Fall is officially here, which means pumpkin spice is popping up in food and beverages everywhere. Questioning whether the phenomena of pumpkin spice has been carried too far, I decided to taste test a couple foods and see for myself.

EggNog: Before drinking a small sip, I sniffed the eggnog and it smelled like normal eggnog. The taste was not much different. Where is the pumpkin? A variety of spices could be detected but I couldn’t distinguish a pumpkin flavor which was a disappointment, especially being a regular eggnog drinker during the holiday seasons. The beverage tasted like simple eggnog with some extra spices thrown in. Not so happy with Lucerne’s “Pumpkin Spice” Eggnog.

Pumpkin Bagels: This breakfast treat surprised me with it’s taste. I expected an overwhelming amount of pumpkin but after a few bites, the amount of spice and flavor was subtle and satisfying. After lightly toasting it, the bagel texture turned soft and warm. There are little tidbits of creamy pumpkin hidden throughout the bread. I would have liked to taste more pumpkin but overall, I enjoyed the combination of spices. The bagel would taste delicious topped with butter, cream cheese or pumpkin butter. Good job, Thomas’ Bagels.

Pumpkin Spice Oreos: With Nabisco’s colorful packaging, I expected an Oreo that tasted of pumpkin. But, right after ripping open the package I became very hesitant of eating a cookie. The color didn’t look right, or appetizing. The image on the container shows a golden cookie with glowing orange filling. Underneath the pretty packaging sits a brownish looking Oreo with suspicious pumpkin creme sandwiched in between. Biting into a the cookie, I could only taste vanilla. There was no taste of pumpkin spice at all. I tried the filling by itself and could only vaguely taste some pumpkin and cinnamon. Eating the whole thing isn’t a good idea because the pumpkin gets lost in the vanilla cookie taste. The whole flavor was a little underwhelming. Personally, I would stick to original Oreos.

Pumpkin Pancakes: These pancakes delicious when made from scratch. This is by far one of my favorite seasonal recipes to cook. Wonderfully fluffy with just the right amount of pumpkin, all pumpkin lovers must try this breakfast treat. Syrup isn’t even needed on top because they’re so good by themselves. It’s like eating dessert for breakfast. To try the recipe, click the link below.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/17036/pumpkin-pancakes/

Pumpkin Ice Cream: This tastes just like pumpkin pie in the form of ice cream and is one of my favorite pumpkin flavors. Many local ice cream parlors, frozen yogurt parlors, and grocery stores sell pumpkin ice cream and frozen yogurt during the seasonal holidays. Buy some at Cold Stone Creamery, TCBY, or a local parlor in the community. Local shops tend to carry more unique flavors. The treat tastes just like pumpkin pie filling and can satisfy any fall flavor craving. Add extra toppings such as pie crust, graham cracker, caramel sauce, and more.