Little Debbie always purveys fall-themed treats. Besides its usual desserts, which simply have fall-themed sprinkles, frosting, or packaging (yawn), for years, it has had Pumpkin Delights cookies and Pumpkin Spice Rolls.
This year, there’s another pumpkin spice option: Oatmeal Creme Pies!
Oatmeal Creme Pies, in my opinion, are one of Debbie’s top snacks. Maybe even the top snack. So it’s kind of surprising it took this long to happen.
When I bite into these cookies, there is so much of the familiar Oatmeal Creme Pie: the chewy, toothsome, oaty cookies, combined with the nondescript creme filling that provides a satisfying textural contrast.
But with this variety, there’s an added bonus: These taste like fall!
There is a generic spiciness, the kind that appears in various fall treats. It’s subtle, so you don’t feel like you’re eating a candle, but it’s definitely a different flavor than ordinary Oatmeal Creme Pies. As far as I can tell, the spices are in the cookie, not the filling.
Despite the orange-colored filling, there is no pumpkin involved in these cookies. I must admit I find it annoying when companies label something as “pumpkin spice” when there’s no pumpkin involved. Might as well call it “zucchini spice” or “carrot spice.”
I’m really happy that Oatmeal Creme Pies have finally been pumpkin spice-ified (despite the lack of actual pumpkin), and I hope Little Debbie makes additional seasonal flavors for the classic cookie sandwich.
Purchased Price: $3.16
Size: 8-count box
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cookie) 170 calories, 7 grams of total fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 1.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 2 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of total carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 13 grams of sugar including 13 grams of added sugar, and 1 gram of protein.
These Oatmeal Cream pies are a childhood favorite. When it comes to calling these “Pumpkin Spice”, they’re not wrong, that’s literally the name of the spice blend that they use.
This is actually a common misconception pumpkin spice is short for “pumpkin pie spice”. It does not contain actual pumpkin but is rather the spices added to pumpkin pie to make it taste good as pumpkin doesn’t really have a taste. According to Wikipedia, “it is generally a blend of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and sometimes allspice.”
I know that “pumpkin spice” refers to the spices. My issue is that some pumpkin spice products include pumpkin, and some do not. Even among products that are just “pumpkin spice,” there is no consensus about what, exactly, that is. Cinnamon and nutmeg are pretty common, but beyond that, it can include anything. Cloves? Ginger? Allspice? Mace? “Pumpkin spice” is a generic spice mix that is similar (and sometimes identical) to that found in zucchini bread, apple pie, carrot cake, gingerbread, eggnog, and spice cake generally. Why call it pumpkin if there’s no pumpkin?
Agree with the review. These are pretty good. I also didn’t think the cream itself had much flavor beyond generic “sweet” but the pumpkin spice flavor comes thru when you taking normal bites, not picking out just the cream or just the cookie. I normally load up on the Pumpkin Delights during the season but I’ll definitely be adding these to my cookie roster for Fall.
Oh. After more than 15 years in the grocery business, I thought I was over pumpkin spice. In fact, I thought I was over it about 10 years ago, lol. But this damn thing got me thinking that I need to find out for myself just how good they are.
Do they taste like they have cloves in them or not? I hate the taste of cloves and avoid them. I looked up the ingredients and don’t see what spices are in there.
I didn’t specifically notice clove in the taste, but I’m also not especially sensitive to it, so I wasn’t looking for it.
Pumpkin Spice is like Duck Sauce or Eel Sauce: it GOES ON pumpkin, it does NOT contain pumpkin.