trend
Salted Maple, Brown Butter Replace Pumpkin as Top Fall Flavors
Pumpkin Spice season is officially facing competition. New data shows consumer searches for 'salted maple' and 'brown butter' are surging, pushing these savory and sweet notes to the top of fall flavor trends. Brands are taking note, shifting product development away from pumpkin to meet this demand.
Pumpkin Spice season is officially facing competition. New data shows consumer searches for 'salted maple' and 'brown butter' are surging, pushing these savory and sweet notes to the top of fall flavor trends. Brands are taking note, shifting product development away from pumpkin to meet this demand.
The architecture take
I’m not surprised. For years, pumpkin spice latte season felt less like a flavor trend and more like a social performance. Now, consumers are actually asking for something different, something with a bit more complexity than just cinnamon-nutmeg-clove overload. This isn't just about taste; it’s a nervous system play. The 'savory' aspect of brown butter or the salt in salted maple offers a different kind of reward, bypassing the sugar rush and crash that often comes with overly sweet seasonal drinks. It points to a broader trend of people wanting more nuanced flavor profiles, even in their treats, that don’t completely derail their blood sugar. What we crave reflects how we regulate. Expect more unexpected, less-sweet flavor combinations to take over the next few seasons.