Pumpkin Spice Starbucks Alternatives: Fall Coffee Drinks

Pumpkin Spice Starbucks Alternatives and Other Top Fall Coffee Drinks (Besides Pumpkin Spice)

The weather is cooling down, the leaves are starting to drop from the trees, and the crisp smell of autumn is in the air! It's about that time again: the time when pumpkin spice flavors are everywhere. You’ll see coffee with pumpkin spice, cookies with pumpkin spice, and of course, the pumpkin spice latte Starbucks drink. 

Now, we aren't saying that there’s anything wrong with pumpkin spice. In fact, when it comes to fall drinks at Starbucks, the pumpkin spice latte is one of the most popular options! But are there any other fall coffee drinks? After all, there are so many amazingly warming fall flavors, surely pumpkin spice isn’t the only choice available. 

As it happens, you’re in luck! There are many amazing fall coffee drinks to check out this year. As big fans of seasonal beverages, when it comes to fall coffee, we are all over it. In this in-depth guide, we’ll go over some of the absolute best fall coffee drinks to try! We will also drop a quick recipe to help you make a copycat pumpkin spice Starbucks latte from home. That way, you can save money on your favorite fall flavors and indulge in pure coffee bliss anytime. 

The Best Fall Coffee Drinks: Why Some Scents and Tastes are Seasonal 

When the weather starts to cool down, coffee is the perfect way to warm up. So which fall coffee flavors are best for cold weather? For a coffee (or basically any beverage, candle, cake, perfume, etc.) to be appropriate for fall (or any other season), the scent and temperature profile must be considered. 

In fact, did you know that there are specific principles that apply to seasonal preferences? It's true! Any professional fragrance designer will tell you that different scents are recommended for different times of the year. Indeed, many perfumes and colognes are recommended specifically based on the season they were designed for. 

Sultry, spicy, and musk fragrances go well with the fall and winter months. However, citrus and floral fragrances are better for spring and summer. This same concept can be used to figure out the best foods, drinks, and smells to set the ideal aesthetic for an array of seasonal situations. After all, our preferred flavor choices are often closely tied to our favorite fragrances. 

It all comes down to the way certain scents are conveyed based on the temperatures around them and what we as humans are naturally inclined to consume. Things like nostalgia, personal preference, and cultural norms then play into the situation.

Here’s an example: Watermelon lemonade is obviously a summer drink. It's citrusy and fruity! However, lemon and ginger tea is perfect for a cold winter night. The difference? Spices and temperature. We intrinsically associate apples with fall, because that’s when apples tend to ripen in nature. So, warm apple cider is obviously great for a hayride at the end of October. Watermelon is almost always a summer taste because that’s when watermelons ripen. You get the gist! 

Additionally, heat makes fragrances stronger. When it's cold outside, our sense of smell tends to weaken slightly. So, the warmer and spicier something smells, the more appealing it is in cold weather. When it is hot outside, some spices are overpowering. However, when it's cold and chilly, a bright spiced aroma can be the perfect pick-me-up. 

What are the Best Options When it Comes to Fall Coffee?

So with this knowledge, what flavors are best for fall? Basically, any flavors that occur in nature seasonally, nostalgic notes that remind us of the same season from last year (or many years ago), and anything warmly spiced can enhance an autumn ambiance. The best coffee for fall will offer a fragrant flavor profile with the right amount of sweetness and creaminess. Spices and tangy notes are also welcome. 

Some of the Best Fall Coffee Flavors Besides Pumpkin Spice Include: 

• Sweet Potato Cinnamon Swirl Coffee
• Caramel Apple Coffee 
• Vanilla Cream Coffee
• Nutmeg Spice Coffee
• Any Highlander Grogg Flavor Coffee
• Berry Cobbler Coffee
• Autumn Harvest Spice Coffee
• Cranberry Coffee
• Maple Pecan Coffee
• Pecan Pie Coffee 
• Peppermint Mocha Coffee 

There are many more, but these are just a few to get your mouth watering. You can see them all (and MANY MORE) in our flavored coffee section! (One of my absolute favorites is Cinnamon Sweet Potato Swirl, though I also adore Peppermint Mocha.) We have also linked each above flavor with the corresponding fall coffee for sale online so you can click on them and check out the flavors individually. 

Best Fall Drinks for the Holidays 

As it happens, almost all holiday coffee flavors (Thanksgiving Flavors, Candy Flavors, Christmas Flavors, etc.) go well with the fall season. This is because when fall rolls around, many of us are ready to start looking forward to the holidays as a whole. While I'll admit that it can be hard to see the Christmas decorations roll out as soon as the Halloween candy goes away, at least we can all begin looking forward to those sentimental Christmas flavors. 

Because of this, many of the flavors that are popular during fall roll over into the Christmas season. These include flavors like peppermint, mocha, butter rum, vanilla cookie, and so on. With that being said, certain flavors in fall drinks like pumpkin spice, caramel apple, pecan pie, and cranberry cream, are specifically attuned to the autumn season. So, be sure to brew these up from September to November to set the ideal fall mood! 

Replicating Fall Drinks At Starbucks: Copycat Recipes to Make At Home 

Now, let's go over some of the best fall drinks at Starbucks to make from home. We will admit, Starbucks has some really tasty fall drinks. However, you can make these same (and sometimes WAY tastier) drinks at home for a fraction of the cost!

We have the coffee to help you accomplish this. Plus, all of our coffees are fresh-roasted the same day they are shipped to you and made with PURE Arabica beans for the ultimate smoothness and taste. 

• Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Spiced Latte Recipe 

We Recommend Making this fall coffee recipe with This Pumpkin Spiced Coffee! 

• Hot or Iced Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato Starbucks Copycat Recipe 

This One Goes Great with Our Caramel Apple Coffee or Our Salted Caramel Coffees!