7 pumpkin-flavored treats to try this fall in St. Louis

Here’s where to find pumpkin ice cream, coffee, beer and a few things in between

There are a few things you can count on happening during the fall season in St. Louis, like the weather turning cooler, the leaves changing colors and local bars and restaurants making pumpkin-flavored varieties of some of their most popular menu items.

Pumpkin coffee
If you love pumpkin in your coffee, but crave something slightly different than the PSL, then try Kaldi’s BMPL, a Baked Maple Pumpkin Latte. Each BMPL is made with freshly baked pumpkin that’s pureed and blended into the drink, and is sweetened with real maple syrup and a cinnamon syrup. Available hot or iced, topped with whipped cream and grated nutmeg.

 

 

Pumpkin soda
Yes, you read that right. St. Louis is home to a pumpkin-flavored soda, thanks to Fitz’s Pumpkin Pop, which is made with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and clove. Order it at both of Fitz’s restaurant locations in Delmar and South County, where it is served as a specialty known as the Pumpkin Dandy Float. Each float combines Pumpkin Pop with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and caramel sauce, and is topped with a French vanilla wafer. Pumpkin Pop can also be found in grocery stores around St. Louis, or by ordering it directly from Fitz’s website.

 

 

Pumpkin spice cocktail
The warm spices used in fall recipes often pair well with certain spirits, and that means a pumpkin-flavored cocktail is a must-try for pumpkin lovers. The Pumpkin Spice White Russian at Narwhal’s Crafted is made with vodka, Kahlua, pumpkin simple syrup and housemade ice cream. And the frozen beverage is topped with vodka-infused whipped cream and pumpkin spice, adding to this fall drink’s sweet and spicy flavor.

Pumpkin beer
Pumpkin and beer go together remarkably well, and each fall St. Louis area craft breweries offer limited releases of their pumpkin brews. Schlafly has two versions of its pumpkin beer, the Pumpkin Ale, which is pumpkin infused with cinnamon, clove and nutmeg, and the brewery also has a version that has all that, plus the addition of vanilla, which is its Vanilla Pumpkin Ale.

Urban Chestnut also has two pumpkin-flavored beers. The Count Orlok is a black pumpkin ale, which contains notes of pumpkin spices, chocolate and banana, while the brewery’s Pumpkin Ale is a dark beer with notes of pumpkin, cinnamon and spices that’s balanced by a sweet, smooth finish.

Pumpkin pie concretes
There’s nothing quite like a slice of pumpkin pie to put the finishing touch on those big meals we seem to indulge in at holiday gatherings, but you don’t have to wait until the holidays to get a taste of pumpkin pie. You can experience the flavors of pumpkin pie in a concrete at any time this autumn. Silky’s Frozen Custard, with locations in Ellisville, Cottleville and Creve Coeur, sells a pumpkin pie concrete, made with pieces of pie, vanilla custard and whipped cream.

Ted Drewes also offers pumpkin pie concretes that combine real pumpkin pie and vanilla custard that's topped with whipped cream.

 

 

Pumpkin-flavored ice cream
If you prefer a scoop of ice cream over a concrete, Silver Spoon Ice Cream and Sweets, currently located in Eureka and Wildwood with shops soon opening in Chesterfield and downtown Washington, offers a pumpkin-flavored ice cream. The Snap-O-Latern is an award-winning combination of spicy pumpkin ice cream and heaps of gingersnap cookies, and the flavor is available by the scoop or blended into a milkshake.

 

 

Pumpkin pancakes
While it’s great adding pumpkin to things you can drink or to sweet ice cream treats, sometimes you want a pumpkin-flavored treat for breakfast. There are a couple places in St. Louis with pumpkin flavored pancakes on the menu. With locations in Arnold, Des Peres, Wentzville and Wildwood, Sunny Street Cafe serves pumpkin pancakes with cinnamon butter and a tres leches drizzle.

With 10 locations throughout St. Louis and St. Charles Counties, the seasonal breakfast menu at First Watch also features pumpkin pancakes, made with what the eatery calls its signature spice blend.