Move Over Pumpkin Spice: This Is The Fall Trader Joe's Ice Cream I Wait All Year For

Once the beach umbrellas are packed up, temperatures start to dip, and the leaves begin to change, it's finally time to start looking forward to the best part of the year: fall. And there's no better way to kick off the autumn season than to take a trip to your local Trader Joe's in search of tasty, seasonal finds. It's released some excellent fall finds over the years, but perhaps none are better than the Salted Maple Ice Cream. You might be assuming that something pumpkin would be the apple (err ... gourd) of my eye, but it is most certainly this unique autumnal treat that I look forward to every year.

I had never seen a flavor quite like this one before (which is an all-too-common experience I've had at Trader Joe's over the years), and I'm so glad I added it to my cart when I did. It deftly balances a wholesome maple flavor and has just the right amount of salt to make it worth eating even if you don't have a super sweet tooth. I actually love that there are no nuts or add-ins in this ice cream — a rarity for me, considering the Ben & Jerry's chock-full-of-stuff approach is my idea of a fun time — because you can focus on the interplay between salty and sweet. All in all, it's a terrific ice cream flavor, and like those fall leaves, it's only around for a limited time, which arguably makes me appreciate it even more. 

It's safe to say that I'm not the only one who's head-over-spoons for this unique autumnal find. "The best way I can describe it is that it tastes like when you take a bite of waffle with a good amount of salted butter and maple syrup on it. Those pieces where some extra butter gets stuck in the crevices," said one customer on Reddit. TikTokers were similarly impressed by its butteriness. I also wasn't the only person flocking to social media to see whether folks loved this flavor as much as I did. "Came here specifically to see if anyone else thought this was the most amazing ice cream! It's the perfect balance of sweet, salty, maple goodness! Prob my fave TJ's ice cream," said another Redditor. 

Shoppers haven't been shy about sharing how they like to enjoy this ice cream beyond simply scarfing it by the scoop (which I also love to do). "This sounds like it would make a banger affogato or just plopped into some iced coffee," one person on Reddit suggested, while others recommended putting it on pumpkin spice cake for a seasonal mashup or making waffle ice cream sandwiches with it. I personally love the idea of serving it with a warm slice of pie, like apple or pecan, as the creamy maple flavor would melt into it. You could even turn a stack of buttermilk pancakes into dessert by dolloping a spoonful on top — no extra syrup required.