Dairy Queen’s Fall Menu Boasts Pumpkin, Maple & More—Here’s My Honest Ranking

• What It Is: soft serve blended with pumpkin pie pieces, topped with whipped topping and nutmeg
• Price (small): $4

If you’re like me, Blizzards are all about the mix-ins, so let me start by saying that the pie crust pieces are plentiful. Not only are they bready, but they’re shockingly crisp for being studded in vanilla soft serve. Their texture, along with the warm spices on top and in the pumpkin base, reminds me of Golden Grahams—a definite plus. That said, I wish the pumpkin was more prominent; it gives more pumpkin spice than actual pumpkin. However, if you like just a hint of fall in your seasonal treats, this one won’t bash you over the head with cinnamon and all the autumn flourishes.

• What It Is: soft serve blended with toffee, caramel and cookie pieces
• Price (small): $4

OK, texturally? This frosty masterpiece is flawless. The brittle, crackly toffee bits (think the inside of a Skor bar) serve as a delicious foil to the thick, chewy cookie bites, which remind me of a brown sugar-forward oatmeal cookie. It’s beautifully balanced between sweet and salty, the soft serve providing the ultimate neutral base for the punchy add-ins. As tasty as it is, I wouldn’t mind a swirl or garnish of caramel sauce to drive it home.

• What It Is: soft serve blended with Maple Cookie Crumble base and milk, topped with whipped topping
• Price (small): $4

Phew, this was delicious. You may not be able to see the cookies at first glance, since they’re blended into the shake, but you’ll certainly taste them in full force. This sipper is like liquid butterscotch pancakes, slathered in a generous amount of salted butter and a shimmery layer of maple syrup. Even so, it doesn’t taste overly artificial (whether it is or not, I can’t say).