When the weather finally begins to cool and everything turns pumpkin-flavored, it feels like fall has officially arrived! So we, Claire Kwon (11) and Bekah Montalvo (11), decided to take on the ultimate fall food taste test with our friends, Peyton Rodriguez (11) and Addie Kopizcko (11). Almost everything we tried came from Vons, except for one fall donut from Dunkin’ Donuts. We bought and gathered a bunch of snacks, set them all out, and got ready for what turned into a memorable combination of tasty foods and not-so-tasty foods.
To begin, we started off strong with some mac and cheese, and this one was a hit with everyone. It was perfection, and Bekah described it as “very cheesy,” while Peyton said it was something she’d definitely eat at Thanksgiving dinner. It was the kind of comfort food that makes you feel instantly cozy, so it earned high ratings all around.
Next, we tried a classic apple pie. The crust was crunchy and buttery, the apples were soft and cinnamon-y, and the whole thing just tasted like the definition of fall. Claire rated it a 9 out of 10 and said it was “really good,” and everyone agreed it was the best food to start off with.
Then came the pumpkin spice sandwich cookies, which looked pretty average but ended up being one of our top favorite choices. The outer cookies were soft, and the cinnamon cream cheese filling was so good that it reminded all of us of a Crumbl cookie dupe. Addie called it a “10 out of 10,” and honestly, we all agreed it was a winner.
After that, we moved on to apple pie-flavored Oreos. At first, we were hopeful since they smelled like Golden Oreos, but that’s when the excitement ended. The flavor was weirdly sour, kind of like drinking straight apple cider, so we all gave them around a 2 or 3 out of 10. It is definitely safe to say, we won’t be reaching for those again.
Next up were the pumpkin bread loaves. Peyton and Bekah weren’t fans, deciding it was too dense and had an overpowering pumpkin flavor, but Addie really liked it and gave it a 9. Claire agreed it was good, especially if it was warmed up with a little butter or cream cheese spread on top.
Then came the pumpkin pie-flavored Pop-Tarts, which caused some debate, as Claire said they had a tingling spice to them and rated them a 1 out of 10. Bekah agreed and said it was probably her least favorite thing we tried so far, but Addie, however,enjoyed them and gave them a 7, which the rest of us couldn’t understand.
When we tried the gingerbread cookies, things got interesting. They definitely tasted like Christmas, but not everyone was into them. Claire said they “taste like bark,” and Addie said they reminded her of dog food, but Peyton and Bekah were kinder, giving them 7 and 7.5 out of 10.
For drinks, we had cranberry juice and a pumpkin spice latte. The cranberry juice was simple but really refreshing. Bekah said she liked how tart it was, and everyone agreed it was a nice break from all the sweets. The pumpkin spice latte was also really good, exactly what you’d expect: sweet, warm, and perfectly fall.
We also shared a fall donut from Dunkin’, which was okay, because it wasn’t too fancy, just a simple donut with fall colored sprinkles, but it was one of those things you could easily eat every morning.
Then we tried the brown sugar maple cookie ice cream, and it was easily one of our favorites, as it was sweet with cookie chunks mixed in. Peyton said it “tastes like a cookie,” and Bekah declared it her favorite thing of the entire taste test.
Finally, we ended on a low note with pumpkin soup. It was bright orange and looked like baby food, so we were already nervous. Peyton said it wasn’t that bad and gave it a 4, but the rest of us completely disagreed. Addie, Bekah, and Claire all rated it between 0 and 1 out of 10.
By the end, we were full of sugar, dairy, and questionable pumpkin flavors, but we had a lot of laughs trying it all. Our top three favorites were the pumpkin spice sandwich cookies, the pumpkin spice latte, and the brown sugar maple cookie ice cream. The biggest flops were the pumpkin pie Pop-Tarts and the pumpkin soup. Overall, fall foods from Vons turned out to be a mix of amazing and questionable, but either way, it was the perfect excuse to hang out, eat way too much, and celebrate the best season of the year.
