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 & 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 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.

Trader Joe's Plum Torte

So apparently, tortes and tartes are totally different things. They're both baked goods that can prominently feature fruit, but tortes often contain decadent fillings like ganache, mousse, or chocolate. A torte is a type of cake, while a tarte is a type of pastry. Tartes are French in origin, while tortes hail from Austria and Germany.

Trader Joe's Plum Torte, however, comes to us from Canada. Unlike traditional tortes, this one uses a wheat flour base instead of ground nuts. This is, in fact, the very first torte that Sonia and I have ever had, so we really can't vouch for its authenticity.

But we can vouch for its scrumptiousness. Absolutely divine. From frozen, bake for 20 minutes at 350°F and you've got a stellar dessert for six people.

The crust gets a little firm and almost crunchy on the outside, yet it's soft and moist on the inside. It's sweet and oh-so-buttery. It's just fine by itself...but the plum filling is even better. The beautiful wifey and I were both skeptical that the texture of the plums—particularly their skins—would be melt-in-the-mouth delicious. We feared something leathery, chewy, and/or stringy that could ruin the mouthfeel of the dessert. One bite and we realized our fears were totally unfounded.

The plum filling is at least as good as the breading. It's like a sweet jelly with real plums baked right in. Please watch the video review embedded in this post to see tons of close up shots of the torte in action. Certain bites feature what appear to be entire plums. Delicious.

Our biggest complaint? Not every bite contains plums. Once you've had a bite or two with huge amounts of the plums and the filling, you suddenly want every bite to be bursting with the fruit, but they're just not distributed very evenly. They're tart and sweet and almost reminiscent of a berry medley in terms of flavor.

This toothsome treat does not need any help in our humble opinions, but if you were so inclined, we're quite certain whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream would make this dish even more delectable. We'll try it that way next time. It's nearly plum perfect as is.

Eight bucks for this big 1 lb 2.7 oz box. Product of Canada. Kosher. Would buy again. This is a Thanksgiving Dinner caliber dessert by our reckoning. I wouldn't be ashamed of bringing this as my contribution to the dessert table alongside Turkey Day legends like apple pie and pumpkin pie. The beautiful wifey and I both gave Trader Joe's Plum Torte eight and a half stars out of ten during the recording of our video review. Having reheated and re-tasted it, in retrospect, I'd give it a nine.

Bottom line: 8.75 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie Spice Donut Holes

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.

Trader Joe's Apple Pie à la Mode Ice Cream

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.

Trader Joe's PB&J Filled Crepes

Peanut butter and jelly. Is there a more universally beloved combination of foods? Maybe pizza. Maybe tacos. Maybe those little chocolate covered pretzel dealies that somehow disappear from the pantry overnight. But PB&J is pretty much the comfort food equivalent of a warm blanket and sweatpants.

So naturally, when Trader Joe's came out with PB&J Filled Crepes, Sonia and I were interested. For $3.99, you get six individually wrapped crepes. They're ready to eat as is, although Trader Joe's recommends giving them a quick zap in the microwave for 6-8 seconds. We went with 10 seconds because we're rebels like that, and they came out hot and ready to eat. No thawing, cooking, or other nonsense required.

As a quick breakfast or little pick-me-up, these aren't bad at all. The peanut butter and strawberry jam combination is tasty, and there's something inherently comforting about eating a PB&J in crepe form. It's basically taking a childhood sandwich and giving it a passport.

But these suffer from the same maladies as Trader Joe's Hazelnut & Cocoa Filled Crepes. The crepe itself is a little too chewy and doesn't exactly melt in your mouth. More importantly, there's simply not enough filling. I want that peanut butter and jelly to make its presence known. I want it squishing out the sides a little. Instead, there's considerably more crepe than filling.

And while I have nothing against strawberry jam, I'm just going to say it: I would have preferred classic grape jelly. Peanut butter and grape jelly is the OG. But whatevs.

Still, Sonia and I like these just a little more than the Hazelnut & Cocoa version. Maybe it's because we're in the mood for peanut butter and jelly more often than we're in the mood for Nutella. Whatever the reason, these are a perfectly decent little grab-and-go breakfast or snack. Six and a half stars from both Sonia and me for Trader Joe's PB&J Filled Crepes.

Bottom line: 6.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Raspberry Filled Donuts

Trader Joe’s Raspberry Filled Donuts are one of those products that look like they’re going to be a whole lot more exciting than they actually are. They’re an eye-catching shade of pinkish-red, dusted with a powdery coating, filled with raspberry, and come to us all the way from Belgium. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, not much, really. But also…not everything goes right.

These come frozen, so there’s no baking, frying, microwaving, or other culinary nonsense required. All you have to do is thaw them. A couple hours in the refrigerator and they’re ready to go. Easy enough.

And once thawed, the dough is perfectly fine. It’s soft, reasonably light and airy, and certainly donut-esque. It’s just not anything earth-shattering. It doesn't feel or taste fresh-baked in any way. I’ve had plenty of frozen Trader Joe’s pastries that have made me stop and say, “Hey, this is actually pretty darn good.” These didn’t quite get me there.

The raspberry filling, however, is delectable. Sweet, fruity and distinctly raspberry-ish, it’s easily the best part of the donut. It's nice and smooth. No little seeds to get stuck between your teeth. Unfortunately, there’s just not nearly enough of it. And this is where things get a little…rasp-barely.

Each donut is probably three or four bites, and if you’re lucky, one of those bites will contain a decent amount of raspberry filling. The rest is basically powder-coated dough. Which is fine if you really like dough, I suppose, but when "raspberry-filled" is, like, the name of the donut, you want there to be a good bit of raspberry filling—especially when it's so good compared to the not-so-memorable breading.

At $3.99 for six donuts, these aren’t exactly a tremendous value, either. They’re certainly convenient, and they’re perfectly edible, but there are only six of them and the most interesting part is frustratingly sparse.

They’re not bad donuts. They’re just donuts that leave me thinking they could have been so much better with a little more filling. And considering all the other sweet stuff competing for space in our freezer, I probably wouldn’t buy these again. The beautiful wifey will spring for a generous seven out of ten stars on Trader Joe's Raspberry Filled Donuts. I'll drop six and a half.

Bottom line: 6.75 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Italian Pistachio Gelato

Pistachio gelato. It's one of those flavors that I feel like I should eat more often, but for whatever reason, it doesn't seem to make its way into my freezer all that frequently. Maybe because I'm too busy eating cookie dough. Maybe because I'm too busy eating everything else. Maybe because I'm just easily distracted by shiny new Trader Joe's desserts. Who knows.

But here's a familiar flavor in yet another format: Italian Pistachio Gelato Style Frozen Dessert. Previously, the pistachio portion of this Italian-made frozen dessert shared billing with Fior di Latte in a seasonal two flavor container. Now the pistachio gets the whole pint to itself, and, according to Trader Joe's, it's the same pistachio gelato from the same Italian supplier.

Anybody remember Trader Joe's old Pistachio Gelato? I reviewed that one back in 2019, and I remember really liking the combination of sweet, nutty pistachio flavor and actual pistachio pieces throughout the gelato. It was also packaged in that plastic Talenti-esque jar, which I rather liked for reasons that had absolutely nothing to do with the food inside it.

This new version is a little different, though. First, there are no actual pistachio pieces or nuts here. It's smooth, creamy and pretty darn easy to eat, with a nice pistachio flavor that's nutty, lightly sweet and just a touch salty. That's pretty much what Trader Joe's promises, too, describing it as sweet, creamy and with a delicately savory edge.

Texture-wise, this is also lighter than I expected. It's nice and smooth and creamy, but it's not nearly as dense as most gelato I've had. It's almost...airy. Maybe "whipped" is the word I'm looking for? There's definitely some air in here, giving it a lighter mouthfeel than that old-school pistachio gelato, which had a heavier, thicker consistency. And while I don't necessarily dislike that, I do kinda miss the old version's heft. I also miss the pistachio pieces. And the jar. I apparently have unresolved feelings about that jar.

One other difference worth noting: the old gelato used some heavy cream, while this one only lists nonfat dry milk in terms of dairy. The list is built differently overall with sugar, coconut oil, and glucose syrup rounding out the top ingredients this "gelato style frozen dessert."

If you like pistachio, you'll probably like this just fine. It may not completely blow your mind, but it's a pleasant, smooth, creamy frozen dessert that hits the pistachio mark without getting too heavy or going overboard on the nut flavor.

$3.99 for the pint. Product of Italy. Would probably buy again. Seven and a half stars from me for Trader Joe's Italian Pistachio Gelato Style Frozen Dessert. Sonia will give it eight out of ten stars. It's good but it definitely won't dethrone Trader Joe's Horchata Ice Cream as our current favorite TJ frozen dessert product.

Bottom line: 7.75 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Crispy Rice Bars

Trader Joe's Crispy Rice Bars have been around for a few months now. Sometimes I'll deliberately avoid reading online opinions about a product so I can go into my review as blind and as objective as possible. However, sometimes it's just not practical, and sometimes curiosity gets the best of me and I'll read others' thoughts before sampling a product myself. This is one of those instances.

I didn't find there was one overwhelming majority opinion on this product. It's got its fans, for sure, as most TJ's products do, but it's got its fair share of detractors, as well. Similarly, Sonia and I are split on this one. Let's break it down into positives and negatives and then the parts we don't agree on.

The first thing that jumps out at the beautiful wifey as a positive is the texture. I won't argue with her on that point. It's very similar to classic Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats in terms of density and chewiness but maybe even a tad softer—I'm talking about the pre-packaged ones, not ones freshly made in your kitchen at home. Homemade is (almost) always best. Trader Joe's offering is very easy to bite into and pleasant to chew.

The product is also very convenient and modestly priced at $2.99 for eight bars. The format is perfect for school lunches or brown bag work meals. Again, a thumbs up from both of us.

What we're both not fans of: some of the ingredients. Pork gelatin. Sonia and I both avoid pork when possible. It also alienates the kosher crowd from the product. May contain wheat. That counts out the gluten free folks, who may have otherwise turned to this product since it's rice and tapioca-based. And finally, carrageenan and seed oils might eliminate people with inflammation issues.

What we disagree on: the taste. Sonia likes it and enjoys it quite a bit. I taste something odd and off-putting. It's sweet. Sure, you can taste toasted rice and sugary marshmallows but underneath it there's something I'd call a chemical flavor. One Redditor describes it as "a very artificial marshmallow taste." I certainly don't disagree, but I can't tell if that industrial flavor is attached to the marshmallows or something else. Sonia kind of tastes it but isn't really bothered by it as much as I am.

In the end, Sonia would consider a repurchase while I would not. I've had two from the box and I'll let the beautiful wifey finish the rest. No need for a return, but if it were just me alone, I would have at least thought about it. Product of Canada. Seven and a half stars from Sonia for Trader Joe's Crispy Rice Bars. I'll throw out five and a half. FYI this isn't the first time TJ has done Rice Krispies Bars. 

Nathan's score: 5.5 out of 10.

Sonia's score: 7.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Passion Fruit Guava Bars

More popsicles? Yes. Summer doesn't end until September 22 and it's still friggin' hot. In no way is pumpkin spice appropriate just yet...unless we're talking about Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice Sheet Cake. That's good enough to eat anytime.

Trader Joe's Passion Fruit Guava Bars are still available at our local TJ's as of the time of writing this review, but I know they're already done for the season at many locations. I'm thinking we'll see them again next year, but then again, we're talking about Trader Joe's, so your guess is as good as mine. They really hit that passionfruit and guava hard this summer. I hope some of those fun items return for 2027.

Trader Joe's Organic Guava Fruit Spread

Trader Joe's Sparkling Guava Juice Beverage

Trader Joe's Passion Fruit Orange Guava Juice Blend

Trader Joe's Organic Guava Nectar

Trader Joe's Passion Fruit Granola

And I think there were some tarts we missed this time around, but hey like I said, there's always next year...maybe. At any rate, I like these tropical popsicles almost as much as the recently-reviewed Trader Joe's Pineapple Coconut Bars. At $2.99 for the box, this product is a little cheaper overall, but you're only getting four bars as opposed to six. Each bar is bigger, however, yielding a slightly greater overall net weight.

I really enjoyed the creamy texture of the aforementioned pineapple coconut bars, but here there's guava puree in the top section, which does render a thicker liquid than juice. The guava section (the top) is a pinkish color while the bottom part is orange-colored passionfruit juice. They're very similar in flavor, but if you pay attention, there is a slight difference. The guava part is a bit sweeter, and the passion fruit is a little more tart.

There's something kind of fun about getting two popsicles in one here. It's like Trader Joe's couldn't decide which tropical fruit to go with, so it just said, "Screw it, do both. Two tropical fruits are twice as nice." It's a happy little reminder that summer isn't over yet, despite the pumpkin spice industrial complex trying its darnedest to convince us otherwise.

Three bucks for four bars. Kosher. Vegan. Sonia gives Trader Joe's Passion Fruit Guava Bars eight out of ten stars. Like I said, I'd repurchase the pineapple coconut bars before these, but they're certainly not bad. Seven and a half stars from this guy.

Bottom line: 7.75 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Mango & Passion Fruit Squares

Straight outta Thailand, Trader Joe's Mango & Passion Fruit Squares will run you $2.29 for 17 little bite-sized treats. True to the name, they are indeed square-shaped, measuring 1.25" x 1.25" and weighing just over 9 grams a piece. They're individually wrapped AND they come in a resealable bag for a multi-layered defense against spoilage and dryness.

Upon unsealing the bag, you'll note the sweet-tart scents of mango and passionfruit wafting out from the package. I was expecting something akin to fruit leather in terms of texture, but these tangy tidbits are softer and moister than any other fruit snack I've ever tried. They're sweet and a little sour, and mango and passionfruit are the top two ingredients. There's also some added sugar, but it's far from excessive. 35 total calories per square isn't bad.

The fruit snacks are extremely sticky and sometimes difficult to remove from their little pouches. They're soft enough that they easily tear into pieces with certain sections sticking to your fingers while other portions remain glued to the inside of the plastic wrapper. If you're eating these on the go, you'll want wet naps on standby. The back of the bag proudly declares that they "won't make a mess!" It's a bald-faced lie, I tell you.

These morsels are mostly smooth dried fruit, but certain bites contain noticeable fibrous threads. I guess other dried fruit like dates and figs have similar fibers, but mango tends to have them quite a bit. Not a dealbreaker by any means, but the fibers are about the only things that remind you this is real fruit and not soft, chewy sugar candy.

Would buy again. The beautiful wifey gives Trader Joe's Mango & Passion Fruit Squares eight out of ten stars. I'll go with eight out of ten stars too just for the value alone. Each square costs less than 14 cents. I'm guessing these will disappear pretty soon, so grab 'em before they're replaced with something that begins with "Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice" fill in the blank...

Bottom line: 8 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Pineapple Coconut Bars

Ryan Hall says September is going to be abnormally hot for most of the USA. If you're like Sonia and me that means it's still tropical popsicle season. Apple, pumpkin, and sweet potato can wait a few more weeks until the air gets a bit cooler. But if you're one of those poor, misguided individuals that just has to get your PSL on the moment the kids are back at school, then sit back, relax, and click play on our Ultimate Fall Foods Playlist on YouTube. Or take a gander at some classic written reviews of fall stuff—much of which has already returned to Trader Joe's—right here on our blog.

For the rest of you, we're here to tell you that Trader Joe's Pineapple Coconut Bars are refreshing and tasty, and they've got pretty decent ingredients and non-threatening nutritionals. At just 90 calories per bar, I'd say they're worth checking out.

They're pretty pineapple forward. That might be our biggest complaint. The coconut cream gets overshadowed by the pineapple juice concentrate in the flavor profile. Sonia wishes there were coconut shavings throughout the bar to add more coconut flavor and some texture. I don't disagree.

The coconut adds a nice thickness to the texture and a greater level of creaminess than I expected. These are not just frozen juice popsicles. They're sweet and smooth, and they really hit the spot for any "beat-the-heat" type situation. I just wish the actual coconut flavor were there in a bigger way. It's not really a piña colada vibe. It's more like PINEAPPLE with a whisper of coconut cream.

There is something undeniably satisfying about eating a frozen treat when it's 95 degrees outside and the humidity is doing its best to turn you into a damp towel. These are particularly good for that kind of weather because they're not so heavy or rich that you feel like you've made a terrible mistake halfway through eating one. Grab a couple, sit outside, and pretend you're on a tropical island instead of standing in your backyard watching your neighbor mow his lawn.

Sonia and I would both buy Trader Joe's Pineapple Coconut Bars again. $3.79 for six individually-wrapped popsicles. Gluten free. Kosher. Vegan. I'll throw out eight stars once again. The beautiful wifey will spring for eight and a half.

Bottom line: 8.25 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Sweet Chili Black-Eyed Pea Tempeh Chips

I've always been an adventurous eater. A lot of it was because of some food sensitivities I had when I was younger. I was constantly being fed alternative grains, milks, meats, and what my friends considered "health food." Some of it was definitely delicious...and some of it was downright disgusting.

But eating, for me, was all about the discovery of new things. While my friends stuck with old standbys, I was drinking goat milk, rice milk, and oat milk decades before they were cool. I was eating bison burgers while my peers were eating McDonald's for the fourth time in a week. As far as grains were concerned, wheat was forbidden by my parents for most of my childhood. I ate rice bread, millet bread, and pancakes made with amaranth flour, among other things.

Even so, I'd never even heard of foods like seitan and tempeh until I befriended a group of vegetarians and vegans while living in Wilmington, NC in my early twenties. They introduced me to dishes that included tofu and soybean-based tempeh. I can still count on one hand the number of times I've had tempeh since then, but I'll never forget my first time trying it. I liked it. Didn't love it—but I liked it.

Apparently, Trader Joe's Sweet Chili Tempeh Chips are made with black-eyed peas rather than soybeans. That's just fine with me. I just realized two things while researching basic info about tempeh: 1) tempeh is fermented and uses a "starter culture" somewhat akin to sourdough and 2) tempeh is a traditional Indonesian food—and this product is indeed imported from Indonesia.

That said, these are very tasty chips. They're gluten free, they come in a resealable bag, and they're surprisingly spicy. There's definitely a sweet chili flavor not unlike your typical sweet Thai chili sauce, although not quite as syrupy sweet. Underneath, there's a good bit of saltiness and the earthy, nutty essence of black-eyed peas.

They're crispy and crunchy and remind me a bit of other bean-based chips—like traditional chips or crisps but denser and a bit more hearty. There's a faint dusting of powdery garlic and paprika on the surface of the chips and they're just mildly oily, too. They've got coconut oil but I wouldn't say any coconut shows up in the flavor profile in any meaningful way.

$3.49 for the 3 oz resealable bag. Gluten free. Product of Indonesia. Sonia and I would buy this again, but we fully recognize this is a product that won't be for everyone. If spicy chips made with black-eyed peas sound intriguing, we say give 'em a try. I can't imagine these will be at Trader Joe's forever, but I wouldn't be upset if they were. Eight out of ten stars from both Sonia and me for Trader Joe's Sweet Chili Black-Eyed Pea Tempeh Chips.

Bottom line: 8 out of 10.