15 Foods That Prove the Pumpkin Spice Obsession Has Gone Too Far
Pumpkin spice season once meant a few cozy fall flavors. Now it’s a full-blown marketing frenzy. What started with coffee and pastries has stretched into cereals, chips, and even pasta sauce. Each year, new products appear that make you wonder who actually asked for them. These 15 items prove the pumpkin spice trend has gone too far.
Pumpkin Spice Salmon
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Fish and cinnamon usually don’t share a plate, but someone decided to coat raw salmon fillets in pumpkin spice seasoning. A photo of this combo made the rounds on social media and baffled the internet. It looks like a trend-chasing idea that never found its audience.
Pumpkin Spice Latte Burger
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Yes, a burger made with pumpkin spice and coffee glaze exists. According to Gothamist, it included mascarpone cheese, Kabocha squash tempura, and a garlic aioli. These are all stacked on a beef patty. The idea might’ve been to mix fall flavors into a gourmet twist, but the execution leaned more stunt than substance.
Pumpkin Spice Protein Powder
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Orgain released a pumpkin spice protein shake mix that ended up being surprisingly drinkable—at least according to Taste of Home. While that’s impressive for a supplement, the idea still feels excessive. Seasonal nostalgia in a post-workout beverage is an odd fit, and nobody asked their gym routine to smell like a bakery.
Pumpkin Spice Fish Bait
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Even fish have been dragged into the trend. A company actually released bait scented with pumpkin spice, claiming it might lure curious catches. Whether fish care about cinnamon and nutmeg is anyone’s guess, but the product is real. The packaging looks surprisingly professional, which makes it even funnier that someone tried this.
Pumpkin Spice Cottage Cheese
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Taste testers at Taste of Home said it struck a balance between sweet and salty, with a strong flavor overall. Still, cottage cheese was never meant to double as dessert. Its texture already splits opinions, and mixing in cinnamon and clove only makes it harder to convince anyone new to try it.
Pumpkin Spice Water
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Flavored waters usually lean toward citrus or berry flavors. So when a photo surfaced of clear pumpkin spice water, it stirred confusion. The product promised all the autumn taste without the calories, which is nice in theory, but probably better left as a candle.
Pumpkin Spice Spam
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Hormel once released a limited-edition pumpkin spice version of Spam that sold out within hours. The seasonal meat was flavored with clove, allspice, and cinnamon, meant to pair with breakfast dishes. It wasn’t a joke either; people really used it in waffles and fried rice. Despite the hype, it stayed a one-time experiment
Pumpkin Spice Hummus
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Taste of Home testers described it as slightly sweet and creamy, with enough pumpkin to notice. It still lives in that awkward space between dessert and dip. Hummus usually skews savory, so this version can’t decide if it belongs next to pita chips or sugar cookies.
Pumpkin Spice Pringles
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Pringles has never been shy about experimenting with flavors, and pumpkin spice was one of its boldest attempts. First released in 2012, the chips mixed sweetness and cinnamon with the classic potato crunch. The result confused more than it delighted, proving that not every snack is meant to taste like dessert.
Pumpkin Spice Twinkies
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Hostess gave its classic snack cake a seasonal makeover with a spiced filling. Some described the result as too sugary, others thought it was nostalgic in a strange way. Still, the overwhelming sweetness made it hard to tell if the pumpkin was even there.
Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows
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Reviewers said the pumpkin spice flavor barely came through, more aroma than taste. The texture only made things stranger. Marshmallows usually work because vanilla or chocolate evens them out, but replacing that with cinnamon sugar left them oddly flat—even melted into hot chocolate.
Pumpkin Spice Caramel Candy
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Bixby’s pumpkin caramels managed to ruin both the caramel and the pumpkin. According to MassLive, the flavor leaned heavily toward nutmeg and left an unpleasant aftertaste. Even the chocolate coating couldn’t save it. Fans of either walked away disappointed.
Pumpkin Spice Goldfish Grahams
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Pepperidge Farm teamed up with Dunkin’ to launch limited-edition pumpkin spice Goldfish. The graham crackers were shaped like fish but tasted more like sugar-dusted cereal. It sold well during the fall, but long-term fans of either snack might not miss it once it’s gone.
Pumpkin Spice Mac and Cheese
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In 2020, Kraft ran a limited release of pumpkin spice mac and cheese in Canada. The box included a seasoning packet with cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice meant to mix into the cheese powder. It was part of a fall promotion, and reviews were split between “surprisingly okay” and “deeply confusing.”
Pumpkin Spice Pizzelles
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Reko’s pumpkin spice pizzelles looked delicate and crisp—an Italian cookie turned autumnal. They carried a light pumpkin flavor, though Taste of Home reviewers felt they needed something extra, like whipped cream or ice cream, to feel complete. On their own, they didn’t quite justify their seasonal label.