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Fall foods haven’t arrived at Trader Joe’s yet, but fans are already anticipating the impending rollout of seasonal products in delicious flavors like maple, apple and pumpkin. Some fans are even planning to shop for favorites from last year. Their motivation to buy is fueled not just because of the delicious taste and overall value. It’s also because these limited-time items are worth spending the money on before they sell out.
Ahead of fall 2024, GOBankingRates spoke to a Trader Joe’s superfan about the three grocery items she’s planning to shop for at Trader Joe’s this fall. See which three buys are on her Trader Joe’s fall shopping list.
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- 2023 price: $3.79
Avid Trader Joe’s shopper and Instagram foodie Gabrielle Lask first heard about Trader Joe’s butternut squash mac and cheese through TikTok last year.
Despite being billed by Trader Joe’s as “comfort food with vegetables built in” and receiving high praise from media outlets like Business Insider, Lask was initially skeptical to try the mealtime dish. She told GOBankingRates this was because she considers herself a “mac and cheese purist” and gravitates toward buying classics in the mac-and-cheese department (Kraft, anyone?).
Lask bought one box to test it out and was immediately hooked. However, she said she regretted her decision afterward because she bought it too late in the season. The limited-time item sold out fast and she was unable to get another box that fall.
This year, Lask said she looks forward to buying the butternut squash mac and cheese again. Her advice to other Trader Joe’s shoppers planning to do the same thing is to stock up before the comfort-food favorite sells out.
Pumpkin Brioche Twist
- 2023 price: $4.99
Over the last few years, Trader Joe’s pumpkin brioche twist has received positive mentions across various shopping roundups as a pumpkin product that shoppers can’t miss out on. Lask said she plans to buy the pumpkin brioche twist again this year to make for breakfast and brunch.
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“The pumpkin brioche bread is incredible for French toast! The slices are so thick and fluffy and the cinnamon swirls throughout are delicious,” said Lask. “The bread is also super tasty just on its own with some butter.”
While we can’t predict just how much the pumpkin brioche twist will cost this year, a few pricing indicators show that the price tag will remain inexpensive for shoppers.
In 2022, Rice University’s student newspaper The Rice Thresher hailed the brioche as one of the best fall budget-friendly buys for students. It landed a nod thanks to having nine slices inside every bag and an inexpensive price tag.
The pumpkin brioche twist, GOBankingRates noticed, was priced at $4.49 in 2022. This price bumped up to $4.99 in 2023. If the price increases once more for 2024, we predict it could go up by 50 cents and cost $5.49 per loaf.
Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Mix
- 2023 price: $3.49
Trader Joe’s pumpkin bread and muffin mix is a seasonal buy Lask said she makes every year. Only a handful of additional ingredients, including eggs, oil and water, are needed to bake a loaf of pumpkin bread or a dozen muffins.
“I tend to make a lot of banana bread from scratch throughout the year,” she said. “Fall calls for pumpkin bread as a seasonal replacement. I love baking and this mix is so easy and delicious.”
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