3 strange foods and a drink that have pumpkin spice pairings

From baked goods, yogurt and coffee to cereal and candy, pumpkin spice is just about everywhere these days.

Here are four peculiar pumpkin spice additions that have been available on store shelves this year.

Pumpkin spice avocado oil adds a festive flair to autumn favorites like pumpkin bread, vegetable soups and roasted yams. 

You can even use this oil in homemade salad dressings to add a hint of pumpkin. Most salad dressing will last a few days in the refrigerator.

Philadelphia Cream Cheese introduced its pumpkin spice flavor some time ago, in the fall of 2013, to be exact.

Although cream cheese is often associated with bagels, it can also be used as a topping on cupcakes or muffins. 

Jet-Puffed Marshmallows first released a pumpkin spice flavor in 2022.

Plus, the pumpkin shape adds seasonal fun for both the young and young at heart.

Whether people prefer whiskey on the rocks or as the base of a hot toddy, there's a pumpkin spice flavor for those who want it.

The expansion of products in this space can be attributed to a blend of consumer desire for both familiarity and novelty, said Minkyung Kim, assistant professor of marketing at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business in Pittsburgh. 

"People enjoy the comforting, nostalgic flavors of pumpkin spice, especially during fall, but there's also a growing trend of consumers wanting unique, standout products that allow them to express individuality," Kim told Fox News Digital. 

"By incorporating a popular, recognizable flavor like pumpkin spice into unexpected contexts, brands create a sense of excitement and differentiation, appealing to consumers' desire for something new yet familiar." 

Plus, the novelty factor also encourages consumers to share their unique finds on social media, amplifying the trend even further, the marketing expert said. 

Whether brands jump on the bandwagon to produce their own pumpkin-spice product based on other brands can't be completely defined, said Kim, who added that "demand and supply are intertwined."

"While consumer interest in pumpkin spice encourages brands to innovate with new offerings, the popularity of these products often creates a 'snowball effect' in which other companies jump in, hoping to capture part of that market," she continued. 

This cycle of consumer interest and brand response helps keep the trend going, showing how consumer demand and supply-side reactions work hand in hand, Kim explained.

The drivers are a combination of consumer demand rooted in seasonal traditions, effective marketing tactics and the influence of social media, Kim told Fox News Digital.

But some products are stretching beyond fall. 

One example is Jelly Belly's pumpkin pie-flavored jelly beans, available year-round for those who just can't get enough of the pumpkin spice craze.