Pumpkin Spice Latte Returns to Starbucks Fall Menu with Martha Stewart Partnership

Starbucks has officially brought back its iconic Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) for the fall season, enlisting lifestyle icon Martha Stewart to help celebrate the return. In a promotional video with actor Belmont Cameli, Stewart is shown savoring the drink's signature ingredients — cinnamon, nutmeg and whipped cream — and proclaiming, "It smells like my house in the fall. Perfect."

The Seattle-based coffee giant first tested the PSL in 2003 and rolled it out nationally in 2004, a move widely credited with starting the annual pumpkin spice craze. Starbucks trademarked the initials PSL in 2015. According to news reports, the company often sees a significant bump in sales when the seasonal beverage hits menus. This year, Starbucks is one of the last major coffee chains to release its pumpkin lineup.

Starbucks Fall Menu Highlights

The fall menu includes the classic PSL, available hot or iced, alongside new additions like the Pumpkin Cream Shaken Espresso and Iced Pumpkin Cream Matcha. Returning favorites include the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew and Iced Pumpkin Spice Chai. Other seasonal offerings include the Iced Pecan Crunch Latte, Pecan Cortado, and two banana bread-inspired beverages — Iced Banana Bread Chai and Iced Banana Bread Latte. For those with a sweet tooth, new snacks include a Hedgehog Cake Pop and the returning Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin.

Starbucks also introduced a Banana Bread Latte as part of this year's fall drop, which the Gainesville Sun reported as a new addition. The company is also releasing a PSL Society merchandise line, according to the same report.

Dunkin' and Other Chains Weigh In

Dunkin' released its fall menu on Aug. 19, featuring the Pumpkin Spice Signature Latte, Pumpkin Cloud Dunkalatte, Pumpkin Patch Cloud Latte, Nutty Pumpkin Protein Latte and Pumpkin Pie Coffee Chiller. The chain also partnered with influencer Alix Earle for a breakfast collaboration, including a Sausage, Egg and Cheese Hash Brown Wake-Up Wrap, as noted by multiple outlets. The Gainesville Sun added that Dunkin' is also rolling out tiramisu-flavored drinks, berry refreshers, and additional breakfast items like the Chipotle Hash Brown Wake-Up Wrap and Maple Sugar Bacon.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf also launched its fall menu on Aug. 19, with offerings such as a Pumpkin Iced Latte with Cream Cap, a Pumpkin Dry Iced Americano and a Pumpkin Extreme Ice Blended Drink.

The Gainesville Sun further reported that Scooter's Coffee released its fall menu on Aug. 13, including four pumpkin drinks, while 7 Brew has yet to announce its 2026 fall flavors, typically launching around Sept. 1.

The Science of Pumpkin Spice Appeal

Experts suggest there's more to pumpkin spice's popularity than just taste. Jason Fischer, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins, told the university's Arts and Science Magazine in 2021 that the smell of pumpkin spice evokes comforting memories of fall, triggering feelings of nostalgia and warmth. Science journalist Alice Gray told the BBC in 2024 that the high sugar content in these drinks activates the brain's reward system, releasing feel-good chemicals that drive cravings.

Fall's Official Start

While the calendar says fall begins on Sept. 22 this year (the autumnal equinox), meteorological fall starts Sept. 1. For those in warmer climates like Florida, cooler weather typically doesn't arrive until November, as the Gainesville Sun noted.