Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

The fall season used to be a time for sweaters, strolls in the park to watch changing leaves and hanging out in coffee shops.

Then in recent years, pumpkin spice elbowed its way into fall stereotypes. Many mock it but even more unabashedly adore it.

Not to be outdone by the pumpkin spice craze, Voodoo Doughnut stopped by Eugene Weekly with samples of its fall doughnut lineup: the Caramel Cha Cha Chai and Dashing Pumpkin.

OK, back to the doughnuts.

The Caramel Cha Cha Chai. Photo courtesy of Voodoo Doughnut

The Caramel Cha Cha Chai is a yeast-filled doughnut with chai cream, topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with chai spice. One EW taster mentioned that she was worried about the cream being overwhelmed with chai but was relieved that it was just a hint.

Each bite of the Cha Cha Chai fills your mouth with the chai creamy goodness, so for those who chase doughnuts with filling and cream, you’d better head to Voodoo before it leaves the menu on Dec. 27. And if you need more incentive to buy some Cha Cha Chai doughnuts, a portion of each doughnut’s sale goes toward the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, which supports students at historically and predominantly Black higher education institutions.

As long as social justice is a topic at hand, we should acknowledge that Voodoo Doughnut’s workers at a Portland store have been trying to unionize under the name Doughnut Workers United. Workers voted to unionize back in March 2020, according to the NW Labor Organizer. In June 2021, the union told Willamette Week that management was union-busting by firing workers. Voodoo management told The Oregonian the unionization efforts were defeated in a vote acknowledged by the National Labor Relations Board. The Doughnut Workers United is still active on social media.

Back to the main event — the doughnut that’s based on a spice so popular that Oct. 1, aka Pumpkin Spice Day, is named after it: the Dashing Pumpkin (we’re guessing a reference to the ‘90s alt-rock band Smashing Pumpkins). The cake doughnut preferers at EW thought the Dashing Pumpkin had an excellent pumpkin cream to doughnut ratio. The doughnut itself was perfectly balanced, crunchy outside and soft inside. The doughnut is available through Nov. 30.

Dashing Pumpkin. Photo courtesy Voodoo Doughnut

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

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None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!