Key Highlights:
PSL demand spiked August 19 – nearly two weeks earlier than 2021
DIY fall drink ingredients spiked in grocery orders starting late July, weeks before coffee chains drop their fall menus
Pumpkin spice lattes reached 59,000 weekly orders last fall
Pecan is 2025’s top fall flavor, up 28% year-over-year
Alaska and Montana order the most PSLs per person in the U.S.
Sweater weather is right around the corner, and fall flavors are coming in hot (and iced). And this year, DoorDash dug into ordering data to uncover the top trends defining the autumn season, from unveiling 2025’s seasonal flavor that’s giving pumpkin spice a run for its money to crowning the biggest PSL-loving states (and it’s not who you’d think!).* Whether you’re team apple, caramel, maple or pumpkin spice, the orders don’t lie: fall starts when your taste buds say so.
Summer’s Getting Spicy
If it feels like fall season is arriving sooner each year, that’s because it is. Between consumers embracing the Summerween trend to getting their hands on autumn-inspired favorites, fall is creeping in even earlier this year. Last year, the pumpkin craze kicked off as early as August 19 with a significant spike in pumpkin-flavored items – that’s nearly two weeks earlier than in 2021. But even before the rush began, a PSL loyalist in Cincinnati beat everyone to it, placing the very first order of the season on August 9 at 9:45 AM.
But it turns out that people aren’t waiting for the calendar or coffee chains to release their fall-flavored favorites. In fact, consumers are taking matters (and spices) into their own hands. DoorDash uncovered that grocery orders for PSL ingredients like pumpkin purée, maple syrup, and cinnamon spiked in late July, hinting that shoppers are DIY-ing their seasonal favorites at home weeks earlier than major coffee chains release their fall menus.
2025’s Breakout Fall Flavor
We get it – PSLs are right up there with flannels and foliage when it comes to fall. They’re still one of the most-ordered seasonal items, with the iconic latte reaching 59,000 orders a week from August through October 2024. But, there’s another contender stealing this year’s spotlight: Pecan!
We uncovered that this nutty favorite is the fastest-growing fall flavor, with orders up 28% year-over-year. And with certain coffee chains adding pecan to their new seasonal lineup this year, we’d call that data-confirmed trendspotting. Gingerbread and apple tied for second place, revealing that people are already thinking about these classic winter sweets as soon as the temperature dips.
“We’re seeing what I call comfort rushing, where people reach for fall staples earlier than ever as a way to ease the end-of-summer slump,” said Cristen Milliner, Consumer Trends Expert at DoorDash. “Fall has become the unofficial start of cozy season, and consumers aren’t waiting for the calendar to catch up. Whether it’s Summerween in July or gingerbread in September, the seasonal lines are blurring. Flavor is one of the quickest ways to find comfort, and with over half of iced coffee orders now including a flavor add-on, people are using small seasonal treats like pumpkin, apple and pecan to emotionally reset before the season even begins.”
PSLs Most Obsessed
This wouldn’t be a true flavor report without answering one big question: who’s the most obsessed with pumpkin spice lattes? We looked at per-person orders of fall’s most famous drink and its biggest fans were a bit more unexpected.
It turns out, in places like Alaska and Montana, where autumn shows up early and sticks around longer, this signature latte has become a seasonal essential. The Pacific Northwest including Oregon, Washington, Colorado and California followed close behind, joined by Utah to round out the list. On the other end, Vermont and Mississippi sipped the fewest PSLs per person. And while Vermont actually ranked pumpkin as its top fall flavor (spoiler!), it clearly wasn’t enough to compete with the devotion seen in other states.
Flavor Trends Across The U.S.
If you’ve been experiencing a pumpkin spice overload, don’t worry you’re not alone. We took a look at which fall flavors over-index the most by state and uncovered that not every state is team PSL. Some states have their own comforting flavors and the results are deliciously diverse.
Apple Country: Apple was the #1 flavor across the South and Mid-Atlantic, leading in 18 states including Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas, Virginia, Florida, and the Big Apple itself: New York.
Caramel Crowd Pleaser: From Illinois and Iowa to the Dakotas, caramel was the most popular fall flavor in 13 states.
Pumpkin Spice Territory: Pumpkin dominated the West Coast, topping the charts in California, Oregon, and Washington – home to the original coffee chain that launched the iconic seasonal latte we all know (and sip) today.
Cinnamon Season: Several New England states including Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island (plus surprise states like Alaska and Utah) made cinnamon their most-ordered fall flavor.
Flavor Standouts: Texas crowned pecan as its favorite! Considering it’s the birthplace of pecan pie and now our breakout fall flavor of 2025, they were clearly first to the trend. Meanwhile, Michigan took a different path with maple.
“Pumpkin spice lattes have long since graduated from trend status, and they’re now the unofficial indicator that fall has arrived. But while the PSL still holds strong, our data shows signs that it may be reaching its peak,” Cristen Milliner added.” Consumers are craving something new, and that’s where regional flavor preferences and new menu innovations are starting to shine, from pecan in Texas to apple in New York. We’re seeing that people still love the ritual of fall, but they’re looking for new ways to experience it.”
This year, pecan proved it’s more than just pie. From lattes and butter pecan cheesecake to braided pastries and sweet potato mashups, our 2025 fall flavor pick is showing up in all kinds of craveable new ways, and we can’t wait to see what other pecan-inspired items join the app this season.
*Methodology: Based on ordering data from 2024.
