Trader Joe’s is my happy place. There’s nothing like the thrill of discovering a new vegan product as I saunter down the aisles of brand-name food products, and even when there’s nothing new (yes, I visit multiple times a week), I feel like a champ walking out of the door with a bunch of 19-cent bananas. I rely on this humble grocer for not only my everyday staples but to catapult me into a seasonal holiday mood. When the pumpkin Joe-Joe’s hit the shelves, for example, I know it’s sweater weather. Put these 20 vegan products on your shopping list to embrace all the warm fuzzies of fall.
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1. Squash
Sure, Trader Joe’s hasn’t created a new, brand-name squash variety, but the inviting array of colorful squashes and accessible pricing makes me giddy every time I step through the automated sliding doors. Acorn, delicata, kabocha, spaghetti, sugar pie pumpkin, and butternut squashes—all meticulously stacked—makes my mind reel with comforting dinner and dessert ideas. The possibilities are as endless as the squash varieties.
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2. Fall Joe-Joe’s
Trader Joe’s makes not one, but two fall flavors of their Oreo-imposter cookie, and both are equally addictive. The pumpkin flavor is sweet, mellow, and subtly spiced with the season’s most overused spice mix. It’s the taste of basic in a crunchy yet creamy cookie. For something a bit more festive, the Halloween cookies feature a cute chocolate jack-o-lantern and orange frosting. They’re likely just a regular Joe-Joe with food coloring, but somehow they taste ten times better.
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3. Organic Pumpkin Spice Granola Bark
Caution: this is far more addictive than candy corn. While not the most common of combinations, pumpkin pie spice pairs perfectly with chocolate—the result is a sweet yet spicy flavor profile with smooth chocolate notes, hints of warm spice, and a pleasant taste of maple syrup. If granola is your jam, this crunchy sweet treat is right up your alley.
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4. Butternut Squash Pizza Crust
Save your favorite cauliflower pizza crust for another day—’tis the season for squashes. When not overloaded with sauce or too many toppings, this premade crust holds together extremely well, so you can actually pick up your pizza instead of reverting to the bourgeois practice of the knife and fork.
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5. Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread & Pancake Mix
With a flax egg, oil, and water, you can transform this basic baking mix into a medley of fall-flavored treats. Moist streusel-topped pumpkin bread, a fluffy tower of pancakes, and tender pumpkin biscuits are just minutes away.
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6. Apple Cider Jam
Spread this on everything—toast, quickbread, muffins, seared tofu, roasted squash, dessert pizza … even apples. This new spiced spread is the condiment of the season.
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7. Caramel Spice Coconut Cream Cold Brew Latte
Skip the long line at the coffee shop and save a few dollars in the process. These convenient coconut and caramel-based cans offer the same cozy flavors and caffeine jolt as your favorite fall espresso beverage.
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8. Harvest Chili
Technically, there are 3.5 servings in this hearty, squash-and-bean-based chili. I ate it all in one sitting. Pair a bowl with a steamed green (such as the store’s $1.99 bag of chopped kale) and you’ve got yourself a satisfying and nutrient-dense five-minute weeknight meal.
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9. Glimmering Pumpkins
More sophisticated than Joe-Joe’s, these adorable sugar cookies are perfect for your Halloween party or Thanksgiving potluck.
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10. Pumpkin Bagels
There is one critical ingredient the everything bagel lacks—pumpkin. Slice, toast, and schmear this pumpkiny bagel with your favorite vegan cream cheese (you can find Miyoko’s at Trader Joe’s); swipe each half with vegan butter and a slather of pumpkin butter; or toast in the oven and whip up a quick eggless custard for a pumpkin bagel bread pudding.
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11. Pumpkin Spice Almond Beverage
Served hot or chilled, this seasonal beverage is comforting on its own or blended with a shot (or two) of espresso. Don’t have an espresso machine? Trader Joe’s bottled cold brew works just as well.
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12. Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookie Mix
There’s a lot going on in this mix, but trust me, it works. Think of it as a fall-flavored kitchen sink cookie. Swap out the butter for a vegan variety (Earth Balance or Miyoko’s) and sub ¼ cup of applesauce for each egg the directions call for, and you’re 15 minutes away from fresh-baked cookies—or five minutes away from incredible pumpkin oatmeal cookie dough.
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13. Pumpkin O’s
Celebrate fall in small ways—starting with your morning bowl of cereal. While the pumpkin flavor is subtle, the name itself evokes a cozy feeling of fall. Feeling fancy? Make cereal bars! Combine ½ cup of nut butter with ¼ cup maple syrup over medium heat for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in three cups of Pumpkin O’s. Spread the mixture onto parchment paper, refrigerate until firm, then cut into bars.
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14. Pecan Pumpkin Instant Oatmeal
Shake up your oatmeal routine without spending additional time zhushing up your basic bowl with additional ingredients. These packs are great on the go and include everything you need for a fall-flavored bowl of creamy oats.
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15. Fall Zucchette Pasta
Not only does this pasta look festive, it’s an extremely efficient sauce vessel thanks to its bowl-like shape. Douse it with vegan cheese sauce and prepare yourself for mini cheese explosions in every bite.
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16. Candy Corn Popcorn
While the vegan candymakers of the world are still working on a commercially available plant-based candy corn, this seasonal sweet popcorn is the next best thing.
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17. Pumpkin Spice Rooibos
When you’re craving a pumpkin spice beverage but don’t want the jolt of caffeine, this herbal tea blend is the perfect fix. Cozy up to a teacup right before bed. For a sweeter evening, try dunking TJ’s Pumpkin Joe-Joe’s into your tea.
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18. Fall Harvest Salsa
If you’re not a salsa purist, add this to your cart during your next TJ’s haul. The classic tomato-based salsa is spiced up (get it?) with the addition of pumpkin, butternut squash, and apples for a je ne sais quois flavor combination other salsas lack. No judgement if you polish off half a jar in one sitting.
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19. Fuji Apple Spiced Cider
There can be no fall without apple cider—at least, that’s a rule I choose to live by. Serve this staple beverage hot or cold, alone or at a party. The one rule is to never run out and always have a backup bottle stocked in the fridge.
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20. Pumpkin Rolls
Just like the TJ’s original cinnamon pastries, these holiday-themed cinnamon rolls are accidentally vegan—including the icing. Keep a tube on hand on for lazy weekend brunches or, my favorite, breakfast-for-dessert.
Tanya Flink is a Digital Editor at VegNews as well as a writer and fitness enthusiast living in Orange County, CA.
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