If you ask Spirit Halloween or Starbucks, fall is officially here and has been since roughly August 1. But am I the only one losing my mind over the fact that PSL season now starts squarely in the summertime? Hello?! Can we please enjoy this beautiful in-between period, when the sun is still shining and you can leave the house without a hoodie? Yes, the fall flavor overload is upon us, but rather than jump straight into pumpkin-spice-this and apple-cider-that, why not ease into the season with some desserts that perfectly bridge the gap between summer and fall.
- Straus Organic Dutch Chocolate Ice Cream
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Straus Organic Dutch Chocolate ice cream tastes like hot chocolate, but it’s…not hot. In fact, it’s freezing cold, which makes it perfect for those weeks between Labor Day and Halloween, when you want some cold weather flavors but it’s still hot as hell outside. Back-to-school time is always pretty nostalgic and this ice cream is nostalgic, too. Sporked editor-in-chief Justine Sterling said it reminds her of late summer days at the county fair. It’s also the best chocolate ice cream we tried in two separate taste tests, so you kind of can’t go wrong.
Read the full ranking of the best chocolate ice cream
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch
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Yes, cereal counts as dessert. And a cereal with a distinct wintery sort of spice? The perfect summer-to-fall dessert. Listen, I know I don’t have to sell you on Cinnamon Toast Crunch, one of the greatest cereals in a stacked cereal aisle, but I will anyway. In short, it’s perfect. It’s crispy-crunchy, sugary, perfectly spiced, and, best of all, it turns your regular ol’ milk (or alternative milk) into delicious Cinnamilk. If ice cream sounds like too much after a big meal, a nice, cool bowl of CTC will hit the spot. Trust us. We are cereal-for-dessert experts.
Read the full ranking of Cinnamon Toast Crunch dupes
- Mint Oreos
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Much like Sporked senior writer Jordan Myrick, I’ve never thought of a cookie as “refreshing,” but that’s the perfect way to describe Mint Oreos. Mint is a winter flavor, but Oreos dunked in milk are perfect for late summer evenings, when you can almost (almost) start to feel autumn setting in. I especially urge you to grab these on your next trip to the store if you’re a Thin Mint guy but don’t want to wait until Spring for the Girl Scouts to come a’knocking. Follow up dinner with a couple (or an entire sleeve) of these.
Read the full ranking of the best Oreo flavors
- Bob’s Red Mill Cranberry Almond Homestyle Granola
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You might see a granola made with cranberries and cinnamon and instantly file this away as a fall food, but just think of the possibilities here. Yeah, you can pile this Bob’s Red Mill granola atop a nice, cool bowl of yogurt for a quick, summery breakfast, but you can also turn this into a summery dessert bursting with fall flaves by pairing this with a nice, cold bowl of vanilla ice cream. This granola also has toasty coconut and earthy pepitas that add to the summery vibes, even if the weather is cooling down.
Read the full ranking of the best granola
- Cinnabon CinnaSweet Swirls
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If you’re a person who needs to “shift into cinnamon roll mode,” I feel for you. I could never. I’m like the Hulk, but instead of staying angry, I stay ready to devour warm, gooey, cinnamon rolls at a moment’s notice. I will, though, still advocate for cinnamon roll training wheels for those who need them. Cinnabon CinnaSweet Swirls are perfect when you aren’t quite ready to dive face first into a two-pound cinnamon roll. These things taste exactly like Cinnabon cinnamon rolls, but they’re a manageable size and you don’t have to brave the mall during back-to-school season. The perfect summer-to-fall dessert.
Read the full ranking of the best Cinnabon products
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!