I am a huge fall foods lover. Warming spices, pumpkin puree, and maple syrup always get me inspired to bake yummy fall treats and motivate me to trade my summer foods (tomatoes, fresh greens, strawberries) for autumn harvest items (squash, curry, pumpkin bread!). In a dorm kitchen, preparing fall meals can be challenging. Thankfully, Trader Joe’s (simply the best grocery market) annually releases dozens of fall-themed snacks, mixes, and prepped meals… TG for TJ! With the release of several new fall items, some friends and I reviewed a bunch of new products and have created a list of our Top 10 Picks. Run don’t walk to the nearest Trader Joe’s after you read this!
TOP 10 FALL PICKS
Pumpkin Bread Mix (we used the GF but we also LOVE the regular mix)
10000/10. Full of fall spices and pumpkin-y goodness. Mix it with chocolate chips, a splash of oil, and a splash of water/nut milk in a mug and microwave for a few minutes for a simple dorm-room treat. (see @hannahsalwayshungry on instagram for a more in-depth tutorial!)
Pumpkin-Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
Fair warning: you will finish the bag in one sitting. These seeds are a crunchy, salty-sweet snack that brings the perfect amount of fall flavor
Fall Harvest Soup
Fall is soup season for me, and this soup is autumn in a bowl. It is vegetarian and filled with fresh veggies and tender cubes of butternut squash and carrot. You can easily heat up a bowl for a fast dorm-room lunch. Delicious!
Maple Sea Salt Popcorn
Another salty-sweet favorite. The maple is a fun twist on traditional kettle corn, giving the popcorn a strong fall flavor profile. Pro tip: mix up some of this popcorn with some of those pumpkin-spice pumpkin seeds!
Pumpkin Butter
Simple ingredients and a sweet pumpkin treat. Let this pumpkin spread replace jam and jelly for the duration of the pumpkin season… and beyond. We like it on top of our mug cakes, spread on a rice cake with nut butter, and mixed into oatmeal.
Pumpkin Spicy Curry sauce
Coconutty, spicy deliciousness. I heated mine up with some brown rice and quinoa and added dining hall veggies for a warming, satiating meal.
Pumpkin Pie Spice
As soon as the calendar flips to September, I buy at least two of these. A few shakes onto your morning latte, oatmeal, fruit, or dessert will completely transport you to a cozy Thanksgiving world.
Petite Pumpkin Spice Cookies
These cookies are a perfect fall treat. We ate them during our Harry Potter marathon and they were gone in 10 minutes flat. Crunchy, appropriately sweet, and just pumpkin-y enough.
Pumpkin Spice Pretzel Slims
This snack also disappeared in one sitting. The sweet coating pairs perfectly with the salty, crunchy pretzel base. They are topped with crushed pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds (see #2) which is a dangerous combination.
Roasted and Salted Pumpkin Seeds
For all of my health nuts out there, these are a must-buy. Pumpkin seeds are super high in magnesium, fiber, and iron. They are lightly salted and make a great crunchy addition to salads, oatmeal, or avocado toast (trust me, try it) for a superfood boost.