With the autumn equinox coming soon, many stores are transitioning into new seasonal menus and preparing for the hoards of customers hungry for fall flavors. Pumpkin spice has been the season’s most popular flavor for a long time, but its popularity often leads people to overlook the other star of the show: apple.
Apples are a beloved fall staple due to their versatility. There are over 7,500 varieties of apples worldwide. The fruit can be used for sweet and savory items, whether it’s a baked apple pie or an apple cheddar sandwich. Here are some places to get that fall fix:
Mints & Honey
Located in San Carlos and Burlingame, Mints & Honey is a picture-perfect place for a cute, aesthetic morning. This fall, the seasonal espresso menu features an apple pie latte, apple pie cold brew, and three other flavors.
Salt & Straw
Salt & Straw is well known for its monthly rotation of unique ice cream flavors, and the September menu is no different. The Apple Series stars five flavors: Caramel Apple Sherbet, Apple Cider Donuts, Green Apple Wasabi Sorbet, Apple Pie vs. Pumpkin Pie, and Finnriver’s Black Currant Apple Cider.
Stacks
There are five Stacks locations in the Bay Area, with one nearby in Redwood City. The apple waffle is a year-round flavor and is listed on the menu as a “fresh Belgian waffle topped with apples in a hot cinnamon glaze with fresh whipped cream.”
Paris Baguette
For something more savory, try Paris Baguette’s turkey, apple & goat cheese baguette sandwich. This is a slight change from the 2023 fall menu, which used brie instead of goat cheese. Paris Baguette’s fall menu started on Sept. 4 and will run through Dec. 2.
Nothing Bundt Cakes
Tastes of Autumn is the fall lineup for Nothing Bundt Cakes. Three different pop-up flavors will bake for two weeks each, the first being Caramel Apple Cider which started on Sept. 16. These pop-up flavors are in addition to the featured flavor, Pumpkin Spice, which will be available until Dec. 8. Carol Basch is a franchise owner of two locations in San Carlos and Millbrae.
“Corporate does a lot of testing of these new flavors and in different bakeries across the country, we try to get the most popular flavors and give reason customers new reasons to come back in and enjoy our wonderful, delicious cakes,” Basch said.
Dunkin’ Donuts
The Apple Cider Donut is returning to Dunkin’ after a three-year hiatus. The flavor was first created in 2019 and lasted until 2021 before being taken off the fall menu. In light of apple flavors starting to resurge, Dunkin’ has decided to bring it back.
Starbucks
Although Starbucks has introduced various fall drinks in past years, a new flavor is still making its way onto the menu this year: the Apple Crisp Nondairy Cream Chai. This chai is joining a long line of apple-flavored drinks, such as the Apple Crisp Oatmilk Mocchiato, Apple Crisp Oatmilk Shaken Espresso, and Apple Crisp Oatmilk Frappuccino.
“The early release of pumpkin spice made it very popular because people always look forward to that one, but the Apple Crisp Chai has not been that popular so far,” said senior Elysia Jin, a Starbucks barista. “If it were not for the pumpkin spice craze I think more people would like the apple crisp drinks because the apple brown sugar syrup is so good.”
