Monday, November 3, 2014

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Rolls - Trader Joe's: Voorhees, NJ

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Rolls - Trader Joe's: Voorhees, NJ

Halloween is (sadly) over, so it's time for me to get back into my normal review schedule.

I've been trying to hunt down the Pillsbury pumpkin spice rolls for quite a while, but I haven't had any luck, so when I saw that Trader Joe's had their own version, I jumped at the chance to buy it. (And it's a good thing I did. They're already long gone at my local Trader Joe's.) I bought this package a few weeks ago, but I was waiting for the right time to cook them up, and this weekend was it!

The packaging for this product is exactly like the other brands of pre-made dough you can buy in any supermarket. It's a cardboard tube with metal can-like ends, and a paper wrapper. This is the same kind of container used for frozen fruit concentrates. It works well, and since I have seen these for so long, I can't image the container being any different. Usually, I pick on Trader Joe's packaging because it always feels like it's in this limbo between being modern and attempting to look vintage,
but this time the design really works well!

This layout is leaps and bound better than the Pillsbury variety, it's sophisticated, it gives off a warm and cozy feeling, and the product photo is really appetizing. All of the little doodle-like details on the packaging give this a touch of playfulness, while still looking like a high end product. Great job Trader Joe's! Whoever this designer is you need them to work on more of your products!


If any of you have ever opened one of these packages before, you know it can be a little messy. Out of all the pre-made doughs in a tube I have ever bought, this was one of the messiest to get from the tube to the baking try. The dough was really sticky, and the filling was rich and buttery, so it got all over my fingers. (I happily ate it off so I didn't mind all that much, but it was worth mentioning.)

Baking instructions were simple and straight forward, and when everything was golden brown, I topped the rolls with the provided pumpkin spice icing. 

The package only makes 5 rolls, but they are pretty large when they are baked. I'd say these are at least twice the size of the normal Pillsbury variety, and they smell yeasty and spiced.


I took a bite while it was still warm from the oven, and it was absolutely delicious! The dough is light and fluffy, with a sweet spiced swirl that tastes like pumpkin pie spice, but the icing...oh man. This icing was amazing. I normally don't care for icing all that much, I enjoy a little of it now and again, but it usually feels like the icing to cinnamon bun ration is way off. Here, I absolutely love it. This icing is really sweet, but it's packed with flavor. I can taste pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and pumpkin spice. To me, it tastes like a heavily spiced pumpkin pie fudge, but in icing drizzle form!

I can't imagine Pillsbury being able to do it better. Since these were so large, my boyfriend and I each had one with our breakfast, but I happily ate another one later after they had cooled down, and even though the icing became harder and it wasn't as soft as when it came out of the oven, it was still really delicious. (Although warm from the oven with a sticky glaze is definitely the way to eat these.)


On a Pumpkin Scale of 1-5
(5 being the most pumpkin-y) I’d give this a 4.5. With the icing, these have a LOT of pumpkin flavoring, and not just the spices. You can taste actual pumpkin puree in the icing, which is what makes these rolls go above and beyond other refrigerated doughs. I recommend buying these this season, and try to eat them before they get cold to get the most out of your pumpkin bun experience. 
Like Sometimes Foodie's Facebook page to keep up with all my foodie adventures!

No comments:

Post a Comment