{"id":15428,"date":"2013-09-30T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-09-30T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/?p=15428"},"modified":"2020-12-24T11:30:51","modified_gmt":"2020-12-24T21:30:51","slug":"review-trader-joes-organic-frosted-pumpkin-toaster-pastries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2013\/09\/30\/review-trader-joes-organic-frosted-pumpkin-toaster-pastries\/","title":{"rendered":"REVIEW: Trader Joe\u2019s Organic Frosted Pumpkin Toaster Pastries"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Trader<\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve never been good at finding things. I can\u2019t find the metaphors in Shakespeare\u2019s 58th sonnet. I can\u2019t find Atlantis. I still don\u2019t know where in the world Carmen Sandiego is.<\/p>\n

So it was with great surprise and befuddlement that I stumbled upon these seasonal pumpkin toaster pastries crammed in the back aisle of my local Trader Joe\u2019s. Like a rabbit caught in Mr. McGregor\u2019s garden, my first instinct was to freeze in the middle of the aisle, causing a 5-cart pile-up behind me. The next impulse was to unashamedly shove not two, but three boxes into my cart with all the fervor of a dictionary collector coming upon a stash of 1884 Oxford English dictionaries. I may have pulled an oblique muscle in the process.<\/p>\n

\"Trader<\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve often pondered the functions and philosophical implications of Pop-Tart\u2019s no-melt frosting, so it was to my chagrin to uncover: the Trader Joe\u2019s surface icing melts! And re-crackles! Like the glaze of so many doughnuts, this works favorably for the pastry as a whole, adding a gentle caramel flavor on first chomp. <\/p>\n

The act of icing meltification led me to investigate the box closer. What were these ingredients that allowed icing to actually melt? Could toaster pastries be made with something other than sodium acid pyrophosphate? Why, yes, yes indeed. To my further confundity (yes, Computer Spell Check, that is now a word), I discovered that these are organic. And made with ingredients I can pronounce. And made with\u2026whole wheat?! Hmmm\u2026is this genius or blasphemy?<\/p>\n

Having finished one box in 24 hours, I argue in favor of genius.<\/p>\n

\"Trader<\/a><\/p>\n

“Brown Sugar Cinnamon! Brown Sugar Cinnamon! Brown Sugar Cinnamon!” These were the eloquent thoughts racing through my brain on first bite, and those thoughts were reinforced bite after bite as the pleasantly gritty, sugary filling reminded me of the filling of Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts (one of my top 3 toaster pastry varietals). There\u2019s also a noticeable hint of nutmeg, a kick of ginger, and just an edge of deep woodsiness that I\u2019m guessing comes from the molasses. <\/p>\n

While those sugar-and-spice notes lollop on the front engine of taste, the promised pumpkin makes itself known on the caboose, coming in with a gentle flick of flavor that is unquestionably pumpkin. The discretion showed in the amount of pumpkin somehow highlights the squash\u2019s sweet, tart characteristics, thus giving due respect to the best qualities of the jack-o-lantern vegetation.<\/p>\n

As a consequence of nature, nutrition, and an ancient Merlin curse, whole wheat flour is denser than its fluffy, all-purpose brethren, thus it takes these rectangles more ticks in the toaster to achieve the standard crispy edges often found in a non-whole grain tart. The instructions on the box recommend toasting at the lowest level on your toaster, but if you like your pumpkin-sugar pastries on the crunchity side, go wild. Turn the heat up to 3, or, if you\u2019re really living on the edge, go to 4. These are pastries covered in what might be a NASA-approved full metal jacket of whole wheat, so no fear. Toast!<\/p>\n

If you toast wisely, you shall be rewarded with a honey whole-wheat crust that is crackery, almost nutty. While this crust is nothing too astounding or offending on its own, it does make an excellent base for that sugary, pumpkin-ish filling inside. Finding them hearty for his morning meal, my friend and former logger suggests that these are pastries for the lumberjacks of the world*.<\/p>\n

*They\u2019re also really good for non-lumberjacks.<\/p>\n

\"Trader<\/a><\/p>\n

Sometimes, organic products can be expensive and filled with fluffified frou-frou in their foodie egos. Trader Joe\u2019s seems to have broken all pretenses of that here. Not only are these original and cost-friendly, they are daring to compete with Brown Sugar Cinnamon pastries in my pantry. The honeyed crust coupled with the sugary, sweet, slightly pumpkin-y filling has won me over. <\/p>\n

If you are looking for an entire can of Libby\u2019s inside your toaster pastry, this may not be the rectangle for you, but if you enjoy brown sugar cinnamon, a bit of pumpkin flair, and good toaster pastries, these are definitely worth your time while they\u2019re around. Good show, Joe, good show.<\/p>\n

(Nutrition Facts – 1 pastry – 200 calories, 40 calories from fat, 4 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 125 milligrams of sodium, 0 milligrams of potassium, 38 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 18 grams of sugars, and 3 grams of protein.)<\/small><\/p>\n

Other Trader Joe\u2019s Organic Frosted Pumpkin Toaster Pastries reviews:<\/b>
\nWhat’s Good at Trader Joe’s<\/a><\/p>\n

Item:<\/b> Trader Joe\u2019s Organic Frosted Pumpkin Toaster Pastries
\nPurchased Price:<\/b> $2.49
\nSize:<\/b> 1 box\/6 pastries
\nPurchased at:<\/b> Trader Joe’s
\nRating:<\/b> 9 out of 10
\nPros:<\/b> In the running for “Top 3 Favorite Toaster Pastries I\u2019ve Ever Eaten.” Sugary spiced filling. Highlights tart sweetness of pumpkin. Greater ratio of filling-to-crust than average Pop-Tart. Crackery honey wheat crust. Icing actually melts and reforms. Good for lumberjacks and non-lumberjacks.
\nCons:<\/b> May not be pumpkin-y enough for pumpkin lovers. Seasonal. Only six to a box. Pondering philosophical implications of frosting that never melts. Ancient Merlin curses. Pulling oblique muscles. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve never been good at finding things. I can\u2019t find the metaphors in Shakespeare\u2019s 58th sonnet. I can\u2019t find Atlantis. I still don\u2019t know where in the world Carmen Sandiego is. So it was with great surprise and befuddlement that I stumbled upon these seasonal pumpkin toaster pastries crammed in the back aisle of my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1440],"tags":[72],"class_list":["post-15428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews","tag-trader-joes"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":31482,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2018\/09\/13\/spotted-on-shelves-trader-joes-hot-cocoa-organic-frosted-toaster-pastries\/","url_meta":{"origin":15428,"position":0},"title":"SPOTTED ON SHELVES: Trader Joe’s Hot Cocoa Organic Frosted Toaster Pastries","author":"Marvo","date":"September 13, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Not the most appetizing toaster pastry box image I've seen. It looks like a leather wallet. (Spotted by Rachel C at Trader Joe's.) Thank you to all the photo contributors! If you\u2019re out shopping and see an interesting new product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Spotted on Shelves"","block_context":{"text":"Spotted on Shelves","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/spotted-on-shelves\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Trader-Joes-Hot-Cocoa-Organic-Frosted-Toaster-Pastries.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Trader-Joes-Hot-Cocoa-Organic-Frosted-Toaster-Pastries.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Trader-Joes-Hot-Cocoa-Organic-Frosted-Toaster-Pastries.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":21566,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2017\/03\/28\/spotted-on-shelves-trader-joes-edition-3282017\/","url_meta":{"origin":15428,"position":1},"title":"SPOTTED ON SHELVES (TRADER JOE’S EDITION) – 3\/28\/2017","author":"Marvo","date":"March 28, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Here are some new Trader Joe's products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you've tried any of them, share your thoughts about them in the comments. Trader Joe's Coffee Toffee Shortbread Cookies Trader Joe's Matcha White Chocolate Bar Trader Joe's Organic Brown Sugar & Cinnamon Frosted Toaster\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Spotted on Shelves"","block_context":{"text":"Spotted on Shelves","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/spotted-on-shelves\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Trader Joe s Coffee Toffee Shortbread Cookies","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Trader-Joes-Coffee-Toffee-Shortbread-Cookies-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Trader-Joes-Coffee-Toffee-Shortbread-Cookies-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Trader-Joes-Coffee-Toffee-Shortbread-Cookies-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":76240,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2026\/03\/10\/spotted-trader-joes-edition-3-10-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":15428,"position":2},"title":"SPOTTED (TRADER JOE\u2019S EDITION): 3\/10\/2026","author":"Marvo","date":"March 10, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you've tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments. Spotted something new? Send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com. (Spotted by Sarah R at Trader Joe's.)","rel":"","context":"In "Spotted on Shelves"","block_context":{"text":"Spotted on Shelves","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/spotted-on-shelves\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Trader Joe's Canneles French Style Pastries","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/tjscannelesfrpts-600x750.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/tjscannelesfrpts-600x750.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/tjscannelesfrpts-600x750.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44890,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2020\/09\/04\/spotted-9-4-2020\/","url_meta":{"origin":15428,"position":3},"title":"SPOTTED – 9\/4\/2020","author":"Marvo","date":"September 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you've tried any of the products, share your thoughts about them in the comments. (Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.) (Spotted by Vicky M at Target.) (Spotted by Robbie at Target.) (Spotted by Rachel C at\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Spotted on Shelves"","block_context":{"text":"Spotted on Shelves","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/spotted-on-shelves\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Limited-Collection-Oikos-Pumpkin-Spice-Blended-Greek-Yogurt.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Limited-Collection-Oikos-Pumpkin-Spice-Blended-Greek-Yogurt.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Limited-Collection-Oikos-Pumpkin-Spice-Blended-Greek-Yogurt.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Limited-Collection-Oikos-Pumpkin-Spice-Blended-Greek-Yogurt.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Limited-Collection-Oikos-Pumpkin-Spice-Blended-Greek-Yogurt.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":75982,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2026\/03\/02\/spotted-trader-joes-edition-3-2-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":15428,"position":4},"title":"SPOTTED (TRADER JOE\u2019S EDITION): 3\/2\/2026","author":"Marvo","date":"March 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you've tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments. Spotted something new? Send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com. (Spotted by Sarah R at Trader Joe's.)","rel":"","context":"In "Spotted on Shelves"","block_context":{"text":"Spotted on Shelves","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/spotted-on-shelves\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Trader Joe's Thai Style Yellow Curry Flavored Potato Chips","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/tjsthaiyelcurryfla-600x800.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/tjsthaiyelcurryfla-600x800.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/tjsthaiyelcurryfla-600x800.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":73753,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2025\/11\/10\/spotted-trader-joes-edition-11-10-2025\/","url_meta":{"origin":15428,"position":5},"title":"SPOTTED (TRADER JOE\u2019S EDITION): 11\/10\/2025","author":"Marvo","date":"November 10, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you've tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments. (Spotted by Sarah R at Trader Joe's.) If you\u2019re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Spotted on Shelves"","block_context":{"text":"Spotted on Shelves","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/spotted-on-shelves\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Trader Joe's Can Of Corn Scented Candle","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/tjscanofcrnstcle-600x800.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/tjscanofcrnstcle-600x800.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/tjscanofcrnstcle-600x800.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15428"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15428\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}