Pumpkin Spice Latte returns to Starbucks menu. Here's when you can get one
Pumpkin Spice Latte fans, your favorite time of year draws near: Starbucks is bringing back the popular autumnal drink nearly a month before fall officially begins.
The Pumpkin Spice Latte will return to the premium coffee chain's menu on Aug. 26, the company said in a news release shared with Paste BN. That date fits right within the range when Starbucks historically has opened the Pumpkin Spice Latte, or PSL, season in the past.
First introduced in 2003, the return of the PSL has become an annual rite of late summer since Starbucks introduced the drink in 2003. Over the last two decades, customers have looked forward to the PSL's return, usually near the end of August.
Also returning as part of Starbucks' fall menu are the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai, and Pecan Crunch Oatmilk Latte.
Newcomers to the menu include Italian Sausage Egg Bites and a Pecan Oatmilk Cortado. A Starbucks spokesperson contacted Paste BN to clarify that the new drink includes oatmilk, after the company previously described it only as a Pecan Cortado.
The Cortado, a new style of coffee drink Starbucks added earlier this year, is made with three ristretto shots of Blonde Espresso and steamed milk (ristretto espresso shots are smaller and more concentrated than traditional ones). A current option is the Brown Sugar Oatmilk Cortado.
What is in the Pumpkin Spice Latte?
The PSL, which Starbucks says is its most popular seasonal beverage – available hot, iced or blended – is made with real pumpkin flavor; pumpkin-related spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg and clove; Starbucks Signature Espresso and steamed milk. The drink is topped with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spices.
Can't wait for the Pumpkin Spice Latte return? Go shopping
The desire for pumpkin spice drinks and foods – and Starbucks' PSL itself – doesn't appear to be lessening. Searches on Google for "pumpkin spice" and "PSL" are slightly ahead of schedule compared to recent past years. More people attest they "love" pumpkin spice products, found an October 2024 survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers, with 90% of respondents saying they love pumpkin spice products, up from 85% in 2023, while those who "hate" the products fell from 15% to 10%. About one-fourth of the respondents declined to vote for "love" or "hate" pumpkin spice products.
If you need that pumpkin spice flavor even sooner, limited-time flavors of Starbucks coffees and creamers, including Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Inspired Creamer (in dairy and non-dairy options), are hitting stores and online retailers now. And in early August, ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages including Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Flavored Coffee (Iced Espresso and Frappuccino Chilled Coffee Drink) are returning to grocery stores, national retailers, convenience stores and gas stations for a limited time.
When has the Pumpkin Spice Latte returned to Starbucks' menus in the past?
Here's when Starbucks has launched its fall menu, which includes the PSL, in the past:
- 2024: Thursday, August 22
- 2023: Thursday, August 24
- 2022: Tuesday, August 30
- 2021: Tuesday, August 24
- 2020: Tuesday, August 25
- 2019: Tuesday, August 27
- 2018: Tuesday, August 28
(This story has been updated to include new information.)
Contributing: Paste BN's Greta Cross
Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for Paste BN. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com
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