Montreal's change in season calls for a change in seasoning and pumpkin spice is undoubtedly the way to go. While some cafes are spicing up their lattés with the quintessential fall flavour, other eateries are churning it into their soft serve or baking it into pastries. Loading up on these sweet pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg treats is sure to sugarcoat the onset of unseasonable cold that's just around the corner.
CA LEM Creamery
Where: 315, place d'Youville (Old Port), 4297, rue Jean-Talon Ouest (CDN/TMR), 4223, rue Saint-Dominique (Plateau), 138, ave Atwater (St-Henri), 6926, rue Sherbrooke Ouest (NDG)
Reason to Try: You can pick up this creamy pumpkin spice swirl with a crème brulée twist at any of the five Ca Lem locations in the city. The soft serve is made with lactose-free milk and has notes of caramel and custard mixed in with the usual cinnamon and nutmeg, which makes it surprisingly comforting for a cold treat.
Atelier BiscOui
Reason to Try: Atelier BiscOui has mastered the soft, gooey cookie and their latest fall confection is no exception. The delivery-only bakery based in Laval has a new pumpkin spice cookie that mixes milk and white chocolate with spiced cream cheese frosting. You can order a box online and have it delivered right to your door. If you pop a cookie in the microwave for eight seconds, it will get as melty as if it were just taken out of the oven.
Maison Chabot
Where: 5477, rue Chabot
Reason to Try: The adorable brioche buns at this Plateau coffee shop are made with pumpkin purée dough infused with pie spices. The pumpkin shape makes for easy tearing, just don't bite into the cinnamon stick stem that completes the mini-gourd look. You can order one with a whipped cream PSL or a coffee-free pumpkin spice chai that the spot calls "comfort in a cup."
La Beignerie
Where: 3979, rue Saint Denis
Reason to Try: Vegans don't have to think twice about what's in the donuts served here, just which flavours to try — and the Autumn Delight should probably be top of every list. The donut is filled with spiced pumpkin cream, glazed with coffee and topped with salted pumpkin seeds.
Café Zezin
Where: 2351, rue Jean-Talon Est
Reason to Try: This Villeray café is known for serving award-winning brews, so it's only natural to pair their seasonal pumpkin tartelette with a PSL or classic aeropress. Bite into a pie's earthy sweetness and then wash it down with a quality coffee topped with the cutest latte art.
Le Blueboy
Where: 150, ave Mont-Royal Est
Reason to Try: The Dia de Muertos sundae from this Plateau ice cream parlour commemorates the annual Latinx holiday that honours lost relatives with colourful deco, flowers and sugary foods. Le Blueboy puts all of those elements in one cup, mixing spiced pumpkin soft serve with panela sugar cane syrup (less processed and more flavourful than white sugar) and adding an edible marigold flower and candy garnish.
Cremy
Where: 2202, rue Mont-Royal
Reason to Try: The donuts from this Plateau patisserie offer a unique take on favourite flavours and the October special is a salty and sweet pumpkin spice creation. You can pick up a squash and chai cream filled donut, topped with a sweet and savoury pumpkin seed crumble, any time before November.
Rustique
Where: 4615, rue Notre-Dame St Ouest
Reason to Try: The popular pumpkin spice scones are back at this St-Henri bakery for a limited time. Each one is topped with Turbinado sugar and roasted pumpkin seeds to add a little crunch to each bite. Rustique's full fall collection of pies is also available online, which means you don't even have to leave home to get your treats.
Website
49th Parallel
Pumpkin cheesecake donuts at 49th Parallel.
Where: 488, rue McGill
Reason to Try: The in-house bakery at 49th Parallel café, Lucky's, churns out divine donuts — from churro rings to cranberry cake donuts dusted with gold flakes. One seasonal offering is the pumpkin cheesecake donut filled with a sweet squash filling and topped with cream cheese frosting. Another is the dirty chai donut, dusted with sugar and spices and chock full of rich cardamom-flavoured cream.
