completely trash. If you're gluten-free and still want to try these, I recommend one minute in boiling water and one minute finishing in a VERY flavorful sauce of your choice.
The pumpkin spice-loving basic gal inside me could not have been more excited to see these on the shelf. While not a Trader Joe's-specific product, this is the first time I've seen hard coffee seltzers in store. I've never had anything like this before, and the fact that it's labeled as a seltzer intrigued me. I also love that they're low caffeine — as someone with anxiety, having a 10 p.m. espresso martini is usually (read: always) out of the question, so these felt like a happy compromise.
First of all, can we talk about how adorable these cans are?! I've said it before, but I'm a total sucker for branding which has proved awful for my bank account. Now, on to the taste. I can maybe see how this hard coffee would turn someone off, so let me just say this: If you have mixed feelings about pumpkin spice, do not buy this. The main notes I tasted were cinnamon, maple, and brown sugar, and it's definitely spice-forward (but not overly sweet). I do wish I could taste more of the coffee and, at first, the seltzer of it all threw me off. I did like it the more I drank it, though. Think of it as having the flavor of a stout with the lightness of a seltzer.
It didn't get as foamy as the pour on the box showed, but I actually think the small bit of microfoam worked better for this than a heavy beer-like foam. It kind of resembled an espresso martini in that sense.
Overall Rating: 7.5/10 — I really enjoyed this and found it to be a unique take on boozy coffee, although I don't think I could drink more than one. If the coffee flavor came through more, I'd bump this up, but I still loved the sweetness and warm spices.
The long-awaited return of the pumpkin sticky toffee cakes is finally over. I never spotted these when they were released last year, so I was thrilled to see Trader Joe's bring them back. In fact, there was so much hype around them this year that I actually thought they were new. For that reason, I knew I needed to include them in this pumpkin-filled taste test.
I'll say it again: Convenient ready-to-bake desserts are my jam.
I 100% get the hype around these. In my tasting notes, I literally just wrote "WOW." The cake itself is so moist (sorry, but it's really the best descriptor) and tastes a bit like pumpkin bread. There's a lot of those warm fall spices throughout, but it's not slapping you in the face with pumpkin spice. And the toffee caramel sauce?? I want to be buried in it and am officially starting a petition for Trader Joe's to bottle and sell it on its own. Yes, it's wildly sweet (it is caramel, after all) but also has this wonderful butteriness to it. Once again, TJ's has exceeded my expectations with a frozen dessert.
Overall Rating: 10/10 — I have no notes here. If you're the kind of person who doesn't love overly sweet desserts, maybe look elsewhere. But I personally loved how indulgent these were while still tasting like something other than sugar. It may not be an "everyday dessert," but I'll be stocking up on these for sure.