Falling for pumpkin spice: A fan favorite returns to aisles early this season

While we're still in the thick of summer, many are already looking forward to what they consider the best time of year: pumpkin spice season. This iconic fall flavor often makes its debut while it's still technically summer, which inspired Instacart to explore how popular pumpkin spice products are nationwide and when they're showing up in carts.

Pumpkin Spice Seasonality

If it feels like pumpkin spice season creeps up earlier every year, you’re not imagining it. In 2024, the seasonal peak for orders containing pumpkin spice items occurred on September 17, a full 10 days earlier than in 2023. But this early surge came with a faster cooldown, with demand taking a dip by the end of the month. There’s also a reliable second spike in late November, likely driven by Thanksgiving’s fondness for all things squash and spice.

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Flavor Explosion: Fastest-Growing Pumpkin Spice Items

In addition to the usual suspects, pumpkin spice is finding its way into new corners of the pantry and beyond! Check out the top 10 growing product categories for pumpkin spice in 2024:

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Pumpkin Spice is a clear seasonal favorite, and it's also evident that people are looking for new ways to incorporate this flavor into their meals and homes. From starting your day with a dose of protein in Greek and Icelandic Yogurt, to filling your home with the scent of pumpkin spice, this trend shows there is no one way to enjoy it.

Cream of the Crop: What’s Stirring in Coffee This Fall

Coffee creamer is one of the easiest ways to transform a plain cup of coffee into a seasonal treat, delivering that perfect blend of spice and sweetness. While longtime favorites like Coffee mate and International Delight remain go-to picks for pumpkin spice lovers, health-forward options like nutpods and Laird Superfood are fan favorites in their own right.

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Pumpkin spice flavored creamers are up 1,459%* during the fall compared to the rest of the year, which brings up the other flavors people are buying to jazz up their morning cup of joe. Here’s what Instacart found:

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*Methodology: Instacart calculated the share of grocery orders on the Instacart platform that contained Pumpkin Spice flavored coffee creamer in September-November 2024 and calculated the percentage difference from the rest of 2024.

And while there are nationwide favorites, it’s evident that there are also regional preferences when it comes to coffee creamers, and Americans have diverse taste when it comes to their ideal creamer:

• Nuts for Coconut: States like Oregon, Arizona, Hawai'i, and Alaska crowned coconut as their top creamer.
• Sweet on Sweet Cream: The Carolinas and Virginia love a smooth, sweet finish to their morning brew.
• Massachusetts' Pick? Coffee Cake: Why just have it on the side when you can sip it too?

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Who is the Pumpkin Spiciest?

Drumroll, please…West Virginia tops the pumpkin spice leaderboard, ordering 91% more pumpkin spice products than the national average. Pennsylvania (+56%) and Oklahoma (+52%) round out the top three. On the flip side, Hawai‘i takes the title for the least pumpkin-spicy state, ordering 63% less than average.

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From lattes to waffles, yogurt, air fresheners, and baby food, pumpkin spice has become a true seasonal staple.

This story was produced by Instacart and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.