With a concerningly warm start to fall, everyone has been desperate for some fall flavor in our lives. After a rough cross country workout, we headed over to the Lake Oswego Trader Joe’s to refuel with a pumpkin spice palooza. 

It is safe to say that we were not disappointed. Upon entering the store, we were hit with a fall extravaganza and pumpkin spice everything, everywhere. There were so many irresistible options, and we ended up taking seven items home to try.  Using our impeccable tasting skills, we rated our items on a scale of 1-10.

Pumpkin Spice Hummus

Naiya Gates’ rating: 7/10 – Tastes like pumpkin spice filling, with a disturbing garbanzo bean texture.

Taryn Coulson’s rating: 7/10 – It has more of a frosting consistency, and I love it!

Ava Bruce’s rating: 4/10 – I was hoping for hummus. I got pumpkin pie.

Pumpkin Tortilla Chips

Naiya’s rating: 6.5/10 – I can’t decide how I feel about the salty-then-sweet effect.

Taryn’s rating: 8/10 – The sweet flavor at the end made these chips even better.

Ava’s rating: 5/10 – Nothing special, but the cinnamon and nutmeg definitely give them a fall kick.

Pumpkin Blondie Brownies

Naiya’s rating: 8/10 – Would be a 10 if it didn’t have pecans.

Taryn’s rating: 9/10 – These taste like they were baked today. Highly recommend.

Ava’s rating: 9/10 – They would’ve been a 10, but the nuts were disgusting.

Halloween Joe Joe’s Cookies

Naiya’s rating:  6/10– Slightly disappointing, but at least they were cute.

Taryn’s rating: 6/10 – I have to say Oreos are better. 

Ava’s rating: 6/10 – They’re good, but nothing remarkable.

Spooky Bats and Cats Sour Gummy Candies

Naiya’s rating: 10/10 – Simply delectable.

Taryn’s rating: 8/10 – The perfect amount of sour flavor

Ava’s rating: 9/10 – So good, just like Sour Patch Kids, but Halloween-y.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bites

Naiya’s rating: 5/10 – Mac and cheese vibes.

Taryn’s rating: 5/10 – It tastes more like a pancake. 

Ava’s rating: 3/10 – Might be better with syrup.

Pumpkin Empanadas

Naiya’s rating: 7/10 – Good texture, tastes like a personal pumpkin pie.

Taryn’s rating: 7/10 – The texture was a little off. 

Ava’s rating: 2/10 – Its only redeeming quality is that it was better than last year’s samosas.

Even though our critiques were arguably harsh at times, Trader Joe’s never disappoints and you can count on us coming back for a round III.