Stuff that is in pumpkin spice products. Theoretically.
The first week of September is a common marker for the end of All Things Summer and the beginning of All Things Fall. Which means barbecues and poolside lounging are soon to be replaced by bonfires, hayrides… and, of course, the ubiquitous “Pumpkin Spice Explosion.”
The origins of America’s pumpkin spice obsession are about as hazy as a venti half-caf pumpkin spice latte (PSL), but can generally be traced back to 2003, when Starbucks first introduced the drink. According to Peter Dukes, director of espresso brand management at Starbucks and one of the co-creators of the PSL, introducing it into the marketplace was a bit of a risk for the company. “You just didn’t see pumpkin-flavored food and beverages 10 years ago the way you do today,” he told Business Week back in 2013.
Now, of course, it’s turned into somewhat of a marketplace monster, with every food and non-food, from yogurt to cereal to room spray, coming out with their own variation on the pumpkin spice theme.
Below, we take a look at the best and the worst of what’s new on shelves this year.
The Good: Starbucks’ revamped Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe. We can’t talk about pumpkin spice without mentioning this one. Last year, one blogger ruined everyone’s fun when she pointed out that Starbucks PSLs didn’t contain any actual pumpkin in them — just spices associated with pumpkin pie, along with caramel coloring to give it that Day-Glo orange color we all adore. Starbucks responded by tweaking the recipe: This year’s lattes, which will be on the menu on the 8th of September, will have no caramel coloring and include actual pumpkin.
The Good: Pumpkin Spice Frosted Mini-Wheats. The classic Kellogg’s cereal should lend itself well to the “layer of sweet cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger.” Can you imagine what the milk will taste like at the end?
The Good: Pumpkin Spice Latte-flavored M&M’s. “Hold on,” you’re saying. “This is old news. They put these out last year.” Ah, but you would be wrong. Last year, it was just pumpkin spice flavor — not to be confused with pumpkin spice latte flavor. Fans of the new M&M’s say it’s got great spicy notes of nutmeg that match with the flavors of chocolate and coffee.
The Good: Pumpkin Spice Peeps. Peeps, once an Easter-only offering, have really been making a name for themselves recently, with all their fancy Birthday Cake and Watermelon and Mystery flavors. And now the marshmallows are taking on fall: Not only will we see them in Pumpkin Spice flavor—which one taster described as tasting like a cinnamon roll—they’re also coming out with Caramel Apple and Candy Corn flavors, as well.
The Bad: McDonald’s limited PSL offering. McDonald’s started selling their own version of the spicy orange drink last Monday, which is great news. If it’s McDonald’s, it’s sure to be good, right? Tragically, their new regional push means that only a handful of restaurants, 38 percent to be exact, are actually offering PSLs on the menu. Landing it, solidly, in the Bad category.
The Bad: Nestle Toll House’s Pumpkin Spice cookie dough. Pumpkin spice is good, but is it really so good that we need to figure out a way to stick it in a cookie? Can we not just stick to more classic fall flavors, like gingersnaps, instead of making everything so one-note cinnamon-nutmeg-ginger?
The Bad: Pumpkin Spice Black Tea. Look, if we’re going to have a pumpkin spice-flavored beverage, it’s going to be a PSL, plain and simple. This tea does seem to be a good workaround for anyone with an aversion to coffee or gobs of artificial flavorings, though.
The Ugly: Pumpkin Spice Protein Powder. If we’re pumping iron in the gym and want to grab a quick recovery beverage, it’s probably not going to be pumpkin spice-flavored. Let’s just stick with basic chocolate and vanilla, shall we?
The Ugly: Pumpkin Spice Dog Shampoo. Which can also be paired with dog cologne, for a perfectly-scented showing experience. We say… no. Just, no.
