Google Tag

Search This Blog

Friday, September 22, 2017

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Marble Mousse Bar


Ah, the first day of fall is finally here. Sure doesn't feel like it yet, though. It'll be nearly 90 degrees here in New Jersey for the next few days. I'm eagerly awaiting temperatures cool enough to wipe out the local mosquito population—or at least temperatures cool enough that I can spend some time outside with long pants and long sleeves on so the little jerks can't bite me as readily. You should see my legs. It looks like I have some bizarre skin disease...but I'll stop right there since this is a food review blog and talk of skin disease and mosquito bites isn't particularly appetizing.

Know what is appetizing? Pumpkin pandemonium at Trader Joe's. We can just stay inside, crank the AC, eat fall foods, and pretend it feels cool outside. Fun stuff.


Pumpkin cheesecake over a fudgy brownie base? Yes, please! Looks delicious!

Except once you bite into it...it's not terrible...but really? That's cheesecake? I tried just the top part of the product by itself—the "mousse" section. It's nothing like cheesecake in my humble opinion. It tastes and feels like pumpkin pie filling. And that, of course, isn't a bad thing in and of itself. But I was promised cheesecake. Also, the fudgy brownie part isn't very fudgy. It's just...there.

There's a vague chocolatiness to the brownie base and an even more vague pumpkinniness to the crown, but overall, it's not particularly pumpkin-spicy or creamy or chocolatey. It's just an orange and brown dessert that, again, isn't terrible. It's just not terribly good or unique, either. The product's name makes it sound super gourmet, but the taste and texture just don't quite live up to our expectations—especially in light of the $6 price tag.


On the plus side, the presentation is stellar. These would look great on the dessert table at a fall party or something. The bars are very simple to prepare: just thaw, cut, and serve. And as Sonia pointed out, all of the constituent parts are quite moist and soft.

We'll easily be able to finish these bars over the course of the next few days, but if you're excited about Trader Joe's pumpkin products, this is not the first six bucks you should spend there.

Bottom line: 6 out of 10.

9 comments:

  1. I'm a huge pumpkin fan (in my top 3 favorite fruits) but pumpkin and chocolate NEVER mix.

    Plus, cheesecake is nasty....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm going to come in on the "pumpkin & chocolate don't mix" side, with a notable exception for white chocolate. However, Attila loses my support in attacking cheesecake.

      Delete
  2. Respectfully disagree- pumpkin and chocolate are amazing together!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I agree with 1984 -pumpkin and chocolate are awesome together. I just tried the pumpkin cream cheese filled muffins which were okay. Pretty deficient in the cream cheese area. What I truly love is the pumpkin spiced chai cake loaf. I absolutely love it and could potentially eat it in two sittings...LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I loved this. I didn't at first but a few bites in I was hooked.

    ReplyDelete
  5. The pumpkin and chocolate flavors really fall flat in this dessert. Too bad.

    ReplyDelete

You Might Like: