The Pumpkin Spice Recipes Your Life Needs (2024)

FAQs

What is the psychology of pumpkin spice? ›

Scarcity, flavor, and nostalgia equal obsession.

People's obsession with pumpkin spice is an intriguing psychological occurrence. The taste of pumpkin spice may be desirable due to its scarcity, as it's only available during the fall. In addition to flavor and taste, pumpkin spice can also create nostalgia.

Some think it relates way back to our colony days where pumpkins were one of the only crops the settlers could sustain and so, subconsciously, pumpkin reminds us of our roots. Others believe that the seasonal appeal of the pumpkin-flavor is what creates the allure. Either way, the pumpkin spice craze is here to stay.

Smell and Association

Two Krieger School perception researchers say a key to understanding why people love pumpkin spice is the smell of it. Those notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger trigger deeply rooted cozy memories of autumn.

So why did it take over a hundred years for the craze to take off? It can really be attributed to coffee lovers in the late 1990s when the hot new beverage of cafes became a pumpkin spice flavored coffee, and the craze spread like wildfire across America in 2003 with the introduction of Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Latte.

But the real reason we love pumpkin spice is actually caused by something happening in our brains. The truth is, we don't love pumpkin spice because of its taste, but because of its smell — and even more than that, because it's nostalgic.

It is generally a blend of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and sometimes allspice. It can also be used as a seasoning in general cooking. As of 2016, pumpkin spice consumables produce $500 million in annual sales.

Executives at Starbucks tasked product manager Peter Dukes with developing a popular fall seasonal drink, which after much tinkering and doubt (the concept actually rated low in customer survey popularity!) was honed into the pumpkin spice latte we know today and, here, our story really begins.

Pumpkin pie spice was first introduced to consumers in 1934 by McCormick. It earned the name “pumpkin spice” because it was originally intended only for use in pumpkin pie but has since been added to a variety of different recipes.

Well, you may be surprised that there is no pumpkin in the pumpkin spice flavor. According to Food and Wine, pumpkin spice is the seasoning that can flavor pumpkin pie. This seasoning blend usually consists of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves. This spice blend has been around for a very long time.

The smell drives men wild with desire, the researchers say. Combine with the scent of lavender and you might have to reach for a bucket of cold water. Hirsch said that the heady combination increased penile blood flow by an average of 40% in participants.

Is pumpkin spice a fall thing? ›

Pumpkin spice is one of the quintessential flavors of fall, inspiring pumpkin spice flavored drinks, desserts, and even dish soap. But why is America so obsessed with it? Many people may mourn the end of summer, when the weather gradually gets cooler and a new school year begins.

In 1675 the first recipe to call for the mix of pepper, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon known today as pumpkin spice was used. The four spices can also be combined with ginger and all spice depending on where you live. A company known to prepackage these spices in a handy shaker started doing so in the late 1930's.

The original pumpkin spice recipe was recorded in 1675 in Britain. It was then called 'pumpion pye'. It consisted of pepper, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

Pumpkin spice remains a highly popular seasonal flavor across various food and beverage categories. Sales of pumpkin spice-flavored products increased 47% from 2017-2022. Other emerging fall flavors—including s'mores, donut, maple and squash—are gaining traction in the U.S. market.

But it was, you guessed it, Starbucks that was first to capitalize on the brew, adding the pumpkin spice latte to its list of seasonal drinks. Peter Dukes, a Starbucks employee credited with the idea, pitched the combination in 2003, and the company has sold more than 420 million cups in the U.S. since.

Its limited nature makes the memories even more powerful. This is why pumpkin spice aromas make us feel all warm and cozy and fuzzy because those are the memory associations that get triggered in our brains every time we smell the pumpkin spice blend or something similar like a mulled wine or cider donuts.