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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Apple Cider Infused Treats: Perfect for Fall

Long before pumpkin spice lattes were a thing, spiced apple cider was quite possibly the undisputed official beverage of fall. While pumpkin spice can be found nearly everywhere this time of year, there are still some of us who look forward to tracking down high-quality apple cider at the local farmers’ market or a roadside farmstand. Together the fresh apple flavor paired with the aroma of warming spices elicits all the cozy feels.

Before apple month draws to a close, we pay homage to the regal apple with apple cider infused confections.

Photo: This Mess is Ours

Cider Spiced Candy Apples

Put a fall spin on your candy apple recipe by adding apple cider to your recipe—or try this recipe on for size. This could also be applied to caramel apples by making an apple cider caramel. Check out this recipe for apple cider caramels.

Photo: Culinary Ginger

Apple Cider Caramel Popcorn
The addition of spiced apple cider brings a welcome depth of flavor to any caramel recipe—including caramel popcorn.

Photo: Dessert Now Dinner Later

Spiced Cider Fudge
This easy white chocolate fudge is flavored with apple cider and pieces of toffee for texture.

We hope you enjoy this post! If you try any of these recipes or would like to share photos of your favorite apple cider infused confections on Facebook, tag us @retailconfectioners.

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.

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Snag this idea: Pumpkin Spice Hot Cocoa Bombs

 

This sweet idea from RCI partner, Tomric Chocolate Systems, combines two of the hottest trends this fall—pumpkin spice and a hot cocoa bomb all in one unmistakably fall package.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock recently, you’re likely well aware last year’s hot cocoa bomb trend is just as hot as ever. Stand out from the literal hundreds, if not thousands, of cocoa bombs on the market these days by offering something more unexpected, a pumpkin spice hot cocoa bomb, in the shape of—you guessed it—a pumpkin!

Photo credit: Tomric Systems

Click here for detailed instructions on how to recreate this exact look using Tomric’s H-855 mould and their recipe for pumpkin spice hot cocoa to fill your pumpkins!

Although today is National Pumpkin Day—this concept can be celebrated throughout November and can be marketed to customers as a fall holiday hostess gift or even as centerpieces for the Thanksgiving table. If this cute little gourd has you feeling inspired, look at your inventory of hollow moulds that could also be converted into unique hot cocoa bombs like this.

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 Must-Try Fall Flavors…that don’t involve Pumpkin Spice

It's back! Starbucks officially launched their coveted Pumpkin Spice Lattes (aka PSL) earlier than ever—August 25. By some standards, the return of PSL is the signal that fall is around the corner. If you choose to go by the “more official” calendar date to mark the first day of fall, you’ve got until September 22 [insert sigh of relief here].

Regardless of when you choose to acknowledge the true arrival of fall, it won’t be long before it’s time to say “goodbye” to cool and refreshing flavors like watermelon and citrus, and “hello” to warm and cozy fall flavors like, well, pumpkin spice. Thanks to Starbucks, you can expect to find pumpkin spice in everything from coffees to cookies, candles to skin care, and, yes, even deodorant. Click here to check out some of RCI’s favorite pumpkin spice ideas.  

Even if you draw the line at trading in your favorite deodorant for the seasonal variety, there’s something comforting about fall flavors, but you don’t have to limit yourself to pumpkin. Keep reading for a list of equally craveable flavors to fall in love with this fall.

Apples

Apple Pecan Caramel Bark, by Hilliard's Chocolates

Pumpkin may reign king of fall, but one might say the apple is queen. This certainly isn’t a surprise if you already make caramel apples, but you may consider different ways to incorporate the unofficial fruit of fall, by mimicking the flavors in apple cider or warm apple pie.

RCI member, Hilliard’s Chocolates, evokes all the fall feels with their Apple Pecan Caramel Bark. Presented at a past Candy Clinic, the bark combines white chocolate, cinnamon oil, dried apples, caramel and cinnamon sugar for a welcome fall treat. RCI members: Login at retailconfectioners.org/candyclinic to view past presentations like this one.

Brown Butter

Land O'Lakes

Take your rich and buttery confections to the next level with brown butter, which is essentially a magical transformation that happens moments before it becomes burnt butter—naturally Martha Stewart has a solution for fixing burnt butter, click here for video. The nutty and complex flavor of brown butter will elevate any recipe. Check out this recipe for Browned Butter Salted Caramel Sauce by TheChunkyChef.com.

Chai Tea

Real Simple

Quite possibly a distant relative to the pumpkin spice latte, chai tea is a strong-flavored tea with a hint of sweetness. Ginger and pepper add a kick of spice, which is evened out with earthy notes from cardamom and cloves, plus a dash of cinnamon. Why not try this Food Network recipe for Chai Chocolate Truffles, which Giada De Laurentiis compares to a “giant warm hug.”

Dark Beer

CraftBeer.com

Beer is a great addition to any caramel and brittle recipe, but if you’re already incorporating beer into your confections try experimenting with the darker beers of the season. Take note of seasonal beer varieties like porter and stout, which will soon replace the lighter ales of summer.

RCI member, Joy Lyn’s Candies partners with a local brewery to create a peanut brittle made with Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale. Coined as “Beer Brittle,” this popular confection is made in small batches and offers a subtle hint of hops and malt.

Pears

The Kitchen McCabe

If your customers love your caramel apples, get ready to knock their wooly socks off this fall with caramel-dipped pears. Experts agree pears that are not quite ripe with long stems for dipping are best--the most popular varieties being Bosc, Anjou, Comice and Seckel pears. Unlike apples, most pears (Seckel being an exception) don’t take well to having sticks inserted into them, which is why a sturdy stem is important. Check out this recipe for Caramel Dipped Pears from TheKitchenMcCabe.com.

It’s undeniable, the pumpkin spice trend isn’t going anywhere…at least until Starbucks launches their holiday-themed drink menu (enter: Peppermint Mocha), but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of other great fall flavors to peak shoppers’ interest. We want to know, what’s your favorite fall confection? Please share in the comments below.

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Tips for Making the Best-Ever Batch of Caramel Popcorn

August may have just begun, but when you see school supplies fill the store aisles, you know fall is just around the corner.

There's something warm and comforting about caramel corn in the fall--but sticky, clumpy caramel corn is no fun at all! After reading this week's quick tip, you will never want to make caramel corn without this ingredient!

If your caramel corn sticks together and becomes difficult to separate, adding lecithin will help. Randy Hofberger of R&D Consultants advises mixing lecithin with a little oil and adding this mixture at the end of your caramel corn recipe. This will help the caramel spread apart easier and save you the hassle of manually pulling it apart. 

Allergy Alert! 

It is advised that individuals with soy allergies do not consume products that contain lecithin. Although lecithin is a byproduct of soy, there is always a chance soy protein will find its way into lecithin. Lecithin derived from sunflower or canola are more allergy-friendly alternatives to soy. 

Don’t cry over spilled lecithin.

Resist the urge to clean spilled lecithin with a damp cloth or spray cleaner, which will cause it to gum-up and make it worse. Instead, cover the spill with sugar and it will clean right up without a sweat.

New Flavor Inspiration

Once you’ve perfected your caramel popcorn recipe, consider experimenting with different flavors and ingredients to take your corn to the next level. Here’s some inspiration for the upcoming fall season.

Bourbon Caramel

Equally suited as a tailgate party snack or a jolly holiday treat, bourbon caramel corn will keep ‘em coming back for more.

Dulce de Leche

Dulce de leche is a South American delicacy made with slow-cooked milk and sugar. A natural fit for caramel corn, it offers a rich, creamy and more complex flavor for your caramel popcorn.

Pumpkin Spice

Is it even fall without pumpkin spice? We don’t think so!

In the past, Starbucks has released their pumpkin spice latte as early as the end of August. Get ready for the craze by introducing pumpkin spice caramel corn for this fall season.

Here’s to making your best batches of caramel corn ever and to a sweet fall season!

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Tip #277: Oh my gourd! Sweet Ideas for Pumpkin Spice Day

Thanks to Starbucks for introducing the world to the Pumpkin Spice Latte (affectionately known as PSL) fifteen years ago, no other flavor quite signifies the arrival of fall like pumpkin spice. The seemingly heartwarming marriage of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves can now be found in everything from coffees and teas, to cookies, breakfast cereal, skin care and, yes, even deodorant.

In honor of National Pumpkin Spice Day on October 1, we’re sharing a couple of our member’s favorite pumpkin spice ideas to help inspire ways you, too, can satisfy your customers’ PSL cravings.

Pumpkin Spice Caramel

Dolle’s Candyland of Ocean City, Maryland can testify to the PSL craze after great success incorporating ground cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg into their secret caramel recipe to create Pumpkin Spice Caramels.

Pumpkin Seed Brittle

Joy Lyn’s Candies of Paradise, California replaces the nuts in their signature brittle with toasted pumpkin seeds, along with a dash of pumpkin pie spices, to make their Pumpkin Seed Brittle for the fall season.

Take inspiration from these candy makers to create your own sweet nod to Pumpkin Spice Day…or season! Here’s a list of confections that could be fun to experiment with by adding your own creative PSL spin.

• Bark
• Fudge
• Hot chocolate
• Homemade marshmallows/s’mores
• Popcorn
• Truffles

Comment below and let us know which PSL confection you think is most worthy of celebration on Pumpkin Spice Day.

RCI's Tip of the Week 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. Review past blog posts for quick and actionable tips to apply to your business. Look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox.

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