Pumpkin Spice season — or szn, if you rather — has officially arrived.

This seasonal flavor shows up earlier and earlier every year; I think Starbucks started serving their famous pumpkin-spice lattes in August this year. 

Personally, I wait until after Labor Day to start taking part in pumpkin spice. But after that, all bets are off, and I enjoy this fall flavor from September through Thanksgiving.

Here are eight pumpkin spice treats from Memphis bakeries and sweet shops that I think should not be missed.

Enjoy! And if you have a favorite pumpkin spice item you think I need to try, leave me a note in the comments below.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Tart at 17 Berkshire

The pumpkin cheesecake tart at 17 Berkshire has a dark chocolate crust. (Courtesy 17 Berkshire)

17 Berkshire, 2094 Trimble Place, owner Nuha Abuduhair is known for her breathtaking gorgeous — and equally delicious — French pastries and macarons, and her Pumpkin Cheesecake Tart is one of my fall favorites. It’s a creamy pumpkin cheesecake baked in a dark-chocolate crust and served topped with whipped cream and salted caramel. Also, check out her handmade Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes at Sweet LaLa’s Bakery

A Pumpkin Spice Cupcake with cream-cheese icing served at Sweet LaLa's Bakery. (Courtesy Sweet LaLa's Bakery)

Sweet LaLa’s Bakery, 6150 Poplar Ave. suite 118, serves a delish pumpkin-spice cupcake. It’s topped with cream-cheese icing, pecans and a pumpkin sauce. My suggestion is to order one of Sweet LaLa’s Pumpkin Praline Latte to drink with it.

Pumpkin Gooey Bars with Salted Pecans at Frost Bake Shop

Gooey Pumpkin Bars with salted pecans are a seasonal offering at Frost Bake Shop. (Courtesy Frost Bake Shop)

The Pumpkin Gooey Bars with Salted Pecans at Frost Bake Shop — 394 S. Grove Park and 1016 W. Poplar Ave., Collierville — are a fun spin on Frost’s signature gooey cookies. Frost uses real pumpkin in all their pumpkin desserts, but owner Bill Kloos said the spice mix is the star of the recipe. The pumpkin flavor is subtle and not overpowering. It’s the perfect blend of pumpkin-spice seasonings.

Pumpkin Spice-Glazed Cinnamon Rolls at Rollin Cafe

Pumpkin Spice-Glazed Cinnamon Rolls served at Rollin Cafe in Cordova. (Courtesy Rollin Cafe)

Rollin Cafe — 9580 Macon Road, Cordova — serves over-the-top cinnamon roll flavors in addition to its full cafe menu. For the fall, owner Rachel Sikes has created a sinfully good fall-inspired cinnamon roll. Rollin Cafe’s Pumpkin Spice-Glazed Cinnamon Roll is made for pumpkin-spice-latte-loving people. Sikes describes it as “if fall could be a baked good.” You can order your pumpkin-spiced glazed cinnamon rolls simply glazed or in flavors such as Caramel Pumpkin Spice Latte, Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake or Pecan Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake.

Pumpkin Spice Whoopie Pies at Muddy’s Bake Shop

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies served at Muddy’s Bake Shop. These tender, cakey pumpkin whoopies with cinnamon-brown-sugar filling are available as an occasional "pop-up special bake" at the bakery during October. (Courtesy Muddy’s Bake Shop)

Muddy’s Bake Shop’s famous Pumpkin Spice Whoopie Pies are making a return to the bakery, 2497 Broad Ave., in October. To make this seasonal treat, two tender, cakey pumpkin “cookies” are sandwiched together with a cinnamon-brown-sugar filling. It’s a tasty fall twist on a classic treat. The Whoopie Pies will make periodic appearances in the bakery’s cases, but owner Kat Gordon will also teach you how to make them yourself at a Pumpkin Spice Whoopie Pie cooking class Saturday, Oct. 26.

Pumpkin Spice Macarons at The Sift Bakery

The Sift Bakery — 5788 Stage Rd., Bartlett — makes some of my favorite macarons in town. Owner Lonisa “LaLa” Bowen packs so much flavor into each one, and her pumpkin-spice macarons are no exception. Her pumpkin-spice treats will debut in early October, and she has a new one I can’t wait to try: a pumpkin-spice croissant!

Pumpkin Oreo Ice Cream at Sugar Ghost Ice Cream & Bubble Tea

Pumpkin Oreo Cheesecake Ice Cream served at Sugar Ghost Ice Cream & Bubble Tea. (Courtesy Madeline Viner)

Ice cream may not be the first treat that comes to mind when you think pumpkin spice, but thanks to Sugar Ghost Ice Cream & Bubble Tea — 2615 Broad Ave. and 9077 Poplar Ave., Germantown — it should be. Sugar Ghost is serving a Pumpkin Oreo flavor of its handcrafted ice cream starting at the beginning of October. Owner Mary Claire White said the flavor was inspired by her love of pumpkin and the desire to create something different.

“Oreo cheesecake is a classic favorite dessert, so we decided to mix it with pumpkin. And the result is a perfect way to enjoy a new pumpkin flavor,” she said.

Pumpkin Cake at Primas Bakery

The pumpkin cake at Primas Bakery is a seasonal offering in the fall. (Courtesy Primas Bakery)

Primas Bakery, 734 Mount Moriah Road, owner Rachel Mullen is known for her whimsical cake decorating; her talents even landed her on a Food Network competition show. For the fall, she decorates a pumpkin-spice cake with bright orange icing so it looks like the cutest pumpkin you have ever seen.

The week on Memphis’ restaurant scene

Kinfolk is reopening this week after being closed for more than six weeks due to water damage. Owner Cole Jeanes shared the challenges of the closure plus the projects he focused on while the restaurant was closed.

Another restaurant that’s had an extended closure — Bob’s Barksdale Restaurant — is now being sold, but the good news is it’s expected to reopen. And the new owners sound committed to keeping it the same Barksdale. 

I reported on the death of Jackson Kramer last week at the age of 44. The former chef at Interim and Bounty on Broad, who was at the forefront of the local farm-to-table movement, battled cancer four times before his death. 

In this week’s “Food Files,” Sophia Surrett reported Tandem Restaurant Group opened its new quick-service Memphis Original Gangsta Fried Chicken at Carolina Watershed, 141 E. Carolina St., last week. It will be offered there until its permanent location at 786 Echles St. is finished. 

Surrett also reported a new TacoNGanas is coming to the intersection of Riverdale and Winchester roads and a Waffle House is being proposed for a 1.16-acre site at 3785 Forest Hill Irene Road. 

Amelia Gene’s has reopened after a two-week hiatus as Chef Nate Henssler and his wife traveled to Chile for culinary inspiration. The restaurant also has new hours. The bar will open at 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays due to high demand. 

Football season has officially kicked off, so that got me thinking about hot wings. In this week’s “What to Order,” I introduce you to one of my favorite hot wing spots: Mike’s Hot Wings & Such.

For the “Sound Bites” podcast last week, I sat down with Home Place Pastures owner Marshall Bartlett and Chef Jimmy Gentry of The Lobbyist and Paradox Cuisine catering company. We talked about Home Place Pasture’s annual Boucherie event and all things regenerative farming. The Boucherie, which is part farm dinner and part competition, was last Saturday night, and the Secret Smash Society chefs — Cole Jeanes, Harrison Downing and Schuyler O’Brien — took home the prize for the people’s choice award.

Speaking of smash burgers: Though Bain Barbecue is known mostly for its Texas barbecue, Joshua Carlucci raved about its Smash Burger in last week’s “$10 Deal” column.

And Nashville author Anne Byrn, known for her “The Cake Doctor” cookbooks, shared a favorite recipe from her new “Baking in the American South” cookbook: The Best Lemon Meringue Pie. Her new cookbook is available at Novel.

Thanks for joining me for this week’s Table Talk. Be sure to look for this column weekly for all the latest food news in Memphis.

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