We tried 9 of Trader Joe's Halloween-themed foods, and we'd buy at least 4 of them again

Each of the 20 individually wrapped packets featured nine bat- and skeleton-shaped gummy candies, which we thought was a bargain for $4.49.

Insider correspondent Talia Lakritz thought the gummies were a little sickly sweet, while reporter Erin McDowell thought they were simply a little bland. They tasted like every other brand of gummies on grocery-store shelves — nothing more, nothing less.

Insider fellow Melissa Wells purchased the six-pack of pumpkin ale for $7.99.

It's worth noting that Wells is not a regular beer drinker — still, she wanted to give this themed drink a try.

Unfortunately, while the pumpkin ale looked enticing, she thought its modest pumpkin flavor was overpowered by too many added spices to make it enjoyable.

A single bottle of Warlock Imperial Pumpkin Stout costs $3.75 at Trader Joe's.

Lakritz enjoyed the pumpkin-spice flavor, despite the bitterness. McDowell said she "wouldn't be mad" about drinking the pumpkin-flavored beer during a fall outing to a vineyard or brewery.

It's also worth noting that both of the beers we tried were at room-temperature. If they were colder, that could definitely have swayed our ranking in a more positive direction.

The cookie kit retails for $9.99.

Lakritz thought the cookies tasted like chocolate graham crackers, while McDowell compared them to chocolate-flavored biscotti. The cookies were crisp and had a similar texture to gingerbread used to build gingerbread houses during the holiday season. 

With eight cookie pieces to put together using two bags of orange and black icing, as well as bats, candy bones, jelly beans, and candy beads for decorating, Wells thought it made for the perfect spooky activity.

A 14-ounce bag of gummies costs $3.49.

The green-apple gummy tasted the strongest to us, but even then, the sour flavor didn't last as long as we'd hoped. 

A 5-ounce bag of potato snacks costs $2.49.

Wells and Lakritz agreed that the potato snacks tasted similar to veggie straws. They reminded McDowell of rice cakes, and she felt they could have used more salt.

However, we all really enjoyed the light, super crunchy texture of the chips, and we couldn't help ourselves from repeatedly reaching back into the bag to grab another handful. We all agreed they would fit the bill for a Halloween-themed party's snack table.

A 1-pound box of sandwich cookies costs $3.99.

Lakritz still preferred Oreos over Joe Joe's, but said that she'd buy these again. McDowell also enjoyed the festive design of the cookies and liked the crumbly texture. She thought the cookies were slightly crisp instead of chewy.

Wells also thought there was a good amount of cream, similar to a Double Stuf Oreo. However, she thought the cookie itself was a bit bland compared to the cream.

The variety pack featured four mini candy bars: nougat and caramel, peanut and caramel, caramel and wafer, and nougat. A bag of 24 mini candy bars costs $4.99. 

We enjoyed all of the flavors except for the caramel and wafer bar, which we thought was too hard compared to the other light and chewy treats. Still, McDowell said she preferred these Trader Joe's versions to the name-brand candy bars.

The caramel had a nice bite to it, and the chocolate was perfectly creamy and sweet.

The package of six pumpkin-shaped cakes cost $3.99.

When we bit into the tiny cakes, we were speechless at how delicious they were.

Wells thought the chocolate cake was moist and the mousse was creamy and flavorful, without being too rich. McDowell thought the mousse had a slight coffee taste, and she could see herself easily polishing off two or three cakes.

This treat earned the top spot in our ranking — and pride of place on our Halloween-party snack tables.