My least favorite fall treat is pumpkin spice lattes. I think it tastes horrible, and everywhere I’ve gone to try it has disappointed me more than the last. However, one fall menu item I love is pumpkin pastries: pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins; they’re delicious. So, rather than take a sip of what I find to be a subpar drink flavor, let’s take a bite out of some of the most delicious fall treats.
- Starbucks
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Starbucks is widely known for its holiday menu. Pumpkin Spice, Peppermint Mocha, Chestnut Praline but no latte is good without its pastry pairing. For the PSL, that pairing is none other than the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin. The Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin features a cream cheese filling with spiced pepitas sprinkled around the top. The cream cheese filling takes this pastry to the next level, adding a sweet and tangy flavor.
Starbucks carries a seasonal pumpkin bread with a pepitas topping, but the cream cheese takes this pastry to the next level. My one issue with this muffin is the pepitas topping. Pepitas are seeds that come from pumpkins and certain types of squash. I’m not a big fan of crunchy bits on a pastry, so the pepitas’ crunch really takes the enjoyment out of the muffin. Overall, I’d say that Starbucks’ Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin gets a 6/10 on my fall foods enjoyment scale.
@apothecaryandleaf via Instagram - Dunkin’ Donuts
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Dunkin’ Donuts’ fall menu has a pretty basic line of pastries, with a Pumpkin Donut, Pumpkin Munchkins, and a Pumpkin Muffin. Out of these three, I decided to try a taste of the classic pumpkin donut. This donut is a standard cake donut made with pumpkin puree and spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon to enhance the puree’s flavor.
Honestly, I think this donut could have been so much better. Just like the Starbucks muffin, I would have loved for this donut to have cream cheese frosting to add some tang to the flavor profile. The donut itself was incredibly sweet, with the original glaze on top in addition to the puree, and that overwhelming sweetness made it difficult to enjoy. This pastry gets a 4/10; not because it’s not enjoyable, but because it has the potential to be so much more.
@philmytummy via Instagram - Swig
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To my surprise, Swig offers a pumpkin treat for the fall season. As someone who’s never been to Swig before, I don’t trust dirty soda; my expectations were on the floor. Swig’s fall menu features Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. Each order comes with 6 cookies, unless you order a 30-pack, and they’re bursting with flavor. The combination of pumpkin and chocolate was absolutely fantastic, and for someone who doesn’t like most chocolate, the sweetness of the chocolate is muted by the savory, cinnamon taste of the pumpkin.
The bite-sized cookies are the perfect dose of fall if you’re looking for a little taste of the season, not too overpowering, but also not too muted. In previous years, Swig offered a cream cheese dipping sauce, which would’ve taken these cookies to the next level. These cookies get an 8/10, although this doesn’t change my opinion on dirty soda.
@swigdrinks via Instagram - Scooters
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Scooters Coffee, similar to Swig, offers only one fall-festive treat, the Pumpkin Caramelicious muffin. A classic pumpkin muffin topped and filled with their signature Caramelicious sauce, this muffin stole the show. The sweetness of the Caramelicious sauce pairs perfectly with the pumpkin, bringing sweet and savory to a whole new level. I ordered my muffin warmed, which I think is the best way, as the Caramelicious sauce melts in your mouth when you eat it.
The muffin is very sweet due to the Caramelicious sauce, but it isn’t so sweet that eating it makes it unenjoyable, like the Dunkin’ Donuts Pumpkin Donut. I do wish there was a different treat offered, as eating the same single pastry gets old quickly. The Pumpkin Caramelicious muffin gets a 9/10 in my book.
@scooterscoffee via Instagram
In the end, these are just my feelings on fall flavors. Maybe you enjoy the crunch of the pepitas, or maybe cream cheese frosting sounds horrendous to you. Whatever it may be, there are tons of choices for pumpkin-flavored treats. If none of these interest you, you can even try baking your own!