The Weirdest Pumpkin Spice Foods Ever

Pumpkin spice season is in full swing – and so far this year, it’s felt pretty tame. Yeah, we’ve had some nice twists on snacks, like Flipz and Dunkin’s pumpkin spice pretzels, but other than that, it’s mainly been the same old thing: Creamers, baked goods, pies, all that jazz. Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. The pumpkin spice fatigue sets in deeper every year, to the point that we wonder when it’s gonna be over for good (I don’t think that will ever happen, to be honest), and a bit of a pullback from more outrageous products is probably a good thing. 

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Having said that, though…I love it when brands get weird. So, with that in mind, here’s a rundown of the weirdest pumpkin spice foods that, in my humble opinion, have ever been created. You can absolutely have too much of a good thing. 

Pumpkin Spice Spam

We didn’t need this. And yet, we got it. Back in 2019, Hormel decided to release Pumpkin Spice Spam on an unsuspecting world, which mixed its pork and ham blend with spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. The decision to make Pumpkin Spice Spam was actually prompted by a moment from a few years prior, when a fake mockup of a Spam can flavored with pumpkin spice went viral on socials. Never one to miss an opportunity, Hormel jumped on it…and this was the result. 

The biggest surprise when it came to this Spam was that it wasn’t as bad as everyone thought it would be. The pumpkin flavors were apparently pretty subtle, and the warming spices used made it weirdly suitable for breakfast sandwiches. As you’d expect, though, this gimmick never came back after 2019.

Pumpkin Spice Mac & Cheese

It’s easy to forget this one ever existed: Kraft came out with its Pumpkin Spice Mac and Cheese in late 2020, when everyone was a little preoccupied by the once-in-a-generation pandemic that was still in full force. Despite that, though, its Pumpkin Spice Mac and Cheese still managed to make a splash, thanks to its sheer weirdness. Kraft never sold this item in stores: Instead, it was a strictly limited giveaway, designed to get people talking. 

Get people talking it certainly did – and not in a good way. “No, no, no,” said writer JP Karwacki, who reviewed the dish for TimeOut Montreal. “It tasted like someone pranked me by dumping sugar in my dinner.” Karwacki then went on to slate the product, saying it was “cloyingly sweet,” and that Kraft should never have attempted to mess with its mac and cheese in the first place. 

Pumpkin Spiked Seltzer

Oh, boy. I guess this one technically wasn’t a pumpkin spice product…but most things flavored with pumpkin tend to lean toward that flavor profile, and this Trader Joe’s drink featured cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg; the holy trinity of pumpkin spice. 

Anyway, apparently, it was awful. This seltzer dropped in 2021, and customers almost immediately hated it, with some people saying that it tasted like air freshener. It was never really meant to be a vital new entry into the flavor canon, we don’t think – but I’m pretty sure TJ’s could have stuck the landing a bit more.