Fallen leaves and shorter days signaled the new cosy season, which began with pumpkin spice appearing earlier each year. Merriam-Webster added it to the dictionary, calling it "a mixture of usually cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and often allspice that is commonly used in pumpkin pie." Originally a US phenomenon, pumpkin spice has taken the world by storm.
Yet not every product with the label has delivered the sweet and spicy success we anticipate. We’ve sampled a slew of limited-edition pumpkin spice drinks and foodstuffs on the market, with the last word from our on-site chef and devoted pumpkin spice evangelist, Features.
Starbucks: Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino
Why else would you use a drink like this to try and reinvent your whole world? Of course, the ultimate classic remains the thick, creamy Starbucks Frappuccino, which despite the 'basic girl' stigma still holds its place. In taste alone, the drink resembles pie—perhaps due to the scary 37.8g of sugar you quaff per tall Starbucks; however, they also claim to include real pumpkin in their Frappuccino, according to the Starbucks Allergen book.
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Starbucks: Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
The Frappuccino’s older, more sensible sister caters to anyone who can handle a more grown-up flavour while still enjoying that beloved pumpkin sweetness. That creamy, cold brew finish delivers your necessary coffee hit along with plenty of sugary, pie-like sweetness on top - and let’s be real, we all appreciate that sweet, photo-friendly boost to enhance our beverage experience! It definitely contains a smaller hit of sugar with 11g, but it doesn’t quite match the classic appeal of your go-to Frappuccino.
Starbucks: Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino
As I dip into the familiar fluffy Starbucks whipped cream, I find this stuff to be magical; it never curdles and offers a subtle marshmallowy sweet-ish flavor – plus a bit of a caffeine hit and a very good balance of all-spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg; it’s truly a pure guilty pleasure. The moreishness makes it too indulgent for some people (me included).
Bird & Blend: Spiced Pumpkin Pie Tea
It’s really refreshing in a country that goes bonkers for tea when someone offers us something other than the builders’ tea equivalent as an alternative to coffee, which still presents those flavours that, while not particularly innovative, remain incredibly popular and accessible.
Bird & Blend has truly got it all sussed out with their delightful Pumpkin Spice Tea, a carefully crafted blend of Sri Lankan black tea, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, carrot, and vanilla pieces, plus (we just love it for the novelty) adorable little pumpkin and bat sprinkles. Because who wouldn’t want to enjoy something that feels adult-like yet has no qualms whatsoever about tapping into our inner child?
Bird & Blend: Pumpkin Spice Tea Latte
Spice things up and create a delicious Pumpkin Spice Tea Latte from home using Bird & Blend’s special blend! To make it, add two teaspoons of the Spiced Pumpkin Pie Tea into 300ml of hot water and steep it for no longer than 4 minutes (to prevent bitterness).
While it brews, stir two teaspoons of honey into your favourite dairy or non-dairy milk, then heat it up and froth it until it's nice and creamy. Pour the frothy milk onto your tea, grate a little nutmeg or cinnamon on top, snuggle up under a cozy blanket (like I did) and relish this delightful pumpkin-spiced creation that you could easily enjoy all day long.
Starbucks: Pumpkin Spice Latte
As soon as the weather turns too chilly for enjoying a frapp and you can’t shake the sense of autumn looming, this delightful beverage is the one you should order. You can opt to order it iced, but honestly, who wants to dilute this delicious nectar with ice? It offers a sweet (not cloying) mix with nicely rounded pumpkin pie notes that are beautifully complemented with the requisite nutmeg, cardamom, and cinnamon elements. The silken quality of this drink evokes the comforting feeling of a warm hug from a loved one.
Greggs: Pumpkin Spice Latte
As soon as I heard that our favourite people's shop – the British – was trying to create a budget version of the pumpkin spice latte, I nearly jumped for joy. And at just 2.20 a cup, I would have been rude not to indulge. But, my friends, my joy quickly faded. After I took the first sip, it became clear that they had made an abysmal attempt.
For all intents and purposes, they serve just a plain latte with some stale spice sprinkled on top, paired with a cheap supermarket cream topping that fails to mask the bitterness of the latte. You still consume all the sugary calories (28g in a standard latte), but you just don’t enjoy all the good times. Greggs, you really need to return to what you do best.
Conclusion
Pumpkin spice started as an American thing, but now it is absolutely everywhere. Starbucks still rules the scene with its super-sweet, pie-flavored Frappuccino and the classic warm latte, though their Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew is a solid pick if you want less sugar. If you don't drink coffee, Bird & Blend makes a really fun black tea blend with little pumpkin sprinkles. But beware of the cheap knock-offs.
The budget version from Greggs is pretty terrible—it just tastes like bitter coffee with cheap whipped cream and stale spices thrown on top. Basically, the pumpkin spice craze isn't going away anytime soon, but you definitely get what you pay for.
FAQ
Q: Is there real pumpkin in the Starbucks Frappuccino?
A: Surprisingly, yes. The Starbucks allergen guide says they use actual pumpkin in the mix. Just watch out for the sugar, since a small size has a massive 37.8 grams of it.
Q: Can you make a pumpkin spice latte with tea instead of coffee?
A: Easily. Just brew some Bird & Blend pumpkin tea for four minutes. While that sits, stir a bit of honey into warm, frothy milk, pour it over the tea, and finish it with a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg.
Q: Is the £2.20 Greggs version actually any good?
A: Save your money. It might be cheap, but it completely misses the mark. It honestly just tastes like a plain, bitter latte with bad supermarket cream and no real flavor.