The 'Positively Dreadful' Trader Joe's Chocolate You Should Keep Out Of Your Cart This Fall

As summer turns to fall, it's finally time to stock up on all of Trader Joe's iconic fall items. From apple cider donuts to pumpkin cold brew, Trader Joe's has just about any fall flavor you could think of. Instead of browsing the aisles unsure of what to buy, Chowhound has taken the time to try and rank 17 fall items at Trader Joe's. While there were some products we found to be the perfect autumn treat, others we determined should never go near your shopping cart. For example, the Apple Crisp-Inspired Milk Chocolate Caramels need to be avoided at all costs. 

Pumpkin spice may be the quintessential flavor of fall, but apple is right up there with it. Although, the apple crisp chocolate caramels prove some apple flavors are better than others. These chocolates are filled with an apple and cinnamon-flavored caramel center with a crunchy bottom layer, and they are said by Trader Joe's to offer that classic apple crisp sweetness. While the concept may sound appealing, there was a reason we put these candies at the bottom of our ranking. We found the apple flavor overpowering and the chocolate intensely sweet, and the two combined presented an awful tart flavor. We made sure to try all items fresh from the store and ranked them based on texture, fall flavor, and if they were truly worth the trip to Trader Joe's. Unfortunately, these apple crisp chocolates failed in all aspects.

The apple crisp-inspired chocolates may have left a bad taste in our mouths, but not all fall items we tasted were as disappointing. Products like the Maple Brown Butter Flavored Almonds and the Apple Pie à la Mode Ice Cream ranked top two on our list for bringing the exact flavors of autumn we were looking for. However, while we found these chocolates to be completely unappetizing, others seem to be enjoying this new fall item. Shoppers mention these chocolates offer a true apple flavor, a gooey caramel filling, followed by a crispy texture that all melts away in your mouth. As one Redditor wrote, "I'm not even a big chocolate fan and I ate my box of these in 24 hours. So good." Maybe we experienced a bad batch during our tasting, or we simply have different tastebuds, but this was certainly not our experience with this candy. Although, another Reddit user mentioned the flavor is completely off and closer to honey rather than an apple cinnamon profile, so at least we aren't entirely alone on this take.

While there are some fall items you may wait all year for (like our favorite Salted Maple Ice Cream), the Apple Crisp-Inspired Milk Chocolate Caramels are not worth the anticipation. Trader Joe's has plenty of other fall-inspired foods to choose from, and we promise you aren't missing out by skipping these apple crisp chocolate treats.