Trader Joe's Cranberry & Jalapeño Chicken Meatballs

Following in the footsteps of other tasty products like Trader Joe's Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs and Trader Joe's Buffalo Style Chicken Meatballs, here we have Trader Joe's Cranberry & Jalapeño Chicken Meatballs. They're fully cooked and gluten free like their predecessors. They heat up the same way, and they're the same shape, size, and price: $4.29.

Texture-wise, they come out of the air fryer nice and juicy, soft, and meaty. It's an extremely similar mouthfeel to the other flavors if you're familiar with those. Flavor-wise, there's only a subtle sweet-tart tang from the cranberry and an even subtler spicy flavor from the jalapeño pepper pieces. Both the fruit and pepper bits are very small and unintrusive.

I wish they were a good bit more prevalent in the flavor profile. I don't necessarily want beaten over the head with super sour cranberry and flaming hot jalapeño, but as it is, these are pretty much on par with a typical chicken sausage—good quality chicken meat with just a hint of tang and spice.

There's a pleasant sweetness to the meatballs, too, as the dried cranberries used in the ingredients are made with cane sugar. There's also some maple sugar in the less than 2% section. Still, I think I prefer the other two flavors of chicken meatballs just slightly more than this variety.

I looked up ways to serve these and found a bunch of ideas. I opted for a makeshift Thanksgiving theme. I read they went well with any kind of cranberry glaze or cranberry sauce, so that's what I paired them with. I went out on a limb and guessed they'd do fine with good old mashed potatoes, as well. All three mixed together made a very tasty forkful. I suppose I could have gone the whole nine yards and added stuffing and gravy to the mix for a full on Thanksgiving style chicken meatball dinner, but I was pretty pleased with the simpler three item spread.

For an easy party appetizer, toss them in a slow cooker with a splash of cranberry juice or apple cider and a extra dollop of hot honey to keep them glazed and warm. If you’re pulling together a quick weeknight dinner, they’re fantastic served over a bed of buttery, fluffy rice or rich polenta, letting the sweet and spicy pan juices double as a sauce. You can also skewer them with charred bell peppers and red onion for fun festive kebabs, or slice them up to toss into a cozy autumn salad with roasted sweet potatoes, kale, and goat cheese.

$4.29 for about 24 meatballs. Gluten free. Antibiotic free. Precooked. Would buy again. Like I said, I like these just a shade less than the other two flavors. If they amped up the jalapeño a lot and the cranberry just a bit, these might have been my favorite. Eight out of ten stars from Sonia for Trader Joe's Cranberry & Jalapeño Chicken Meatballs. Seven and a half stars from me.

Bottom line: 7.75 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Hot Fudge Sundae Almonds

These have been out for a few months now and the beautiful wifey and I thought they might be a nice pick-me-up on this gloomy autumn morning drenched in November rain. Ah, November Rain is such a good song, isn't it? GNR was never even really my thing, but that track is just classic. Did I ever tell you guys about the time I saw Velvet Revolver do a free show in a parking lot in Hollyweird right after work? It was pretty cool...but I'm getting off topic now. Some of you want to hear about food.

Trader Joe's Hot Fudge Sundae In a Handful Almonds are quite good. High quality, plump, meaty almonds are the base for this sweet snack. They're covered in a white confectionery coating. It really does vaguely capture the essence of a hot fudge sundae. There are notes of vanilla and cocoa, and there's even some cherry flavor.

In fact, there are two varieties of nuts in the bag: brown ones that taste primarily like cocoa and red ones that taste like maraschino cherries. I think the red ones kinda look like kidney beans. The brown ones outnumber the reds by a pretty good margin. That makes sense. It's not like you're getting a cherry in every single bite of a hot fudge sundae. 

By that same token, I would have been even more impressed if they'd done three flavors of almonds. One could be white and taste like vanilla to represent the ice cream. Then they'd also have brown for chocolate and red for cherries. But hey, now I'm nitpicking. There is a vanilla essence underneath everything and it tastes pretty darn good.

I wouldn't exactly call myself a huge candy coated nut aficionado, but there's something delightfully nostalgic about taking a classic ice cream parlor staple and translating it into a portable, crunchable snack. You pop a couple into your mouth while watching the mist roll over the lawn, and suddenly the day feels just a tiny bit brighter—or at least a little more indulgent.

$4.29 for the 8 oz resealable bag. Kosher. Available for a limited time only. Would buy again. Sonia gives Trader Joe's Hot Fudge Sundae in a handful! Confectionery Coated Almonds eight and a half out of ten stars. I'll go with eight yet again.

Bottom line: 8.25 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Organic Fruit Sauce Crushers

Growing up in south central Pennsylvania, there was an applesauce factory right behind my elementary school. We'd frequently smell the sweet appley fragrances while playing kickball or swinging on the swing set at recess. It was owned and operated by Knouse Foods, one of the biggest players in the applesauce industry nationwide and a big employer in my hometown.

Interestingly enough, this applesauce is apparently sourced in PA. Right on the back of each box, it states that the product has been given the seal of approval by Pennsylvania Certified Organic. My hometown was known for its peach and apple orchards, as well as applesauce. It's quite possible the apples used in this product originated from those very orchards I drove past hundreds of times growing up.

At any rate, we've already reviewed Trader Joe's Organic Apple Banana Fruit Sauce Crushers. We liked that product quite a bit. Not only did the banana puree add some complexity to the flavor of the sauce, it made it a tad thicker, too. In nine years, the price of the product has only gone up 30 cents from $2.69 to $2.99 for four squeezable pouches—same price as all the other flavors. Not too shabby. That banana flavor still stands as one of my favorites, but let's take a look at all these other varieties, too, and see where they stand in comparison.

Trader Joe's Organic Apple Cinnamon Fruit Sauce Crushers are my favorite flavor of all. They've got that same wholesome organic apple flavor that all the others have, but there's a generous blast of cinnamon along with it. It's sweet, cinnamony, and quite refreshing. Sonia doesn't like it quite as much and thinks the cinnamon is a tad overdone. She'd give it something like a seven and a half and I'd give it an eight and a half.

Bottom line: 8 out of 10.

I think Trader Joe's Organic Apple Strawberry Fruit Sauce Crushers are my next favorite. The apple and strawberry blend together very nicely. The subtly tart berry flavor balances the sweetness of the apples well, although I wouldn't have minded more strawberry flavor in the mix.

Bottom line: 8 out of 10.

Did I say apple strawberry was my next favorite? I meant Trader Joe's Apple Mango Fruit Sauce Crushers were my next favorite. I mean strawberry. I mean mango. Ah, well, they're both about the same I guess but the mango flavor is a little more exotic. Sonia likes this one best of all, so her high score will give this one the highest average score. The apple mango fruit sauce crusher is applesauce with a nice tropical twist.

Bottom line: 8.25 out of 10.

Next up, Trader Joe's Organic Apple Fruit Sauce Crushers. Now that we've established that you can mix other fruits in with the applesauce, regular old applesauce suddenly becomes kinda boring, don't you think? At least put some honey or nutmeg or brown sugar in there. Apple watermelon sauce might be nice. Apple blueberry is missing from the collection. Uhm, apple peach sauce, anyone? But seriously, though, this one's just fine if you want plain applesauce.

Bottom line: 7.5 out of 10.

And finally, Trader Joe's Organic Apple Carrot Fruit Sauce Crushers. This was just as gross as I thought it might be. No, no, no, just no. They might as well have mixed dirt in with the poor applesauce. I'm sure some people like it. I've had fruit smoothies where they snuck in some carrot puree that were palatable enough. Not here. I like carrots just fine to nibble on or cooked carrots as a side dish, but I don't like carrot flavored applesauce. Would not buy again.

Bottom line: 5 out of 10.

If we missed any flavors, please feel free to notify us in the comments. Which fruit sauce crusher flavor is your favorite?

Trader Joe's Granola Butter

Full disclosure: I've never had granola butter before trying this product. So I won't be comparing it to other brands of granola butter, I'll just be analyzing it for what it is and maybe comparing it to all the other fine spreadable butters from Trader Joe's and elsewhere. It sounds interesting enough.

As expected, it does indeed taste like oats, which are the number one ingredient in the product. There are subtle hints of brown sugar, maple, and vanilla, just like the jar says. It's mostly smooth, texture-wise. I'd say it's on par with speculoos cookie butter in terms of grittiness. It's a fine grit. Not too intrusive. It's like a pureed granola cereal. It's a little sweet, but honestly I think I might have preferred it a little sweeter. I do enjoy it with a drizzle of honey more than just by itself.

My main issue with granola butter is that it's a grain...and you're spreading it on another grain. Sure, you can drizzle it over ice cream or yogurt. You can use it as a fruit dip. But most applications for butters and spreads like this involve toast or waffles or bagels or what have you.

It's not a bad product at all. I think I just prefer good, old-fashioned peanut butter in the end. If I'm looking for something more indulgent, Trader Joe's Cookie Butter will do the trick—or any other brand like Biscoff or whatever your fave happens to be. I'd take Trader Joe's Peanut Butter with Honey, Trader Joe's Almond Butter, Trader Joe's Cashew Butter, or even Trader Joe's Mixed Nut Butter over this granola butter. But that's just me.

Sonia likes Trader Joe's Granola Butter a bit more than I do, but even she's not a big fan of putting it on toast or other bread products. She's fine with it heated up and drizzled on her yogurt parfait with frozen berries, walnuts, and pecans. I'll admit it's pretty tasty that way.

$5.49 for the 12 oz jar. Gluten free. Vegan. Kosher. It's not my thing, but don't let this review stop you from trying it. It is a bit cheaper than most other granola butter products I've seen out there from other brands and the ingredients are high quality, so I won't shaft it too badly in the score department. I give Trader Joe's Granola Butter six out of ten stars. Sonia will go with seven out of ten.

Sonia's score: 7 out of 10.

Nathan's score: 6 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Mini Apple Danish Pastries

If you spent any part of your formative years burning the roof of your mouth on a McDonald’s apple pie in the back seat of a station wagon, allow us to introduce you to their sophisticated European cousin. Imported straight from France, Trader Joe’s Mini Apple Danish Pastries deliver a heavy dose of nostalgia—except with actual buttery, flaky layers instead of deep-fried cardboard pocket energy.

At $4.99 for a bag of eight mini pastries, these ready-to-bake treats hit that sweet spot between casual weekend breakfast and "I spent three hours laminating dough from scratch." Bake them up for 25 minutes at 350°F, and your kitchen instantly smells like an autumnal wonderland.

The crust bakes up delightfully golden and crisp, cradling a rich, sweet apple filling. Right off the bat, both Sonia and I picked up on distinct, cozy notes of cinnamon and brown sugar. Here’s the plot twist: neither cinnamon nor brown sugar actually appears on the ingredients list. Are they stealthily hiding under the vague umbrella of "natural flavors"? Quite possibly. What does show up on the panel is caramel, which explains the warm, deep sweetness that ties the whole filling together.

A quick word of warning for fellow remote TJ’s travelers: because our nearest store isn't exactly right around the corner, our bag suffered a bit of a thaw-and-refreeze situation on the long trek home. A few of our mini pastries ended up fused together like sugary, pastry-bound soulmates. They still baked up fine, but keep those cooler bags handy if you’ve got a long drive ahead of you. It's ridiculous enough you should totally watch our video review just to have a laugh at the ginormous wad of apple danish.

These are a huge step up from drive-thru pies—fancier, flakier, and genuinely delicious. Since they’re a seasonal, limited time offering, you’ll want to grab a bag before they vanish for the season. We’d definitely buy Trader Joe's Mini Apple Danish Pastries again next fall. Eight out of ten stars from both Sonia and me.

Bottom Line: 8 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Basque Style Cheesecakes

I've heard of the Basque region my whole life, but I never even looked up exactly where it was until now. Apparently it straddles the border between southwestern France and northern Spain. There's also an autonomous community in Spain by the same name. This product does indeed come to us from Spain, though it's not specified that it comes from the Basque region per se, hence the name Basque-style rather than just Basque.

Two hockey puck-sized discs come frozen in Trader Joe's Basque Style Cheesecakes. Simply remove from packaging and thaw, covered, in the fridge for four hours. Easy as pie...uh, I mean cake. Er, cheesecake. Anyway, the product is soft and fluffy and scrumdiddlyumptious.

It's very caramel-forward to my palate. It's sweet and tangy and slightly tart. It's quite creamy both in flavor and texture. Despite my expectations, it's much more rich, indulgent, and dense than Trader Joe's Japanese Soufflé Cheesecakes. That's just fine by me. As much as I enjoyed trying those Japanese dealies, they just didn't deliver the comfort food euphoria that I'm looking for in cheesecake.

These did. They're like a fluffy custard made with cheese spread, egg, cream, and sugar. There's a hint of browning on the top of the dessert, but the inside is just sumptuous smooth sweet cream. Delicious.

There's no breading here of any kind. In fact, the product is labeled as gluten free. As much as I love breading and/or graham cracker crusts, these smooth, circular snacks don't suffer for want of a carby coating. I suppose you could throw some kind of berries or whipped cream on top if you wanted to jazz them up a bit, but honestly, they don't need it. They're simple but scrumptious as they are.

$4.99 for two frozen cheesecakes. Product of Spain. Gluten free. Available for a limited time only, though I'd hope they'd consider keeping this around all year. Would buy again. Eight and a half stars from me for Trader Joe's Basque Style Cheesecakes. The beautiful wifey will go with eight out of ten stars.

Bottom line: 8.25 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Apple Crisp Milk Chocolate Caramels

Looks like Trader Joe's Apple Cider Caramels have disappeared, never to return. Too bad because we liked those quite a bit. Then they offered Trader Joe's Apple Caramels, which also contained apple cider. They've gone the way of the dodo. Aaaand now we have Trader Joe's Apple Crisp Caramels. Let's not get too attached to them considering TJ's track record with discontinued products—applicious caramel candies in particular.

Again, it's a shame, because these are unique and tasty. They come to us all the way from Ireland. That's unexpected. They make some killer potato chips over there, but who knew they did apple caramels, too?

There's a crispy, crunchy layer to these bite-sized candies. Looks like the crunchy part might be...<gasp> chickpea flour? Looking through the ingredients, I can't imagine what else it might be. No crisp rice. No toffee. I suppose you could prepare cornstarch in such a way as to make it crunchy. I mean as much as I love the delicious and versatile garbanzo bean, I don't necessarily want any in my apple flavored chocolate caramel candy.

But you know what? It works. There's just enough crunch to let you know they were going for apple crisp. And it actually tastes like apples and cinnamon and maybe even a hint of something grainy. I like 'em.

The milk chocolate is the right choice here. It's nice and sweet and it balances out the spicier elements. Traderjoes.com says there are little pieces of apple throughout the candy. Umm. I'm not saying it's a lie, but I certainly didn't see any of said apple pieces in my candies. Either they're so tiny you need some sort of optical assistance to see them or maybe just not every single bonbon has them..? I mean, there is "apple paste" in there as well as apple juice concentrate, so you're definitely getting some real apple. I just don't see anything that could be considered a "bit of apple." Not even a teeny little one. But I digress.

$5.99 for ten pieces of imported chocolate caramels. Product of Ireland. Fall exclusive seasonal product. Would buy again next year. Eight out of ten stars from Sonia for Trader Joe's Apple Crisp Milk Chocolate Caramels. I'll go with seven and a half.

Bottom line: 7.75 out of 10.

Trader Joe's London Fog Concentrate

It wasn't all that long ago when I discovered the London Fog drink. Traditionally, it's Earl Grey tea, milk, vanilla, and sweetener of your choice. I made a few using Trader Joe's Bourbon Vanilla Extract a couple years ago and was quite pleased with the results. Sonia has whipped up a London Fog or two of her own in the recent past and those were quite tasty, too. She's had a few from local coffee shops and generally likes the beverage. I don't think I've ever had one from a coffee place or a pre-mixed version prior to this offering from TJ.

To prepare Trader Joe's London Fog Tea Drink Concentrate, simply mix one part concentrate to two parts milk or non-dairy milk alternative. Serve over ice for a latte or heat it all up for a traditional hot tea beverage. Predictably, I preferred it cold and the beautiful wifey liked it better hot.

The result is surprisingly sweet. There's plenty of bright citrus and smooth, earthy Earl Grey underneath it, but the cane sugar and vanilla are more dominant than I expected. There's also a bit of extra citrus essence thanks to bergamot oil, lemon extract, and lemon juice concentrate. Earl Grey itself usually has some bergamot and citrus, and these extra ingredients helped accentuate the citrusy undertones.

We made ours with good old-fashioned cow's milk, which gave the drink a nice creamy body and helped mellow out some of that citrusy Earl Grey bite. But the beauty of a London Fog is that you can customize it to your heart's content. Oat milk would probably be a particularly good fit here, adding a little natural sweetness and a creamy texture that plays nicely with the vanilla. Almond milk might make things a bit lighter and nuttier, while soy milk could provide a fuller, creamier result of its own. Coconut milk might introduce a more pronounced tropical note, which could either complement the vanilla or compete with the bergamot, depending on your personal preferences. Your mileage may vary, of course, but there's plenty of room to experiment with this one.

$2.99 for the 16 oz bottle. Makes four 12 oz beverages after mixing with milk. Kosher. Keep refrigerated after opening. Sonia says Trader Joe's London Fog reminds her of the Earl Grey latte she used to get regularly from The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf many years ago, and she's a big fan of both. She'll go with eight and a half stars for Trader Joe's London Fog Tea Drink Concentrate. I'm not gonna argue with that.

Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Chocolate Chip Brioche Style Liège Waffles

Trader Joe's has been on a bit of a Liège waffle kick lately, and we're not complaining. Well, mostly. The latest addition to the lineup is Trader Joe's Chocolate Chip Brioche Style Liège Waffles, which combine the familiar bready, buttery goodness of the original with little bits of chocolate. Because apparently, sometimes the answer to "How can we improve this?" is just chocolate. Revolutionary stuff, folks.

For $4.99, you get six individually wrapped waffles imported from Belgium. That's a little less than a dollar per waffle, which isn't too bad considering the convenience factor. They're perfectly fine straight from the bag, making them a decent little breakfast or snack when you don't feel like doing anything more ambitious than opening a wrapper. But if you have a toaster handy, we'd recommend giving them a little heat first.

Texture-wise, we're getting the same general experience as the other Brioche Style Liège Waffles. There's a slightly crunchy exterior thanks to the pearl sugar, while the inside is soft, chewy, and pleasantly carb-o-riffic. The chocolate chips provide some extra sweetness and ooey-gooey goodness without completely taking over the show. Honestly, this flavor works about as well as any of the others we've tried, and I personally like it considerably more than the recently-reviewed pumpkin version. That autumnal orange gourd doesn't belong on everything, unfortunately.

Speaking of seasonal flavors, we're still scratching our heads a little over the timing. Why launch chocolate chip waffles in the fall, right alongside the pumpkin, apple, cinnamon, and everything else that tastes like a flannel shirt feels? Chocolate is a year round affair, Trader Joe's. Let it have its own moment.

As for serving suggestions, these are pretty versatile. Toast one up, slather on a little butter, and enjoy the simple pleasures of a sweet Belgian breakfast. Or go the dessert route with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. Add some fresh berries if you're feeling fancy. Nobody needs to know you assembled the whole thing in approximately 45 seconds.

Sonia gives Trader Joe's Chocolate Chip Brioche Style Liège Waffles eight out of ten stars. I'll go with seven and a half. They're convenient, tasty, and a nice addition to the Liège waffle lineup, even if they're not exactly reinventing the waffle wheel.

Bottom line: 7.75 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie Spice Bark

There are folks that trust in the existence of The Great Pumpkin, there are those that refuse to believe without proof, and there are those who are...pumpkin agnostics. Like Fox Mulder, I want to believe...so I try nearly every pumpkin item Trader Joe's puts out. Sometimes you find a trace of transcendence—of greatness, if you will, and it leaves you with hope. Other times, you're left still searching, and your searches leave you with more questions than answers.

I really think Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie Spice Bark could go either way for most folks. Big pumpkin spice fans will undoubtedly love it, provided they're okay with white chocolate. Pumpkin spice doubters might find it a bit overwhelming in terms of the ginger, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg.

For those of you who are new here, I love white chocolate and always have. Sonia likes it in certain instances. We both like it here just fine. I think what's happening is they tried to balance out the sweetness of the sugary white chocolate with a decent amount of pumpkin spice. The result is both sweet and pumpkin spicy with a nice bit of bready crunch from the gingersnaps and a hint of saltiness from the pretzels.

If I could ask for more of one element, it's the pretzels. That saltiness goes a long way to balance out the spicy and sweet. There's also some sea salt right in the bark itself, but it's not overdone. There's plenty of gingersnap cookie mixed right into the candy. I don't have a problem with it, but there's already plenty of ginger flavor in there, so it's a bit redundant in terms of taste. It does add a nice cookie texture to the otherwise smooth white chocolate and dark chocolate drizzle. All in all, this is one of the better chocolate bark products we've seen from TJ's over the past decade and a half.

See also:

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Bark

Trader Joe's Sweetheart Bark

Trader Joe's Cowboy Bark

Trader Joe's Cowgirl Bark

We'll finish this resealable bag, no problem. I'm glad they're experimenting with white chocolate products. In the end, I'm not really the biggest bark guy in the world, so I don't think I'd pick this one up again. The beautiful wifey would consider a repurchase next year. $5.49 for the 8 oz resealable bag. Kosher. Seven and a half stars from Sonia for Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie Spice Bark. Seven out of ten stars from me.

Bottom line: 7.25 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Oat Bites

This is the part of the autumn season where I realize we bought more pumpkin and pumpkin spice products than any other flavor and I decide to do a theme for a week on the blog. Hooray for Pumpkin Week 2026. At this point, we've reviewed well over one hundred pumpkin products from Trader Joe's over the years, so the bar is set pretty high. Let's see what's on the menu for today.

It's Trader Joe's Pumpkin Oat Bites. These were a pleasant surprise. There's a nice, sweet pumpkin and pumpkin spice center in these things. It's just flavorful enough to balance out the dense, hearty grains without going overboard. It's got the same soft, chewy mouthfeel as Trader Joe's Raspberry Oat Bites. For some reason, we found the PB&J variety to be a little too stiff in terms of texture.

We like the convenient packaging—each bite is individually wrapped for maximum freshness and portability. Taking a hike? Throw one in your cargo pocket, gentlemen, for a little pick-me-up out on the trails. Late for work? Toss one in your purse, ladies, to snack on while you ride the train.

Crumble one on top of Greek yogurt for a fancy little parfait. Put pieces on vanilla ice cream for dessert. Add to a chai smoothie for a bit of extra texture. Upgrade a bowl of warm oatmeal by adding one of these bites on top. But they're perfectly fine straight from the package, and that's how we finished all six—sometimes they were breakfast, sometimes they were a between meal snack. Either way, they got the job done. Not too indulgent, yet surprisingly not boring.

$3.99 for six filling little gluten free snacks. Seven and a half stars from both Sonia and me for Trader Joe's Pumpkin Oat Bites, same score we gave to the raspberry ones. In the end, I think I'm in the mood for raspberry more than pumpkin, but these were a nice autumnal changeup that worked better than either of us expected them to. Would buy again next fall.

Bottom line: 7.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Pumpkin & Spice Brioche Liège Waffles

Trader Joe's Pumpkin & Spice Brioche Style Liège Waffles debuted last year, I believe. We weren't able to pick up a pack in 2025, however we made a successful attempt on our last TJ's run just last month. This product will run you $4.49 for six individually-wrapped waffles imported from Belgium.

This is my least favorite of the Brioche Style Liège Waffles so far and one of my least favorite pumpkin products in a while. I'm not sure what it is, really. Too much pumpkin puree? Too much clove? Too much...something.

We still have the same convenient format. Same size. Same shape. Unlike its predecessors though, I found this variety nearly inedible straight from the package. I thought the original (plain) Brioche Liège Waffles were especially good when eaten at room temperature right out of the wrapper. These pumpkin ones are significantly better dressed up, IMO. Toss 'em in the toaster, slather them with butter and syrup, and suddenly we're looking at a fairly pleasant breakfast.

On their own, that "pumpkin spice" flavor is just too dominant. There’s something almost savory-adjacent about it, or maybe it’s the combination of pumpkin puree and whatever assortment of pumpkin pie spices they’ve got going on here. I’m getting a lot more clove than I’d prefer. Sonia thinks it doesn't taste enough like the warm pumpkin pie type spices she's used to. I think we both wanted more cinnamon and sugar on a product like this and less squash.

Also check out:

Trader Joe's Brioche Style Liège Waffles

Trader Joe's Maple Brioche Style Liège Waffles

Trader Joe's Strawberry Brioche Style Liège Waffles

Stay tuned for a review of the chocolate chip variety.

Sonia likes these least of all as well, although she'll be a bit more lenient on the scoring. She'll spring for seven out of ten stars, and she's generally a fan of all things pumpkin spice. I'm going with six out of ten. Not awful, but I, personally, wouldn't buy Trader Joe's Pumpkin & Spice Brioche Style Liège Waffles again.

Sonia's score: 7 out of 10.

Nathan's score: 6 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Everything But the Bartender Paloma

It's a bonus weekend review! Not something we do very often, but I figure why not? Neither the beautiful wifey nor I have ever had a paloma before, though we've frequently had all the ingredients on hand and could've made one ourselves many times over. It's grapefruit juice, lime juice, tequila, sparkling water, and salt. It's essentially a margarita made with grapefruit juice instead of orange liqueur.

And Trader Joe's Everything But the Bartender Paloma is most definitely sweet—nearly syrupy sweet with agave. Sonia was surprised how sweet it is. I'd say it's pretty much on par with the sweetness level of Trader Joe's Everything But the Bartender Lime Margarita, reviewed just last year on this blog. I kind of like the grapefruit twist, to be honest. I never even knew a grapefruit margarita was a thing, and I certainly didn't know it was called a "paloma."

Sonia wishes it were less sweet but also admits that once her ice melts about halfway, it's just about perfect. She likes it just a tad more than the above-mentioned margarita. I'd have to agree. Looks like the Cosmopolitan is Sonia's favorite out of the three, while I'd have to say it's my least favorite. We've also reviewed Trader Joe's Everything But the Bartender Gin & Tonic.

The format of these Everything But the Bartender drinks is quite convenient, and there's no guesswork as far as mixing ratios or anything like that. In this case, each drink winds up costing about two and a half bucks, so you're talking about way less money than you'd drop if you were buying something like this at a bar or a club. They err on the side of sweet rather than stiff or strong or bitter.

$9.99 for the four pack of 200 mL cans. 15% alcohol by volume. I think this is more of a summer libation than an autumn one, but it was still on shelves as of our big TJ's run last month. Might buy again. I'm glad they actually show the ingredients since alcoholic beverages are not required to do so, and they genuinely look like very high quality contents. Eight out of ten stars from both Sonia and me for Trader Joe's Everything But the Bartender Paloma.

Bottom line: 8 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Wicked Good Mini Chocolate Bars

I think this is the fourth year in a row Trader Joe's has offered these Wicked Good Mini Chocolate Bars leading up to Halloween time. But this is the first year Sonia and I managed to get our hands on a bag. They've been sold out every single time we've tried to get them for the past three years. Finally, we're fortunate enough to try them.

They're a product of Germany. Those Deutsch folks really know their chocolate. Just ask Üter Zörker. I assume these candy bars come from the same chocolatier that gave us Trader Joe's Teensy Candy Bars. Let's break down the bag by each of the four different types of confections you'll find within.

First up, the yellow wrapper. It's the nougat chocolate bar. Just smooth, soft, sweet nougat surrounded by milk chocolate. It's the simplest of the bars and it's pretty good. To quote Radiohead, "no alarms and no surprises" is exactly how I feel about this offering. Basically a German Three Musketeers.

Next, let's look at the nougat & caramel chocolate bar in the purple package. True to the name, this bar contains...you guessed it: nougat, caramel, and chocolate. It's exactly like the previous bar but with caramel thrown into the mix. It's most similar to a Milky Way bar if we're talking American classics. For reasons I can't really articulate, I think I like these first two bars just a tad more than their name brand counterparts.

Moving along, it's time for the caramel & wafer chocolate bar in the black. If the other three bars in this collection are treats, then this one is the trick. Why? It's oddly large and oddly hard. The wafers here are extremely rigid. Sonia and I both found it quite difficult to bite into and chew. There's nothing wrong with the flavor. Looks like the wafers are made of wheat (and corn?) but I feel like crisp rice might have yielded something with a much more pleasant mouthfeel. We actually cut this one into four or five smaller bites with a sharp knife in order to eat it. This one is our least favorite just because of the hard texture. There's no exact match as far as American candy bars are concerned, at least as far as I can tell. Drop a comment if you think there's a name brand selection that's comparable.

Let's end on a positive note: the peanut & caramel chocolate bar in the blue wrapper. It's quite similar to the aforementioned Teensy Candy Bars which are, in turn, quite similar to classic Snickers bars. I think Zero is my favorite candy bar of all time, but if we're talking milk chocolate, then I might go with Snickers. Once again, this German knockoff is at least as good as the name brand. It's sweet, peanutty, and packed with creamy caramel. This one is our favorite by a good margin.

$4.99 for the 14.7 oz bag containing approximately 24 miniature candy bars. Product of Germany. Would possibly buy again. They'd be fun to give out to kids at Halloween. I really wish that wafer bar were easier to bite into. I think I'd go for the Teensy Candy Bars again before Trader Joe's Wicked Good Mini Chocolate Bars. The yellow and purple wrappers are a tad boring after a while, so the blue ones with peanuts are really the only ones I'm ever craving with any regularity. Still, this is a quality product for a reasonable price. Eight out of ten stars from Sonia. Seven and a half stars from me.

Bottom line: 7.75 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Flan

This is another thing that just didn't need pumpkinized. I guess we can't blame Trader Joe's for that since flan de calabaza is a thing in certain parts of Latin America, despite neither Sonia nor I being aware of its existence until this autumnal oddity came along. The texture is nearly identical to Trader Joe's Caramel Flan: soft, smooth, creamy, custard-esque. No complaints there.

Flavor-wise, Trader Joe's Pumpkin Flan is a pandemonium of pumpkin and pumpkin spice—a flandemonium, if you will. There's an off-putting aftertaste that really bugged Sonia. The spice blend is almost like potpourri. It's not subtle enough. There's an odd clove essence that just lingers long after you've finished your dish.

Furthermore, I actually taste the pumpkin puree. And by that, I mean I taste it too much. In my experience, good flan just doesn't need winter squash mixed into it.

For those of you who are new here, let's review. Sonia, the beautiful wifey or "la esposita bonita," is Latina and grew up with flan from a very young age. In fact, she can even make her own. While familiar with the dessert, I'm far from an expert, but we both gave Trader Joe's Caramel Flan the thumbs up with matching eight and a half star scores. We were both very pleasantly surprised.

That neutral, sweet caramel flavor is one of the things that made it so good—so much cleaner on the palate. So much safer. So much better executed.

Again, the texture here is very pleasant. The presentation is delightful. The ingredients list is top-notch and above board. Apparently pumpkin flan is widely recognized as a traditional holiday dessert in other parts of Latin America like Cuba and Puerto Rico, however, it's less common in Mexico. As Sonia puts it, "There's a reason nobody in my family ever made flan de calabaza." Perhaps it's just an acquired taste that neither of us has acquired yet.

$3.49 for two servings of pumpkin-flavored dessert found in the refrigerated section. In my opinion, there's just absolutely no reason to purchase this if the caramel flan is available. Feel free to disagree in the comments below. Six and a half stars from Sonia. Six out of ten stars from me for Trader Joe's Pumpkin Flan.

Bottom line: 6.25 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Cinnamon Powdered Sugar Mini Donuts

Trader Joe’s Cinnamon Powdered Sugar Mini Donuts are one of those products where I’m not entirely sure what to make of them. Not because they’re bad. Quite the opposite, actually. They’re really decent little donuts. The problem is that they’re almost too normal. These are basically the kind of cinnamon powdered sugar mini donuts you might find at any number of grocery stores, gas stations, or convenience stores. There’s nothing particularly weird, inventive, exotic, or especially Joesian about them. And yet...we kinda like ’em.

For $4.49, you get a 10-ounce bag of Trader Joe’s Cinnamon Powdered Sugar Mini Donuts. They’re tiny—about two or three bites each—and have a pretty good cakey texture. They’re soft without being mushy, with just enough density that they don't feel spongy at all. The cinnamon powdered sugar coating adds a pleasant sweetness and warm cinnamon flavor without going completely over the top.

Honestly, these are probably one step up from the normal grocery store mini donuts. The texture is good. The flavor is good. The cinnamon-to-sugar ratio is good. Dunk a couple into coffee and you’ve got yourself a perfectly respectable little breakfast/snack situation. They’re also small enough that you can eat three and tell yourself, “Well, they’re mini,” which is totally sound nutritional science.

But here's the thing: why now? Trader Joe’s drops these in the middle of the fall food explosion, surrounded by pumpkin this, apple that, maple whatever, and approximately 8,000 other products screaming AUTUMN! at you. And then there’s this bag of perfectly ordinary cinnamon powdered sugar mini donuts. No pumpkin. No apple. No butternut squash. No haunted barnyard spices. Just...donuts. Maybe that’s the point. Maybe we need a little normalcy amidst all the pumpkin spice chaos.

Either way, they’re tasty, they’ve got a really nice texture, and they’re certainly worth picking up if you like this type of donut. They just don’t feel particularly Trader Joe’s-esque. Sonia and I will both go with seven and a half stars on Trader Joe's Cinnamon Powdered Sugar Mini Donuts.

Bottom line: 7.5 out of 10.