It is already well into the month of November but still pumpkin spice is showing up everywhere. I like pumpkin spice. I do not love pumpkin spice. But I am intrigued by all of the items that make an appearance in the fall that have pumpkin spice in their product. Earlier this year I even found pumpkin spice gum on the Target clearance aisle. I can’t imagine why they did not sell it all in the fall, can you? Ugh. It sounds perfectly disgusting to me and I did not spent the 37 cents to try it even if that was a bargain price.
In my effort to be cutting edge entertaining on my blog I figured it was time to finally do a post on some of the pumpkin spice related items I have encountered this fall. No one paid me or bought me products. If I was still living in North Iowa I would have made this into a taste testing party for the North Iowa Bloggers.
First up – pumpkin spice pancakes. These were tasty–not overwhelmingly pumpkiny but just the right touch of spice and pumpkin. Chris and I gave them the thumbs up and I would buy this Krusteaz product again.
Next up was a pumpkin spice non-alcoholic drink. I have to admit I was a bit unsure of this one but honestly—I loved it! It was fizzy and fun and tasty and I wish I had bought more than one bottle.of the R. W. Knudsen Family ® Pumpkin Spice drink.
How about some pumpkin spice Twinkies? These were definitely not a hit at all. There was hardly any filling (unlike the picture on the box) and the sickly sweet taste of the Twinkie overwhelmed any pumpkin flavor that might have been there. 
Next up – the pumpkin spice Pop -Tart®. These were much better than I thought they would be. I didn’t even toast them and I think that would have added to the flavor. While I am not a huge Pop-Tart® fan I would recommend these to Pop-Tart® lovers far and wide. At least there was some filling in these.
Breakfast foods seem to be a favorite for pumpkin spice and Belvita is one of my favorite on the go breakfasts. I really did love their pumpkin spice version and may have to stock up before they are out of the stores. I may already be too late.
Another breakfast option is the Kellogg’s® Pumpkin Spice Mini Wheats®. I am a fan of Shredded Mini Wheats but only the frosted kind so I jumped at the chance to try these. They were crunchy and yummy and had just the right amount of pumpkin and spice to make me happy. They also look pretty in a bowl, right?
Cookie recipes abound in the fall that use apple and pumpkin and I found some Milano® cookies that featured the pumpkin flavor. While the cookies were okay I don’t think I would rush out and buy a bunch of them while they are still in the stores. Something like Milano cookies should not be messed with. Chocolate Milano is the best so don’t mess with them.
As a tea lover of course I was intrigued by this Bigelow® Pumpkin Spice tea. It had more spice than pumpkin but I think that is a good thing. My mom had this in her pantry at my list visit so of course I had to do a taste test. It was okay but not one I would make a point of stocking in my massive tea cupboard.
I did find a lovely pumpkin seed tortilla chip at Aldi and I am definitely wishing I had bought more than one bag. Once I opened it I discovered how much I loved it. Crisp with little hunks of pumpkin seeds scattered throughout the chip and I found I didn’t even need to have any salsa or anything with it to satisfy my taste craving. Yum.
Pumpkin is everywhere in food and while I am not a huge pumpkin fan in entrees or as sides I do appreciate the healthy option of including pumpkin in some foods that are a bit unexpected. On a recent trip to a health food store I found this display of everything pumpkin in one handy spot. 
I think marketing professionals are getting more savvy when it comes to finding specialty items for different seasons. What do you think? Are you all in on the pumpkin craze or are you out? My unofficial Facebook poll indicated that my followers were definitely split –either they love it or they hate it. Let me know in a quick comment what your true feeling is about pumpkin spice. Inquiring minds want to know and it all counts for Comments for a Cause.
38 Comments
Leave a commentI LOVE pumpkin and pumpkin spice-done right. BUT…yeah, just because it is popular and fall, doesn’t mean everything should be pumpkin spice flavored!!!
I agree. Some of these were really good and others just did not need to be made into pumpkin spice. Thanks for stopping by, Joy!
I am totally…………………….um…………..ambivalent and that’s my definitive statement. LOL LOL LOL LOL!!!!!! And ……ha!!!!
Glad to get you feedback, Doreen! 🙂
What a pumpkin spice taste test! Thanks for the recommendations. You reminded me that we still have to cook our pumpkin pasta. I like it in small quantities.
I have some of that pasta as well—I forgot about it! I did not get the sauce but did get the pasta because it was cute. I guess I need to do something with it before pumpkin season is past!
I agree with Doreen!
Yep! I get it!
Since I don’t drink coffee (which seems to be where the pumpkin spice craze starts each fall) I haven’t really noticed it. I don’t think I would try the breakfast stuff…maybe those tortilla chips.
Fun read! I’ll have to look at @Aldi to see what they have now. Interesting though that we reserve all things pumpkin to fall since it’s canned and easily available. The chips sound like they’d be good any time.
I honestly did not realize so many foods had pumpkin flavor in them. Hmmm… Here I thought I was so clever making pumpkin cheesecake rather than just pumpkin seeds. I have now been put into my place by the food industry. hahaha
Tortilla chips sure do look pretty tasty. Off to Aldi this week I go.
Several thoughts here….I think I could do the Pumpkin Spice pancakes and that’s about it! Maaybee…the Pop Tarts. I love the #Jambomb in the one photo and I adore the glasses you put the pumpkin beverage in! Love you!
I love those pumpkin chips from Aldi. I discovered them last year and was beyond excited when I saw them on a recent shopping trip. I snatched up two bags and will need to purchase more before this seasonal item disappears. An Aldi clerk was grinning from ear to ear when I told her how happy I was to find pumpkin chips stocked.
My son is the big pumpkin lover in our family. When Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf started their fall menu in September, he was so happy to have his Pumpkin latte again! (Note to other pumpkin latte lovers, whether Coffee Bean or Starbucks: when the season ends, go ahead and ask if the drink is available. Many times they still have the mix and will prepare it for you until it runs out.)
I like pumpkin spice but don’t LOVE it, so in my opinion, all of the products out there now are going way overboard on it. I mean pumpkin spice gum? Eww.
I have tried that pumpkin tea and I rather liked it. there is another brand that I thought was better tasting – I think it was Twinnings. But the Pop Tarts!!! I gotta try those Pop Tarts. Sadly I don’t think Canada is as Pumpkin Spice crazy because I don’t see very much up here. I have added my own pumpkin spice mix that I use for making pies to pancake batter though, and it is quite tasty.
I was feeling very left out here in Spain but when I got to Barcelona we found a Starbucks featuring Pumpkin Spice lattes and I was so happy! We enjoyed sipping it in full view of a Gaudi house just across the street. The best of both worlds! I also had pumpkin risotto on the cruise ship and it was fabulous. The pumpkin seed tortilla chips look very yummy.
I’m a pumpkin lover but that doesn’t mean I want it added to everything. I like pumpkin pie without the crust and pumpkin spice coffee. Period. Those tortilla chips sound pretty good though.
Wow – I knew there were a lot of pumpkin spice products around, but it was nice to read your reviews. The only thing I’ve had this fall in the way of pumpkin spice was mini donuts (yes, I try to eat healthy!) and they were good. More spice than pumpkin.
Oh the mini donuts would be good. I could see that being a thing but some of these other things are bordering on ridiculous now. And most of the things I have tasted are more spice than pumpkin which is fine by me.
Pumpkin spice is a good thing, just maybe not in everything. Looks like I’m going to need to stop by Aldi for some chips to have with salsa, but think I’ll pass on those twinkies.
I agree! The madness has to stop. 🙂 But the pumpkin seed chips are yummy.
I am bewildered by the pumpkin spice trend. The only place I liked pumpkin spice is in my pumpkin pie where it belongs!!
That is a great word for it–bewildering! It is odd, I think, and once Starbucks had the PSLatte (which I do like) it seemed to spiral out of control. I mean seriously—-gum? Ugh.
That is a very good word for it—bewildering!
wish this could have been a north iowa blogger taste test. miss you!
It would have been the perfect NI Blogger taste test. I can just see Katy with her pencil poised above her “score sheet” taking thoughtful notes. 🙂
I’m going to be making pumpkin spice candles soon. Apparently it’s a very popular scent.
It will be a hit without a doubt!
I think so. 😉
I agree, some things should not be messed with! I prefer my pumpkin spice in pie, and even without the crust. I think they take it too far sometimes, I did not want to see one more thing that starts with “Pumpkin Spice.” I do appreciate you being the taste tester and saving the rest of us some dough.
Haha! I am always up for a challenge and it is just amazing to me how many pumpkin spice offerings there are. Craziness.
We did try the Belvita when we stumbled onto them–they were good.
They are pretty yummy and a great on the go snack. I just found 3 of your comments in SPAM so I am setting them straight that they are NOT spam. 🙂
I feel better already! 😉
That’s a whole lotta pumpkin… R.W. Knudson is a fine purveyor of juices! Pumpkin twinkies, eeew. Not real into pumpkin spice just for the sake of pumpkin spice. Although we do enjoy pumpkin pie, and roasted pumpkin seeds.
[…] have to admit that I am shamelessly stealing this blog topic from Beth Ann Chiles at “It’s Just Life.” She wrote about pumpkin spice last year and made me more aware of it when it started […]
[…] You either love it or you hate it. Last year I found a few pumpkin spice themed items and shared them with my readers. You can read that post by clicking here. […]