It will still feel like summer in Florida through October, but Halloween decorations are already hitting store shelves and pumpkin spice season is right around the corner, regardless of the weather.
If you’re eagerly awaiting the return of pumpkin spice to coffee chains like Dunkin’ and Starbucks, you don’t have to wait much longer.
Of course, you can always make your own pumpkin spice coffee, as the flavor is typically a mix of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and sometimes allspice, according to All Recipes. If you’re looking for someone to credit with the yearly pumpkin spice craze: The drink was created in 2003 by Starbucks in its “Liquid Lab,” according to USA TODAY.
Regardless of how or where you get your fix, here’s when pumpkin spice and fall flavors hit popular coffee chains in 2026.
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What day is pumpkin spice coming back? When fall flavors return to Dunkin’, Starbucks in 2026
Pumpkin spice season usually starts mid-to-late August. Last year, Starbucks rolled out its fall menu on Aug. 26, and Dunkin’ released its menu on Aug. 20.
This year, both coffee chains are rolling out their fall flavors a day earlier. Pumpkin will be back at Dunkin’ next Wednesday, Aug. 19, the company announced on Instagram.
Starbucks’ uber-popular Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL), which is credited with starting the nationwide annual craze, is returning on Tuesday, Aug. 25, according to an Aug. 3 release. But if you can’t wait for a taste of Starbucks’ pumpkin spice products, they are already on grocery shelves across the country.
To sweeten the drop, Starbucks is also releasing a pumpkin spice-specific line of merchandise this fall.
“For those who count down the days until PSL returns, and mark their calendars for the first sip, the PSL Society collection celebrates the season with new drinkware and an iconic hat made for PSL lovers everywhere,” the Starbucks release said.
Does 7 Brew have fall flavors yet?
Although the coffee chain has yet to announce their 2026 fall flavors, seasonal pumpkin and fall-flavored featured drinks at 7 Brew typically release on Sept. 1 or in the first week of September.
In case you’re wondering, 7 Brew is a Arkansas-based drive-thru-only coffee shop chain that aims to bring customers a high-energy, positive experience and offers a myriad of unique coffee and energy drink flavors. Fun coffee flavors are just a footnote on the wide-sweeping drink menu that the chain offers.
While it only started with seven coffee drinks, the coffee shop now has countless customizable combinations and unique concoctions, like the “firecracker” frozen energy drink slushie and other energy drink flavors with names like “Ocean Breeze,” “Nightshade” and “Pixie Stick.”
You don’t have to wait for the official fall menu to drop to create a seasonal and cozy flavor at 7 Brew, as there are plenty of flavors and syrups that you can combine to give you that fall feeling. You do, however, have to wait for their seasonal pumpkin pie flavor.
Here’s a look at the 7 Brew menu staples, this is not the full menu:
Here’s a list of the 7 Brew syrups and sauces:
Is pumpkin spice available at Scooter’s?
Pumpkin and fall flavors are dropping a little earlier at Nebraska-based coffee chain Scooter’s, where the fall menu will be available this Thursday, Aug. 13.
And at Scooter’s, there a four pumpkin drink options on the 2026 fall menu: the Pumpkin Caramelicious Latte, the Pumpkin Cinnalicious Latte, the Pumpkin Chai Latte and the classic Pumpkin Spice Latte. Other fall flavors dropping this week include maple and caramel apple.
What day is pumpkin spice coming back at Dutch Bros?
Arizona-based coffee chain Dutch Bros has yet to announce its 2026 fall flavor drop. But in 2025, the fall menu dropped on Aug. 22.
Why are people obsessed with pumpkin spice coffee?
There’s actually some science behind why we are so obsessed with pumpkin spice every year.
According to Johns Hopkins’ Arts and Science Magazine, the key to why people love pumpkin spice is its smell. Its scent is strongly associated with the holiday season, and likely evokes comforting memories.
“Pumpkin spice aromas emerge in the fall in shops and cafes, coinciding with the arrival of colorful leaves, family gatherings, and back-to-school bustle. The association that the smell has with the season in our memories allows it to powerfully evoke the refreshing feelings of fall,” Jason Fischer, assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences, told the magazine in 2021.
Science journalist Alice Gray also told the BBC in 2024 that the high levels of sugar in the drink also trigger the brain’s reward system, releasing feel-good chemicals that make us crave more.
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When is the first day of fall?
The first official day of fall 2026 is Tuesday, Sept. 22, marking the autumnal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere.
For meteorologists, however, fall begins earlier. The meteorological fall season starts Sept. 1 and runs through Nov. 30, aligning with the calendar months used to track seasonal weather patterns. Florida doesn’t usually see cooler weather until November, thought.
Samantha Neely and Lianna Norman are trending reporters for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop cultur, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Is pumpkin spice back? When it returns to Dunkin, Starbucks, Scooter’s
Reporting by Lianna Norman and Samantha Neely, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Florida Today
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Lianna Norman and Samantha Neely, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida | USA TODAY Network
