Pumpkin spice. What started with a latte has morphed into its own merchandise season, overlapping with the end of “back to school” and the beginning of “Halloween.” Since I don't spend all that much time in the processed foods aisles of my grocery store, I've been in ignorance of the Big Bang-style explosion of pumpkin and pumpkin spice products. But a bag of pumpkin spice candy corn piqued my interest, and I embarked on an informal survey of pumpkin products.
Because I am the sort of person who loves lists, I’ve compiled a list of what I found. Obviously, I didn’t sample the majority of the products listed—the resulting caffeine and sugar high would have lasted until Easter. However, I did purchase a cup of Siggi’s Pumpkin & Spice skyr (a super-thick Icelandic-style yogurt) and a bag of Nestle Toll House Pumpkin Spice morsels, and received a free sample of Noosa Pumpkin yoghurt. I have high hopes for all three, and will report back (*see product review footnotes below). Weirdest products I spotted? Either the Frontera Chipotle Pumpkin Salsa or Torani Pumpkin Pie Flavored Sauce (like hot fudge, except orange and pumpkin pie flavored), both at Cost Plus World Market.
Groceries
My in-no-way scientific methodology consisted of wandering up and down the aisles of the stores I visited over the past few weeks: Cub Foods, Target, Trader Joe’s, and Cost Plus World Market. Products that listed “pumpkin” on the ingredient list are marked with an asterisk (*). However, be forewarned that pumpkin was often in the “contains less 2%” section of the ingredient list.
Baked Goods
Pepperidge Farm Pumpkin Spice Swirl Bread* (Cub Foods)
Pumpkin Spice Cake* (Trader Joe’s)
Baking Mixes and Ingredients
Betty Crocker Pumpkin Bar Mix* (Target)
Betty Crocker Pumpkin Spice Cookie Mix* (Target)
In the Mix Pumpkin Spice Cookie Mix* (Cost Plus World Market)
Nestle Toll House Pumpkin Spice Morsels (Target)
Pumpkin Bar Baking Mix* (Trader Joe’s)
Pumpkin Bread & Muffin Mix* (Trader Joe’s)
Pumpkin Cranberry Scone Mix* (Trader Joe’s)
Pumpkin Pancake & Waffle Mix* (Trader Joe’s)
So’fella Pumpkin Spice Bread Mix* (Cost Plus World Market)
Sticky Fingers Pumpkin Spice Scone Mix* (Cost Plus World Market)
World Market Pumpkin Spice Pancake & Waffle Mix* (Cost Plus World Market)
Beverages
Archer Farms Pumpkin Spice Coffee K-cup (Target)
Archer Farms Pumpkin Spice Ground Coffee (Target)
Archer Farms Pumpkin Spice Ground Coffee-Decaf (Target)
Archer Farms Pumpkin Spice Sugar Free Coffee Syrup (Target)
Café Escapes Café Pumpkin Spice K-cup (Target)
Celestial Seasonings Sweet Harvest Pumpkin Tea* (Target)
Dunkin’ Donuts Pumpkin Spice Ground Coffee (Target)
Harney & Sons Pumpkin Spice Tea (Target)
International Delight Pumpkin Pie Spice Creamer (Target)
Maxwell House International Café Pumpkin Spice (Target)
Nestle Coffee Mate Pumpkin Spice Creamer (Target)
Nestle Coffee Mate Pumpkin Spice Creamer-Sugar Free (Target)
Paramount Coffee Co. Sweetie Pie Pumpkin Pie Ground Coffee (Target)
Paramount Coffee Co. Stud Muffin Pumpkin Spice Ground Coffee (Target)
Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea Latte Mix* (Trader Joe’s)
Republic of Tea Pumpkin Ginger Tea (Cost Plus World Market)
Tazo Chai Pumpkin Spice Latte (Target)
Twinings Chai Pumpkin Spice Tea (Cost Plus World Market)
World Market Pumpkin Spice Coffee (Cost Plus World Market)
Candy
Brach’s Pumpkin Spice Candy Corn (Target)
Hershey’s Pumpkin Spice Kisses (Target)
Mars Pumpkin Spice M&Ms (Target)
Ovation Break-a-part Pumpkin Spice Chocolate (Cost Plus World Market)
Russell Stover Pumpkin Pie in Milk Chocolate (Cub Foods)
Trident Layers Pumpkin Spice Gum (Target)
Cereal
Pecan Pumpkin Instant Oatmeal* (Trader Joe’s)
Condiments and Garnishes
Archer Farms Oregon Pumpkin Butter* (Target)
Frontera Chipotle Pumpkin Salsa* (Cost Plus World Market)
Oregon Growers & Shippers Pumpkin Butter* (Cost Plus World Market)
Pumpkin Butter* (Trader Joe’s)
Pumpkin Cornbread Croutons* (Trader Joe’s)
Torani Pumpkin Pie Flavored Sauce (Cost Plus World Market)
Cookie Dough
Pillsbury Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Flavored Chips Cookie Dough* (Target)
Nestle Toll House Pumpkin Spice Cookie Dough* (Target)
Cookies
Little Debbie Pumpkin Delights Filled Cookies* (Target)
Market Pantry Pumpkin Cheesecake Crème Sandwich Cookies* (Target)
Pepperidge Farm Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies* (Target)
Pepperidge Farm Pumpkin Spice Milano Cookies (Target)
Reko Pumpkin Spice Pizzelles (Cost Plus World Market)
Simply Indulgent Pumpkin Glazed Cookies* (Cost Plus World Market)
South Bend Chocolate Co. Autumn Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies (Cost Plus World Market)
Dairy
Chobani Pumpkin Spice Blended 2% Greek Yogurt* (Cub Foods, Target)
Noosa Pumpkin Yoghurt* (Target)
Pumpkin Non-fat Greek Yogurt* (Trader Joe’s)
Siggi’s Pumpkin & Spice 2% Skyr* (Target)
Frozen
Pillsbury Pumpkin Pie Toaster Strudel* (Cub Foods)
Pasta
World Market Pumpkin Gnocchi* (Cost Plus World Market)
World Market Pumpkin Pasta Sauce* (Cost Plus World Market)
Snacks
Archer Farms Pumpkin Spice Monster Trail Mix (Target)
Danielle Crunchy Pumpkin Chips* (Target)
Kellogg's Frosted Pumpkin Pie Pop-Tarts* (Target)
Sconza Pumpkin Pie Almonds (Cost Plus World Market)
South Bend Chocolate Co. Pumpkin Crunch (Cost Plus World Market)
This Pumpkin Walks into a Bar…Cereal Bar* (Trader Joe’s)
Restaurants & Coffee Shops
This section of the list is based on national chain restaurants or coffee shops with Twin Cities locations, plus Dunkin’ Donuts, since the discovery of their pumpkin cake doughnuts was one of the highlights of our autumn trip to the East Coast a few years ago. I used company websites to review the ingredient lists when available, and products that I could verify as containing pumpkin are marked with an asterisk(*). If there's a Dunkin' Donuts in your neighborhood, have a pumpkin cake doughnut in my honor--meanwhile, I'll be enjoying some Bruegger's pumpkin bagels as a rather tasty consolation prize.
Baked Goods
Pumpkin Bagel (Bruegger’s Bagels*, Dunkin’ Donuts)
Pumpkin Bread (Caribou Coffee, Starbucks*)
Pumpkin Cake Donut* (Dunkin’ Donuts)
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin* (Starbucks)
Pumpkin Crumb Cake Donut* (Dunkin’ Donuts)
Pumpkin Muffin* (Dunkin’ Donuts)
Pumpkin Munchkin* (Dunkin’ Donuts)
Pumpkin Pie Donut (Dunkin Donuts)
Pumpkin Scone* (Starbucks)
Beverages
Pumpkin Chai Latte (Caribou Coffee)
Pumpkin Ginger Latte* (Caribou Coffee)
Pumpkin Latte* (Caribou Coffee)
Pumpkin Spice Coffee (Bruegger’s Bagels)
Pumpkin Spice Latte (Starbucks)
Pumpkin White Chocolate Mocha* (Caribou Coffee)
Condiments
Pumpkin Cream Cheese* (Bruegger’s Bagels)
Ice Cream
Pumpkin Cheesecake Concrete Mixer* (Culver’s)
Pumpkin Pecan Concrete Mixer* (Culver’s)
Pumpkin Pie Blizzard (Dairy Queen)
Pumpkin Spice Shake* (Culver’s)
Salted Caramel Pumpkin Concrete Mixer* (Culver’s)
What are your favorite pumpkin products? Did I miss any crazy pumpkin products that you've spotted?
**Product Review Footnotes:
I enjoyed the intense cinnamon and nutmeg spiciness and very light sweetness of Siggi’s Pumpkin & Spice 2% Skyr, but it was thinner than their other flavors. I missed the super-thick, stand-a-spoon-upright-in-it texture I expect from Siggi's.
The Noosa Pumpkin Yoghurt tasted like pumpkin pie blended into whipped cream, and the ingredient list reveals why: the pumpkin puree at the bottom includes cream cheese and cane sugar, while the whole-milk yogurt itself contains cream, honey, and more cane sugar. I prefer a thicker, less sweet yogurt, but if you're a yogurt-as-dessert kind of person this should be your fall yogurt of choice.
Straight out of the bag, the Nestle Toll House Pumpkin Spice Morsels have a somewhat waxy, artificial taste--unlike semi-sweet chocolate chips, I was not tempted to eat them by the handful. However, when baked into cookies using the dough recipe from Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies and a supplemental 1/4 cup of semi-sweet miniature morsels, they're pretty darn tasty. The combination of cinnamon with chocolate and caramelized sugar can't be beat, especially hot from the oven.