Here's the seasonal fast food to find before pumpkin everything disappears from menus.
The Fall Fast-Food Items to Order, According to a Snack Expert
Updated Sep. 20, 2024
Fast-food chains like Dunkin’ and Starbucks are rushing the spooky season by introducing pumpkin treats in September. I say, life is gourd! I can’t resist the pumpkin treats that have carved their way onto menus. Here’s my pick of the patch for 2024. Don’t wait too long to order anything on our list—everything is seasonal for fall only.
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Dairy Queen Pumpkin Pie Blizzard
Blizzards are not usually a fall weather phenomenon. But Dairy Queen is offering up a scrumptious Pumpkin Pie Blizzard that I couldn’t resist. This rich and creamy dessert blends DQ soft serve with pieces of pumpkin pie and is garnished with nutmeg and whipped topping. My DQ cashier even flipped the Blizzard upside down to show that the dessert is so thick it won’t fall out of the cup. (He was tentative about it and looked a bit panicked, but nothing fell out!)
The Pumpkin Pie Blizzard was flavorful, pumpkiny and packed with pieces of what sure tasted like real pumpkin pie bits. Dairy Queen says this dessert is “fall in a cup,” and while that description’s a bit cringe, they’re… kind of right? Warning, though: Even the small Pumpkin Pie Blizzard is so rich that I couldn’t make much of a dent in it. Plan to share one with a fellow trick-or-treater.
Score: 7/10
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Jimmy John’s Pumpkin White Chocolate Cookie
Jimmy John’s isn’t the first place I think of when I think of pumpkin treats, but hey, there’s room in this patch for everybody. The sandwich chain isn’t offering a pumpkin coffee or putting pumpkin in its subs (thankfully), but it does offer a Pumpkin White Chocolate Cookie for fall. I envisioned someone at Jimmy John’s baking up these treats fresh in the back, but when I ordered the cookie, the clerk pointed to a pile of individually wrapped cookies and told me to take one.
Admittedly, though, the cookie is large, features real pumpkin flavor and doesn’t skimp on the white chocolate chips. For a mass-produced treat, the cookie was fine. Better than what’s in the very bottom of your trick-or-treat bag, at least.
Score: 6/10
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Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte
Starbucks started the whole pumpkin menu item craze with its Pumpkin Spice Latte back in 2003. These days, I tend to order the Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew when I want a pumpkin drink, but for this story, I went back to try the old-school hot PSL. No tricks, it was 100% a treat. I forgot how rich, sweet and delicious the PSL tastes! Try a few of the pumpkin lattes at other chains, and you’ll be shocked at how good the Starbucks latte is in comparison. The PSL still reigns supreme.
Score: 9.5/10
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Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
It would be embarrassing if Starbucks ever got hacked and some cybercriminal shared my order history. I don’t even want to know how many Pumpkin Cream Cold Brews I’ve ordered. Yes, even when the weather is cold out, I stick with the cold drinks. The Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew takes Starbucks cold brew coffee, sweetens it with vanilla syrup and tops it with magical pumpkin cream cold foam and a dusting of pumpkin spice. The resulting drink is heavenly!
If you’ve only had Starbucks’ standard PSL, give this a try. No one will know if you surreptitiously slip the lid off your cup and lick off the clingy clouds of pumpkin cream cold foam.
Score: 10/10
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McDonald’s Pumpkin and Creme Pie
The main thing I remember about McDonald’s dessert pies is that they used to be hotter than the surface of the sun. It’s a wonder that Gen Xers kept the top layers of our tongues. For fall, McDonald’s offers a twist on its legendary apple pie, the Pumpkin and Creme Pie, and it’s not nearly as dangerous. The pie crust is tasty, and the filling splits space between a smooth pumpkin puree and a cream cheese-style filling. No, it didn’t burn my tongue off. It wasn’t heated at all, but I bet if you microwaved one, it would be even better.
Score: 7.5/10
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Krispy Kreme Pumpkin Spice Cake Doughnut
Oh, Krispy Kreme, you disappoint me. I’m a huge fan of the chain’s original glazed doughnut in all its varieties. (Chocolate dipped! Maple topped! Dressed up to honor Barbie!) But I also love cake doughnuts, which indeed have a cakey taste and texture. Unfortunately, the Krispy Kreme Pumpkin Spice Cake Doughnut didn’t inherit good genes from either its glazed mom or its cake doughnut dad. The pumpkin taste was barely there, and the cake doughnut didn’t carry that rich, moist crumble that a cake doughnut from your local bakery would offer. Boo!
Score: 4/10
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Krispy Kreme Frozen Pumpkin Spice Latte
I didn’t love the Krispy Kreme pumpkin spice cake doughnut, but the doughnut shop made up for it with another pumpkin pleasure: the Frozen Pumpkin Spice Latte. It’s a blended frozen latte flavored with pumpkin pie sauce and topped with whipped cream, and while the nutrition info is gasp-worthy (840 calories and 110 grams of sugar if you splurge on the 20-ounce), the taste is a Halloween treat for sure. There’s no artificial sharp taste to the pumpkin, and the flavor is delicate and smooth, with a hint of coffee richness. Sure, this is really a shake, but if that’s your jam (Frappuccino lovers, I’m looking at you), this is the best way to get your pumpkin fix at Krispy Kreme.
Score: 9/10
Originally Published: September 20, 2024
