With summer now officially behind us, we can finally enjoy everything pumpkin-flavored without premature judgment. So, grab your favorite cardigan, zip-up a pair of boots and head out the door to grab a pumpkin-flavored treat worth its weight in fall sentimentality. Here are five of our favorite pumpkin spice treats in San Francisco.
Susie Cakes’ pumpkin cheesecake
To both enhance and cut through the full-bodied taste of ripe pumpkin, Susie Cakes includes a hearty amount of citrus in the cream cheesecake base—a delightful addition that balances the rich dessert. You'll find it sandwiched between a well-buttered graham cracker crust and a light coating of a simple-sugar glaze on top. Have a slice (or two). ‘Tis the season.
Dynamo Donuts' pumpkin chocolate chip doughnut
As if you needed another reason to visit one of SF’s most celebrated doughnut spots, Dynamo Donuts' seasonal pumpkin chocolate chip doughnut comes out the last week of September. The sweet dough itself—which includes pure pumpkin puree—is beautifully contrasted by the sharp, somewhat bitter, morsels of dark chocolate that stud the pastry. Finished with a simple powdered-sugar glaze, it’s a cheat-day treat not to be missed this leaf-changing season.
B. Street Waffles’ pumpkin spice waffle
Wake up and smell the waffles this fall with B. Street Waffles' seasonal pumpkin spice offering. These Belgian-style treats are churned out by the hundreds from San Francisco’s foremost waffle shop, known for baking favorites like bacon-’n’-maple, salted caramel throughout the year. During the fall, you can't go wrong with their pumpkin spice version, made with pure pumpkin puree-infused batter and served naked, with only a sprinkling of nutmeg and cinnamon. (Feel free to ask for a side of 100% pure maple syrup or jam if you need it.)
Lava Java’s pumpkin spice latte
Starbucks might have commercialized the now ubiquitous PSL, but we can assure you that Bay Area cafes do it better—take, for example, Lava Java. With their sultry smooth, subtly sweet pumpkin spice latte, they’ve put themselves in a higher league than their Seattle-based competition. Grab the dirty chai version for an interesting take on their otherwise traditional PSL.
No roundup of fall treats could be considered complete without mentioning Mission Pie’s take on the Thanksgiving table staple. A less-sweet version of the dessert, the pumpkin pie comes with a heavy helping of nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon and more spices. Because it’s such a light-and-airy spin on the classic, you won’t feel all that bad about going in for a second or third slice when they become available this October.