Introduction

You can't miss it— during Autumn pumpkin spice is everywhere, from lattes and cookies to candles. But have you ever wondered what exactly is behind this trendy flavour and how it all began?

In our blog post, we will uncover pumpkin spice origins, how it's changed over time, its unique flavour profile, and even some handy pairing tips.

If you are a food or drink start-up or SME and are thinking about adding pumpkin spice to your food or drinks FMCG, it's important to know what's in it, the blend of spices involved, and yes, whether there's actually any pumpkin in it!

What is Pumpkin spice?

Pumpkin spice has become incredibly popular in autumn, especially with the launch of the famous Starbuck's pumpkin spice latte. 

Originally, pumpkin spice refers to the blend of spices that is put into the pumpkin pie recipe which is deeply engraved in the US culture, especially around autumn and Thanksgiving.

The famous pumpkin pie spice blend dates back from the 18th century and evolved over time, with the availability of spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.

Around 1930, spice manufacturing companies like Thompson & Taylor and McCormick came up with a Pumpkin Pie Spice, a pre-blended mix that meant bakers could buy one spice instead of several.

But it was in 2003, when Starbucks launched their pumpkin spice latte - the PSL - that pumpkin spice became incredibly popular.

The funny thing is the Starbucks pumpkin spice latte didn’t have any pumpkin until 2015. As one again, the pumpkin spice refers to the blend of spice used in a pumpkin pie.

The rumour has it that customers were so upset that their favourite drink didn’t actually contain pumpkin that Starbucks decided to add it to the drink.

Even today, this creates a big debate: does pumpkin spice should or shouldn’t have pumpkin in?

There are actually hundreds of recipes for the pumpkin spice blend, including spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and sometimes allspice.

Today, you can even find pumpkin spice in almost everything, from hummus, muffins, beers to candles, soap and lotions.

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Pumpkin spice Flavour profile

To be able to assess pumpkin spice flavour profile, I bought some pumpkin spice blends to make actual pumpkin pies.

I have also tried some market products flavoured with pumpkin spice such as Joe & Seph’s gourmet popcorn, Califia farms cold brew and products from Starbucks including the famous pumpkin spice latte.

To be honest I thought it will be similar to a speculoos or chai spice blend but actually I never had a blend of spices with so much nutmeg.

Most of the products I tried have a strong focus on cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger with a touch of clove in the background. Most of them were quite subtle and warm with some slight woody notes but nothing overpowering or harsh.

If you are working on a pumpkin spice recipe, I would advise you to use pumpkin puree and find a pumpkin spice blend or flavouring separately.

As the pumpkin is just here to bring sweetness, colour, texture and bring little to the flavours except some vegetable notes. Most of the pumpkin spice flavouring will not contain pumpkin anyway.

🛒 Market products tried:
✅ Starbucks pumpkin spice smoothie 
✅ Starbucks pumpkin spice latte
✅ Starbucks pumpkin spice cookie
✅ Joe & Seph’s pumpkin spice gourmet popcorn
✅ Califia farms pumpkin spice cold brew
✅ Fundamental supplies Ltd Pumpkin pie spice mix in a homemade pumpkin pie 
✅ BWFO pumpkin spice in a homemade pumpkin pie   
✅ Pumpkin pie recipe used

Pumpkin spice flavour pairing

Pumpkin spice can be paired with:

Conclusion

Now that you're becoming familiar with the pumpkin spice flavour profile and its possible pairing, you are ready for your next food or drink product development and tastings.

You'll be able to create the pumpkin spice flavour profile that perfectly fits your food or drink products. We are looking forward to seeing your next creations!

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References

BBC News, Why are we so obsessed with pumpkin spice? 2024, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm293nnzjy9o#:~:text=Starbucks%20is%20credited%20with%20starting,scored%20high%20on%20%22uniqueness%22. 

Starbucks, PSL turns 20: The story behind Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, 2023, https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2023/psl-turns-20-the-story-behind-starbucks-pumpkin-spice-latte/ 

CNN business, How did we get pumpkin spice everything? 2024, https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/31/business/how-did-we-get-pumpkin-spice-everything/index.html 

BBC Bitesize, Pumpkin spice: How did it all begin? 2023, https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zr37d6f 

Food & Wine, The Surprising History of Pumpkin Spice, 2021, https://www.foodandwine.com/lifestyle/pumpkin-spice-history 

Fortune, How clever marketing turned pumpkin spice into an autumn sensation, 2024, https://fortune.com/2024/10/15/pumpkin-spice-history-marketing-fall/