It may seem strange to think of a grocery store as a holiday landmark, but going to Trader Joe’s is part of Halloween prep for us. After we load up on the autumn offerings when the weather turns chilly, we head back in the middle of October to snag all the fun ghost and goblin foods to offset the candy. After all, the flavors of Halloween aren't just chocolate! Here’s our curated list of what we love.
1. First on our list is the Halloween gummies, an individual-sized bag of soft fruit gummies that come in five shapes: bats, pumpkins, bones, etc. These would be great for trick-or-treaters or just a 70-calorie snack anytime; they’re made in France and have all-natural coloring made from black carrots, black currants and more.
2. The Mexican-style hot cocoa melts consist of bright orange pumpkins made of white Mexican chocolate. When you float one on your hot milk, it slowly melts, and eventually, the innards emerge, mini marshmallows and milk chocolate drops, which you then stir to make your own hot cocoa. The pumpkins carry a taste of spicy cinnamon to make the cocoa more of a Mexican hot chocolate. These come in a cute package with four pumpkins peeping out from plastic windows.
3. Halloween Joe Joe’s cookies have shown up around this time for 10 years, and if you haven’t already indulged, you’ll have to. The cookies are a little like an Oreo but with a Jack-o-lantern face. The orange crème inside peeks out through the cocoa face like it’s lit up with a candle. The crème is still vanilla flavored but has annatto added to turn it orange. The colorful box they come in has a great illustration of a haunted house on it.
4. Try your hand at the Haunted House chocolate cookie kit; it’s basically a gingerbread house, but scary. The walls are made in Canada, and you’ll assemble the house yourself and pipe in icing to make roof shingles and window panes. You can then decorate the exterior with a ghostly inhabitant waiting to enter, bats, bones and more. Whether to devour it or list it on Zillow is up to you.
5. The organic pumpkin spice creamy cashew cultured yogurt alternative is pumpkin spice flavored with a hint of coconut cream and is completely dairy-free. Crushed cashews are sweetened with cane sugar, spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon, creamified with coconut cream and tapioca—and is still infused with probiotics to keep things... you know … running good.
6. The entryway at Trader Joe’s this time of year has bins of miniature pumpkins, and we always grab a trio for decoration. The lil’ tiger stripe pumpkin isn’t great for cooking, TJs advises, because there isn’t a lot of meat on the bone, but if you hollow it out, it makes for a great serving dish for soup.
Bonus: The cinnamon whisk isn’t for eating but is cute Halloween décor. Made in Vietnam from raw pine, the miniature broom is then scented here in the U.S. with cinnamon oil to exude a Halloweenish fragrance: just right for the miniature witch at your house. Put it on your mantel or prop it against your Jack-o-lantern—keep it handy to whisk away those pumpkin muffin crumbs. It’s only $1.29; grab it when you see it on the shelves because it’s seasonal and temporary… just like Halloween.