Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte returns to menus nationwide today, August 25, 2026, alongside four new fall additions the company is introducing for the first time, according to Starbucks’ own newsroom announcement.
Key Points
- The Pumpkin Spice Latte, Starbucks’ best-known seasonal drink since it debuted in 2003, is back on menus today alongside returning favorites like the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew.
- New this year: the Chaider, a chai-cider hybrid, and the Pecan Cortado, a smaller, espresso-forward drink built around brown-sugar pecan flavor.
- Starbucks’ own release frames the new additions as an expansion of the fall menu beyond pumpkin, aimed at customers who want a fall flavor that isn’t pumpkin spice.
- Returning food items include pumpkin-flavored baked goods available at participating stores while supplies last.
Starbucks has run the PSL every fall since 2003, and the drink has become something of a cultural marker for the season — its return date is treated as unofficial news each year, covered by outlets well beyond the food and beverage trade press. This year’s rollout leans into variety, with the Chaider and Pecan Cortado both aimed at giving customers a non-pumpkin option that still fits the fall flavor profile.
The Pecan Cortado in particular signals a shift toward smaller, espresso-concentrated drinks rather than the bigger, sweeter lattes that have defined past fall menus. Starbucks describes it as built for customers who want a stronger coffee flavor without losing the seasonal spice notes.
For customers who want the classic experience, the Pumpkin Spice Latte itself is unchanged, still built on Starbucks’ pumpkin spice sauce blended with espresso and steamed milk, topped with whipped cream and a pumpkin pie spice topping. The Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, introduced in 2019, also returns as part of today’s lineup.
Starbucks’ own announcement positions the expanded fall menu as an answer to years of customer requests for more variety beyond pumpkin, while still leading with the drink most associated with the season. Availability and exact pricing vary by location and are set locally by participating stores.
The PSL’s return date functions almost like a seasonal marker in its own right at this point, with the drink widely credited across the food and beverage industry as the product that popularized the broader “pumpkin spice” flavor category well beyond coffee shops, into everything from cereal to candles. Starbucks has leaned into that cultural weight in recent years by timing the announcement earlier in the season and pairing it with new items rather than simply relaunching the same lineup.
Customers looking to try the new additions can check individual store availability through the Starbucks app, which typically reflects local rollout faster than the company’s national announcement. As with past seasonal launches, some items may arrive at company-owned stores before reaching all licensed locations, such as those inside grocery stores or on college campuses.
