Trader Joe’s’ Bakery Just Brought Back the Dessert Customers Call a “12 Out of 10” (2024)

I'll be honest—I was a Trader Joe's bakery hater. While I'm a huge fan of the store generally, I always found the pastries tasted a little lackluster and the bread molded too quickly. But lately a few desserts have caught my attention including a seasonal favorite and a cake that's (literally) to-die-for.

But one dessert has always been—and will always be—universally beloved by Trader Joe's customers, myself included: the Danish Kringle. To know it is to love it, and now the seasonal iteration that's so popular Trader Joe's had to limit how many customers can buy is back on shelves. Here's what you need to know about the return of the Pumpkin Caramel Kringle.

The Pumpkin Kringle Is Back at Trader Joe's

First let's cover Kringle 101. Kringles are a style of Danish pastry that features a buttery, flaky crust surrounding a sweet filling, frequently iced, then typically baked in a braid or ring shape. The Kringles sold at Trader Joe's are one of few non-private labelled items at the store, and are made by the Racine, Wisconsin-based bakery O & H Danish Bakery. Throughout the year, TJ's cycles through various Kringle flavors from O & H, and while they're all universally beloved, some seasonal flavors garner a cult following.

The Pumpkin Caramel Kringle is certainly one of those. It usually arrives on Trader Joe's shelves in early September along with a flurry of other fall-flavored products. The dessert features the same buttery pastry ring, filled with a spiced pumpkin filling and garnished with a caramel-flavored icing and chopped pecans. Not sold yet?

Fans on Reddit rate the Pumpkin Kringle a "12/10," while others on TikTok claim it's "the best [expletive] thing they've ever tasted in their life. Another describes it as "a pumpkin pie inside of a cinnamon roll!" Now I'd bet you're sold.

While it's delicious as is, you have to try it air-fried or heated in the oven for a few minutes. When the icing gets gooey, the filling warm, and the pastry extra flakey, it practically melts in your mouth. It's pastry nirvana.

According to the signage at my local Trader Joe's, the Pumpkin Kringle is "one of the top sellers of the season!" It also cautioned to "Get it while it's here," since—like many Trader Joe's products—when they're gone, they're gone. The Kringles are so popular that TJ's has reportedly had to instill a 2 Kringles-per-customer limit to try and stretch how long they stay on shelves.

Each Kringle costs $10 and supposedly feeds 12, although many fans have found it can also be a single serving if you don't want to share. You can also order them year-round through O & H but they cost quite a bit more than they retail for at TJ's. According to one Instagram account, the Pumpkin Kringle was set to arrive in stores this week, and a little social media sleuthing has confirmed that hunch. It's worth noting that Kringles freeze perfectly, so stock up now while you can (with as many as Trader Joe's will let you buy).