Pumpkin spice season is upon us!

Is it me or “pumpkin spice season” getting earlier and earlier each year? It used to be that pumpkin spice products would suddenly show up sometime in September as soon as the the temperatures started to shift ever so slightly. This year, I distinctly remember seeing pumpkin spice products reemerge at places like Dunkin in mid-August. (Thankfully they offer iced varieties of their pumpkin spice lattes because the temperatures in my area in late August were scorching to say the least.)

While Dunkin and Starbucks seem to be the unofficial pumpkin spice leaders since about 2003, so many other companies have followed suit. Today, pumpkin spice season is truly a cultural phenomenon. You can’t walk into any grocery store or drug store without being bombarded with pumpkin spice products or signage.

You can find pumpkin spice everything in these stores from pumpkin cookies, candies, cakes, coffees, cereals, breads, english muffins, teas, coffee creamers, ice creams, candles to even dog treats! We have become a nation obsessed with pumpkin spice products, at least for a few months of the year!

All pumpkin spice products are not the same

The truth of the matter is that most pumpkin spice products are downright unhealthy. The sugar content in most pumpkin-flavored products is off the chain! In fact, the sugar content in a Dunkin Frozen Pumpkin Swirl is 181 grams of sugar. You would need to more than a dozen donuts to match that sugar content. That’s insane!

Meanwhile, the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte (Grande or 16 fluid ounces) has 52 grams of sugar, which is also astounding. You are way better off making your pumpkin spice coffees at home; here is a quick and easy pumpkin spice cold brew recipe that will save you on the sugar and calories.

If you absolutely need to order at least one pumpkin spice drink for the season, no judgement here. There are some tips and tricks out there on the old Internet that can help you order less sugar intense pumpkin spice drinks from your favorite coffee shops. Here are some tips for ordering a lower calorie, lower sugar pumpkin beverage at Starbucks.

Beyond these infamous Dunkin and Starbucks pumpkin spice drinks, most of the other pumpkin spice products available in supermarkets and other stores are flooded with sugar, inflammatory seed oils or other unhealthy ingredients. Don’t fret, there are always some diamonds in the rough, though, which makes it easier for all of us who want to participate in pumpkin spice season without any guilt. Here are some healthier 2023 pumpkin spice finds:

1. Nut Pods Pumpkin Spice Almond & Coconut Creamer

Since pumpkin spice season seemed to start with Starbucks and Dunkin, I thought it would be most appropriate to start with a coffee-related product. Sure, this time a year, you can find a ton of pumpkin-flavored coffee creamers in supermarkets, but most have high sugar content and other garbage ingredients.

That is where Nutpods come in. They offer this seasonal pumpkin spice flavored plant-based creamer that is high on taste but low in sugar. In fact, this creamer is unsweetened and has zero grams of sugar in each container. And, unlike most other grocery store coffee creamers, this Nutpods creamer is dairy-free, non-GMO, soy-free, carrageenan-free, keto friendly and paleo friendly. It’s an easy way to make a guilt-free pumpkin spice latte or cold brew at home.

The Nutpods Pumpkin Spice Creamer can be found at stores like Whole Foods, Albertsons, Safeway, Giant, HEB, Ralphs, Publix, Lowes, Sprouts, Wegmans, World Market and many others. Or you can order three-packs directly from the Nutpods website to keep your pantry stocked up with pumpkin goodness for the entire season! Even easier, you can order this Nutpods Pumpkin Spice Creamer at Amazon.

2. REBBL Protein Spiced Pumpkin Pie

Just in time for pumpkin spice season 2023, the popular plant-powered drink company, REBBL, decided to rebrand their packaging and introduce a few new delicious drinks, including the seasonal Spiced Pumpkin Pie protein drink.

I have been a fan of REBBL drinks and elixirs for many years, including their delicious adaptogen, coffee and protein drinks. So, I knew that this spiced pumpkin pie protein drink would likely not disappoint. And, I was right. The flavor of this drink is pumpkin pie perfection and the ingredients are top notch. Unlike most pumpkin products in the markets, this protein drink is made with real pumpkin as well as cinnamon, ginger, clove and nutmeg, which makes the flavor delightful and will likely give you enough of a Fall feeling to want to cozy up in a sweater and whip out your scarves.

Each spiced pumpkin pie bottle packs a respectable protein punch (16 grams to be exact), is sweetened with coconut sugar (which has a much lower glycemic index than regular sugar) and includes those buzzy adaptogens like maca, ashwaganda and reishi for added health benefits.

This REBBL Spiced Pumpkin Pie Protein drink is not as easy to find in stores, at least by me. However, the product seems to be stocked up at Whole Foods and other local health food stores.

3. MUSH Pumpkin Pie Ready to Eat Oats – Limited Edition

If you are a fan of overnight oats or oatmeal but are not a fan of the sugar, the MUSH Ready to Eat Oats might be something to add to your shopping list. I actually discovered the MUSH Pumpkin Pie flavored oats variety last Fall, and I think it might be one of my all-time favorite pumpkin-flavored products and definitely my favorite MUSH flavor.

In case you are not familiar with MUSH, they came out with ready to eat oats several years ago that are much healthier than traditional oatmeal. Unlike most oat products, you can find MUSH in your store’s refrigerated cases instead of the cereal aisle. All MUSH oats are plant-based, protein rich, gluten free, dairy free, artificial flavor & color free, preservative free, filler free and have less than 8 natural ingredients.

Although you may have a hard time finding the MUSH pumpkin pie variety (Near me, it is available at Whole Foods and Wegmans), you should definitely stock up if you do find it! It literally tastes like pumpkin pie in a cup. And it only has 7 simple ingredients: almond milk, pumpkin puree, rolled oats, dates, cinnamon, sea salt and nutmeg.

4. Simple Mills Almond Flour Pumpkin Pancake & Waffle Mix

Nothing says Fall like a hearty, warm breakfast like pancakes or waffles. While I don’t eat pancakes often, I am always on the hunt for high-quality, tasty and gluten-free pancake mixes.

Simple Mills offers some the cleanest and easiest to make pancake and waffle mixes on the market. And they have also jumped onboard and joined the many products catering to Fall flavor palates by offering a pumpkin flavored mix. It is a must try!

Like their other mixes, the Simple Mills pumpkin flavored mix is made with nutrient-dense ingredients, including real pumpkin, almond flour and arrowroot. The mix is sweetened with coconut sugar (6 grams of sugar per serving) and is gluten free, dairy free, grain free, corn free and non-GMO project verified.

Beyond the excellent, clean ingredients, the pancakes taste delicious! (I have never tried to make waffles but I am sure they will be equally good.) I sprinkle a bit of pumpkin spice seasoning on the pancakes and serve them with a touch of natural maple syrup.

While this Simple Mills Pumpkin Pancake & Waffle Mix might be a bit harder to find in stores, it looks like it is in stock at Whole Foods or you may order it via the Simple Mills website or even Amazon. If pancakes are not your thing, Simple Mills also sells a delicious pumpkin bread & muffin mix that seems to be available in more stores than the pancake and waffle mix like Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, ShopRite, Wegmans, Publix, etc.

While this pancake mix is delicious, if you want to make delicious pumpkin spice pancakes from scratch and have the extra time, check out this recipe.

5. Honey Mama’s Pumpkin Spice Cocoa Truffle Bar

No list should ever be complete without a chocolate entry. And here it is! In past blog posts, I have raved about Honey Mama’s chocolate truffle bars. In my opinion, there is really no better “healthy” chocolate bars out there. The bars are rich, beyond delicious and are made with the cleanest ingredients available (and no refined sugar!). While these bars are not something I recommend consuming everyday, they make a great once-in-a-while treat to satisfy both your chocolate and pumpkin spice cravings.

Needless to say, I was so excited when Honey Mama’s opted to join the pumpkin spice trend. I even wrote about this Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Cocoa Truffle Bar last fall. This chocolate is so good, it is worth another mention, though. This amazing chocolate strikes just the right balance with the pumpkin spices and velvety rich cocoa truffle. The ingredients are almost all organic and feature organic sprouted pumpkin seeds, raw organic honey, organic spices and organic alkalized cocoa powder, among a few others.

While limited, you can find these bars in stores like Whole Foods, Fred Meyer and local health stores. Fear not if you can’t locate these bars in stores, you can also order them directly from the Honey Mama’s website for a limited time in 4-packs or 12-packs. If pumpkin spice is not your thing (and I just found out that my friend since childhood is averse to pumpkin pie spice – who knew?), Honey Mama’s sells a whole bunch of other varieties that are worth a try!

Well, these are my top healthy finds for pumpkin spice season 2023! I look forward to enjoying these items for a few more months and look forward to the slew of new pumpkin spice products that I’m sure will be introduced in 2024!