Pumpkin Spice Oreos Are Once Again Gracing Grocery Store Shelves

Fall doesn't start until September 21, but for pumpkin lovers, it's just around the corner. That means it's just about time for everything to turn into a pumpkin, at least in the world of food. And while we may still be weeks away from Starbucks' famed pumpkin spice latte reaching menus, Oreo — the iconic cookie that has even sparked a scientific debate over the correct way to eat it — has already entered the fray.

An image posted on X (formerly Twitter) shows a package of the seasonal creme sandwich cookie, complete with a "limited edition" seal in the upper right corner. "Fresh from the patch ... OREO Pumpkin Spice is back on shelves now!" reads the post.

Featuring a golden wafer cookie, rather than the usual chocolate, and pumpkin spice creme (of course), rather than the usual vanilla, pumpkin spice Oreos first debuted in 2014, promoted as a seasonal fall cookie. This was right when the pumpkin spice craze was starting to hit its peak, and "America's favorite cookie" wanted to get in on the action. The pumpkin spice Oreo returned every fall through 2017. Then, the next fall, they mysteriously did not return. After a five year absence, fall 2022 saw them back on shelves.

We can't say for sure what's behind the sudden disappearance (or the five-year absence) of pumpkin spice Oreos. What we do know is that when they first debuted in 2014, they were met with divided reactions. Some loved them, some thought they were just meh. Still others were confused by how little they tasted like pumpkin, while others gave such memorable reviews as, "It tastes like what I imagine a fall-themed Yankee Candle would taste like" (via BuzzFeed).

In any event, even those who were less than impressed by the originals seem to like these new and improved pumpkin spice Oreos. Reviewers who remembered the original edition being overly sweet claimed that something changed in the 2022 recipe, making them downright delicious. Apparently, what had once been an artificial-tasting sugar bomb has now mellowed out.

Whether these changes are real, or if reviewers' taste buds have simply changed, isn't clear. But Oreo does love to play with its classic formula through limited-edition flavors. The decades have seen this beloved cookie release everything from red velvet to cherry cola to hot & spicy cinnamon to peppermint bark Oreos.