25 Pumpkin Spice Foods You Should Stay Far Away From

Sprouts Organic Pumpkin Spice Kale Chips ($5) sound like they were dreamed up by buzzword-happy food scientists, and the flavor isn't too far off. Kale chips shouldn't be sweet, much less pumpkin-spiced; we'll leave it at that.

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At two percent fat vs. nonfat, we hoped that Yoplait Greek Pumpkin Cheesecake wouldn't be chalky, but alas, it is. Add to that two more sins (it's too sweet and woefully artificial in flavor), and you have a yogurt that we just can't even begin to recommend.

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With vanilla bean and cinnamon on the packet of Wrigley's Extra Pumpkin Spice ($1), we thought we were in for an innocuous-flavored gum, but a few chews in, we forcefully spit this stuff out. It's horrifically sucralose sweet with just a hint of cinnamon flavor. Though not the worst thing we've ever tried, it's pretty darn close.

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Yoplait Light Pumpkin Pie just barely edges out its Greek sister because it (surprisingly) is a bit creamier. That said, it has the same problems flavor-wise; we couldn't get through more than one bite.

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No; just no. Pinnacle Pumpkin Pie Vodka ($15) tastes exactly as you imagine, which is to say: cloyingly sweet and artificial. It might make for a good gag gift, but beyond that, we just can't recommend its purchase.

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Despite picking up a fresh box of Nature's Path Pumpkin-N-Spice Chewy Granola Bars ($4) (and also checking the expiration date), these bars taste like rancid nuts and stale rice puffs. Do not, for the sake of your taste buds, go there.

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We unabashedly love tooth-achingly sweet, waxy classic candy corn (and Brach's version in particular), but Brach's Pumpkin Spice Candy Corn ($3) is a flop. The spices are far too assertive; paired with candy corn's waxy texture, candle comparisons are easy to make.

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For $11, we expect a lot better than Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company Pumpkin Pie Truffles. They taste like you put a red hot in the middle of a chocolate truffle. The intense cinnamon flavor overpowers everything else.

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Ciao Bella Pumpkin Sea Salt Caramel ($7) had the potential to be so good, yet it let us down in a major way. First off, the caramel is all on the bottom. Womp womp. As for pumpkin, the company earns one point for using real pumpkin bits but minus three for it tasting really grainy and squash-like. Plus, the ice cream itself is icy as if it's freezer burned.

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Angelino's Coffee Pumpkin Spice ($6 for 12 pods) tastes like regular, black coffee without any discernible pumpkin spice aroma or flavor.

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Cloyingly sweet with an odd banana-y note and a fake nutmeg flavor, Dannon Oikos Pumpkin Pie ($1) is one to skip.

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While Kimberley's Bakeshoppe Two-Bite Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes ($4) are undeniably adorable, there's not much else we can say to recommend them.

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If you're dying to try pumpkin spice candy corn, Gold Emblem Pumpkin Spice Candy Corn is a better option than Brach's. That said, it's painfully sweet, it lacks candy corn's honeyed note, and the only discernible spice is cinnamon.

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We've had delicious, inexpensive pumpkin ice cream, and Trader Joe's Pumpkin Ice Cream ($4) is not it. It's way too sweet and all spice but nothing nice. The funny, slippery texture doesn't help either.

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Waxy in texture and potpourri-like in flavor, everything about these Hershey's Kisses Pumpkin Spice ($3) made us grimace. Stick to original Kisses if you know what's good for you.

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As kefir fans, we really wanted to like Lifeway Kefir Pumpkin Spice ($5 for a four-pack) but were put off by its unpalatably sour flavor, which just didn't jibe with the mild dose of spices.

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Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company Milk Chocolate Pumpkin Pie Bark ($14) is way too sweet and cinnamony, and the chocolate isn't as snappy as it ought to be.

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We had high hopes for Engine 2 Apple Pumpkin Granola ($5) but were puzzled by its lack of flavor — cardboard-like was the best we could come up with. While the granola doesn't taste bad per se, it also doesn't really taste like anything.

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If you've never had Joe's Joe-Joe's, Trader Joe's take on Oreos, what are you waiting for? The pumpkin flavor, on the other hand, is something you can skip out on. Similar to the Mango Joe-Joe's, these have a bit of an unpleasant aftertaste. While the orange filling gets props for being made with actual pumpkin puree, it doesn't quite make for a cookie we want to keep snacking on.

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Peeps are extremely polarizing: you either love or hate them. Some of our tasters couldn't wait to try these PSL-inspired Peeps, while others grimaced and stayed as far away as possible. Ultimately, the artificial flavor of the coffee-like Peeps with a white chocolate coating isn't enjoyable enough to keep us going back for more. "I want to like this, but I truly just don't understand it," one reviewer wrote.

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If you're into sweet salad dressing like bottled raspberry vinaigrette or Italian, you might enjoy Ready Pac Pumpkin Spice Bistro Bowl ($4), which boasts not only a sweet pumpkin spice dressing but also a generous amount of dried fruit. Points for creativity, but we just couldn't get into it.

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In a sea of delicious pumpkin spice yogurts, 365 Organic Pumpkin Spice Low Fat Yogurt ($1) leaves a lot to be desired. The vanilla yogurt itself is gummy, and we struggled to find the "pumpkin spice" component.

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We really wanted to like Sprouts Toasted Pumpkin Loops ($3) — how good does a pumpkin spice take on Cheerios sound? — but they fell short of our expectations. While the crunchy texture and malty whole-grain base were on point, the pumpkin spice flavor reminded us of a candle or air freshener.

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While we applaud the creativity of Boulder Canyon Pumpkin Pie Kettle Cooked Potato Chips, after one bite, it's clear why most chip manufacturers stick to pumpkin spice flavoring instead of going fully for it with a pumpkin pie flavor. These were simply way too sweet.
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Sadly, Third Street Festivus Chai ($5) is full of sugar and spice but isn't so nice. While not out-and-out offensive, we wish it tasted more like tea, as a bit of bitterness would round out the flavor nicely.

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