Every year, fall signals the beginning of a few changes like the transitioning leaf colors, the temperature outside dropping, and a new school term starting. None of these changes, however, trump the return of the iconic autumn seasoning—the pumpkin spice.
Thanks to pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice has been a mainstay in our homes during the Thanksgiving season for as long as we can remember. In 2003, however, Starbucks sought to combine pumpkin pie flavor with coffee. This created their most popular seasonal drink of all time—the pumpkin spice latte, which led to the creation of the hashtag #PSL, a loyal fanbase, and a lot of revenue for Starbucks.
Unfortunately, the pumpkin spice craze has been taken to new heights. It’s almost impossible to walk through the grocery store without being bombarded with new products that promise to taste just like pumpkin spice. Now that PSL season is coming to an end, it’s time we compiled a list of eight weird pumpkin spice flavored things.
1. Extra Pumpkin Spice Gum
Maybe this isn’t the best way to freshen up your breath.
2. Pumpkin Pie Spice Pringles
Pringles released these along with their Cinnamon & Sugar and White Chocolate Peppermint flavors. The salty crunch of a chip combined with the sweet flavor of dessert? No thanks.
3. Country Crock Pumpkin Spice Butter
Think of all the damage Paula Dean could do with this.
4. Pinnacle Pumpkin Pie Vodka
This brings a whole new meaning to the term “White Girl Wasted.” Sadly this isn’t the only brand that’s made pumpkin spice flavored alcohol.
5. Pumpkin Spice Flavored Popcorn
There’s nothing wrong with sticking with your basic butter and salt toppings. This popcorn has a weird icing drizzle on top that doesn’t really taste like pumpkin spice.
6. Nature’s Promise Pumpkin Spice Chicken Sausage
No Thanksgiving Day breakfast is complete without some pumpkin spice sausages. How Nature’s Promise managed to combine chicken with pumpkin flavor is beyond us.
7. Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Tortilla Chips
Trader Joe’s comes out with a lot of pumpkin themed products but this is one of the strangest. What salsa or guacamole could possibly taste good with these chips?
8. Cedar’s Pumpkin Spice Hummus
A healthy snack transformed into another pumpkin spice product! This may have the potential to pair well with the aforementioned tortilla chips.
Pumpkin spice has gone too far! Although it has given us some delicious products like the PSL, cookies, and bread, it’s also spawned a host of cringe worthy foods. With Christmas fast approaching, PSL mania will die down until fall 2016. There’s just one thing we’re left wondering: what weird pumpkin spice foods will these companies come out with next year?