KANSAS CITY — Companies are debuting limited edition fall flavors as summer nears its end and both pumpkin and pumpkin spice are the dominating themes in the baked foods category. From cereal to cookies to bars, a combination of pumpkin and pumpkin spice flavoring — which generally is accepted as a blend of pumpkin and pumpkin pie flavors — is finding its way into every snacking occasion.
General Mills, Inc. has introduced pumpkin spice Cheerios to its cereal portfolio, made using a blend of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices. The company also has expanded the portfolio of its Pillsbury brand, launching Pillsbury Pumpkin Grands! and Pillsbury pumpkin cookie dough with cream cheese flavored chunks. The Pillsbury Pumpkin Grands! resemble the original Pillsbury Grands!, with the addition of pumpkin spice icing to accompany five ready-to-bake cinnamon rolls.
RXBAR, a subsidiary of the Kellogg Co., is debuting a seasonal pumpkin spice flavored bar that contains 12 grams of protein per serving. Also in the bar category, Nature’s Bakery, a brand of Kind Snacks — which is a subsidiary of Mars, Inc. — is debuting pumpkin spice fig bars.
Tate’s Bake Shop has introduced pumpkin spice cookies featuring creamy white chocolate chips and Voortman Cookies is releasing two fall-inspired wafers: pumpkin spice and s’mores. Entenmann’s is expanding its Little Bites portfolio with the addition of Little Bites pumpkin muffins.
Vegan food brand Daiya is joining the pumpkin spice surge with its all-new gluten-free and dairy-free pumpkin spice flavored “cheezecake.” Joining forces, Dunkin’ and Campbell Soup Co.’s Goldfish brand are collaborating on Goldfish Dunkin’ Pumpkin Spice Grahams.
This inaugural group of snacks, most of them released the end of August or beginning of September, marks the commencement of fall flavors in the baked foods category, which will no doubt continue to grow as cool weather settles in.