Starbucks' Fall Menu Has Arrived. Here Are All the Highlights.
The PSL turns 20 and is joined by brand-new menu items and returning fall favorites.
Photo courtesy of Starbucks
Pack up the beach chairs and reach for a sweater. Here’s a clear sign of summer’s wane and autumn’s approach: Starbucks has announced its new fall menu, and it arrives tomorrow.
On Thursday, August 24, Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte — the ground-breaking drink that paved the way for countless pumpkin-spice-flavored products to debut — returns for its 20th year. Made with the coffee chain's Signature Espresso and steamed milk plus a syrup made with real pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, the Pumpkin Spice Latte is available hot, iced or blended. Read about the origins and history of the drink popularly referred to as the PSL in our article, Starbucks' Iconic Pumpkin Spice Latte Turns 20.
This year, the PSL is joined by returning fall favorites like the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew (Starbucks Cold Brew with vanilla syrup, pumpkin cream cold foam and pumpkin spice) and the Apple Crisp Oatmik Macchiato (a hot, iced or blended espresso beverage with apple, cinnamon and brown sugar and a spiced apple drizzle). Other seasonal menu items back this year include the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin and Owl Cake Pop.
There's also a host of new beverages and bakery items headed our way. Starbucks is introducing two new seasonal beverages: Iced Apple Crisp Oatmilk Shaken Espresso and Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Tea Latte, as well as the new Baked Apple Croissant.
Food Network had a chance to taste these new beverages and we're thrilled to report back with all the details. We appreciated the way the flavors of the Iced Apple Crisp Oatmeal Shaken Espresso slowly unfold, and its lingering caramel notes. The drink is made by adding apple, cinnamon and brown sugar flavors to Starbucks Blonde Espresso, then shaking it all together and topping it with oatmilk.
“The warm, gooey taste of apple crisp paired with a cup of coffee meld perfectly to unveil a cozy beverage customers have come to know and love at Starbucks each fall,” Billy Altieri, who led Starbucks' beverage espresso team, said in a press statement. “The new Iced Apple Crisp Oatmilk Shaken Espresso features creamy oatmilk that perfectly complements the light roast flavors of Starbucks Blonde Espresso.”
We definitely plan to order the Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Tea Latte again, too. This creamy tea latte has spiced chai flavors and pumpkin cream cold foam and is dusted with pumpkin spice, all of which complement each other perfectly. According to Starbucks' representatives, this drink was inspired by the ways customers and baristas were already customizing their orders.
“We’re excited to celebrate the creativity of our baristas and customers by offering the Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Tea Latte on the official fall menu,” Altieri said. “The warm spice flavors of chai and pumpkin seamlessly blend together, creating a creamy and comforting iced beverage.”
These new drinks will be joined by new and returning seasonal bakery items, including a new Baked Apple Croissant that has layers of croissant dough around warm apple filling, topped with sugar and baked until golden.
Also new this year: Starbucks Reserve locations are getting in on the PSL action for the first time, launching a Starbucks Reserve Pumpkin Spice Latte and a full fall menu, including a new Pumpkin Spice Whiskey Barrel-Aged Iced Latte (it’s non-alcoholic and very tasty, in case you were wondering) and Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini (this one does contain alcohol and is decadently delish). There are also new artisanal Princi bakery items including a Pumpkin Maritozzo and Pumpkin Spice Cake.
The fall food and beverages are available for a limited time while supplies last, making them nearly as joyous and ephemeral as autumn itself.
Related Content:
11 Latte-Inspired Pumpkin Spice Recipes
