While pumpkin spice certainly gets a lot of attention through the fall season, this year, there are some trending alternatives in the mix. As diners gravitate to seasonal favourites and comfort food, operators are broadening their menus to include more flavours and interesting combinations.
Pumpkin is still the top contender, but it’s not the only flavour being featured on this season’s menus – and there may be some new fall favourites emerging. “Pumpkin spice lattes have long since graduated from trend status… but our data shows signs that it may be reaching its peak,” says Cristen Milliner, consumer trends expert at DoorDash.
Orders for items featuring pecan are up 28 per cent year over year, and fall menus are featuring everything from apple to banana, tiramisu, and marshmallow flavours, rather than relying strictly on pumpkin to carry them through the season.
Along with the traditional pumpkin favourites, Starbucks’ fall menu recently launched with three pecan drinks (the Pecan Cortado, Iced Pecan Crunch Latte, and Pecan Crunch Latte), as well as some new features including the Iced Banana Bread Latte and Iced Banana Bread Chai, with an apple-focused menu set to launch in October.
Dunkin’ embraced tiramisu, introducing the Tiramisu Cloud Latte, Tiramisu Protein Latte, Tiramisu Shakin’ Espresso, and Tiramisu Marshmallow Matcha. McDonald’s skipped pumpkin completely, focusing on a fall menu featuring apple instead, with a Caramel Apple Pie Frappe, Hot Caramel Apple Pie Latte, Iced Caramel Apple Pie Latte, and Caramel Apple Pie Iced Coffee.
Chick-fil-A went with nostalgia for fall, with a S’mores Frosted Coffee and S’mores Milkshake, while Wendy’s called its new Apple Crumble Frosty Fusion the pick “for those craving a sweet taste of fall beyond pumpkin spice.”
Even though Dairy Queen has run offered its Pumpkin Pie Blizzard since 1991, a Brown Sugar Cookie Dough Blizzard has been added to the fall lineup this year, and Krispy Kreme has introduced an Apple Crisp Latte along with Maple Cheesecake and Café Mocha donuts.
While reportedly not down in sales, studies show that diner enthusiasm for pumpkin spice is dropping in searches. Over 260 per cent more searches have been made for “matcha latte” than “pumpkin spice latte” this month, and “banana coffee syrup” is dominating search results for the first time. Will this be the start of pumpkin’s decline from fall’s favourite? Maybe not, but it looks like there is definitely more to choose from as we head into fall this year.
