The Wildest Pumpkin Spice Foods In History

When fall rolls around, among the things we look forward to is the annual arrival of pumpkin-spice lattes. And with the popularity of pumpkin-spice lattes comes the rise of pumpkin-spice-infused everything, from pastries to candles to cough drops and even (we're not making this up) cat litter. Some of these were clearly better ideas than others, and from this comes two important lessons: Pumpkin spice is much more versatile than you might think. But not that versatile –- just because you can put it in something doesn't always mean you should.

To understand the pumpkin spice craze, we first have to understand what pumpkin spice is. Oddly enough, pumpkin spice doesn't even contain any pumpkin. Rather, it's the blend of the spices traditionally used to flavor pumpkin pie and other autumnal treats, and it typically includes cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, among other spices. (Starbucks' original version of its famed Pumpkin Spice Latte didn't contain any pumpkin either.) Thus, there's no reason pumpkin spice must be limited to pumpkin dishes. Here are some of the most surprising foods that feature it.

At first glance, pumpkin spice and Gouda sound like a mixture from hell. The traditional Dutch cheese Gouda is nutty, buttery, and above all, savory. And we associate pumpkin pie spice with sweets such as pumpkin bread and those ubiquitous lattes you can make at home with canned pumpkin puree. The very idea of pumpkin spice Gouda gives the impression of a seasonal marketing campaign gone sideways.

But if we look at the situation with an open mind, the combination seems like it might make sense. Pumpkin spice itself has no sugar in it -– it's just a mixture of warm spices such as cinnamon and cloves, which make regular appearances in savory dishes such as curries and pickle brines. In addition, cheesemakers have long flavored Gouda with warm spices such as cumin. Thus, given this context, the idea of putting pumpkin spice in Gouda sounds pretty reasonable. So is pumpkin spice Gouda any good? Reviewers on Reddit gave it mixed reviews, with one reviewer calling it "pretty yummy" and another calling it an "interesting premise, but it tasted wrong."

Successful chefs know good cooking is all about context. Diners at a high-end farm-to-table restaurant may accept the idea of an experimental cheese flavored with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg. But diners diving into a Kraft mac and cheese dinner are looking for familiarity and comfort, not surprises. Thus, adding pumpkin spice to the mix misses the point entirely. And adding not only pumpkin spice but also sugar to the seasoning packet, as Kraft does, is just plain baffling.

What makes the product even stranger is its presentation. Kraft didn't just add a sprinkle of pumpkin spice to its regular formula. Instead, it went all in and made the meal into a pumpkin spice latte tribute, even providing a faux venti-sized takeout coffee cup to serve the macaroni in. And reviews were definitely mixed, ranging from "pretty good" to "just wrong." Your chances of encountering this oddity in the wild, however, are pretty much nonexistent: Kraft released a limited-edition run of 1,000 packages of its pumpkin spice mac and cheese in 2020 and hasn't repeated the experiment. So if you really want to eat spiced mac and cheese out of a coffee cup, you'll have to find a way to make it yourself.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to hummus. One honors hummus as a classic dish of the Middle East that must always be served the traditional way, with one of a handful of savory flavorings. The other sees pureed chickpeas as blank canvas for any flavor, including sweet flavors such as chocolate. This camp sees sweet hummus as a smart dietary hack, an easy, cholesterol-free way to satisfy a sweet tooth while getting a good dose of protein.

With the popularity of both dessert hummus and pumpkin spice flavoring, it's no surprise that manufacturers such as Trader Joe's took the idea of pumpkin spice hummus and ran with it. So how is it? From the store's description, it sounds a bit like a cross between hummus and pumpkin pie filling. It starts with the standard pureed chickpea base, but it switches out the tahini for pumpkin puree, which gives it a pretty orange hue. Pumpkin spice and sugar complete the flavor profile. Reviews were clearly mixed. "I don't like hummus, and I don't even like a lot of pumpkin flavored things. But let me say, this hummus is really delicious," one Redditor said. Others couldn't get past the very concept of the stuff. "My ancestors are rolling around in their graves," another Redditor said. In short, if you're okay with the idea of a sweet hummus, pumpkin spice hummus can be a fun, healthy-ish snack or fall dessert, especially with cookies as dippers. If you're not open to the combination, pumpkin spice hummus is a hate crime in a resealable container.

The most obvious fact about pumpkin spice Spam is it's not for everyone. Whether or not it works for you has less to do with your fondness for pumpkin spice than your tolerance for Spam, already one of America's most polarizing foods. While beloved throughout the Pacific Rim, the infamous canned pork loaf is the stuff of nightmares for many who associate the rectangular meat with poverty meals or military rations.

Given Spam's longtime reputation as a utilitarian emergency food, the idea of embellishing it with pumpkin spice seems like a clear case of putting lipstick on a (pureed, salted, and canned) pig. However, sweet spices such as nutmeg and cloves are common partners to pork. For instance, they appear in the traditional glazes for ham as well as in some sausage recipes. So if you're at peace with Spam, you can think of the pumpkin spice version as a bit like a sweet breakfast sausage. Hormel, the manufacturer of Spam, released a limited-edition pumpkin spice Spam in 2019 and suggested serving it with waffles. Daily Meal's honest review of pumpkin spice Spam deemed it not bad. If you've always hated Spam, the pumpkin spice version is unlikely to change your mind. And if you grew up with Spam and keep it around for use in Asian dishes, stick to the original -– trust us, pumpkin-spice kimchi stew should never be a thing.

Bourbon aficionados frequently describe their favorite pours in terms of fall flavors such as maple, cinnamon, and apples. And bourbon is a common ingredient in cozy fall desserts such as bread pudding and pecan pie. So it's no surprise that multiple manufacturers independently landed on the idea of pumpkin spice bourbon.

If you're a serious bourbon connoisseur, you might not think it's for you. After all, it sounds like the exactly the kind of drink designed to appeal to undergrads with fake IDs. But even unserious foods and drinks can be executed well, and some pumpkin spice bourbons and whiskeys have gotten solid reviews. "I'm a man who likes his whiskey and bourbon, I also enjoy pumpkin flavored bread, coffee, etc. Bird Dog nailed it with the pumpkin spice whiskey," an online reviewer wrote about one brand. If you're a casual bourbon drinker who usually enjoys the whiskey in mixed drinks, it could be fun to have around for your next Halloween get-together –- it would make a nice addition to a fall punch or Halloween-themed old fashioned.

Pumpkin spice tamales may sound like a fever dream of a desperate chef fighting for relevance: Seriously, do we need to put pumpkin spice in everything? But dig a bit deeper into Mexican culinary history, and the idea of pumpkin spice tamales actually makes a strange kind of sense.

First, not all tamales are meaty and savory. Sweet tamales (filled with ingredients such as pineapple or dulce de leche) have a long history in Mexican cuisine, and they are often served alongside their savory counterparts at holiday celebrations. (If you have a hard time imagining sweet tamales, think of a sweet corn pudding or corn muffin, but in tamale form.) Pumpkins are native to Mexico and often appear in Mexican sweets, and cinnamon is a longtime favorite flavoring in Mexican desserts as well. It's unclear when modern pumpkin spice tamales were invented, but it's certainly possible that Mexican cooks made sweet tamales with pumpkin or cinnamon long before pumpkin spice or pumpkin spiced lattes existed. If you're curious to try a pumpkin spice tamale, your best bet is a specialty tamale purveyor or a friend who's an ambitious home cook -– or if you're such a cook, surprise your friends by making a batch yourself.

While pumpkin spice isn't sweet itself, it's a go-to flavoring in fall desserts. As soon as the school year starts and the leaves start to turn, many home bakers check their pantries to ensure that bottle of pumpkin spice from last year is still fresh. This is also when commercial producers bring out their seasonal pumpkin spice goodies, most of which are sweets. It seems that every imaginable commercial sweet, from Oreos to Pop-Tarts, has gotten the pumpkin spice treatment.

Among the less-expected pumpkin spice treats are marshmallows. In 2011, Kraft introduced a pumpkin spice version of its Jet-Puffed Marshmallows. Unlike the standard puffy white version, the pumpkin spice version is tan (the color of a caramel candies), with the individual marshmallows cut into pumpkin shapes rather than the usual fat cylinders. They're clearly intended to be eaten out of hand rather than incorporated into s'mores or Rice Krispie treats (thought these could be interesting experiments). And the reviews are pretty solid –- if you enjoy snacking on marshmallows and enjoy pumpkin spice, you'll like these. If you don't, you won't.

Spiced nuts are a favorite offering at fall and winter gatherings. Fall is when nuts mature and are ready for harvest, so it's a great time to enjoy them at their freshest. Spiced nuts are also an ideal party treat because they're fast and easy to make at home and endlessly customizable: They can take on a range of flavor profiles, from sweet cinnamon-spiced mixed nuts to spicy rosemary-roasted nuts.

But as the holiday season revs up, even the most experienced party hosts can get overwhelmed. That's when it's time to step out of the kitchen and trust others to provide your treats. One option to consider is pumpkin spiced almonds. Numerous manufacturers, including Planters, make them, so they should be reasonably easy to find. And the Planters version is pretty much what it sounds like: whole, roasted almonds dusted with a mixture of sugar, salt, spices, and actual pumpkin. The flavor was pretty much what one would expect from these ingredients too: one reviewer described them as "like munching on crunchy pumpkin pie cupcakes." Another reviewer agreed, saying, "Everyone in my family liked them!" So if you enjoy pumpkin spice and sweetened nuts, this might be fun to try.