Which Trader Joe's fall snacks are worth trying in 2026?

Our first fall-dessert pick is Apple Pie à la Mode Ice Cream; for a cookie, choose Maple Leaf Cookies if you like a distinct maple flavor. If you are shopping for a savory meal as well, Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese is the strongest current meal pick in our editor’s personal finds ranking.

This September 7, 2026 list covers two sweet options and one meal. It draws on actual tastings across several dates. Maple Leaf Cookies are included for their flavor, not as a claim that they are a new or limited seasonal release.

For a frozen fall dessert: Apple Pie à la Mode Ice Cream

After trying this pint on September 5, the editor called it “my new favorite fall item.” It is first of 16 products in that editor’s Sweets & Desserts list, with a “love” rating and two recorded comparisons involving it.

Trader Joe’s current description identifies vanilla ice cream, apple pieces, pie-crust pieces and a spiced apple swirl. That makes it a specific choice for someone who wants the components of apple pie in an ice cream. See the full ice cream review for the product details and evidence.

For the cookie aisle: Maple Leaf Cookies

The August 27 tasting note singles out the maple flavor as very distinct. The editor rated the cookies “love”; they sit fourth of 16 sweets in the September 7 snapshot, with two recorded comparisons involving them.

Trader Joe’s ingredient list includes maple syrup. If a maple sandwich cookie sounds better to you than an apple dessert, that is a good reason to choose it even though the ice cream ranks higher in this editor’s overall list.

For a savory fall meal: Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

This is a meal option, not a sweet snack. The September 6 tasting received a “love” and an enthusiastic note. In the current personal ranking, it is first of 17 Meals & Prepared Foods, with three recorded comparisons involving it.

Trader Joe’s describes squash, mezzi rigatoni and a cheese sauce with sage, nutmeg and thyme. Those listed ingredients explain the fall association. They are retailer facts rather than additional sensory observations from our editor.

Are all these products available now?

An online listing cannot confirm your local shelf. The ice cream’s checked product description gives a holiday-season selling window, but we do not have a store-by-store availability feed. Confirm stock with your store if one specific product is the reason for your trip.

The maple cookies were tasted in August and are not presented here as a September launch. Product timing and a flavor that suits fall are separate reasons an item can appear on this list.

Why such a short fall list?

Each recommendation has a recorded tasting behind it. The list can grow when another product has useful evidence; a longer seasonal catalog would answer a different question. To choose among more savory options, use the frozen pasta comparison.

The tasting evidence comes from one finds editor’s personal record. The September 7, 2026 snapshot contains 58 tasted products. Ranks below are positions in that editor’s category list, not a community vote; they can change as more products are ranked. Sweets and meals are different categories. First place in each category does not establish a preference between the ice cream and the mac.

September 7, 2026: first publication, with August 27, September 5 and September 6 tastings.