Considering that Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie Spice Donut Holes are gluten free and dairy free, I guess it's hard to shaft them completely. But there have been so many gluten free offerings from Trader Joe's throughout the years that have been just as good, if not better, than their traditional glutenful counterparts that it's hard for me to garner much enthusiasm for these little do-dads.
Yes, we've tried the gluten free pumpkin muffins and liked those quite a bit. I think those are head and shoulders better than these donut holes—and the muffins aren't even pretending to be a dessert treat. Right? I mean donuts are supposed to be more indulgent than muffins. Maybe I'm just getting old, but I'll take those muffins over these donut holes any day of the week. Although I'm guessing they're out of season right now, the gluten free strawberry muffins were even better still.
These donut holes are dense, cakey, and somewhat soft, though they don't quite achieve the mouthfeel of a traditional donut hole in my opinion. There's just a hint of something stiff—a whisper of something not-fresh-baked. The glaze is fine, providing a slightly firmer outer layer and a sugary sheen to the appearance of the spherical treats, though Sonia says it rubs off too easily on the inside of the package. They're bite-sized and convenient.
The flavor is good. There's rice and tapioca flour in the mix, and honestly they taste more like classic wheat flour donuts more than they feel like classic wheat flour donuts. The spice blend is inoffensive with an appropriate amount of sweetness. There's actual pumpkin puree adding a bit of warm, rich earthiness.
Despite the positive buzz about these donuts, I'd steer any gluten free folks toward Trader Joe's Gluten Free Pumpkin Streusel Muffins before these particular gf confections, but that's just my take on the matter. In the end, most folks are just fine with this product if not rabidly fanatical about it. Each to his own.
$3.49 for the 6 oz package. Gluten free. Dairy free. Kosher. Sonia liked these a tad more than I did. She'll give Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie Spice Donut Holes seven and a half stars. I'll go with six and a half.
Bottom line: 7 out of 10.
Well, folks, apple season has officially arrived at Trader Joe’s, and this time they’ve taken one of the greatest combinations known to mankind—apple pie and vanilla ice cream—and stuffed the whole thing into a pint. If apple pie a la mode is really just apple pie with ice cream, then wouldn't this technically be Trader Joe's Apple Pie with Ice Cream Flavored Ice Cream..? I mean, it's kinda redundant, no? Meh. Semantics.
This applicious frozen dessert starts with a rich vanilla ice cream base, then adds sweetened spiced apple pieces, pie crust pieces, and an apple cinnamon and nutmeg swirl. Basically somebody took a slice of apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on it and said, “Yeah, but what if we just eliminated the plate?”
I’ve seen some people complain that this doesn’t have enough cinnamon and spice and everything nice. I respectfully disagree. I thought the cinnamon level was pretty much perfect. You definitely get the cinnamon-spiced apple flavor, but it doesn’t completely overwhelm the vanilla ice cream. And the overall flavor is outstanding: milky vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, and sweet apple all working together very nicely.
The apple pieces are particularly good. They taste like actual sweet apples rather than some weird artificial apple-flavored substance. They also pick up some of that cinnamon-spiced apple flavor, which makes them taste even more like the filling from an actual apple pie.
Our biggest complaint? Sonia and I both wish there were more apple and more pie crust pieces. The pie pieces that are in there have a nice texture: not too soggy, not too hard, and just enough chewiness to remind you that, yes, there is supposed to be pie in this ice cream.
We did encounter a few sections of the pint that seemed a little icy, which was weird. Thankfully, those spots were pretty sparse and didn't ruin the experience. The vanilla ice cream itself is good, sweet, creamy, and basically nothing to complain about. It provides a nice backdrop for all the apple pie goodness without getting in the way.
At $3.99 for the pint, Trader Joe’s Apple Pie a la Mode Ice Cream is a pretty easy recommendation if you’re an apple cinnamon fan. It’s also kosher. The beautiful wifey gives it eight and a half out of ten stars. I’m giving it eight and a half as well. We’re tough graders, especially when it comes to ice cream, so anything above an eight from us means this one is definitely worth checking out. Get some more spiced apple and pie crust pieces in there, and this would be Pantheon material, easily.
Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.
