Fall has quickly turned into pumpkin-lovers heaven. From pumpkin bread to pumpkin spice scented candles, we are bombarded with everything pumpkin this time of year. Being a pumpkin-lover myself, right when the leaves started turning and apple-picking season began, I hit up all the grocery stores in search of the best pumpkin-flavored foods.
While I love baked goods and pancakes, nothing beats a good cereal. To be honest, I am lazy, especially during the school year. So, when I manage to get myself out of bed, I go for the easiest (and, arguably, most delicious) breakfast item: cereal.
To be honest, I have had my fair share of pumpkin flavored food items, but I have never tried pumpkin flavored cereals before. I know, shocker. I believe it is never too late to get on the pumpkin cereal bandwagon, so here are my opinions on the latest pumpkin-flavored cereals:
The Breakdown
1. Trader Joe's Pumpkin Os
Basically a Trader Joe's version of Cheerios, however, I think that the Os are a bit fatter. I definitely tasted the pumpkin, but I was thrown off by the crunchiness of the Os. I couldn't tell if they were stale or not, even though I had just bought them yesterday. Nonetheless, I do appreciate the sweetness and cinnamon spice flavor throughout. The pumpkin flavor got a little bit lost when combined with milk, but the Os absorbed the milk well and did not get too soggy.
My rating:
Pumpkin spice-ness: 7/10
Texture: 4/10
Overall: 5/10
Naturally, after trying Trader Joe's Os, I had to try the Cheerios version. From the look of them, I could already see the difference. The Cheerios were much smaller and darker in color, meaning more pumpkin spice. They had a way better texture than the Trader Os, crunchy but not overly crunchy, and a much deeper flavor. For me, they went a little overboard on the pumpkin spice-ness. However, in small doses, this is a great fall snack.
My rating:
Pumpkin spice-ness: 11/10
Texture: 8/10
Overall: 8/10
3. Pumpkin Spice Frosted Mini Wheats
When I saw these in Target, the look of them intrigued me. First off, the tops of them are orange. Bright orange. Obviously, like all frosted mini wheats, they were very sweet, which is not a bad thing when you have a sweet tooth like mine. However, the pumpkin spice flavor is subtle, so if I did not know it was pumpkin spice, I would have thought the flavor was maple brown sugar. The texture was great and the perfect vehicle to absorb milk.
My rating:
Pumpkin Spice-ness: 5/10
Texture: 10/10
Overall: 7.5/10
4. Pumpkin Spice Special K
I did not taste the pumpkin spice in the first bite, however, after a couple more, I really started to taste it. In fact, I think this has the most pumpkin spice flavor out of all of them. Who knew Special K could be so delicious? The flakes were perfectly crunchy and the sweetness was on point. PSA: DO NOT SLEEP ON SPECIAL K.
My rating:
Pumpkin Spice-ness: 10/10
Texture: 10/10
Overall: 10/10
Results
The winner for me, although surprisingly, was Pumpkin Spice Special K. I clearly tasted the nutmeg, allspice, ginger and cinnamon that goes into pumpkin spice and the crunchy texture was unbeatable. Whether you are an aspiring pumpkin connoisseur like me, or you simply want to get in the fall spirit, I highly recommend getting yourself a box of this.