The First Fall Item Has Been Spotted At Trader Joe's

Is summer over already? It looks like it, since the first fall item has been spotted at Trader Joe's, and it might be good enough to soothe the sting of the season's end — even if it does feel much too early. The grocer's Apple Cider Donuts have been spotted on store shelves as early as August 14, with customers picking them up at locations spanning from southern California to Louisville, Kentucky. As you could've expected, the response so far has been mixed. Some Reddit users took the news well, sharing their excitement and anticipation over popping them in their air fryers and dunking them in their coffee. Meanwhile, others simply weren't ready.

It might only be mid-August, but the retail world says it's fall. Whether you're ready for it or not, the Apple Cider Donuts are just the first of many fall seasonal TJ's items to come, marking the grocer's transition out of summer — which means you don't have much longer to stock up on your go-to summer seasonal items. Get your hands on those Jalapeño Limeade jugs, Dill Pickle Mustards, S'mores Clusters, Mango Mochis, Watermelon Cucumber Coolers, and other popular Trader Joe's items before they sell out. They won't be there for much longer, and you never really know what they'll bring back next summer. It's a bitter goodbye, sweetened by TJ's Apple Cider Donuts.

Saying goodbye to summer is hard, but Trader Joe's has plenty of fall-inspired foods to look forward to. There are frozen Pumpkin Waffles, Pumpkin Spice Granola, Pumpkin Tortilla Chips, Pumpkin Joe Joe's, Pumpkin Bagels, and Pumpkin Rolls — basically put a pumpkin in front of anything, and you'll probably find it at TJs this fall. Last year, they also brought out a Fall Harvest Salsa, an Autumnal Harvest Creamy Pasta Sauce, and a Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, among many others.

Clearly, Trader Joe's goes all out in the fall. One thing to note is that the Apple Cider Donuts don't seem to keep very well, with some customers reporting a dry and even stale texture upon purchase. You might want to ask a store employee when the order came in to ensure they're fresh before you purchase a box. If you don't see yourself going through an entire dozen on your own, it's also not a bad idea to store them in an airtight container or ziplock bag inside your freezer. Then you can defrost them one by one or in batches and pop them in your air fryer or oven when you're craving a taste of fall.

You'll keep finding more and more Trader Joe's fall items trickle in through September. By then, all of the walls will essentially be painted orange with pumpkin-flavored items.