Starbucks Fall Menu 2025 Ranked: Best & Worst Drinks You Need to Try This Fall

The official Starbucks Fall Menu 2026 is here, and with it comes our team’s fourth annual quest to find the best Starbucks fall drink. That first crisp late-August breeze sparks one question for our Chicago-based taste-testers: have the Starbucks fall drinks 2026 hit the app? This isn’t just a caffeine run; it’s a ritual. Since 2021, we have dedicated a day to sampling and scoring every beverage on a structured scale of 1 to 5 for flavor balance, fall vibes, and reorder likelihood. We analyze the new Starbucks Fall Menu 2026 releases—and mourn the departures so you can skip the gamble and go straight to the winner.

Starbucks Fall Menu 2025 Overview (New + Returning Drinks)

The Starbucks Fall Menu 2026 launched nationwide on Tuesday, August 26. This year’s lineup creates a clear pecan vs. pumpkin theme. Returning icons include the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte 2026, Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, and Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino. The notable new contenders are the Starbucks Pecan Latte (the Pecan Crunch Oatmilk Latte) and the bold Pecan Oatmilk Cortado. However, the initial absence of any Apple Crisp 2026 Starbucks drinks became the season’s biggest drama, a plot twist we tracked closely.

The Starbucks Fall Menu 2025 Lineup: Release Date, Strategy, & Surprises

The official national release date for the Starbucks Fall Menu was Tuesday, August 26, 2025. Like clockwork, our team was up at dawn, refreshing the app to mobile order the moment the Fall tab appeared. But this year, the menu looked different.

Starbucks clearly wanted to tell a new flavor story: Pecan vs. Pumpkin.

While the iconic Pumpkin Spice Latte family returned as the reigning monarch of autumn, two newcomers arrived to challenge the throne: the Pecan Crunch Oatmilk Latte and the bold Pecan Oatmilk Cortado. It felt like a strategic move to capture the audience that finds pumpkin too sweet or too cliché.

However, what happened next wasn’t about what was on the menu, but what wasn’t. The glaring absence of Apple Crisp drinks from the initial August announcement caused an immediate uproar among the fandom. The suspense over whether our favorite orchard-inspired drinks were gone for good became the defining drama of the season, a mystery we tracked closely as the weeks unfolded.

The Taste Test: A Data-Driven Ranking from 7 to 1

After gathering in the conference room with a sea of green cups, we began the tasting. Results were surprising. Some stalwarts fell from grace, while a specific iced option found redemption. Here is our definitive ranking of the 2026 lineup.

#7: Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew

This was the biggest shock of the day. In previous years, the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew consistently ranked in our top three for its subtle sweetness. This year? It was a bitter shock to the system, one tester noted. The balance felt off, with the coffee overpowering the pumpkin foam, leaving a harsh aftertaste that lacked the cozy factor we were looking for.

#6: Pecan Oatmilk Cortado

If you aren’t familiar, a cortado is equal parts espresso and steamed milk. It’s a strong, serious coffee drink. This newcomer split the room entirely. The espresso lovers appreciated the bold caffeine kick and the nuttiness of the pecan. However, the majority of our panel found it too intense for a fun seasonal treat. If you want to taste the roast, this is for you. If you want a sweet fall hug, look elsewhere.

#5: Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino

There is a time and place for the Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino, and that place is usually a dessert course. It is undeniably delicious, tasting essentially like a milkshake blended with a slice of pie. However, its richness makes it a once-a-season treat rather than a daily driver. It lands at number five simply because it’s too heavy for a morning commute.

#4: Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte

The Iced PSL is often the go-to for those confusing transitional weeks when it’s 80 degrees, but you’re wearing a flannel. Unfortunately, our team felt the ice diluted the iconic flavor profile this year. It loses that spicy kick when it’s cold, one tester remarked. It’s still good, but it lacks the aromatic punch of its hot counterpart.

#3: Iced Pecan Crunch Oatmilk Latte

This was the stronger of the two pecan contenders. While the cortado was divisive, the latte format allowed the pecan syrup and oatmilk to blend into a creamy, nutty delight. Reviews were mixed; some found it a bit too subtle, but the crunch topping added a delightful texture that bumped it into the top three. It’s a sophisticated alternative for those experiencing pumpkin fatigue.

#2: Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai

Talk about a redemption arc. Last year, this drink felt like an afterthought. This year, it brought the Stars Hollow vibes in full force. The spice of the chai pairs perfectly with the pumpkin cream cold foam, creating a layered, complex flavor that tastes exactly like a crisp October afternoon feels. It’s cozy, it’s sweet, and it was nearly our winner.

#1: Pumpkin Spice Latte (Hot)

Sometimes, the classics are classic for a reason. The hot Pumpkin Spice Latte takes the crown for 2026. There is something about the heat that properly activates the spices cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, making them aromatic and warming. It offers the perfect balance of espresso, milk, and sweetness. As one tester summarized, It just tastes like nostalgia. It remains the undisputed king of the Starbucks Fall Menu.

The Plot Twist: Apple Crisp’s Dramatic Return

Just when we thought the season was settled, Starbucks threw a curveball. Following the initial release, social media was flooded with comments from disappointed fans asking, Where is the Apple Crisp?! The emotional connection to this brown-sugar-apple flavor profile was stronger than anyone anticipated.

Starbucks listened. In a move that delighted the internet, they announced the official comeback of the Iced Apple Crisp Oatmilk Shaken Espresso and various cold foams starting October 9, 2026, a full week earlier than the originally teased date.

But they didn’t just bring it back; they innovated. The return includes a new Apple Crisp Protein Cold Foam, boasting approximately 15g of protein. While we are thrilled to see the Shaken Espresso return (a low-calorie fan favorite), we did note that the hot Apple Crisp Macchiato from previous years seems to remain absent from the lineup.

Article Update: This guide was originally published for the 2025 season and has been fully updated for the anticipated Starbucks Fall Menu 2026. We will confirm the official 2026 release date, drinks, and details here as soon as Starbucks announces them.

Beyond the Sip: Navigating Your Fall Order

If you are trying to balance your love for seasonal flavors with your nutritional goals, navigating the menu can be tricky. To help you make an informed choice, we compiled this quick-reference guide based on standard Grande sizes.

Savvy Customer Tips

• When does it end? Officially, the Starbucks Fall Menu typically runs until early November. However, availability is often while supplies last. Once a store runs out of pumpkin sauce in late October, they rarely restock.
• The Winter Shift: The Starbucks winter menu 2026, featuring heavy hitters like the Peppermint Mocha and Eggnog Latte, usually launches the first week of November. This signals the hard stop for fall drinks.
• Price Variance: Remember that menu prices vary significantly by location, with city centers and airports typically charging a premium.

More Than a Menu, It’s a Marker of Time

As we wrapped up our fourth annual tasting, scraping the last bit of foam from our cups, we realized why we do this every year. The Starbucks Fall Menu isn’t just a list of sugary coffees. It’s a cultural metronome. It signals the end of summer vacations and the start of the holiday rush. The collective drama over the missing Apple Crisp proves just how deeply these flavors are entwined with our seasonal routines.

So, what is our final verdict for 2026? For the truest, most comforting fall experience, go with the hot PSL. If you want a modern twist that isn’t pumpkin, the Iced Pecan Crunch is a worthy contender. And if you see the Apple Crisp on the menu, grab it immediately, it’s a limited-time treasure that nearly slipped through our fingers.

We’ll see you next August for year five. Until then, happy sipping.

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