Trader Gourd’s — Oops! We mean Trader Joe’s — is packed with pumpkin products, about double last year’s haul. Coffee, cookies, croutons, ravioli, toaster pastries, even body butter are on the shelves.
The cashier checking out our collection of assorted pumpkin snacks last week told us last year the specialty grocery store had 30 such products and this year there are more than 60. We pity the poor employee who doesn't like pumpkin.
But for pumpkin and fall lovers like us, Trader Joe's is snack food heaven. Among our favorites:
Pumpkin Joe Joe’s cookies, the seasonal variation of extra yummy Joe Joe's sandwich cookies are pumpkin cookies sandwiched with pumpkin crème filling.
The cookies perfect for dunking or eating by the handful, contain pumpkin puree and organic pumpkin. Just because it’s from Trader Joe’s doesn’t make it a health food (cane sugar is the first ingredient listed), but there are no tricks — cookies are a treat and the pumpkin variety is only available for the season. (A 10.5-ounce box is $2.99)
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Pumpkin Cranberry Crisps are little, bite-size loaf-shaped crackers that are blend of savory and sweet. You can taste and see the dried cranberries. Mmmmm.
Trader Joe's recommends matching the crisp with dips or cheeses, such as the store’s pumpkin cream cheese or its Toscano cheese dusted with cinnamon. Those ideas might be good, but we ate the crisps by the handful and never had a chance to mix them with anything. (5.3- ounce box is $3.99).
Speaking of eating by the handful, we would have included in the photo a bag of the Pita Crisps with Cranberries and Pumpkin Seeds — had it made it home.
A wee bit hungry on the way home from Trader Joe’s, we just opened the bag to sample a few. Let’s just say the bag was empty when we got home.
Needless to say these crispy cracker-like make can be eaten by the handful. Trader Joe’s recommends adding cheese or dips or using them as a utensil of sorts for chicken salad or egg salad. Again, we wouldn’t know. (A 6-ounce bag is $2.69)
Pecan Pumpkin Instant Oatmeal, in its third year among Trader Joe’s pumpkin season specialties, you might be surprised to see this on our list of snacks. It is a breakfast food. It does begin with whole grain oats.
The flavor, however, is reminiscent of a pumpkin-pecan praline — sweet and gooey. Perfect when the sweet tooth cries out and you want to have some semblance healthy eating. (A 12.6-ounce box, eight individual packets is $2.99)
Trader Joe’s also has bins of pumpkins, including perfect-for-decorating mini pumpkins at 69-cents each. Trader Joe’s suggests hallowing them out to serve soup or squash.
Most of these items are only available through Trader Joe's "pumpkin season," when the peppermint and Christmasy flavors will emerge.
