In mid-August, Dunkin’ Donuts announced that it would begin serving its pumpkin spice beverages and pastries at the end of the month. This announcement marks a trend in foodservice, as more and more retailers are opting to start serving this flavor long before the fall season begins.
As long as the pumpkin spice and maple flavors remain big sellers for retailers, they will continue to offer them ahead of the change in season. However, they are not the only popular flavors during the season. Many different flavors have increased in autumnal popularity over the past few years.
Here are a few of the flavors that you can excite customers with beyond pumpkin:
Honey
Although honey is usually seen as a summer flavor, it has made its way onto fall menus as well. It’s a great sweetener for a variety of fall products, such as carrot cake and cookies.
Hazelnut
Another popular flavor in cookies is hazelnut. This nut is typically harvested around early fall, making it an ideal inclusion for that time of year. It’s one of the most popular flavors used in bakeries across the country because of its sweet and buttery taste.
Caramel Apple
Although it’s nothing new, caramel apple provides a major alternative to the taste we’ve grown accustomed to with pumpkin spice. It’s an indulgent flavor that has made its way into an assortment of products, and it lends itself to a wide variety of bakery applications.
Bacon
This is one of America’s beloved foods, and for good reason. But it also makes a unique companion to baked goods. For a double dose, maple bacon is a flavor combination that adds two delicious flavors into your fall menu lineup.