Fall Flavor Frenzy: 5 Must-Try Pumpkin Spice Treats

 

Thanks to Starbucks and their iconic Pumpkin Spice Latte (also known as PSL), the arrival of fall is now synonymous with the warm, inviting flavors of pumpkin spice. This delightful blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves has transcended the beverage world and found its way into an array of treats and confections.

Let’s dive into some delicious ways to satisfy those PSL cravings now through November with creative pumpkin spice-inspired confections!

Photo credit: Amy’s Gourmet Apples

Pumpkin Spice Caramel Apples

Why not elevate the classic caramel apple with a pumpkin spice twist? For a limited time only, Amy’s Gourmet Apples dips a granny smith apple in caramel, before coating it in white chocolate. Lastly, the bottom is coated with graham cracker crumbs and topped off with a drizzle of orange chocolate for a seasonal spin.

Photo credit: Lore’s Chocolate

Pumpkin Seed Bark with Sea Salt

Get inspired by the flavors of fall with a pumpkin seed chocolate bark. Lore’s Chocolates sprinkles crispy, candied spiced pumpkin seeds and sea salt on top of dark chocolate. Put your own twist on this idea by adding chopped nuts, dried cranberries, or even candy corn. Your customers will love this festive treat!

Photo credit: Speckled Hen Chocolate Company

Pumpkin Spice Truffles

Craft rich, creamy pumpkin spice truffles by blending chocolate ganache with pumpkin puree and spices. RCI member Speckled Hen Chocolate Company makes a pumpkin truffle with real pumpkin, cream, butter, chocolate, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg all piped into an adorable mini chocolate pumpkin shell. 

Don’t have bite-sized pumpkin moulds? Consider rolling your pumpkin truffles in graham cracker crumbs or crushed pecans for an extra crunch.

Photo credit: Trolley Treats

Pumpkin Spice Popcorn

Add a twist to popcorn by drizzling it with white chocolate and sprinkling pumpkin spice seasoning on top. Trolley Treats adds pumpkin candies to their festive fall popcorn mix. This sweet-and-salty treat is perfect for movie nights or cozy fall gatherings. Package it in festive bags for a fun, shareable snack!

Photo credit: Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company

Pumpkin Pie Peanut Butter Cups

If you love pumpkin and you love peanut butter, we can’t think of a better way to celebrate fall! Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company blends natural peanut butter with pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices to make the ultimate fall confection. This concept could also be applied to a peanut butter meltaway recipe. Consider adding a sprinkle of crunchy graham cracker crumbs as a finishing touch.

These confectioners are embracing the pumpkin spice trend in creative ways, offering a variety of delicious options to satisfy consumers’ fall cravings. So go ahead, indulge in the flavors of autumn and make the most of this pumpkin spice frenzy!

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5 Spooky Chocolate-Covered Treats for Halloween

Halloween season is back, bringing with it all the fun and spookiness we love! If you already make chocolate-covered treats, we’ve got some exciting ideas that require little effort and just a few extra touches. Here are five quick and easy ways to dress up your favorite chocolate-covered treats for a spooktacular Halloween!

Photo credit: Graham’sChocolates/Instagram

Ghost Truffles

RCI member Graham’s Chocolates crafts the spookiest cute treat each Halloween: ghost truffles! A hauntingly delicious dark chocolate ganache wrapped in a sweet white chocolate shell. Perfect for a delightful fright!

Photo credit: @beautyanddasweetz/TikTok

Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Witches Brooms

Embrace the spooky spirit of Halloween with delightful chocolate-covered strawberry witches’ brooms! These fun treats feature a fresh strawberry dipped in milk chocolate and topped with a chocolate Cheerio® and drizzled with more chocolate and finished with a mini pretzel stick, perfectly resembling broomsticks. Click here to watch a step-by-step video.

Photo credit: Water’sEdge Chocolates/Facebook

Monster Toes

Get ready for a fun and creepy Halloween treat with these giant monster toes! RCI member Water's Edge Chocolates transforms chocolate-covered Twinkies^® into delightfully grotesque monster toes, complete with an edible chocolate toenail and chocolate jimmies to look like crazy hair. Perfect for Halloween parties or just for some spooky fun, these giant toes are sure to bring laughs and tasty bites!

Photo credit: The BearfootBaker

Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies

Turn classic chocolate-covered sandwich cookies into festive pumpkins! Simply dip cookies in orange chocolate and decorate as you like. We love the fun, whimsical touches used to decorate these pumpkins, from the misshapen googly eyes to the pecan stems. The possibilities are endless if you look at what you have on hand. Stick them on lollipop sticks for easy handling!

Photo credit: LikeMother Like Daughter

Frankenstein Crisp Rice Treats

Give your Rice Krispie® treats a spooky makeover! Dip treats in green chocolate and once set, add milk chocolate for hair, a jagged mouth and googly eyes. Add mini pretzel sticks to sides for his bolts.

These fun and easy ideas will add a delightful twist to your Halloween offerings. Make sure to share photos of your Halloween treats on social media and on your e-commerce site for greater exposure and sales potential. So grab your supplies, get creative and enjoy a sweet Halloween!

Crave more? Click here to subscribe and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices. Follow us on Facebook for even more sweet inspiration.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

5 Ingredients + Accessories to Make the Holidays Sweeter

 

The holiday season seems to sneak up on us faster each year, especially for candy makers. If you’re looking to elevate your confections this year, RCI member LorAnn Oils shares five ingredients and accessories that can make your holiday candy-making even sweeter.

1. Desiccant Packs

Shipping delays can be a headache during the busy holiday rush, but desiccant packs are a simple solution. These food-grade packs absorb moisture, ensuring your confections remain fresh during storage and transit. By protecting your sweet creations from humidity, you can avoid spoilage and maintain that delicious flavor.

2. Invertase

For those rich, creamy treats we all love—think mint patties, truffles, and chocolate-covered cherries—invertase can be a game changer. This natural enzyme, derived from yeast, transforms table sugar (sucrose) into a liquid form by splitting it into glucose and fructose. This “invert sugar” not only enhances flavor but also keeps your candies fresh longer.

3. Dipping Tool Set

Creating eye-catching, sweet treats this holiday season is a breeze when you have a dipping tool set on hand. With dipping tools, like a fork or a spiral tool, you can easily dip and decorate fruits, candies, nuts and more with melted chocolate and other coatings.

4. Cream of Tartar

Rather than using liquid corn syrup, opt for cream of tartar when making hard candy. This age-old ingredient prevents sugar crystallization, ensuring your candies have that smooth, glassy finish everyone craves. Nobody wants large, crunchy sugar crystals ruining their holiday treats, and cream of tartar is your secret weapon for achieving the perfect smoother, glassy candies.

5. Soy Lecithin

Not all flavors respond the same when added into cooked sugars, particularly heavier, oil-soluble ones that can be more difficult to fully incorporate. The flavor may pool in moulds or float to the tops of candy, yielding uneven flavor throughout. To ensure an even distribution of flavors in your candies, add a small amount of soy lecithin to your boiled candy syrup. This emulsifying agent helps keep oils evenly mixed and emulsified throughout the batch. A quarter teaspoon of lecithin per cup of sugar will do the trick.

With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, these “not-so-secret” ingredients and tools can take your confections to the next level of perfection. By incorporating these tips, you’ll create candies that are consistently longer lasting, fresher tasting, but also deliciously smooth and creamy. This holiday season, make your sweet creations the highlight of the festivities! Happy candy-making!

Crave more? Click here to subscribe and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices. Follow us on Facebook for even more sweet inspiration.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.