Best Pumpkin Spice K Cups: Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Pumpkin Spice Coffee

Let’s talk pumpkin spice coffee K cups!

Our blind taste test pitted the top brands of pumpkin spice K cups against each other in a coffee smackdown! Which had the best aroma? Smooth flavor? What if you want a variety pack with other fall flavors?

After the dust settled, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Pumpkin Spice Coffee K Cups topped the taste test results. Here’s why:

What We Liked

• Best pumpkin spice aroma!

• Smooth flavor.

• Notes of cinnamon and nutmeg.

• Light roast.

• Sustainable coffee sourcing.

What Needs Work

• More spice than pumpkin flavor. Some of our testers liked more pumpkin in their pumpkin spice coffee . . . but that was a minority view.

Best Variety Pack: Autumn Favorites Variety Pack

Victor Allen’s Autumn Favorites Variety Pack came in second place in our taste tests—their pumpkin spice K cup is excellent. And this variety pack also includes apple crumb donut, pecan pie, cinnamon bun . . . in case you’d like to sample other fall-friendly flavors. Here’s more:

What We Liked

• Pumpkin spice flavor was best, but testers also liked cinnamon bun.

• Great aroma.

• Good gift.

• Affordable. The price per pod is roughly 40% less expensive than Green Mountain.

• No GMO’s.

• Gluten free.

• No sugar added.

What Needs Work

• Some flavors (notably pecan pie) were a bit bitter.

• Oddly, not an even split between flavors. We thought this variety pack would have an even number of each flavor, but some were more numerous than others in the test pack we ordered. There are supposed to be 24 cups per flavor. We’re not sure if this is an isolated incident, but we do see a few other reports from folks with the same issue.

• Not as strong a flavor as our top winner. Some of our testers thought the pumpkin spice flavor was a bit weak, compared to other brands. However, other folks preferred that!

Best Light Roast Pumpkin Spice: Starbucks K Cup Coffee Pods Pumpkin Spice

If you prefer a light roast pumpkin spice decaf coffee, we’d recommend this brand: Double Donut. It tasted best among the handful of light roast pumpkin spice coffee K cups we brewed for our taste tests. Here’s more:

What We Liked

• Loved the flavor!

• Sugar free.

• 100% Arabica beans.

• Gluten free.

• Dairy free.

What Needs Work

• Blend changes from year to year. So if you liked last year’s Starbuck’s pumpkin spice, it may not be exactly the same this year!

Best Budget-Friendly: Victor Allen’s Coffee K Cups Pumpkin Spice

The top winner in our taste tests (Green Mountain) is great, but rather pricey. For a more budget-friendly option that still makes a respectable pumpkin spice coffee, we’d recommend Victor Allen’s pumpkin spice. Good flavor at a price that is easier on the wallet.

What We Liked

• Smooth pumpkin flavor.

• Affordable. These pods are about 27% less expensive than our top taste winner . . . but still quite tasty!

• Medium roast.

• 100% Arabica beans. 

• Kosher.

What Needs Work

• A bit too heavy on the clove flavor notes, in our opinion!

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do extensive research, evaluating products with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability. When we purchase a product for hands-on testing, we do so with our own money.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!