The kids are back in school, football season has started and the weather is (finally) cooling down. But it isn’t truly autumn until you have that first sip of a Pumpkin Spice Latte. The warm cinnamon and nutmeg, mixed with spicy ginger and cloves is a flavor that has become synonymous with fall. But there are plenty of other ways to pumpkin spice things up around The Irvine Ranch®.
LEVAIN BAKERY
Levain Bakery, a recent addition to Fashion Island, is known for its massive 6 oz. cookies. But the concept began as a bakery, founded in New York City in 1995 by best friends Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald. While their classic cookies are a fan favorite, their freshly baked breads and loaves are just as scrumptious. Their seasonal fall menu includes a Pumpkin Ginger Spice Loaf Cake, evocative of festive gingerbread made with real pumpkin purée, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Other autumnal offerings are the menu: Fall Spiced Chocolate Chunk Cookie, Cinnamon Roll Muffin and a savory Cacio e Pepe Scone.
Fashion Island®
401 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach, CA 92660
JAMBA
If you are looking for a pumpkin spice beverage served sans caffeine, try a smoothie from Jamba. The Pumpkin Smash smoothie blends pumpkin spice puree with fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt and 2% milk for a creamy treat, while the Pumpkin Moo’d smoothie combines pumpkin puree and chocolate, poured over dairy-free coconut whipped cream.
Harvard Place Shopping Center
17595F Harvard Ave, Irvine, CA 92614
Walnut Village Center
14409 Culver Dr, Irvine, CA 92604
Tender Greens
Tender Greens is known for salad and grain bowls made with fresh, local ingredients. This season, the farm-to-table concept is partnering with Larder Baking Company to offer Pumpkin Cupcakes in store. Comforting spiced cake is topped with brown butter spice frosting and sprinkled with roasted pepitas for a sweet end to a nourishing meal.
University Center
4237 Campus Dr B 165, Irvine, CA 92612
Irvine Spectrum Center®
14409 Culver Dr, Irvine, CA 92604
The Cheesecake Factory
Pumpkin pie is the original inspiration for pumpkin spice. Pumpkin Cheesecake is a decadent take on the classic, especially when it comes from the experts at The Cheesecake Factory. Silky pumpkin cheesecake is baked into a graham cracker crust and topped with tufts of dreamy whipped cream. Order a slice or take home a 10-inch whole pumpkin cheesecake for the family.
Irvine Spectrum Center®
600 Spectrum Center Dr, Irvine
Nékter Juice Bar
Nékter Juice Bar is your one-stop-shop for plant-based, cold-pressed juice, superfood smoothies and açaí bowls. This season, pumpkin is the superfood star of the functional fall menu. The Pumpkin Protein Smoothie is made with pumpkin purée, agave, housemade cashew milk, pumpkin spice, banana and vanilla protein. If you want to make a meal of your pumpkin protein, try the Pumpkin Protein Waffles, made with vanilla protein and finished with housemade cashew pumpkin mousse, coconut whip and warm pumpkin spice, or the Pumpkin Chia Parfait, which layers velvety vanilla cashew chia pudding and housemade pumpkin mousse, topped with a Biscoff cookie crumble.
Scratch Bakery Café
Like the name says, the family owned and operated Scratch Bakery Café bakes its cookies, cakes, pastries and more from scratch. Their popular Knock Knocks (a play on the classic Hostess Ding Dong) are no exception. For autumn, the chocolate cream-filled snack cake gets a pumpkin spiced makeover. Pumpkin spice latte Knock Knocks swap pumpkin spice cake for the traditional chocolate cake and are filled with cinnamon buttercream before getting dipped in espresso milk chocolate ganache and topped with crushed espresso beans.
