Can you spot the ultraprocessed foods?

Take a virtual shopping trip to learn more about what's on grocery store shelves.

Lil Debbie Brownie Pumpkins
Bakery
📊 NOVA 4

Lil Debbie Brownie Pumpkins

Little Debbie
10.17 oz
Available at Foodtown
260
Calories
2g
Protein
22g
Sugars
150mg
Sodium
1g
Fiber
89
Ingredients

What You Should Know

Little Debbie Brownie Pumpkins are a seasonal snack-cake product often found in the snack aisle and in endcap seasonal displays during fall and Halloween—usually stacked near cookies, cupcakes, novelty cakes, and other branded snack cakes. Shoppers pick them up on family grocery runs, back-to-school trips, or while gathering supplies for classroom parties and holiday treat trays. The product fits quick-occasion moments: after-school snacks, party platters, lunchbox treats, and impulse buys at checkout during autumn. Little Debbie is positioned as an affordable, family-friendly nostalgic brand that targets parents buying for children and adults who grew up with the brand; marketing leans into tradition, convenience, and playful seasonal designs rather than premium ingredients. Packaging is bright and kid-focused, with cartoonish pumpkin imagery and emphasis on fun; you will not see organic certification or natural-only claims—nutrition and ingredient panels are present but the front label highlights flavor and festivity more than health. In plain processing terms, this is a highly processed, shelf-stable snack made from refined grains, added sugars, vegetable oils, and several industrial additives and colorings. Sensory experience: a soft, cake-like brownie base shaped like a small pumpkin, topped with a sweet, brightly colored frosting that is slightly waxy from emulsifiers and stabilizers; the bite is moist and tender with a dense, sweet crumb. Packaging usually contains individually wrapped cakes inside a branded cardboard box, supporting grab-and-go rituals—toss into a lunchbox, arrange on a dessert platter, or serve at a kids' party as a quick holiday-themed treat.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1
Servings per Container: 5
Calories260
% Daily Value*
Total Fat11g14%
Saturated Fat5g25%
Sodium150mg7%
Total Carbohydrate38g14%
Dietary Fiber1g4%
Total Sugars22g
Added Sugars22g44%
Protein2g
* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Ingredients

Enriched, Bleached, Flour, (Wheat, Flour,, Niacin,, Reduced, Iron,, Thiamin, Mononitrate, [Vitamin, B1],, Riboflavin, [Vitamin, B2],, Folic, Acid),, Corn, Syrup,, Palm, and, Soybean, Oils, with, TBHQ, and, Citric, Acid, to, Protect, Flavor,, Sugar,, Dextrose,, Water,, Cocoa,, Contains, 2%, or, Less, of, Each, of, the, Following:, Soy, Lecithin,, Salt,, Corn, Starch,, Leavening, (Baking, Soda,, Sodium, Aluminum, Phosphate),, Caramel, Color,, Modified, Corn, Starch,, Soybean, Oil,, Natural, and, Artificial, Flavors,, Polysorbate, 60,, Yellow, 6, Lake,, Dried, Eggs,, Titanium, Dioxide, (Color),, Yellow, 5, Lake,, Blue, 2, Lake,, Whey, (Milk),, Soy, Flour,, Dried, Egg, Whites..

Flagged Ingredients:

  • Soybean Oil - Seed oil high in omega-6 fatty acids
  • Polysorbate 60 - Processed emulsifier
  • TBHQ - Synthetic preservative
  • Citric Acid - Synthetic preservative
  • Yellow 6 Lake - Artificial coloring
  • Yellow 5 Lake - Artificial coloring
  • Blue 2 Lake - Artificial coloring
No Seed OilNo EmulsifierNo PreservativeNo Additive

Dietary Labels

This product is not vegan, is not gluten-free, and is not organic.

Ultra-Processing Assessment

NOVA Score:4 / 4

Ultra-Processed

Why this score?

Contains refined flours, high levels of added sugars and industrial ingredients (corn syrup, emulsifiers, artificial colors/flavors, preservatives), indicating ultraprocessed manufacturing and formulation.

Daily Ritual

Can you Spot Ultraprocessed Foods? Play our Supermarket Game

Take a virtual shopping trip to learn more about what's on grocery store shelves.

Shopping in the supermarket oil aisle

Others also viewed

Common Questions about Lil Debbie Brownie Pumpkins

Well, 'healthy' can be a bit subjective, right? If you're looking for a sweet treat to indulge in occasionally, these brownie pumpkins can definitely hit the spot! Just keep in mind they're high in sugar and not exactly a powerhouse of nutrients, so maybe save them for a fun snack rather than a daily staple.

Perfect For

back-to-school
holiday-baking
movie-night
road-trip

Vibe:

nostalgicindulgentconvenientcomforting
$NaN
per package