The LTO
David Protein is reviving its Pumpkin Spice Gold Bar as a limited-time fall offering, available now direct-to-consumer at $39 per 12-count box and rolling into Walmart, Target, Kroger, and The Vitamin Shoppe while supplies last. The seasonal SKU targets the crowded fall-flavor window with a macro profile — 28 grams of protein, 150 calories, and 0 grams of sugar — that sits at the premium end of the functional snack bar segment.
The bar's formulation layers spiced pumpkin-flavored dough with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, plus airy crisps and white chocolate-flavored chunks. Protein sourcing follows the Gold platform's established blend of milk protein isolate, collagen, and whey protein concentrate, which the brand positions as delivering a complete amino acid profile. At 75% Calories from Protein (CFP), the Pumpkin Spice entry matches the nutritional density of the core Gold lineup rather than trading down to accommodate the seasonal flavor.
Retail & Portfolio Context
The LTO's four-chain retail footprint — spanning mass, grocery, and specialty wellness — reflects a distribution posture that functional bar brands increasingly pursue to maximize seasonal sell-through without overcommitting inventory. Third-party protein-content testing, with results published on the brand's site, has become a differentiator for David as skepticism around label accuracy grows in the sports nutrition and functional snack category.
Beyond Gold, David has expanded its platform with Bronze, a 20-gram-protein bar targeting a more indulgent use occasion, and David Frozen Dessert, launched in June and exclusive to Target nationwide. The frozen line delivers 30 grams of protein per pint at 210–260 calories and 1–2 grams of sugar across four flavors — Vanilla Bean, Cookie Dough, Triple Chocolate, and Triple Peanut Butter — a format that puts the brand in direct competition with emerging high-protein frozen dessert brands vying for freezer-case placement at major retail and foodservice-adjacent channels.
Seasonal Timing
Pumpkin spice remains one of the highest-velocity seasonal flavor platforms in food and beverage, generating reliable earned media and trial lift in the August-through-October window. For a brand like David, whose Gold bars lead with functional credentials over indulgent positioning, a limited pumpkin spice LTO tests whether flavor seasonality can drive incremental velocity at retail without diluting the core protein-density message. With no announced unit-volume or velocity targets disclosed, the sell-through performance across its mass and specialty partners will be the practical gauge of how well the seasonal play converts the brand's existing consumer base.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
