Trader Joe's fall fans, it's time to stock up on this $4 freezer find before it's gone for the season

Posted on Nov 10, 2026 UTC

Say what you will about your favorite regional grocer, but Trader Joe’s is hands-down the ultimate destination for seasonal products you can’t find elsewhere, especially in the fall. Shoppers clamor over their annual re-releases and novel creations alike, with favorites ranging from Apple Cider Donuts to Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese to Spicy Pumpkin Samosas. But if you ask me — a seasoned food writer who’s reviewed countless TJ’s items, including most of the chain’s fall favorites — none of them hold a candle to what I consider the real best Trader Joe’s fall item of all time: Maple Leaf Ice Cream Sandwiches.

Not only is a box super affordable, but the dessert is ready to eat straight out of the package. Better yet, it’s photogenic, a crowd-pleaser, and only around for a limited time, inspiring FOMO in crunchy leaf-lovers everywhere. Even more shocking? They don’t contain a drop of pumpkin or apple. Before you start waxing poetic about TJ's Pumpkin Caramel Kringle to sway me, hear me out.

The Deets on Trader Joe’s Maple Leaf Ice Cream Sandwiches

This freezer delight will likely only be sold through November. For $3.99 per four-pack, they’re a festive, unique way to get in the spirit of the season without breaking the bank. They launched for the first time in 2025 and made their return in September 2026.

They’re a riff on a cult-favorite TJ’s fall product, Maple Leaf Cookies, which have been made in Canada since 2009 and are filled with a smooth, maple-flavored crème filling. The freezer iteration is crafted by a different Canadian confectioner, but looks similar — so similar that TJ’s devotees promptly freaked (in a good way) at the sight of them when they initially rolled out. The frozen version stars two maple leaf-shaped, maple-flavored cookies with a thick layer of maple-flavored ice cream in between.

Why I Love Them

When the sammies first hit the freezers, I wasted no time tasting them. Sure, I was on assignment, but I was personally intrigued. The package was small enough to stuff in my strangely shaped freezer drawer, and the sandwiches were also compact enough that they could be removed and stored separately (Trader Joe thinks of everything, no?). The box’s autumnal colors only amplified my excitement.

Conceptually, I love that they deviate from the usual pumpkin spice- and apple-flavored items that inundate chain restaurants and grocery stores at this time of year. It proves that you can savor all the fall splendor without having to conform to either trend. I also like that Trader Joe’s made a treat so delicious that I’m willing to eat ice cream at a time of year when my hands and feet are perpetually cold. And the tiny leaf design? They're as whimsical and Insta-worthy as they are downright delectable (and worth every penny).

Trader Joe’s Maple Leaf Ice Cream Sandwiches, Reviewed

The moment I unwrapped the package, the maple-y aroma coaxed me to take a bite. The cookie ends were positively teeming with maple flavor, but their texture was what impressed me most. Sturdier than the soggy-in-two-minutes chocolate wafers of a classic ice cream sandwich, but still tender and borderline cakey, they’re soft yet firm enough to hold up against the ever-melting center.

I can see some folks wanting them to be crispier, but I see their tenderness as an homage to classic ice cream sammies. Flavor-wise, I thought they contributed the optimal dose of molasses-tinged, graham cracker-like saltiness to the treat.

The ice cream won me over instantly too, and its flavor took me back to inhaling my first-ever maple creemee in Burlington, Vermont. Its taste is authentic, thanks to real maple syrup in both components of the sandwiches. Despite this, the union of cushy cookies and rich ice cream still delivers plenty of pancake syrup energy without being cloying.

How to Enjoy Trader Joe’s Maple Leaf Ice Cream Sandwiches

They don’t require much fuss; simply open the package and dig in. (FYI, the ice cream sandwich is consistently tender enough to take a bite out of immediately without waiting for anything to thaw.) That said, you could zhuzh them up by rolling the ice cream in cinnamon or maple sugar (or, better yet, crumbled maple bacon!) or by drizzling the sandwich with more maple syrup.

TJ’s suggests dunking the treat in a glass of cold brew or a mug of hot tea, but I’d venture to recommend mulled apple cider. Whatever you do, get your hands on a box while you still can, or you’ll likely have to wait until next fall.

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