Well, it is that time of the year again. The leaves begin to change to vibrant colors of red, orange and yellow. The sun starts setting earlier and the weather gets colder. And as of recent years, the store shelves are flooded with pumpkin spice. 

For many the first thing that comes to mind when they hear the words “pumpkin spice” is Starbucks’ famous Pumpkin Spice Latte. However, that only scratches the surface of the somewhat never-ending list of pumpkin spice products. From pumpkin spiced almonds, to seltzer, to hot chocolate the list of pumpkin spice flavored items goes on and on. 

First off when pumpkin spice is mentioned it is referring to the mix of spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and cloves that are typically categorized and used in pumpkin spice products. 

However, with just a short walk around a supermarket or grocery store, you can truly get the scale of this somewhat overwhelming pumpkin spice to take over every fall. Rounding up a small number of the seasonal pumpkin spice or pumpkin pie flavored foods was an easy task. A quick stop into Giant, Safeway and a short search through Amazon, quickly complied with all the food and drink needed to sacrifice my taste buds for better or worse.

Kellogg’s Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Cereal

This was the first of the products that I tasted. And I must say it was a pleasant surprise. With hints of cinnamon and nutmeg, the cereal was not bland like I had expected it to be. It was lightly crunchy and did not lack when it came to the pumpkin spice flavoring. It was simple and sweet and a relative high note before the train wreck of pumpkin spice that followed. 

Pepperidge Farm Limited Pumpkin Spice Milano

Normally Milanos are associated with being a sweet crunchy chocolatey snack. These pumpkin-spiced Milanos brought none of the desirable characteristics of regular Milanos. They were dry to the point that they felt like sandpaper when chewing. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the taste of them was awful. While they still did have chocolate you wouldn’t be able to taste it. The cookies tasted nothing like pumpkin spice and instead left your mouth with a lingering taste that was somewhat similar to using bad mouthwash. 

Pumpkin Spice/ Pie Poptarts.

While reading the ingredients on the box of the pumpkin spice Poptarts, I was pleasantly surprised to see that pumpkin puree was actually an included ingredient. This definitely was a step in the right direction after the awful Milanos. The pumpkin spice Poptarts tasted just like any other fruit flavor based products with puff pastry and overwhelmingly sweet frosting. However the included hints of cinnamon and pumpkin that made the poptart much more interesting. This somewhat surprised me, while it didn’t blow me away, it was better than expected. 

Bonne Maman Pumpkin Spice Spread

Similar to the pop tarts, the Bonne Maman Pumpkin Spice Spread was a product that actually included pumpkin as an ingredient. When first opening the spread the smell of pumpkin was overwhelming. However when actually tasting the spread it was surprisingly sweet. While all the basic ingredients that typically make up pumpkin spice were mentioned on the label none of them could be tasted in the spread. Instead, it tasted overwhelmingly of pumpkin puree and brown sugar. While the spread could have been worse, it left a lingering sweetness that was somewhat hard to shake. 

Flipz Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Covered Pretzels

These were probably the pumpkin spiced products that I was least looking forward to trying due to how outlandish and unusual the mix of pumpkin spice and pretzels seemed. And they were easily the most forgettable of the products tasted. They simply just tasted like normal yogurt covered pretzels. I never could taste a hint of anything that distinguished them as pumpkin spice, let alone separate them from the brand’s regular pretzels.

Limited Release Fall Kit Kat Pumpkin Pie

This was probably the product that most caught my eye. Kit Kats are known for their interesting limited editor flavors, and it was somewhat surprising that I could get my hands on them. After tasting them, I immediately wished they never existed in the first place. While they included the traditional crunchy wafers that are staples of Kit Kats, the typical and delicious chocolate was replaced with a fluorescent orange pumpkin pie flavored covering. To keep it short and sweet, these were awful. The mix of vanilla and pumpkin felt like you were taking a bite out of a seasonal candle. 

Entenmans Pumpkin Spice Loaf Cake

This was by far the simplest of the pumpkin spice products. It was a typical pumpkin loaf cake that can be found in bakeries and ovens across the country during the fall months. The loaf cake was surprisingly good given that it was store bought. It was moist and flavorful, and overall it was probably the safest of the pumpkin spice products. 

After spending far too much time looking and eating pumpkin spice foods and products it’s safe to say one thing: the pumpkin spice trend that takes over every fall season needs to be put to rest.

Well, it is that time of the year again. The leaves begin to change to vibrant colors of red, orange and yellow. The sun starts setting earlier and the weather gets colder. And as of recent years, the store shelves are flooded with pumpkin spice. 

For many the first thing that comes to mind when they hear the words “pumpkin spice” is Starbucks’ famous Pumpkin Spice Latte. However, that only scratches the surface of the somewhat never-ending list of pumpkin spice products. From pumpkin spiced almonds, to seltzer, to hot chocolate the list of pumpkin spice flavored items goes on and on. 

First off when pumpkin spice is mentioned it is referring to the mix of spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and cloves that are typically categorized and used in pumpkin spice products. 

However, with just a short walk around a supermarket or grocery store, you can truly get the scale of this somewhat overwhelming pumpkin spice to take over every fall. Rounding up a small number of the seasonal pumpkin spice or pumpkin pie flavored foods was an easy task. A quick stop into Giant, Safeway and a short search through Amazon, quickly complied with all the food and drink needed to sacrifice my taste buds for better or worse.

Kellogg’s Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Cereal

This was the first of the products that I tasted. And I must say it was  a pleasant surprise. With hints of cinnamon, and nutmeg, the cereal was not bland like I had expected it to be. It was light crunchy, and did not lack when it came to the pumpkin spice flavoring. It was simple and sweet and a relative high note before the train wreck of pumpkin spice that followed. 

Pepperidge Farm Limited Pumpkin Spice Milano

Normally Milanos are associated with being a sweet crunchy chocolatey snack. These pumpkin-spiced Milanos brought none of the desirable characteristics of regular Milanos. They were dry to the point that they felt like sandpaper when chewing. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the taste of them was awful. While they still did have chocolate you wouldn’t be able to taste it. The cookies tasted nothing like pumpkin spice and instead left your mouth with a lingering taste that was somewhat similar to using bad mouthwash. 

Pumpkin Spice/ Pie Poptarts.

While reading the ingredients on the box of the pumpkin spice Poptarts, I was pleasantly surprised to see that pumpkin puree was actually an included ingredient. This definitely was a step in the right direction after the awful Milanos. The pumpkin spice Poptarts tasted just like any other fruit flavor based products with puff pastry and overwhelmingly sweet frosting. However the included hints of cinnamon and pumpkin made the poptart much more interesting. This somewhat surprised me, while it didn’t blow me away, it was better than expected. 

Bonne Maman Pumpkin Spice Spread

Similar to the pop tarts, the Bonne Maman Pumpkin Spice Spread was a product that actually included pumpkin as an ingredient. When first opening the spread the smell of pumpkin was overwhelming. However when actually tasting the spread it was surprisingly sweet. While all the basic ingredients that typically make up pumpkin spice were mentioned on the label none of them could be tasted in the spread. Instead it tasted overwhelmingly of pumpkin puree and brown sugar. While the spread could have been worse, it left a lingering sweetness that was somewhat hard to shake. 

Flipz Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Covered Pretzels

These were probably the pumpkin spiced products that I was least looking forward to trying due to how outlandish and unusual the mix of pumpkin spice and pretzels seemed. And they were easily the most forgettable of the products tasted. They simply just tasted like normal yogurt covered pretzels. I never could taste a hint of anything that distinguished them as pumpkin spice, let alone separate them from the brand’s regular pretzels.

Limited Release Fall Kit Kat Pumpkin Pie

This was probably the product that most caught my eye. Kit Kats are known for their interesting limited editor flavors, and it was somewhat surprising that I could get my hands on them. After tasting them, I immediately wished they never existed in the first place. While they included the traditional crunchy wafers that are staples of Kit Kats, the typical and delicious chocolate was replaced with a fluorescent orange pumpkin pie flavored covering. To keep it short and sweet, these were awful. The mix of vanilla and pumpkin felt like you were taking a bite out of a seasonal candle. 

Entenmans Pumpkin Spice Loaf Cake

This was by far the simplest of the pumpkin spice products. It was a typical pumpkin loaf cake that can be found in bakeries and ovens across the country during the fall months. The loaf cake was surprisingly good given that it was store bought. It was moist and flavorful, and overall it was probably the safest of the pumpkin spice products. 

After spending far too much time looking and eating pumpkin spice foods and products it’s safe to say one thing: the pumpkin spice trend that takes over every fall season needs to be put to rest.