A 2024 survey of 2,000 American adults revealed that 58% of respondents reported that they would choose alternative Fall flavors over pumpkin spice, and 45% reported fatigue with pumpkin spice flavored food & beverage products. Have we finally hit the point of pumpkin spice overkill?

The top 3 ranked Fall flavors in a survey by Talker Research were revealed to be candy apple, cinnamon, and salted caramel. Although pumpkin spice still gets the honorable mention at spot #4, is apple the new pumpkin spice?

Apple Spice

Apple spice is the perfect way to hit 2 out of the 3 flavors deemed to be most sought after for the upcoming 2024 Fall season. The combination of a sweet, tart apple with the warm flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves blends seamlessly to rival pumpkin spice.

Starbucks has introduced new apple-themed drinks like the Iced Apple Crisp Nondairy Cream Chai and the returning Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato. These drinks bring a fresh twist to the traditionally pumpkin-spice-dominant fall flavor lineup. Cracker Barrel is also following suit to overcome the “pumpkin spice fatigue” with apple-based menu items such as their Granny Smith Apple Mimosa, Granny Smith Apple Tea, Signature Fried Apple French Toast Bake, & the Southern Apple Cobbler.

Other new food and beverage items that have been announced to launch this season include:

• Planter’s Apple Cider Donut Cashews
• My Mochi Apple Pie a la Mode Ice Cream
• Salt & Straw Black Currant Apple Cider Ice Cream
• Tim Horton’s Caramel Apple Latte
• HTeaO’s Dirty Chai Apple Crisp Tea
• Cinnaholic’s Apple Crisp Cinnamon Roll
• Jimmy John’s Caramel Apple Smoothie

Array of Apple

This year more than ever, new apple varieties are taking over. Not only does this peak consumer interest in the market, but apple innovation has also resulted in exciting new flavors and eating experiences. Apple growers are prioritizing varietal variety and flexibility for the 2024/2025 harvest season. The newest apple varieties include:

• Lemonade – Described as a yellow-skinned apple with a balanced sweet, tangy flavor profile.
• SnapDragon – As it’s name implies, this ultra crispy apple is described to be very sweet with vanilla and melon undertones.
• EverCrisp – Described as ultra-sweet with corn syrup, floral, and honey flavors.

Additionally, classic apple-based recipes are inspiring a new array of apple flavored food and beverage products. A survey conducted by Hormel identified that 46% of consumers are planning to purchase an autumn-flavored food or beverage item this Fall season. Of many choices given, “Apple Cider” was among the most popular. Experts predict that this will continue to drive consumer flavor preferences in favor of dynamic apple-inspired flavors over straightforward “apple”. A few apple-based flavor combinations we predict will trend this season include:

• Caramel Apple
• Cheddar Apple
• Apple Cider
• Cinnamon Roll Apple
• Peanut Butter Apple

References:

https://plasticcontainercity.com/blog/post/crave-the-autumn-wave-2024s-breakout-bakery-trends

Datassential Insider Fall Index, 2024 3 SNAP! Datassential, 2024

https://foodinstitute.com/consumerinsights/3-fall-flavors-poised-to-surpass-pumpkin-spice-in-popularity/#:~:text=The%20survey%20results%20revealed%20that%20three%20fall%20flavors,favoring%20salted%20caramel%20and%2036%25%20choosing%20candy%20apple.

https://talker.news/2024/08/12/is-pumpkin-spices-reign-over/