We tried 9 of Trader Joe's Halloween-themed foods, and we'd buy at least 4 of them again

Talia Lakritz,Erin McDowell,Melissa WellsJan 13, 2024, 06:32 IST

We tried nine different Halloween-themed items from Trader Joe's.Erin McDowell/Insider

Three Insider reporters on two coasts tried every Halloween-themed item at Trader Joe's.
The Chocolate Mousse Pumpkins were our favorite, followed by the Wicked Good Mini Chocolate Bars.

Nobody does seasonal treats quite like Trader Joe's.

Three Insider reporters — two based in New York and one based in California — tried every spooky, Halloween-themed item we could find at our local Trader Joe's stores and ranked them from worst to best.

We ended up trying nine items, from the chain's signature Joe Joe's to bags of trick-or-treating candy and a haunted-house cookie-decorating kit.

Here's every Halloween-themed item at Trader Joe's, ranked from worst to best.

Trader Joes' Halloween Gummies would be great to hand out for trick-or-treating, but none of us loved the flavors. We ranked them last.

Halloween Gummies from Trader Joe's.Erin McDowell/Insider

We agreed that while these gummies would be great to pass out to trick-or-treaters on Halloween, we wouldn't buy them for ourselves.

Halloween Gummies from Trader Joe's.Erin McDowell/Insider

The Howling Gourds pumpkin ale, which was only available on the West Coast, was overly sour, in our opinion.

Howling Gourds Pumpkin Ale from Trader Joe's.Melissa Wells/Insider

Wells felt the ale's pumpkin-spice flavor left a bad taste in her mouth.

Howling Gourds pumpkin ale from Trader Joes.Melissa Wells/Insider

Meanwhile, on the East Coast, we sipped on Warlock Imperial Pumpkin Stout from Southern Tier Brewing Company based in Lakewood, New York.

Warlock Imperial Pumpkin Stout from Trader Joe's.Erin McDowell/Insider

We could see ourselves drinking this at a fall brewery, even though it was a tad bitter for our tastes.

Sampling Warlock Imperial Pumpkin Stout.Erin McDowell/Insider

In sixth place, we thought the Haunted House Chocolate Cookie Kit was both tasty and a fun Halloween party activity.

Trader Joes' Haunted House Chocolate Cookie Kit.Melissa Wells/Insider

The kit included tubes of frosting and more edible decorations than we were expecting.

Supplies inside Trader Joes' Haunted House Chocolate Cookie Kit.Erin McDowell/Insider

Wells tried constructing the haunted house and found the overall experience frightfully fun.

Trader Joe's Chocolate Cookie Haunted House.Melissa Wells/Insider

The Spooky Bats and Cats Sour Gummy Candies came in three flavors: cherry, green apple, and orange.

Spooky Bats and Cats Sour Gummy Candies from Trader Joe's.Melissa Wells/Insider

While the candies tasted sour at first, the flavor dissipated quickly.

Sampling Spooky Bats and Cats Sour Gummy Candies from Trader Joe's.Erin McDowell/Insider

We couldn't stop eating the Ghosts and Bats Crispy Potato Snacks, even if some of us found them a bit bland.

Talia Lakritz samples Ghosts and Bats Crispy Potato Snacks from Trader Joe's.Erin McDowell/Insider

We felt the chips needed a little extra oomph, such as a sour-cream-and-onion flavor or a punchy dip.

A closer look at the potato snacks.Erin McDowell/Insider

We loved that the Halloween Joe Joe's Cookies seemed to feature the same amount of filling as Double Stuf Oreos.

Halloween Joe Joe's Cookies from Trader Joe's.Melissa Wells/Insider

The crisp cookies combined with the velvety cream put Halloween Joe Joe's in our top three snacks.

A Halloween Joe Joe's sandwich cookie.Erin McDowell/Insider

We thought the Wicked Good Mini Chocolate Bars were just as good as Snickers, 3 Musketeers, and Milky Ways.

Trader Joe's Wicked Good Mini Chocolate Bars.Melissa Wells/Insider

However, we thought the caramel-and-wafer chocolate bar wasn't as delicious as the others, which kept this candy assortment from earning the top spot.

A mini chocolate bar from Trader Joe's.Erin McDowell/Insider

Our favorite Halloween-themed Trader Joe's item was the moist, decadent Chocolate Mousse Pumpkins.

Trader Joe's Chocolate Mousse Pumpkins.Melissa Wells/Insider

When it came to the Chocolate Mousse Pumpkins, we had no negative notes.

Trader Joe's Chocolate Mousse Pumpkins.Erin McDowell/Insider

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