Apple-flavored products are emerging as a strong contender to pumpkin spice this fall, with major brands launching new items and consumers showing increased interest.
Apple's Rise in Fall Offerings
In August, McDonald's released four caramel apple-flavored coffees for the season. Dairy Queen announced a caramel apple cheesecake Blizzard, and La Colombe introduced a canned caramel apple draft latte that sold out faster than any of its previous releases, according to a brand spokesperson.
Grocery aisles are also seeing limited-release apple products from brands like Olipop (caramel apple), Poppi (sour apple), and RX Bar (apple pie).
Consumer Trends and Market Data
Nate Rosen, co-founder of Express Checkout, a media company analyzing consumer trends, noted, "Apple definitely feels like a standout thing this year. Like every other year, it was PSL season, baby. It was blue jeans, a white top, a black vest, tall boots and an infinity scarf."
Rosen added, "This year definitely feels different. And also, I feel like more people are talking about it." Express Checkout recently shared a video on Instagram asking, "Is apple the new pumpkin spice?" listing 13 new apple-flavored snacks and beverages. Business outlets from Inc. to Fortune have noted the trend.
Dr Jin-A Choi, assistant professor of advertising at Montclair State University, who researches social media analytics and has studied pumpkin spice for four years, said, "Caramel apple is being pushed out by sources that are like the news. So news releases, and social media videos and other types of things will carry more virality."
Pumpkin Spice Still Holds Ground
Despite apple's momentum, pumpkin spice remains popular. Google Trends data shows pumpkin spice is still searched far more than apple. However, Choi's team found a 15% decrease in pumpkin spice-related searches between 2024 and 2025, the lowest level post-Covid. They attribute this to factors including higher prices on pumpkin spice-flavored items due to tariffs on ingredients like cinnamon and nutmeg.
In July, Starbucks launched its pumpkin menu with three new drinks, leaving apple-flavored products off the menu entirely, including a past release, the apple crisp shaken espresso. The company did not respond to a request for comment.
Filter Editors' Taste Test
Filter editors sampled several new apple products. Olipop's caramel apple soda was praised for its subtly sweet, authentic taste. Karen Yuan, Filter commissioning editor, said, "It tastes almost like a caramel apple cider. I'm not usually a soda person, but this may have converted me to Olipop."
Poppi's sour apple soda received mixed reviews, with one editor describing it as reminiscent of green apple shampoo turned into a beverage, while another compared it to Apple Sidra, a Taiwanese soft drink. Noosa's apple pie yogurt earned top marks, with bits of pie crust mixed in. Snack Factory's apple spice white creme pretzel crisps were noted as sweet and best enjoyed in small amounts. RX Bar's apple pie protein bar received mixed reviews, with Yuan calling it "the least bad flavor from the brand."
Until apple earns its own latte acronym or becomes associated with a new meme, pumpkin remains the ruler of fall, at least for now.
