‘Tis the season… for pumpkin spice

Sure, summer can be fun with its pool parties, traveling, tanning and melty ice cream cones. But in my humble opinion, fall is the superior season for many reasons, with one aspect setting it apart from the rest — pumpkin spice. 

And I’m not the only one who feels that way. Once it hits September, America is obsessed with creating “pumpkin spiced” items which, funny enough, don’t even contain pumpkin as an ingredient. Walking through the grocery store aisles, it’s impossible to miss shelves lined with these products. So, being a pumpkin spice connoisseur, I decided to empty my bank account and review a couple of these fall-themed food items for you. 

Chobani Flip Pumpkin Harvest Crisp: As a yogurt enthusiast, I couldn’t wait to inhale this snack. One early morning before school — pajamas on, spoon in hand — the time had finally come. I hastily flipped one side of the plastic container over the other, mixing the pumpkin spice flavored greek yogurt with all the toppings: icing chunks, oatmeal pastry pieces and cinnamon frosted cookies. As I dove in, my expectations were met. The pumpkin spice flavor was strong, but not overpowering. My only critique is the ratio of the toppings to the yogurt. Chobani, please add more toppings and next time I’ll give a raving review. 

Pumpkin spice flavor: 8/10

Enjoyability: 9/10

Pumpkin Spice Cheerios: I’ve tried many varieties of Cheerios in my lifetime — banana nut, chocolate, multigrain, apple cinnamon, honey nut, you name it. So take my word that the pumpkin spice flavor is revolutionary. This snack is small but mighty, and every chomp of a crunchy circle has a subtle, yet satisfying pumpkin spice taste. And I daresay that these are actually better without milk. A couple handfuls of these, and I promise you’ll be hooked. 

Pumpkin spice flavor: 7/10

Enjoyability: 8/10

 

Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats Pumpkin Pie Spice: Contrary to the Cheerios, you need milk to gain the full effect of this cereal. Alone, the mini-wheats are dry and stale, but add milk and they morph into a crunchy, but soft, sweet, but not too sweet, breakfast treat. However, I am a woman of aesthetics, and opening the bag to see a ghastly burnt orange color wasn’t necessarily pleasing to the eyes. So, if you close your eyes while you take a bite, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this item as much as I did. 

Pumpkin spice flavor: 7/10

Enjoyability: 7/10

 

Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookies, Pumpkin Spice: Wow. This pumpkin spice cookie is so perfectly balanced — with the crisp shortbread cookie and the layers of rich chocolate and creamy pumpkin spice filling. Not to mention, the versatility of this cookie is commendable. Dunk it or eat it plain, I promise you will ascend into a whirl of autumn leaves and acorns. No complaints from me.  

Pumpkin spice flavor: 9/10

Enjoyability: 10/10

 

Pepperidge Farm Soft Baked Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies: Dear Pepperidge Farm: you deserve a round of applause. You released not one, but two heavenly pumpkin spice cookies. This pumpkin cheesecake cookie is soft as a cloud, packed with flavor and even has mini cheesecake bits that add to the aromatic pumpkin spice taste. They’re so decadent and rich that only one cookie does the job. Out of all these grocery store items, this soars to my #1 spot. If you buy only one snack off this list, let this be the one you fling in your grocery cart. 

Pumpkin spice flavor: 10/10

Enjoyability: 10/10 

 

Goldfish Pumpkin Spice Grahams: Right off the bat I was a little hesitant to try these. With my previous experience of eating Goldfish, I wasn’t sure how pumpkin spice and cheese could complement each other. But don’t fret, the only similarity between this specialty item and other classic Goldfish crackers was the signature fish shape. Other than that, it tasted like your classic graham cracker with a hint of pumpkin spice aftertaste. Warning, these are addictive, but as far as pumpkin spice flavors go, I wasn’t detecting the nutmeg or ginger. So if you’re looking for a cinnamony snack without that punch of pumpkin spice … this is your guy.  

Pumpkin spice flavor: 3/10

Enjoyability: 9/10 

 

OREO Pumpkin Spice Cookies: Didn’t think I would give one bad review? Well, I saved the worst for last. No words can describe how disappointed I was when I nibbled on these OREOS. Not only was the smell of the creme rancid, but the pumpkin flavor tasted artificial and overly sweet. Mind you, I tried — I really tried — to finish a single cookie, but I had to stop in order to save my taste buds from decaying. Am I overreacting? Maybe. But OREO needs a harsh critic to stop them from mass distributing these monstrosities. 

Pumpkin spice flavor: 1/10

Enjoyability: 2/10