Fall Snack Taste Test: Part 3

I’m back with an additional Fall Snack Taste Test! This one might be my favorite because it includes a fall staple; warm and spicy drinks! Since coffee drinks can be pretty expensive, I made it a goal this year to try to experiment at making more drinks at home. This way I was able to have a lot more festive drinks, but at a much better price than going out. Nothing is better than snuggling up in a cozy sweater, with a blanket, an autumnal candle lit, and with a warm cup of tea or coffee (a dog curled up next to you is also a plus!).

Cooper using my Pygmy Puff stuffed animal as a pillow.

Archer Farms Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate: When I initially spotted this Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate at Target I passed on it. On a return trip, I saw that it was on sale, so I decided to give it a try. I do think chocolate and pumpkin make a good mix (see these muffins that I make every year, including a few weeks ago when I made them in mini muffin form!), but have never had those spices in a hot chocolate. I thought it may be a bit similar to a spicy hot chocolate, but was pretty disappointed with the flavor during my first taste because it really tasted like plain hot chocolate. Because it is instructed to be made with milk (hot water with hot chocolate just never tastes great to me), it is still pretty tasty hot chocolate, just not very “pumpkin spice” flavored. After a few days, I tried making it into a frozen hot chocolate (I combined the packet with milk, ice, a dash of pumpkin creamer, some cinnamon, and a dash of nutmeg), which seemed more successful. In frozen form the flavors seemed to come out more and I was able to recognize a pumpkin spice flavor. When I tried making it in hot form again, I added some more of my own cinnamon and nutmeg to the mixture, which did help. Overall though, it just didn’t deliver on the flavor, which made it seem like a waste of money.

Twinings Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea: I’m a big chai tea fan, and drink it most days. I often get stomachaches if I do drink coffee, so I tend to stick with teas or tea lattes over coffee drinks. This pumpkin spice chai tea is just a nice tea to have around because it has great spicy flavor and is so warming. After letting a tea bag brew in a cup with hot water, I usually finish it off with a packet of Truvia sweetener and a dash of pumpkin spice creamer (which is pretty useful to have to put just a tiny bit more flavor and creaminess in all fall drinks) or dash of milk. If you do like fall teas, I highly recommend Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend tea, which is my favorite and I have picked it up the last few years.

David Rio Red Panda Pumpkin Latte Mix: Speaking of Trader Joe’s, they also have a powder pumpkin spice chai latte mix, which is pretty good at an affordable price. This David Rio latte mix was the fall item I was most excited to buy though, because I have had my eye on this brand to try for a while (I found these at Cost Plus World Market). I first tried it with hot water, and wasn’t overly thrilled. The pumpkin spices aren’t hugely present or vibrant, but the concoction does make a light and creamy latte. Because of its smoothness when stirred, this mix seems more quality than some powdered lattes I have tried over the years. I find very little powdery gunk at the bottom of my glass when I finish drinking it, which makes it a more pleasant experience. Since that first time making it with water, I have been making these lattes with 1% milk, but have also tried mixing half milk and half of the Twinings Pumpkin Chai Tea that I just talked about. The tea adds an extra bit of flavor, and with a dash of pumpkin creamer, it really is a very yummy drink! This was the most expensive item on all three taste tests, at a cost of $7.99 for 14 oz, but did find out it was on sale when I purchased it. Even full price though, I do think it is worth it because just two small drinks at Starbucks or another coffee shop can cost more than that. The container says that there are 14 servings, which I would definitely agree I am on track with so far. Overall this has been my favorite and most used fall treat that I have purchased. 

Great Value Pumpkin Spice Cappuccino: This was actually the first fall item I picked up this year, when I found it in early August at Walmart. I already said I’m not a big coffee fan, but was intrigued to see that it was a cappuccino instead of the typical pumpkin spice latte. Like the previous few drinks I discussed, this is just okay made with water. Since these are in cups for a Keurig machine though, it has to be made with water. So to make it better, I do a small or medium size cup setting on the Keurig, and then add some milk and pumpkin creamer to it. This just helps it taste more creamy and less watery. I am actually pretty fond of this cappuccino mix, because I really didn’t have much faith in it. It has a deeper taste then I thought it would, almost a brown sugar pumpkin mix, but it is a great flavor. For a little over $6 for 18 single serve cups, this was a good deal.

Quaker Pumpkin Spice Instant Oatmeal: I have tried pumpkin oatmeal before, but didn’t find it overly thrilling. I actually do eat a lot of oatmeal, since it is a great way to get filled up as well as  eat up fruits, so I decided to try another brand. I found this to be good, but nothing amazing. This flavor could be pretty easily recreated better using plain oatmeal and adding pumpkin puree and spices from home, but pumpkin spice flavor does work well in oatmeal. I played around with some toppings, and liked it best made with hot water, with a bit of milk or almond milk stirred in, and topped with diced apple, dried cranberries, a drizzle of honey, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Pumpkin Spice Cheerios: These Cheerios were one of the things I was most excited to try after reading about some of the new pumpkin spice items coming out this year. Since I enjoyed the Pumpkin Spice Mini Wheats in my first Fall Snack Taste Test, I figured it would be fun to try other cereals as well. It took a few weeks to finally find it, but when I did I bought two boxes. The boxes are quite large too, which I found to be a plus, since I was instantly very fond of these. According to the box, the cereal is a mix of oats, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. It seems like the pumpkin spice is a coating on the cereal, which creates a bit of shine and texture on each piece. I think the flavor in these are quite successful, and just like Honey Nut Cheerios (my go-to cereal), this cereal leaves the milk very yummy and full of flavor!

Pumpkin Spice Life: These aren’t anything too different or unique, and I do prefer the Cheerios when I compare the two, but these have a pleasant flavor that I can’t really find a fault in. When I was younger I really liked Life cereal, but haven’t had it too much over the years. I do like that the flavor is baked in, instead of sprinkled on top. I personally don’t really like when cinnamon or spices are over cereals, which then all falls off into the milk. These physically don’t look different from regular Life cereal, but the flavor is present and I wouldn’t hesitate to buy these again.

Archer Farms Pumpkin Spice Granola: I actually went back to Target to pick up another bag of the Archer Farms Apple Cider Granola from my previous Fall Snack Taste Test, but was dissappointed to find that they were sold out. Instead, they had another granola I had not seen during my last visit, pumpkin spice! This granola has a spice blend, dried pumpkin, and pumpkin seeds inside it, creating a really proper pumpkin mix. I especially like the addition of the pumpkin seeds, which add even more crunchiness. While I do prefer the apple cider granola more because of its fruitiness and versatility, I think this is a good granola that has a lot of flavor and add a great crunch to whatever you add it to (I have been eating it with plain yogurt, diced apple, a drizzle of honey, and dash of nutmeg).

There are so many fall snacks out there now, these taste tests could go on for many more parts. I think I will be able to put together one more this season though, because I have already picked up a Special K Pumpkin Spice cereal and have my eyes on a few more items. Stayed tuned and check out my previous two taste tests here and here.