Kroger is officially in fall mode, and this year the seasonal shelves go well beyond the usual pumpkin pie and pumpkin-spice creamer.
The biggest change is the new Private Selection Pumpkin Harvest collection, which brings pumpkin into everything from blondies and shortbread cookies to granola, popcorn, coffee and chai. At the same time, plenty of familiar fall favorites are returning to the bakery, candy and refrigerated aisles.
Not everything seasonal deserves a spot in the cart, though. We narrowed it down to the fall finds that look the most interesting, offer something a little different or have enough shopper love behind them to be worth seeking out.
Prices and availability can vary by Kroger location, and some of these are limited-time products that may disappear as the season moves along.
1. Private Selection Pumpkin Spice Blondies — About $6.99
If you’re only picking up one treat from Kroger’s new fall collection, these are a good place to start.
The blondies get the full dessert treatment with cream cheese icing, chopped pecans and butterscotch chips on top. That combination makes them feel a lot more interesting than another plain pumpkin cake.
The pumpkin spice comes through cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves, while the butterscotch adds extra sweetness and the pecans give the soft blondies some crunch.
They’re rich, definitely dessert, and probably best shared rather than treated like an everyday snack.
Why they’re worth grabbing: This is one of the new fall items that actually feels different from what Kroger normally puts out.
2. Kroger Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Soft Top Cookies — About $6.49
These aren’t new, and that’s actually part of the appeal.
Kroger’s soft pumpkin chocolate chip cookies have been coming back for multiple fall seasons and have built up a pretty loyal following. They’re thick and cake-like rather than crisp, with pumpkin in the cookie and enough chocolate chips to keep them from tasting like straight pumpkin bread.
They’re also one of the seasonal bakery products with noticeably better shopper feedback than several of Kroger’s other pumpkin desserts.
If you like soft homemade-style pumpkin cookies, these are one of the safer bets in the bakery section.
Why they’re worth grabbing: They’re a returning product with actual fan history behind them, not just a new seasonal package.
3. Private Selection Pumpkin Spice Shortbread Cookies — About $3.99
These are a nice break from all the soft pumpkin cakes and cookies that tend to dominate fall.
Private Selection takes a buttery shortbread cookie and adds pumpkin and warm spices, so the result should be richer and crisper than the typical soft pumpkin cookie.
They’re also one of the easier items to pair with coffee or tea without feeling like you’re eating a full dessert at 9 a.m.
At around $4 a package, they’re one of the more affordable ways to try something from the new Pumpkin Harvest collection.
Why they’re worth grabbing: Good price, simple flavor combination and easy to put out with coffee when people come over.
4. Private Selection Pumpkin Cheesecake Granola Clusters — About $4.99
Pumpkin cheesecake granola sounds like it could go badly in a hurry, but this is one of Kroger’s more interesting fall ideas.
The clusters combine oats with pumpkin seeds, maple notes and cheesecake-inspired flavor, giving you something that works as both a snack and a breakfast topping.
Sprinkle it over vanilla Greek yogurt and you basically have an easy pumpkin-cheesecake breakfast without having an actual slice of cheesecake before work.
It also adds some much-needed variety to a seasonal lineup that could otherwise become one long parade of cookies.
Why they’re worth grabbing: One of the more practical new fall items because you can snack on it straight from the bag or use it for breakfast.
5. Private Selection Gluten-Free Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
Seasonal bakery sections aren’t always especially exciting if you’re shopping gluten-free, which makes these worth noticing.
The muffins are made with pumpkin and warm fall spices, then finished with a streusel topping and sparkling sugar.
They’ve also been generating some early interest among gluten-free shoppers, which isn’t surprising considering how few fun seasonal bakery options usually make it into the gluten-free section.
Pair one with coffee and this is about as fall-breakfast as Kroger gets.
Why they’re worth grabbing: A more interesting seasonal option for gluten-free shoppers than the usual packaged muffins.
6. Private Selection Pumpkin Spice Coffee
Coffee is probably one of the easiest places to bring fall flavors into the house without buying another dessert.
Private Selection’s seasonal coffee blends pumpkin with cinnamon and nutmeg, and Kroger is offering the flavor in both ground coffee and pods.
Kroger’s pumpkin coffee has also picked up some fans over previous fall seasons, so this isn’t simply a completely untested seasonal experiment.
If you’re someone who starts buying pumpkin coffee long before the weather actually feels like fall, this is one to look for.
Why it’s worth grabbing: It’s a returning fall idea with enough history behind it to feel safer than some of the more experimental pumpkin products.
7. Private Selection Pumpkin Spice Syrup — About $4.49
You don’t necessarily need pumpkin-flavored coffee if you have this in the refrigerator.
Kroger’s syrup uses cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove flavors and can be added to regular coffee, cold brew, lattes or even milkshakes.
That’s what makes it a little more useful than buying a whole bag of pumpkin coffee. You can control exactly how much pumpkin flavor goes into each drink.
A bottle also costs less than a couple of seasonal coffee-shop drinks these days.
Why it’s worth grabbing: Probably one of the most versatile products in the entire Pumpkin Harvest collection.
8. Private Selection Pumpkin Spice Chai Black Tea
This one makes sense because pumpkin and chai already share a lot of the same warm spice notes.
The tea combines black tea with pumpkin flavor and seasonal spices, giving Kroger shoppers an option that isn’t coffee-based.
It’s especially nice to see because chai is becoming a bigger part of fall flavor lineups instead of everything automatically turning into pumpkin-spice coffee.
Add a little milk and you’ve got an easy pumpkin chai latte without having to buy several separate ingredients.
Why it’s worth grabbing: A good change of pace if you’ve already reached your pumpkin-coffee limit.
9. Private Selection Pumpkin Popcorn
Pumpkin popcorn sounds strange until you see what Kroger actually did with it.
Instead of trying to make popcorn taste like pumpkin puree, the kernels are coated with pumpkin-spice glaze and finished with a sweet icing drizzle.
So think more along the lines of sweet kettle corn or dessert popcorn with fall spices.
This is also one of those products that would be easy to put out for movie night, a Halloween party or a fall gathering without doing any prep.
Why it’s worth grabbing: It’s one of the most unusual new items in Kroger’s fall collection.
10. Private Selection Pumpkin Spice Cashews — About $7.49
At roughly $7.50 for a relatively small bag, these aren’t exactly the bargain pick of the season.
But they are different.
The cashews are kettle-cooked and coated with sugar and warm spices, giving them that sweet-and-salty combination that works especially well with nuts.
These would make more sense as a treat for a fall snack board than something we’d casually eat by the handful every afternoon.
Why they’re worth grabbing: They’re different enough from the endless pumpkin cookies and cakes to justify a spot on the list.
11. Kroger Caramel Apple Dip — About $2.99 on Sale
Pumpkin gets most of the attention in October, but caramel apple deserves some space too.
Kroger’s caramel apple dip is one of the simpler fall finds on this list, but it also happens to have some of the better shopper feedback.
Slice up a couple of crisp apples, set this in the middle and you’ve got a fall snack ready in about two minutes.
It also works with pretzels, graham crackers and other fruit if you end up with some left over.
Why it’s worth grabbing: Inexpensive, easy and a good choice when you’re tired of pumpkin spice.
12. Werther’s Original Caramel Apple Soft Caramels — About $3.99
These come back for a reason.
Werther’s takes its soft caramel and adds apple flavor, which gives you something that actually tastes connected to fall without feeling overly gimmicky.
They’re also one of the seasonal candy options with consistently strong shopper ratings.
If you like caramel apples but don’t necessarily want to eat an actual sticky caramel-covered apple, this is the easier alternative.
Why they’re worth grabbing: This is one of the more established fall favorites rather than an item you’ll buy once just because the package has pumpkins on it.
13. Bonne Maman Pumpkin Spice Spread — About $6.99
This is one of the finds we’d look for outside Kroger’s obvious seasonal display.
Bonne Maman’s limited-edition spread brings together pumpkin with cinnamon, nutmeg and clove in a jar you can use several different ways.
Spread it on toast or croissants, spoon it onto oatmeal, swirl it into yogurt or use it as an easy filling for pastries.
At around $7 it’s not cheap, but a little goes a long way.
Why it’s worth grabbing: It feels more versatile and a little more special than another pumpkin cookie.
14. Pillsbury Grands Pumpkin Spice Rolls — About $4.50 on Sale
Some fall products don’t need to be reinvented every year.
Pillsbury’s seasonal Grands rolls combine its familiar cinnamon-roll dough with pumpkin flavor and pumpkin-spice icing.
They’ve been around long enough to accumulate hundreds of shopper ratings, which makes them easier to recommend than a brand-new product nobody has tried yet.
Pop them in the oven on a cool weekend morning and the whole kitchen smells like fall with almost no work.
Why they’re worth grabbing: Familiar, easy and one of the more established seasonal breakfast options.
15. Pepperidge Farm Pumpkin Spice Milano Cookies
Milanos already have plenty going for them, so adding pumpkin spice doesn’t require much convincing.
The seasonal version keeps the familiar crisp Milano cookie and chocolate center while bringing in pumpkin-spice flavor.
These are especially good for shoppers who want something seasonal but don’t necessarily want the dense, cake-like texture that comes with so many pumpkin bakery products.
They also look a little nicer on a dessert tray than opening a package of regular grocery-store cookies.
Why they’re worth grabbing: Familiar enough to be a safe choice but still different enough to feel seasonal.
16. Kroger Apple Cider — About $3.99
Don’t walk out of the store with 15 pumpkin products and forget about cider.
Kroger’s seasonal cider selection includes more than just regular apple. Depending on the store, you may spot flavors including Apple Pie, Cinnamon Spice and Salted Caramel.
Warm it up on the stove with a cinnamon stick and it immediately feels more like October, even if it’s still unseasonably warm outside.
The flavored varieties are actually what make this section worth checking rather than automatically reaching for the standard jug.
Why it’s worth grabbing: The seasonal flavors give you more options than basic apple cider.
17. Philadelphia Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese — About $3.99
This is one of those products that makes more sense once you start thinking about what to put it on.
Bagels are obvious, but it also works on toast, English muffins, waffles, pumpkin bread and graham crackers.
You could even use it as the filling for an easy fall French toast.
It’s inexpensive enough to experiment with and much easier to finish than some of the giant bakery desserts.
Why it’s worth grabbing: Lots of uses and a relatively low commitment if you’re not sure how much pumpkin spice you really want.
18. Kroger Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake — About $9.99
If you’re buying dessert for more than one or two people, skip the tiny seasonal snacks and look at the larger bakery cakes.
Kroger’s pumpkin spice Bundt cake is a big 33-ounce dessert, which makes it a much better candidate for a family dinner, office treat or fall gathering.
It’s more expensive than the cookies or blondies, but you’re also getting something substantial enough to put in the middle of the table.
Why it’s worth grabbing: One of the easier grab-and-go fall desserts when you need to feed a group.
What We’d Skip
Kroger has plenty more pumpkin products on the shelves right now, but a seasonal label doesn’t automatically make something worth buying.
One surprising example is the Private Selection Pumpkin Cake Roll. Kroger appears to be distributing a lot of them this season, but existing shopper ratings are unusually poor compared with some of the other pumpkin bakery items.
The pumpkin fritters and some of Kroger’s individual caramel apples also have more mixed shopper feedback than we’d like to see.
If the cart is already filling up, we’d spend the money on the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, blondies, shortbread, caramel apple dip or one of the new Pumpkin Harvest products first.
The Bottom Line
Kroger’s fall lineup feels noticeably bigger this year, but the most interesting part isn’t simply that pumpkin spice is back.
The new Private Selection collection stretches fall flavors into popcorn, granola, tea, coffee, nuts and syrup, while returning products like the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, caramel apple dip and seasonal Pillsbury rolls give shoppers a few proven favorites to fall back on.
If you’re only picking up a handful, the Pumpkin Spice Blondies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Pumpkin Spice Shortbread Cookies, Pumpkin Cheesecake Granola Clusters and Caramel Apple Dip are the five we’d look for first.
And because most of these are limited-time products, don’t count on seeing the same selection later in October. If something catches your eye, this is probably the time to grab it.
