It couldn’t be easier to whip up.
As soon as the leaves change color and the temperature begins to drop, there’s a massive vibe shift in society. Department stores adopt barnyard-inspired motifs, the smell of cinnamon is pumped throughout the supermarkets and in the blink of an eye everyone is wearing plaid and flannels.
What used to simply be referred to as fall is now commonly known as “pumpkin spice season.” (I think we may have Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes to thank for that.) Whether you are or aren’t a fan of pumpkin, you’d be hard-pressed to find a coffee shop or restaurant that doesn’t have a pumpkin spice variation of their menu this time of year.
Although the flavor is inescapable and the stores sometimes go a little overboard on all things pumpkin, the attitude behind the pumpkin spice palooza is quite charming. If you can’t beat them, join them—and my joining in involves trying the famous Pumpkin Dip from The Golden Bachelorette, Joan Vassos.
Ingredients for Joan Vassos’s Pumpkin Fluff Dip
To make your own batch of this sweet and spooky snack, you’ll need Cool Whip, pumpkin purée, vanilla pudding and pumpkin pie seasoning.
How to Make Joan Vassos’s Pumpkin Fluff Dip
Empty two tubs of Cool Whip into a large bowl. Mix in 1.5 boxes of powdered pudding mix, one entire can of pumpkin purée and a few dashes of pumpkin pie spice. Stir the mixture together until fully combined. That’s it!
What I Thought About Joan Vassos’s Pumpkin Fluff Dip
The dip tasted, as imagined, like pumpkin-flavored Cool Whip. It felt less like a dip and more like a very fluffy dessert topping. Either way, I could see this being a fun treat at a Halloween party, especially a kids’ Halloween party. As an adult, it was still fun to make, and it did taste great with cookies. And if you’re part of the population that counts the days to Halloween or pumpkin spice season, then this dip “falls” right into your areas of interest. I suspect the dip would also make a tasty coffee topper.
Tips for Making Joan Vassos’s Pumpkin Fluff Dip
Play around with the flavors. The pumpkin pie spice is nice, but I think a splash of almond extract would be a nice addition.
Choose your dipper. Joan serves her pumpkin fluff dip with molasses cookies, but I used gingersnaps and vanilla wafers and it still tasted great.