Review: Culver's New Pumpkin S'mores Concrete Mixer: Must-Try Mix Or Meh Mashup?

Pumpkin season is in full swing at fast food restaurants, and the annual rollout has already brought muffins, doughnuts, cakes, pies, and enough pumpkin-spiced coffee to power a hayride. Culver's is also joining the fall festivities, but it's keeping things decidedly chill. 

Beginning September 8, the Wisconsin-based chain is offering a brand-new, limited-time-only frozen custard creation. The Pumpkin S'mores Concrete Mixer starts with fresh vanilla custard and real pumpkin puree, then folds in crumbled graham crackers, Hershey's chocolate pieces, and mini marshmallows. It sounds like an idyllic autumnal day served up in a cup: A sweet afternoon spent at the pumpkin patch followed by a cozy night gathered around the backyard bonfire. 

Could these two seasonal sentiments blend up into one delicious dessert — or would this mashup prove to be too much of a good thing? I approached Culver's fully loaded Peanut Butter Fudge Brownie and Oreo Reese's Cheesecake — two new custard Flavors of the Day — with that same hopeful skepticism. In both cases, the abundance of mix-ins could have easily tipped into sugary chaos, but each turned to be out surprisingly composed. It's time to find out whether pumpkin spice and s'mores can pull off the same balancing act.

This review marks my third visit to the Glenview, Illinois, Culver's in about a month. I was not planning to become a regular, but the Midwestern chain keeps expanding on what used to be a fairly "classic" menu. This year, Culver's rolled out reimagined pub burgers, new sauces and sides (fried pickles!), and a lineup of seasonal desserts meant to "spark curiosity" and "push the boundaries," according to a company press release.

The Pumpkin S'mores Concrete Mixer is another 2026 reinvention, developed through extensive research and guest feedback. To test it out, I ordered a small-sized cup to go and took it outside to the patio. Since a concrete mixer is essentially Culver's fresh frozen custard base blended with mix-ins, I kept my expectations just as simple. I was looking for three things: genuine pumpkin flavor, thick, spoonable texture, and an even distribution of ingredients that kept me satisfied — but not overindulged.

My Pumpkin S'mores Concrete Mixer arrived looking decidedly subtle for such a maximalist idea. Inside the cup was a creamy pale orange custard, so smoothly blended there were few visible traces of graham crackers, marshmallows, or Hershey's chocolate on the surface. Digging in with a spoon, I found the first bite to be a surprising combination of velvety rich custard plus a hollow crunch I couldn't quite place. A closer look (and a few more bites) confirmed the crunch was coming from the mini marshmallow component. Turns out they're "dehydrated marshmallow bits" rather than the gooey, toasty swirls you'd find in an actual s'more.

Overall, though, the pumpkin part of this blended equation really worked. The flavor was pleasantly authentic and mellow, with cinnamon, cloves, and ginger adding just enough warmth to feel seasonal but not aggressively spiced. The honey graham cracker cookies, while completely pulverized, still contributed tiny specks of color and mild sweetness. Unfortunately, the Hershey's milk chocolate pieces got lost in the mix. The few milk chocolate chunks I found were too muted to compete with the pumpkin or add any additional indulgence.

The Pumpkin S'mores Concrete Mixer isn't one of Culver's best or worst menu items — it lands squarely in the pleasant, but also forgettable, middle. Overall, this limited-time treat is tasty and seasonally appropriate, but that's all thanks to the addition of real pumpkin puree and spice (nothing new). The promised "flavors of a campfire favorite" never really show up, and the dehydrated marshmallow bits are where it truly fizzles out. Culver's actually has marshmallow creme on its everyday topping menu. Using it here could have gone a long way toward selling that s'mores angle. 

After reviewing Culver's new Peanut Butter Fudge Brownie and Oreo Reese's Cheesecake creations, I was fully expecting the graham crackers, Hershey's chocolate pieces, and mini marshmallows to similarly take this pumpkin creation over the top. But in this super blended mix, the extra indulgence hardly registers. This same ingredient lineup would be much better served in a seasonal custard cup or sundae flavor, where the toppings could be seen, tasted, and appreciated with every spoonful. As it stands, Culver's new Pumpkin S'mores Concrete Mixer is a semi-fun fall treat, but it's not a must-order.

The Pumpkin S'mores Concrete Mixer is available at Culver's locations across the country beginning Tuesday, September 8. It joins two returning fan favorites: the Salted Caramel Pumpkin Concrete Mixer and Pumpkin Spice Shake. These pumpkin-inspired desserts are offered daily but only for a short window each fall. Exact end dates for these limited-time treats may vary by location, so it's worth checking with your local restaurant.

At my favorite Culver's in Glenview, Illinois, the Pumpkin S'mores Concrete Mixer comes in mini ($4.79), small ($5.69), medium ($6.19), and large ($6.89) sizes. The small I ordered contains 730 calories, 40 grams of fat (24 grams of which is saturated fat), and 67 grams of sugar. 

Vanilla frozen custard, the base ingredient of Culver's Pumpkin S'mores Concrete Mixer, is made with milk, cream, sugar, corn syrup, egg yolk (which makes custard different from ice cream), guar gum, mono and diglycerides, locust bean gum, carrageenan, and natural and artificial vanilla flavor. The pumpkin pie mix includes pumpkin, water, sugar, salt, and spices (cinnamon, cloves, and ginger). Full ingredient details for the s'mores topping can be found on Culver's Nutrition and Allergen Guide on the chain's website.