As everyone knows, pumpkin spice is the flavor of fall. It permeates all our foods, regardless of whether or not it should. So we at HCWM decided to get together and try all the random pumpkin spice flavored things — the good, the bad, and the ugly — that we could find. And of course, we wrote an article about it. Below are all our opinions, unfiltered, on a myriad of pumpkin spice foods.
Chobani Greek Yogurt Flip, “Pumpkin Harvest Crisp”
In all honesty, this wasn’t as bad as we all expected it to be. It also wasn’t super good, but it was surprisingly edible.
- “I’d eat a couple spoonfuls but I couldn’t eat a whole container” -Sarah
- “The yogurt is really just a vehicle for the crunchiness of the toppings” -Abby
- “I don’t know why I keep eating it, but I do” -All of us
- “The greek yogurt flavor is stronger than the pumpkin, the most you get is like the smell and some cinammon” -Dana
Final rate: 4/10
Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Tortilla Chips
Since these were from Trader Joe’s, we had a lot of confidence in them. Ultimately, they did not disappoint — the tortilla flavor is much stronger than the pumpkin, the pumpkin is only kind of like a late aftertaste. So they’re pretty much like regular chips, and we would probably eat them again.
- “I’d actually have a bowl of these as a snack” -Staci
- “They’d probably be alright with salsa” -Kirsten
Final rate: 7/10
Pumpkin Spice Oreos
These were extremely sugary…but pretty good. We were pleasantly surprised, and really into them. They do have a strong pumpkin spice smell, which is odd. But, despite being labeled pumpkin spice, they aren’t actually very pumpkin-y at all, which works in their favor.
- “It smells like a candle” -Sarah
- “It is the color of actual pumpkin, which is reassuring” -Staci and Abby
- “Sort of tastes like candy corn” -Kirsten and Dana
- “Sort of tastes like a dunkaroo. Not like oreo or pumpkin, but it’s not bad” -Abby
Final rate: 8/10
Pumpkin Spice Dairy Whipped Topping
This was absolutely as awful as it sounds. It was so oily, and left a bad aftertaste. We were happy it was not bright orange, but it was so chemical-y and terrible that we could barely stomach it. Blech.
- “You can taste the heavy cream” -Jenna
- “It smells like super-vanilla-y perfume you would buy at limited too” -Phoebe
- “It doesn’t really taste like pumpkin, but it tastes bad” -Everyone
Final rate: 1/10 (we had to give it a point for not being neon orange as we had feared)
Little Bites Pumpkin Muffins
They were not good, but they were okay. The flavor of pumpkin was really strong in these, which was not great and not awful. They were solidly mediocre. However, we also tried them right after the horrible whipped topping, so we might have just been relieved to get that taste out of our mouths.
- “It’s like a poor man’s pumpkin bread” – Sarah
- “They taste like a craft store smells” – Abby
- “They’re more bitter than I was expecting” -Phoebe
Final rate: 3/10
Homemade Pumpkin Dip with Ginger Snaps
This was like a deconstructed pumpkin pie, and it was really good. Probably because it had limited exposure to pumpkin chemicals, it also seemed pretty authentic pumpkin spice.
- “You can taste the pumpkin, which is a positive” -Phoebe
- “Like the yogurt but more pie-like” -Abby
Final rate: 9/10
Tastykake Pumpkin Spice Mini Donuts
These alright. However, they were not pumpkin spice flavored at all, instead they are basically just really strong cinammon donuts with an orange interior.
- “It’s just a glorified powdered donut” -Staci
- “They are more orange inside than expected” -Abby
Final rate: 6/10
Pumpkin Spice Candy Corn
Oh god. This was so bad, it is the reason pumpkin spice should be avoided. Never eat these.
- “The texture is wrong” – Abby
- “This is so weird” -Everyone
- “It tastes like cinammon gum left in your car for too long” – Phoebe
- “I just got the chills” – Jenna
Final rate: 1/10
Honestly, there were some hits and misses in this bunch. But the fact that nothing was absolutely horrific (and no one threw up from even the grossest things) is really a testament to the diversity of the modern pumpkin spice market. Nevertheless, go in with low expectations…and eat at your own risk.