How to Make Pumpkin Spice Pulled Pork (Yes, We’re Serious)

Fall has been notoriously dubbed Pumpkin Spice season. As it turns out, those seasonal flavors are not just for coffee, cakes, and pies, but also for smoked meats.

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Fall is my favorite time to get outside and smoke some meats—mainly because it's much more comfortable tending to the fire in cooler temperatures. It's a great time to experiment with new recipes, including one I just ran across on social media. This one is definitely unconventional, and I'm sure you might have a strong opinion about the concept. Nonetheless, it's time to get into it. Let's learn how to make Pumpkin Spice Pulled Pork.

What Exactly Is 'Pumpkin Spice'?

First, let's start by taking a look at pumpkin spice itself. There are a ton of variations of this spice blend, but the general consensus is that it contains cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. This blend of spices was initially meant to flavor pumpkin pie, so it doesn't actually contain any pumpkin. In 2024, the blend can be found in a variety of treats, like coffee, cakes, and other desserts or beverages. However, pumpkin spice is rarely found in smoked meats. That is, of course, until now.

Pumpkin-Spice Pulled Pork Recipe

The recipe for Pumpkin Spice Pulled Pork starts off quite routinely. You begin by getting a nice-sized pork shoulder (a.k.a. Boston butt) and rubbing it down with your favorite barbecue rub. You can use a binder if you wish, but I honestly rarely do these days. If you're seasoning the meat right out of the package, it's usually moist enough that the seasoning will stick directly to it. However, you can use plain yellow mustard or even a Worcestershire binder, as shown in the video below.

In most cases, you would wrap your pork shoulder in butcher paper or aluminum foil once it reaches an internal temperature of 160-170 degrees Fahrenheit. You would then place it back on the smoker until it reaches about 200 degrees internally or another desired temperature. But in the case of Pumpkin Spice Pulled Pork, you actually place the meat inside a carved-out pumpkin to finish cooking, adding cinnamon, nutmeg, and apple cider. When it's done, you just shred and serve straight from the pumpkin.

Is Pumpkin Spice Pulled Pork Worth Making?

After seeing the results from the above video, I'm more than a little intrigued. The sweetness of the dish isn't off-putting to me at all. After all, many barbecue rubs do contain sugar, and I even wrap my ribs and burnt ends in brown sugar and honey on occasion. However, I would be curious to know how different the texture of the meat is. From the video, it looked a tad on the soupy side. Still, I think this one might actually be worth a try, if I can muster up the strength to sacrifice a good piece of meat.