The Ultimate Fall Foods Carbohydrate Counting Guide


 2021-10-15

It’s pumpkin spice season! Or fall, depending on what you like to celebrate. Whether it’s pumpkin-spice-everything or the other fall foods you love, it’s important to remember (and remind the people who look out for you) that one, yes you CAN eat that, and two, it just requires some math. Whether you’ve been doing diabetes for a long time (so you’re a carb-counting pro!) or you’re new to counting carbohydrates, we have your back.

Below is a list of your favorite fall foods (and then some!) and their nutrition facts. In addition to carbohydrates, we’ve included fat and protein because these can affect blood sugar too. We’ve also included calories for those who want to count them.

Looking for other helpful carb-counting guides? Check out Drinking Beer with Type 1 Diabetes or our Holiday Carb-Counting Chart. Both are part of our library of resources on food—find other guides like whether or not gluten-free or paleo diets really help with blood sugar control, dietary recommendations from nutritionists and foodies and more! There’s even a whole set of guides around celebrations and the holidays!

Did we miss something? Email editor@beyondtype1.org so we can add it!

Coffee, Ciders, Smoothies & Baked Goods

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, Grande 16oz
Total Carbohydrates: 52g
Calories: 390
Total Fat: 14g
Protein: 14g

Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, Grande 16oz
Total Carbohydrates: 31g
Calories: 250
Total Fat: 12g
Protein: 3g

Starbucks Pumpkin Loaf, 1 piece
Total Carbohydrates: 63g
Calories: 410
Total Fat: 15g
Protein: 6g

Beyond Type 1 Pumpkin Pie Smoothie, 1 serving
Total Carbohydrates: 31g
Find the recipe here.

Dunkin’ Donuts Pumpkin Doughnut, 1 doughnut
Total Carbohydrates: 41g
Calories: 380
Total Fat: 22g
Protein: 3g

Dunkin’ Donuts Apple Cider Doughnut, 1 doughnut
Total Carbohydrates: 36g
Calories: 360
Total Fat: 23g
Protein: 4g

Dunkin’ Donuts Hot Apple Cider, medium
Total Carbohydrates: 47g
Calories: 190
Total Fat: 0g
Protein: 1g

Dunkin’ Donuts Pumpkin Chai Hot Latte, medium
Total Carbohydrates: 47g
Calories: 310
Total Fat: 9g
Protein: 10g

Dunkin’ Donuts Pumpkin Spice Latte with Skim Milk, medium
Total Carbohydrates: 60g
Calories: 340
Total Fat: 5g
Protein: 12g

Dunkin’ Donuts Pumpkin Swirl Iced Coffee (black), medium
Total Carbohydrates: 37g
Calories: 170
Total Fat: 0g
Protein: 3g

Dunkin’ Donuts Pumpkin Muffin, 1 muffin
Total Carbohydrates: 77g
Calories: 550
Total Fat: 24g
Protein: 6g

Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Rolls, 1 roll with icing
Total Carbohydrates: 53g
Calories: 330
Total Fat: 11g
Protein: 4g

Pumpkin Spice Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate, 1 packet
Total Carbohydrates: 34g
Calories: 160
Total Fat: 2.5g
Protein: 1g

Salted Caramel Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate, 1 packet
Total Carbohydrates: 32g
Calories: 160
Total Fat: 2.5g
Protein: 1g

Pumpkin Pie Pop-Tart, 2 pastries
Total Carbohydrates: 68g
Calories: 380
Total Fat: 10g
Protein: 4g

Snacks

Brach’s Candy Corn, 15 pieces
Total Carbohydrates: 28g
Calories: 110
Total Fat: 0g
Protein: 0g

Salted Caramel Brownie Oreos, 2 cookies
Total Carbohydrates: 20g
Calories: 140
Total Fat: 6g
Protein: 1g

Apple Cider Donut Oreos, 2 cookies
Total Carbohydrates: 21g
Calories: 150
Total Fat: 7g
Protein: less than 1%

Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spread, 1 tbsp
Total Carbohydrates: 13g
Calories: 50
Total Fat: 0g
Protein: 0g

Chobani Pumpkin Spice Yogurt, 1 yogurt
Total Carbohydrates: 14g
Calories: 130
Total Fat: 2.5g
Protein: 11g

Pumpkin Spice Cheerios, 1 cup
Total Carbohydrates: 29g
Calories: 140
Total Fat: 2.5g
Protein: 3g

Applesauce, 1 serving from allrecipes
Total Carbohydrates: 31.8g
Calories: 121
Total Fat: 0.2g
Protein: 0.4g

Savory Sides/Meals

Butternut Squash Soup, 1 serving from allrecipes
Total Carbohydrates: 59.7g
Calories: 305
Total Fat: 6.8g
Protein: 6.9g

Thomas’ Pumpkin Spice English Muffin, 1 muffin
Total Carbohydrates: 29g
Calories: 150
Total Fat: 1g
Protein: 5g

Trader Joe’s Honey Roasted Pumpkin Ravioli, 1 cup
Total Carbohydrates: 36g
Calories: 220
Total Fat: 5g
Protein: 8g

Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Empanadas, 1 empanada
Total Carbohydrates: 22g
Calories: 160
Total Fat: 6g
Protein: 5g

Trader Joe’s Mini Spicy Pumpkin Samosas, 4 pieces
Total Carbohydrates: 20g
Calories: 170
Total Fat: 8g
Protein: 6g

Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice Hummus, 2 tbsp
Total Carbohydrates: 10g
Calories: 70
Total Fat: 2.5g
Protein: less than 1g

Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese Bites, 3 pieces
Total Carbohydrates: 18g
Calories: 230
Total Fat: 16g
Protein: 5g

Desserts

Beyond Type 1’s Crustless Pumpkin Pie, 1 serving
Total Carbohydrates: 3.9g
Calories: 133.8
Total Fat: 12.1g
Protein: 3.1g
Find the recipe here.

Caramel Apple, 1 apple from allrecipes
Total Carbohydrates: 7.5g
Calories: 311
Total Fat: 3.5g
Protein: 3.4g

Homemade Apple Pie, 1 serving from allrecipes
Total Carbohydrates: 49.3g
Calories: 376
Total Fat: 19.5g
Protein: 3.3g

Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Ice Cream, ⅔ cup
Total Carbohydrates: 41g
Calories: 290
Total Fat: 13g
Protein: 4g

Talenti Pumpkin Pie Gelato, ⅔ cup
Total Carbohydrates: 43g
Calories: 330
Total Fat: 15g
Protein: 5g

Sweet Potato Pie, 1 serving from allrecipes
Total Carbohydrates: 33.6g
Calories: 316
Total Fat: 18.6
Protein: 4.3g

Pumpkin Pie, 1 serving from allrecipes
Total Carbohydrates: 41.8g
Calories: 310
Total Fat: 13.3g
Protein: 7.5g

Homemade Apple Crumble, 1 serving from allrecipes
Total Carbohydrates: 42.4g
Calories: 212
Total Fat: 5.2g
Protein: 2.5g

Pumpkin Biscotti, 1 serving from allrecipes
Total Carbohydrates: 24.6g
Calories: 135
Total Fat: 3.1g
Protein: 2.4g

While enjoying these delicious fall-themed treats, work with your healthcare team to help you learn how to manage your insulin doses and your blood sugar goals! Know that it’s totally normal for your insulin needs to change from hour to hour and day to day, which can make higher-carb foods tricky sometimes. Experiment, be kind to yourself and lean on your healthcare team and the diabetes online community.

WRITTEN BY Erika Szumel, POSTED 10/15/21, UPDATED 12/07/22

Erika has been living with type 1 Diabetes since 2000 and began her career as an associate producer, working at NBC's Oxygen. When she's not writing about her favorite places (or planning a trip), she's jammin' out to classic rock. Living at the Jersey shore, Erika is a lover of the little things, the ocean and pork roll.