KANSAS CITY — On the first day of autumn, restaurants are fall-focused with new menu items featuring the flavors and spices of the season.
Starbucks’ popular Pumpkin Spice Latte is gaining two new seasonal siblings: The Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea Latte and the Maple Pecan Latte.
The Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea Latte features a blend of chai, milk and pumpkin spice sauce topped with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove, while the Maple Pecan Latte is a blend of espresso and steamed milk combined with the flavors of maple syrup, pecan and brown butter all topped with a maple-flavored topping.
“Our espresso shot is the core of our handcrafted beverages,” said Debbie Antonio, manager of product development at Starbucks. “The flavors of maple and pecan perfectly balance the inherent sweet and nutty flavors of espresso. The result is a smooth and well-rounded handcrafted beverage that customers can personalize to truly make theirs.”
Pumpkin plays a key role in Sonic’s two new frozen treats for fall. The drive-in chain’s new Pumpkin Pie Custard Concrete is made with pumpkin pie custard and mixed with pumpkin pie crust pieces. The Pumpkin Pie Master Shake features vanilla ice cream mixed with a pumpkin pie flavor all finished with whipped topping, pumpkin pie crust pieces and a cherry.
Pumpkin pops up again in Cracker Barrel’s new Pumpkin Spice Pancake Breakfast. The platter features three pumpkin spice pancakes topped with whipped cream, cinnamon powdered sugar and 100% natural syrup.
Pumpkin pairs with pretzels in Wetzel’s Pretzels’ new fall offering. New Pumpkin Spice Bitz are baked pretzel nuggets tossed in a blend of sugar and spices and paired with a pumpkin caramel dip.
Click to view a slideshow of new menu items.
