This month, Oreo’s Pumpkin Spice flavor returns for the first time in five years. No need to check your calendar, yes, we’re still in the throes of summer, but clearly a lot of people are loving it because every year the pumpkin spice products hit store shelves earlier and earlier. It’s like Christmas for nutmeg enthusiasts. In a few years, don’t be surprised if you see people rolling up to the Fourth of July barbecue with a six-pack of pumpkin ale and a pack of Pumpkin Oreos.
For the record, we’re not in support of pumpkin spice flavors when it’s still over 80 (or 90, or 100) degrees outside, but new Oreo flavors are never a bad thing. While it’s rare that a new flavor can top the classic creme and chocolate combination, we’re more than happy to let Oreo try. Oreo’s endless quest to top itself has already given us gems like Mint, Golden, and the rare Peanut Butter and Chocolate Oreos. Those flavors are all great snacks and they come pretty close to that top spot. Which raises the obvious question, how will the Pumpkin Spice stack up?
With Pumpkin Spice Oreos set to hit store shelves nationwide on August 15th, we were able to acquire a pack early to see whether they’re worth hunting down. Read on for our verdict.
Pumpkin Spice Oreos
Suggested Retail Price: $4.79
These cookies taste way better than I expected them to. As someone who loves pumpkin pie but generally dislikes other pumpkin spice-flavored foods, I was expecting these to be overly perfumed and way too heavy on the spices. But this cookie is shockingly subtle and balanced. Built on a Golden Oreo, the creme is laid on thick — think Double-Stuffed amount — and features a nice balance of ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon that pairs really well with the vanilla-flavored cookie.
Because the cookie is a double-stuffed, I wouldn’t recommend splitting the cookie and eating half at a time — unless you want to throw off the balance and be left with one half of an almost flavorless cookie (and you wouldn’t want that, WOULD YOU?!).
All together, the Pumpkin Spice Oreo manages to provide a slice of pumpkin pie in cookie form. All the spices are there and the mouthfeel of the Golden Oreo actually approximates the texture of pie crust pretty well.
Still, I couldn’t help but feel like something was missing. Every good piece of pumpkin pie needs some whipped cream. Unfortunately, it’s f*cking August so I don’t have whipped cream on hand, because I am not living in the Varsity Blues Universe. But I do still have a few pints of E-40’s ice cream which I reviewed a few months back.
Once I put a spoonful of vanilla on this cookie I elevated it tenfold. Suddenly the cookie had the rich, sweet, and creamy quality that it was missing, elevating the vanilla notes and truly matching the magic of a slice of pumpkin pie. Vanilla was what I had on hand, but I can imagine a more exciting flavor of ice cream wouldn’t do a disservice to the experience, so if you manage to pick up a pack of these, we encourage you to go experiment! Go wild, man! They’re your Oreos now.
The Bottom Line:
On its own, it’s good. Not as tasty as an original Oreo but it’s definitely worth the pickup while supplies last. For a truly next-level experience though, eat it with a spoonful of ice cream.