The Powerful, Pleasing Pull of Pumpkin

CHICAGO — It’s October and pumpkin spice is in the air.

Convenience stores are rolling out pumpkin-themed coffees and treats, but they’re not alone as other outlets join the seasonal parade.

Coffees, muffins, doughnuts, yogurts, creamers and, yes, gluten-free bars, all have a seasonal tie-in.

Click through to see what’s out there …

EG America, Westborough, Mass., has brought back its beloved pumpkin spice lineup of coffees and pastries to celebrate the start of fall. The products are now available at locations nationwide for a limited time.

EG America’s family of more than 1,700 stores includes Certified Oil, Cumberland Farms, Fastrac, Kwik Shop, Loaf ‘n Jug, Minit Mart, Quik Stop, Tom Thumb, and Turkey Hill.

The seasonal favorite pumpkin spice coffee is a blend of subtle spices for a delicious combination of flavors. It’s available in hot or iced coffee and cappuccinos. Also, at Cumberland Farms and Fastrac locations only (excluding Florida), customers can purchase apple cider donuts or pumpkin muffins now through the end of October.

“Our Pumpkin Spice coffee and fall pastries have been a seasonal staple for several years,” said George Fournier, president of EG America. “We are excited to bring them back for guests to enjoy on the go, whether stopping by for a cup of coffee or a quick bite to eat.”

7-Eleven’s Pumpkin Spice Latte is nearly 20 years old, and the c-store retailer is offering lovers of all things fall two limited-edition pumpkin-flavored coffee drinks this season: a Fall Pumpkin Coffee or the OG Pumpkin Spice Latte.

“Pumpkin Spice is one of our most popular flavored hot beverages each year,” said Marissa Jarratt, Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven's senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “This fan-favorite drink is so much more than your typical beverage. The Pumpkin Spice Latte is filled with fond memories for our customers of a crisp fall night, a first date at a pumpkin patch, or even a family bonfire in matching flannel shirts. We’re delighted to continue and fuel our customers’ love for the Pumpkin Spice Latte.”

7-Eleven is also offering cream cheese-filled pumpkin spice muffins or 7-Select fall-flavored items, including pumpkin cheesecake, caramel apple snack pies, or pumpkin spice, double chocolate, and s'mores deluxe sandwich cookies.

Its LTO Pumpkin Pack came and went in a week in late September, but all Tim Hortons U.S. restaurants feature a pumpkin spice lineup for fall:

• Pumpkin Spice Latte: A creamy espresso-based beverage served either hot or cold with pumpkin spice syrup, topped with fluffy whipped cream and pumpkin spice syrup drizzle.
• Pumpkin Spice Iced Capp: A cold sweet and spicy beverage made with pumpkin spice syrup and topped with whipped cream and pumpkin spice syrup drizzle.
• Pumpkin Spice Muffin: A pumpkin spice flavored muffin filled with a rich, creamy filling.
• Pumpkin Spice Timbits: Sweet pumpkin spice flavored cake doughnut holes with a glazed exterior.
• Pumpkin Spice Glazed Donut: A pumpkin spice flavored cake ring doughnut coated with a sugary sweet glaze.
• Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew: Combines the flavors of Tim Hortons’ pumpkin spice syrup with its cold brew, topped off with a sweet, creamy cold foam and an extra syrup swirl.

Red Diamond Coffee & Tea, Birmingham, Ala., is again offering its seasonal favorite, Pumpkin Harvest, which the company said “brings forth images of firesides, color changing leaves and the distinctive smell of freshly baked pumpkin pie. The beautiful, smooth, medium-bodied coffee layered in a rich blend of pumpkin, clove, cinnamon and nutmeg will be a fall customer go-to.”

Red Diamond also is expanding its seasonal LTO flavors with a brand-new Chocolate Hazelnut coffee to help foodservice and c-store operators celebrate flavors of the holiday season. The dark, full-bodied and smooth French roast stands as the base for this LTO, which mixes Swiss chocolate and the rich flavor of hazelnut.

 The coffee flavors are available in 2.5-ounce fractional packs.

“We take our seasonal LTOs very seriously as they create huge opportunities for our customers to secure incremental sales,” said Emily Wood Bowron, vice president of strategic marketing at Red Diamond Coffee & Tea. “Our R&D team is constantly experimenting with trending flavors and spends months crafting perfect blend and flavor combinations. We’re excited to help operators drive meaningful traffic to their establishments with these special seasonal blends.”

On shelves for a limited time, returning seasonal flavors from Oui by Minneapolis-based Yoplait include Apple Pie and Pumpkin Caramel and a new Coconut Dairy Free Pumpkin Caramel, Oui’s first dairy-free option offered through its seasonal flavor line.

Flavored with real spices, the fall flavors, each sold individually, are available at retailers nationwide with a suggested retail price of $1.49 for the core products and $1.99 for the dairy-free option.

Hank’s Gourmet Beverages, the Philadelphia-based, third-generation family business, is responding to customer and retailer input with a new packaging scheme for its two popular fall seasonal flavors.

Hank’s limited-edition seasonals, Pumpkin Spice and Caramel Apple Cream, are in markets coast to coast.

“This year has historically been our strongest, with especially brisk pre-orders for our two seasonal flavors that have nearly quadrupled 2020’s actual sales,” said Tony Salvatore, partner and chief customer officer of Hank’s Gourmet Beverages. “Our customers, from supermarkets and bakeries to eateries and farm stands, have been clamoring for us to release these in 4-pack cartons, so they could build the high-impact displays that have become a holiday tradition and merchandising mainstay.  We’ve answered their call with unique and breakthrough for-the-category designs that we think both catch the eye and communicate the outstanding quality of these handcrafted, delicious flavors.”

Elmhurst 1925, Elma, N.Y., maker of simple and nutritious plant-based nut and grain milks, has introduced a seasonal OatNog and plant-based creamers in Pumpkin Spice and Caramel Macchiato for the holiday season.

All three varieties offer a creamy, dairy-free alternative to spice up any holiday beverage, the company said.

Elmhurst’s dairy-free OatNog is made with a creamy blend of cashew milk, oat milk and warm spices. It has just six ingredients and no cholesterol or saturated fat. Elmhurst’s new Pumpkin Spice and Caramel Macchiato creamers join the brand’s already popular core Oat Creamers, available in unsweetened, hazelnut, French vanilla and chai spice. The creamers have 1 gram of sugar and 20 calories or less. Additional product information includes:

• OatNog: SRP $6.99 for 32 ounces
• Pumpkin Spice Oat Creamer: SRP $5.99 for 16 ounces
• Caramel Macchiato Oat Creamer: SRP $5.99 for 16 ounces

Like all Elmhurst products, the new OatNog and seasonal creamer varieties are crafted through the HydroRelease method. Using just water, this process separates the components of a nut, grain or seed before reassembling them as a creamy, beverage-ready emulsion, maintaining the full nutrition of the source ingredient without added gums or emulsifiers, the company said. This zero-waste process upcycles any waste into renewable energy and is powered by 100% renewable hydroelectric power to drive sustainability.

Returning for its second year on shelves, SToK Pumpkin is a straight-up take on pumpkin-flavored cold brew that puts coffee at the forefront with a toasty signature spice blend for a bold, not-too-sweet pumpkin flavor.

Available nationwide, the SRP is $4.99 per 48-ounce bottle.

Chicago-based Blake’s, maker of allergy-friendly snacks, recently launched Pumpkin Spice Rice Crispy Treats, the first LTO in its most recent product line: sweet, indulgent, 90-calorie Rice Crispy Treats.

This pumpkin treat features sweet cinnamon, clove and ginger with the creamy, gooey texture of Rice Crispy Treats. It’s gluten-free, allergy-friendly and made with real pumpkin seeds. This flavor brings cozy fall vibes to the Rice Crispy Line, which was introduced in January 2021.

Pumpkin Spice joins birthday cake, chocolate chip and strawberry.

“Pumpkin Spice is everything we love about the start of the fall season, without any risk of allergens,” CEO and founder Blake Sorensen said. “This better-for-you take on a sweet, nostalgic flavor can be safely enjoyed by anyone.

Each Rice Crispy Treat is made with pumpkin seeds, flax seeds and sunflower seeds to create a better-for-you, craveable crunch.

New York-based Gigantic! makes this candy bar with plant-based caramel, crunchy pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice, then smothered in dark chocolate.

It’s vegan, gluten-free, and has only 7 grams of sugar.