UH's lifestyle and entertainment magazine - by students, for students

Graphic by: Cayla Cochran

Autumn season means one thing: the reign of pumpkin spice. From hot, steaming lattes to soft, scrumptious muffins, here is a rating of different foods that have tackled the art of pumpkin spice.

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte

Of course, I have to start off with the classic pumpkin spice drink. Does autumn even truly start until Starbucks releases it? I don’t think so. This drink blends pumpkin spice perfectly with cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, so the flavor stands out but isn’t too overwhelming. The pumpkin pie spices are the real cherry- sorry, pumpkin on top.

Rating: 10/10

Entenmann’s Little Bites Pumpkin Spice Muffins

I was shocked to see these at my local Kroger! Pumpkin spice always seemed more of a mature flavor to me, not really something kids would enjoy, so I was skeptical. However, the muffins were fantastic! The pumpkin flavor was sweet, with just the right amount of the spice countering the sugar and paired perfectly with my latte. Even my younger cousins enjoyed it, despite being slightly picky eaters.

Rating 9/10

Pumpkin Spice Cheerios

This was also a surprise at Kroger, placed near the muffins. I was more excited for this one because I love how Cheerios pulls off the honey flavor and thought the company might be able to do the same with pumpkin spice.

Well, I would be lying if I said I almost didn’t spit it out on my first bite. The “spice” part was way too overwhelming, and the pumpkin didn’t come through until a few bites later. I had to force myself to finish it. However, I decided to try it with cold milk the next time, and it was better. The spice was still overwhelming, but there was a little sweetness to it, so I’d definitely prefer it with cold milk. It was quite disappointing.

Rating: 3/10

Philadelphia Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese

Philadelphia was a company I knew I could count on to deliver deliciously flavored cream cheeses, and this was no exception! This cream cheese was definitely on the sweeter side but worked very well with bread and naan. The pumpkin had a great flavor, although I needed to add a little more cream cheese to get enough of it. It was a nice difference to see it being used in a sweet way, rather than savory.

Rating: 8/10

Kroger Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

I was a little unsure of what type of coffee to try it with, so I decided to use it in both my vanilla and my glazed donut Keurig coffees. It was such a pleasant surprise to find out it tasted great with both! It paired perfectly with vanilla, the pumpkin sweet and strong, with a nice kick from the spice. With the glazed doughnut, it tasted a little more syrupy, as the pumpkin spice mixed in with the already-flavored coffee. Still, it was delicious, as if I really was drinking the liquified, caffeinated version of a pumpkin spice doughnut.

Rating: 9/10

Dutch Apron Bakery Pumpkin Cake Roll

This was really exciting! It was a cake rolled with layers of cream cheese frosting inside, which any baker knows is a great combination. The pumpkin spice flavor was a little hard to taste at first but definitely kicked in within the third bite. It was sweet with just enough of the spice to give it that kick of flavor. It was a bit dry, which was balanced out by the frosting. There could have been more taste and moisture for sure, especially as I’ve seen how strong it can be in the muffins, but overall, wasn’t too bad.

Rating: 7/10

[email protected]

About the Author

Related Posts

Nestled in the bustling city of Houston are three unique gardens providing serene escapes and...

Fuzzy season is almost here, and winter break is right around the corner. It’s time to get into...

Graphic by Cali Adams It’s almost time for the holiday season to begin. A lot of people are...