Trader Joe’s Sliced PUMPKIN SOURDOUGH BREAD made with pumpkin purée & pumpkin spice
$4.99 (17.6 oz, 500 gr)
NEW ITEM (LIMITED TIME)
As I’ve mentioned before I’m actually not one of those people who goes nuts when Trader Joe’s comes out with all the pumpkin stuff every Fall.
However on occasion I do see something that looks interesting and peaks my interest. Like this bread I saw in the New Items shelf while I was checking out:
Trader Joe’s SLICED PUMPKIN SOURDOUGH BREAD. After doing a little research I saw that some shoppers supposedly are raving about this bread and snapping it up. So I got one to try out. Here’s my honest review.
I liked this. I like that its actually made with some pumpkin puree, so you get a (subtle) hint of pumpkin. I like the fact that the amount of spice is very subtle. It’s not overly flavored with spices. There is just a hint of pumpkin spice blend (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg). Almost background.Pumpkin puree is the third ingredient listed (flour, water, pumpkin purée…) in the ingredients.The bread has a slight sweetness but just a little and tastes like bread, not dessert.
The bread has a nice crumb with some air holes and a little structure. It has a bit of little sourdough tang but think sourdough in quotation marks. I think of this as a “sourdough style” bread.
As is untoasted, I thought it tasted fine. However my first thought was I have to toast it. This is best for toastingor grilling. First I just toasted it and tried it simply spread with some good butter. Simple but delicious. Also excellent with butter and raspberry jam. Experiment and find your favorite combo for jam. Trader Joe’s APPLE JAM perhaps?
FRENCH TOAST? I didn’t try it yet but I know this Definitely would make fantastic french toast. Try that with this bread over the holidays?
Sounds a bit odd but how for a grilled cheese sandwich!? I saw somewhere on the internet to make a grilled cheese with this bread and for cheese, some gruyere. They were not wrong. I tried it. So good. We really liked the way these grilled cheese sandwiches came out and tasted (my “recipe” below)
Cheese: I saw the recommended one was Trader Joe’s GRUYERE CHEDDAR MELANGE and that’s what I used, which it was a perfect match.
Here’s how to make a grilled cheese sandwich with this PUMPKIN SOURDOUGH BREAD.
Slice up your Gruyere Cheddar Melange cheese, then spread the bread slices with a thin layer of your favorite mustard. I used a mix of Dijon and Regular mustard. Add a decent amount of cheese and carefully close up the sandwich. Grill in a heavy pan with a bit of butter on medium. Let it grill up for about 3-4 minutes per side until it looks nice and Golden Brown and Delicious (check occasionally after 2 3 minutes, it can get dark easily) Flip the over carefully, press gently with a spatula until the second side is done and the cheese is all melty and delicious. Serve with pickles.
I’m sure it would also be good with some kind of cheddar but I have to say, that Gruyere melange perfect, subtle and nutty and matched perfectly with the pumpkin sourdough.
My only complaint with this bread is they don’t give you enough for five bucks! Its kind of small, half loaf of bread which is just over a pound. Our loaf went pretty fast, in fact we were fighting over who would eat the last piece of toast.
Certified Organic, 13g Whole Grains per serving, 70 cal slice
This is a NEW ITEM (AUG 2026)
21 Grains and Seeds Thin Sliced Organic Bread, with whole wheat and “organic seed and nut mix” containing organic sunflower, flax, pumpkin, sesame, black sesame, poppy, millet, rolled oats, quinoa, rye, spelt, yellow corn, amaranth, buckwheat, khorasan, purple corn, brown rice, sorghum, vital gluten, seeds and flours and other goodies like molasses.
A very nice slightly nutty tasting light brown whole wheat bread. Sliced thinly. One slice is 70 calories.
Made great toast with this as well as grilled cheese sandwiches. I would buy this again.
$4.49 for a 20 oz loaf
“Trader Joe’s Organic Thin Sliced 21 Grains & Seeds Bread is multi-faceted. Each Grain and Seed contributes its own characteristic taste and texture to produce a brown bread that is moist and slightly sweet, with a satisfyingly robust flavor. It’s excellent for sandwiching Organic Reduced Sugar Strawberry Preserves and Creamy Salted Peanut Butter. It’s also fantastic when two pieces are toasted in a pan with a generous number of Cheddar & Gruyere Mélange slices all melty in-between. And since our supplier has Sliced each loaf nice and Thin, it’s ideal for smaller-portioned sandwiches and toasts: each Slice comes in at about 70 calories.”
No added sugar or other ingredients. Just 100% juice from real pomegranates. Not from concentrate.
Trader Joe’s came out with this pure 100% pomegranate juice in a small, single serving size bottle, about 8 ounces. Easy to carry. This tasted just like I was eating a pomegranate. Naturally sweet-sour.
Want my honest review? It’s yummy, people! If you love pomegranates you will love this. I found it delicious and very refreshing ice cold. A bit tart, but a bit sweet just like pomegranates taste. Deep ruby red color.
Trader Joe’s version of POM maybe? Pretty sure this a bit cheaper though.
Trader Joe’s has a bigger 1 qt. bottle of pomegranate juice however that one is from concentrate. This isn’t. Just real natural juice from pomegranates.
Trader Joe’s MANDU, Korean Kimchi PotstickerDumplings (frozen)
Product of Korea
VEGAN
Mandu is Korean for “dumpling”.
Trader Joe’s just introduced these new Mandu Korean Kimchi Potsicker frozen dumplings. These have an interesting rectangle shape, and they’re made in Korea. They are plant based (vegan). Price-wise they are pretty good deal. A one pound bag which is about 18 dumplings goes for $3.49 (NOTE: the 2nd time I got them, they had raised the price on the sign at my TJ’s to $3.99!!?)
“Korean dumplings (mandu) come in an array of shapes and fillings. These particular pot-stickers are made with Kimchi, Glass Noodles and Vegetables with traditional spicy and tangy flavors from the kimchi which comes though in savory, piquant notes. They are best prepared “gun mandu” style, crisped in a pan on both sides to create a textural variety” -on the package
Eat these square dumpling with your favorite dipping sauce (Tip: no sauce is included) However even if you eat them without any sauce, the kimchi filling is nice and savory and a bit juicy.
These Kimchi Mandu could be served as a snack, appetizer, a lunch, or as part of a dinner.
We ate them for dinner, pairing the dumplings with rice, some kimchi, and a tofu dish I made. Braised Korean style tofu (dubu jorim) and all those combined to make a great dinner.
So how are Trader Joe’s latest frozen dumplings? TJ’s new Mandu are quite good as long as you like “spicy” food. In fact, I think these new frozen dumplings may now be up there among the best dumplings Trader Joe’s sells., along with the very popular pork and ginger Soup Dumplings of course. Theses are a little different.
I cooked the mandu up as they suggest which is to pan fry them. This gives the wrappers a nice chewy, yet crispy texture which contrasts nicely with the soft kimchi and glass noodle filling inside.
How To Cook Trader Joe’s Kimchi Mandu Dumplings: A good pan is important. Heat a good non-stick or cast iron pan, which is what I use for dumplings. Add about a scant tablespoon of oil (Added Korean points if you use a bit of toasted sesame oil. TJ sells that). On medium heat, add your frozen dumplings (carefully) to the pan. Let them cook, for 2 minutes. Flip after two minutes, and keep turning them every two minutes as well as moving them in the pan until they look all golden brown and delicious. This may take about 8 – 10 minutes total, though they say 6-8. Be sure to turn them over and move them around the pan to get an even cook all over. The edges of the pan have less heat than the center.
(Note: I took the picture about 1/2 way done.)
When done, the dumpling wrapper will have a nice slightly chewy, slightly crispy texture.
Tip: The instructions on the bag don’t mention air fryers, however some people online say they can be made in them If you do it that way, I would spray or brush them with some oil to get crispy texture. Please add a COMMENT if you make them in the air fryer with how they do that way.
Here’s my honest review of these new KOREAN KIMCHI MANDU.
These dumplings are good. Tasty and filling and yes they are a bit spicy. So if you hate “spicy” these may not be for you.
I think Trader Joe’s Korean supplier did a pretty good job with these, which come in a little unusual shape, rectangular, with a pretty good wrapper thickness in relation to the filling. The texture of the wrapper is good when pan-fried. Filling is tasty and you will know they do contain kimchi when you eat them. Even my (Korean-Japanese) wife approved of them as “tasting Korean” as regards the filling which is savory from kimchi and has a slightly chewy texture from “glass noodles”which are made from potato starch, plus other vegetables and flavorings.
NOTE: These dumpling are a bit spicy with a bit of kick from the kimchi – I would not call it crazy spicy, I would say the heat level is on the low-middle side? Unless you are extremely sensitive to spicy, these should be OK.
Each small dumpling is about 2 inches long and is about 2 or 3 bites. 3 dumplings = 100 calories.Nutrition label says 1 serving = 3 dumplings (Ha! More like 5 or 6 for me)
You don’t have to have sauce with these but I think are good with some dipping sauce, even if just soy and some rice vinegar.
I made a nice dipping sauce for them with soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and scallions. Make your own sauce with your favorite ingredients. The easiest could be just soy sauce and some rice vinegar. Or just use your favorite bottle of Trader Joe’s sauce you like for dumplings. Chopped scallions would be nice and/or cilantro if you like it.
Product of South Korea
KOREAN KIMCHI MANDU – $3.49 (16 oz bag) *TJ website says $3.49, however my local TJ’s has a sign for $3.99 (NYC) Confusing!
Tip; Kimchi is of course spicy and gives these dumplings a bit of a kick. If you are very sensitive and can’t handle any level of “spicy” these may not be your jam.
(New, Aug 2026) With the addition of this chocolate bark I think Trader Joe’s carries three different chocolate “barks” now? There is the original regular bark, the dried raspberry one and now this one with pistachios and jalapenos. Yes, you read that correctly. This chocolate bark contains (dried) jalapeños. So this new one is a bit of an unusual chocolate as it is has some Heat.
While I was going to the checkout line, I saw this bag in the NEW ITEMS stand next to the line. A new Chocolate Bark ? Yes please. I just grabbed the bag without looking too hard. Somehow my brain saw the word “pistachios” but somehow I actually missed “dried jalapeños”! Ha ha, I only noticed it when I got home.
Fortunately I actually like spicy chocolate and I was intrigued. Chocolate with spice is not that unusual. In Mexico for example this is common. Chocolate with something spicy is a combo that goes well together. Sure that may not be for everybody but it is for yours truly.
Here’s my honest review:
I tasted it. I soon realized I could not stop eating it after that first bite. To me, it’s addictive. After you bite a piece of the bark, you first taste the delicious sweet dark chocolate, then a few seconds later your tongue will register a bit of heat (dried jalapeño). Not a crazy level of heat. Just enough to let you know its there. And to make you want another bite. The pistachio element is a bit overshadowed by the jalapeno but it’s there somewhere in the background, and blends well with the chocolate. There’s just a hint of sea salt.
HOW SPICY IS THIS? “Low to Medium” spicy? Its a bit spicy. Not Crazy. You will taste the heat but it’s not blow the roof of your mouth off stuff (to me). I don’t appreciate crazy Hot Ones levels of heat. This is not that – though of course spicy tolerance is personal. You will have to try it for yourself.
They got the balance right. Sweet and savory and a bit spicy. While this is a bit spicy its more than tolerable as the sweetness of the dark chocolate matches perfectly to the amount of heat. I love it. But this will not be for everyone. My wife didn’t like it, even though she likes a little spiciness in food.
Trader Joe’s has this to say about their new product:
“Now, separately, the four elements of Dark Chocolate, Pistachios, Jalapeños, and Sea Salt may make utterly intuitive pairings with one another. But it’s only within the context of this Bark that this curious combination gets to shine together. And so, every bite becomes a symphony of rich, buttery, nutty, grassy, spicy, savory, and sweet, all at once.” https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/dark-chocolate-bark-with-pistachios-dried-jalapenos-sea-salt-083323
I really liked this new chocolate bark. If you like spicy chocolate, you will too. If you are very sensitive to spicy heat, maybe its not for you but I say, try it. Worst case, you bring it back and tell them you didn’t like it. That’s the great thing about Trader Joe’s, isn’t it? If you are not happy, just bring it back for a refund.
I would buy it again. I have to. The bag went very fast.
You will find these pickles in the Refrigerated case at Trader Joe’s, near the sauerkraut and kimchi and all that good pickled stuff. Wait? Trader Joe’s sells pickles in the fridge as well as the jarred kinds on the shelves?! Yup, you should check these out.
If I can buy refrigerated pickles, that’s what I will usually go for, over the shelf stable non-refrigerated ones on the shelves.
Why? Jarred shelf-stable pickles have been pasteurized so they can sit safely at room temperature for a long time. Refrigerated pickles have not been Pasteurized (with heat). I find the cold, fresh pickles in the fridge generally have better, firmer texture. Crunchier.
Pasteurizing kills bacteria, even the healthy kind we like! Pickles in the refrigerated section are unpasteurized, kept cold to slow down natural fermentation processes.
My review: Trader Joe’s refrigerated Kosher Dill pickles were very tasty, nice and fresh tasting with garlic and dill flavors with nice crunch. The ingredients include coriander garlic, mustard seed, coriander, bay leaf, dill…. all the classic kosher pickle flavors. What I would call a “full sour Kosher pickle”, dark green.
These Trader Joe’s fresh refrigerator pickles come in two shapes, Spears or Slices, as you prefer.
A sandwich with a pickle is heaven. Either are perfect for a GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH. Maybe with IVY’S RESERVE RED….
Before I saw this at Trader Joe’s a few weeks ago, I’m prettu sure I’ve never even seen a coffee from PAPUA NEW GUINEA. So I had no idea what to expect. But I kind of like to check out every “Small Lot” coffee Trader Joe’s comes out with. Just in case. ‘Cuz you never know. Sometimes you may find a Gem.
Like this coffee! Which is from the “Sigri Estate in Papua New Guinea”. I really was pleasantly surprised with this latest of Trader Joe’s Small Lot coffees. I thought this one was a winner. Likely the Best of the Small Lot coffees they’ve come out with in some time for my taste.Honestly, Trader Joe’s describes it perfectly and I could not do better. So quoting them….
“Brew up a cup of this Papua New Guinean whole bean coffee and you’ll notice its distinctive profile. The light roast presents moderate acidity and body with fragrant aromas of almond, berries, and açai. You’ll taste layered sweet and fruity flavors, detecting notes of pineapple, brown sugar, and honey.”
I find this all true. It tastes pretty unique which I guess is why they describe it with “notes of pineapple and brown sugar”, the first time I have seen the word “pineapple” used to describe a flavor profile of a coffee. I find the taste hard to pinpoint but sure, “pineapple and brown sugar” works, and all I know is that I quite liked flavor of this which is pretty unique but satisfying. Smooth but Robust. Wonderful coffee aroma when you first grind it up.
TJ’s labels this a “LIGHT ROAST”. I agree this is light (not blond) and the light roast here is perfect. Trader Joe’s seems to skew towards darker? Most of their coffee seem to be roasted at least medium, which is fine by me, as I like medium to dark and even espresso, but a light one here and there is nice, so here you go. If you like Light, give this a try and see what you think.
BREWING: I brewed it 2 ways, a drip coffee with a paper filter and also in my Moka pot. Both worked equally well and produced excellent coffee. It even produced a good amount of “crema” when I brewed it in my Moka pot, which to me also seems to indicate a good coffee. I’m sure this would be good for any brewing method including true espresso machines.
A quick search on Google revealed this about coffee from there: “Papua New Guinea (PNG) coffee is highly regarded for its smooth body, gentle acidity, and complex, sweet-toned flavor profile. Grown primarily in the fertile Central Highlands, these heirloom Typica and Bourbon beans—originally descended from Jamaica Blue Mountain—offer tasting notes of tropical fruit, dark chocolate, and mild spices.”
“Trader Joe’s Papua New Guinea Small Lot Coffee was grown on the distinguished Sigri estate in the Waghi Valley of PNG. There are numerous micro-climates all around this mountainous island, and the coffee growers of the Sigri estate have intimate knowledge of their own land, which translates into premium, AA (large grade), 100% Arabica beans.”
While I previously I had no knowledge of PNG coffee, I am a now big fan of this one at least. I look forward every morning to grinding these beans up to brew up my morning cup of Joe. In fact I will go back and pick up a bag or two of this ! Run, don’t walk and grab this one. IT’S LIMITED
This one was quite fresh too, as per the “roasted on” date. I bought it only about one month later in was roasted so pretty fresh.
Sidenote thought: Can you imagine the team working for Trader Joe’s on their “Small Lot Coffee” projects?! I’ve often thought this may be the coolest job in the world. Get sent all over the world looking for unusually good coffee finds in unusual places. Exploring small producers in far flung corners of the world, on the hunt for coffee that will end up as the next “Small Lot” find. Sounds like a Dream Job?
Trader Joe’s has added this pasta shape to their selection of organic premium “artisanal” pastas, cavatappi which means “corkscrews”. They say it’s one of their favorites. Having tried it, it’s now one of my favorite pastas as well that they sell.
ORGANIC CAVATAPPI look kind of like a long twisted macaroni with ridges. The shape and the ridges are designed to hold sauces.
Cavatappi is an excellent addition to Trader Joe’s line of premium pastas. They still sell some pastas for 99 cents. This one is $1.99. What makes “premium” pasta premium and worth more? TJ’s premium pastas are a level up from the regular ones. Think of high end pasta like you see in specialty stores, many of which are $4-8 a pound. The better, high end pastas mean things like being bronze die cut, made from organic semolina wheat, usually are slow dried, etc. All of which makes for better pasta.
“Made in Italy for Trader Joe’s by our skilled supplier in Italy using organic semolina wheat. “
Cavatappi is perfect for marinara, or alfredo sauces. It’s also great used for baked mac and cheese and is great for cold pasta salads. Its shape helps it hold onto sauce in different ways, offering lots of flavor and a nice chewy texture.
“Cavatappi makes a consummate complement to a marinara or alfredo, makes a marvelous base for a baked mac and cheese, and produces a primo pasta salad for picnics and potlucks.”
I made a delicious (tuna and pesto)pasta salad using the cavatappi
Tuna & Pesto Pasta Salad: Boil a cup of cavatappi pasta in in salted water for 9-10 minutes or until done to the way you like (me, al dente). Drain the pasta and rinse in a colander under cold water until cooled down to room temp. Place pasta in a bowl, and add 2 tablespoons of Trader Joe’s jarred PESTO (adjust more if you need it). Add a can of tuna in olive oil (I used the oil and juice too, your call). Add juice from 1/2 lemon or more. (option, add a handful of chopped parsley or arugula) Mix well and serve.
Trader Joe’s ORGANIC CARROTS (multi-colored) $1.99 for 2 lbs. And also regular organic carrots .99 cents for 1 lb.
We are trying to reduce our carb intake a bit. One idea to help do that is to make up the plate with even more vegetables.
I happen to love carrots, so they are a good pick for us. Carrots are super healthy and fortunately pretty cheap at Trader Joe’s, where they sell for $1 a pound for ORGANIC CARROTS. Pictured here are the multi colored ones Trader Joe’s sells, which besides the standard orange carrots they have some with other colors, like red and yellow.
Here’s two EASY RECIPE ideas using carrots, one cooked and one raw, in a salad. The one printed on the bag is good too (“spicy rainbow carrot coins”) though more complicated than the ones I’m adding below.
Sautéed Moroccan style carrots
Slice up your peeled carrots. Put olive oil in a pan or pot and add 2 cloves chopped/grated garlic. Sautée 30 seconds. Add a 1/2 diced onion. Add carrot slices. Add 1 tsp ground cumin, a dash of cinnamon. Saute on med heat stirring often till they look a little seared, 5-10 minutes. Lower the heat and cook until done, 5-10 minutes.
Easy Moroccan Style Carrot Raisin Salad
Use a box grater or the like and grate up 2 or 3 large peeled carrots into a bowl. Add 1 tsp fresh lemon juice (added points if you grate in some zest). Add a handful of your favorite raisins. Add either a clove of fresh garlic (chopped or grated) or a 1/2 tsp of powdered garlic. Add a good amount of ground cumin (1/2 tsp). Add a good spill of extra virgin olive oil. Add a splash of vinegar. Stir to combine and let marinate for at least 10-15 minutes. (I had pomegranate seeds in the fridge so added them, optional but really nice addition)
“In the center of each tub lies a just-right amount of briny Olive Tapenade made with black olives, manzanilla olives, capers, and olive oil. Not to be out shined by its piquant partner, the Hummus base is special in its own right. With twice the tahini of traditional hummus, it’s especially smooth and nutty with complementary sweet and savory flavors.” – TRADER JOE https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/olive-tapenade-hummus-079901
I wanted a big tub of hummus when I went to Trader Joes but unfortunately they didn’t have the large 16 oz MEDITERRANEAN STYLE HUMMUS when I went. This OLIVE TAPENADE HUMMUS was the next biggest tub at 10 oz.
It looked like it was worth trying and I happen to LOVE most any kind of olive, but normally I wouldn’t think of mixing tapenade with hummus. Here the tapenade is just a bit on top of the hummus added as an add on. My first bite reaction was “yeah like i thought, those olives overpower the hummus a bit” but as I kept tasting it, I admit the combined taste of hummus and a bit of olive grew on me more and more with each bite.
I kept the olives more or less as is, on top. Dipping in with pita, I could control just a little bit of tapenade with mostly hummus. Keep that bit of tapenade as-is just on top and grab a bit as you eat or scoop it. Then you mostly have hummus with just a little tapenade.
Certainly I might put out a dish of olives with a dish of hummus so the two are flavors I would combine anyway. The tapenade does kind of work. Don’t mix it all together. Olive are strong flavors and hummus more subtle but the combo was not at all bad eaten with some pita. This is something you would have to decide for yourself.
I did add some fresh lemon juice and some good EVOO and those certainly elevated everything. I might not buy this again but think this is worth trying if you are a big fan of olives like I am. Even has a bit of capers in it.
Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
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