Pumpkin Spice: The Flavor That Took Over Fall

Exploring the Historical Roots and Modern Popularity of a Beloved Fall Flavor

Author

Nate Rosen
September 13, 2024

Pumpkin Spice is one of the most iconic seasonal flavors. Period. But pumpkin spice isn't just a trend—it's a cultural phenomenon with a history that spans centuries. And today, we’re going all the way back to the start.

So grab your PSL and let's dive into this spicy saga. 🎃 

Early Origins and Evolution of Pumpkin Spice

Believe it or not, pumpkin spice has been around since before the United States was even a country. In 1796, America's first cookbook, "American Cookery" by Amelia Simmons, featured a recipe for "pompkin pie.”

The secret ingredients? A blend of nutmeg, mace, ginger, and allspice. Sound familiar?

From Kitchen to Commerce

Fast forward to the 20th century, and pumpkin spice started to make some serious moves:

  • 1929: Canned pumpkin hits the shelves (hello, convenience!)

  • 1930: Thompson & Taylor says, "Why not mix the spices for you?" and introduces "Pumpkin Pie Spice" a pre-mixed blend of the spices needed to make, you guessed it, pumpkin pie.1 

  • 1934: McCormick & Company jumps on the bandwagon with their own blend, just a few years after the launch of canned pumpkin in 1929.2

Talk about perfect timing. McCormick's blend became a kitchen staple faster than you can say "pass the pie." By 2019, it was the fourth best-selling retail spice from September through November, with fall accounting for about 80% of McCormick's retail sales for the blend.2

McCormick Pumpkin Pie Spice, 1950's - Roadsidepictures on Flickr

Breaking Out of the Pie Pan

Once home cooks got their hands on pre-mixed pumpkin spice, all bets were off. Suddenly, it wasn't just for pies anymore. Cookies, cakes, breads – you name it, someone was probably sprinkling pumpkin spice on it. By 1935, "Pumpkin Spice Cake" recipes were popping up in newspapers across the country.1 

The Latte That Changed Everything

(Starbucks PSL ad circa 2003)
Via RetroNewsNow on Twitter

It’s time to talk about the real game-changer: Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte. In 2003, Starbucks introduced the PSL, and fall was never the same again.

Here's the TL;DR on how it happened:

  • 2002: Starbucks' "Liquid Lab" starts experimenting (sign me up for that job…) by a team led by Peter Dukes at Starbucks at their HQ in Seattle, Washington. The impetus? Craft a new fall seasonal beverage to match the success of their Peppermint Mocha drink.3,4,5

    • While the pumpkin flavor wasn’t the top choice in surveys, it scored high on uniqueness—and that was enough to warrant the experiment.

  • 2003: They test the PSL in 100 stores

  • 2004: PSLs take over the nation—the PSL rolls out to cafes across the U.S. and Canada.3,6

Since then, Starbucks has sold over 400 million PSLs. That's a whole lot of lattes. Starbucks' marketing strategy, which capitalized on the drink's seasonal exclusivity and nostalgic appeal, helped solidify the PSL as a fall staple.7,3,6

The Pumpkin Spice Takeover

The PSL's success kicked off what we might call the "Pumpkin Spice Economy." We're talking about an $800 million industry here. It's not just lattes and pies anymore – we've got pumpkin spice yogurt, candles, and even (I kid you not) trash bags. 4,7

And as for the OG? Starbucks has been launching the PSL earlier each year to meet consumer demand, with the 2024 release date being the earliest ever on August 22nd.

The company continues to innovate with the flavor, too, introducing variations like Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew and Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Latte. The PSL has also been adapted for international markets, even reaching the southern hemisphere.3

The pumpkin spice phenomenon continues to be a significant force in the consumer market, with its popularity peaking each fall….obviously. Let's examine the trends across different platforms (data provided by Spate.nyc):

Pumpkin spice remains a highly seasonal topic in search queries:

  • The topic receives an average of 444,000 searches per month.

  • While overall searches are down 15.7% year-over-year, there's a significant 113.4% increase since last month, indicating the start of the annual pumpkin spice buzz.

  • "Pumpkin Spice Latte" is the top related search, with 149,500 average monthly searches and a 251.6% growth since last month.

  • "Pumpkin Spice Cake" follows with 33,200 average monthly searches, showing a 20.7% growth since last month.

Emerging Trends:

  • "Pumpkin Spice Candles" searches have skyrocketed, with a 182,400% increase since last month.

  • Surprisingly, "Pumpkin Spice Dude Wipes" has seen a 20,100% year-over-year growth, albeit with only 980 average monthly searches.

Top Brands in Searches:

  1. Starbucks: 141,100 average monthly searches

  2. Dunkin' Donuts: 15,400 average monthly searches

  3. Rumchata: 5,800 average monthly searches

Starbucks obviously dominates the pumpkin spice search landscape, with searches for their pumpkin spice offerings up 353.4% since last month.

Pumpkin spice content is gaining significant traction on TikTok:

  • The topic receives 25.7 million average weekly views

  • Views have increased by 214.8% year-over-year

  • There's been a 166.0% growth in views since last month, indicating the start of the seasonal spike.

Top Branded Hashtags:

1. #starbucks: 1.5 million average weekly views

2. #dunkin: 319,900 average weekly views

3. #chobani: 220,900 average weekly views

Everything Pumpkin

Nearly every brand from small to large has some pumpkin spice SKU they introduce during the Fall season.

Partake Foods, who started in 2017, came out with a pumpkin spice cookies and so did Tate’s, who started in 2000 and sold for $500 million to Mondelez. This trend is for everyone!

And when I say everyone, I mean it. It’s not just food and beverage brands getting involved. Dude Wipes has a pumpkin spice product and so does Hefty trash bags!

there are some wild pumpkin spice products out there.

Paying the Pumpkin Tax

Turns out, we're all willing to pay more for our pumpkin spice fix.

As pumpkin spice products have become a Fall staple, companies have capitalized on their popularity by charging a premium. A recent study by MagnifyMoney highlights just how much more consumers are willing to spend to enjoy this beloved seasonal flavor.

  • Overall Average Pumpkin Spice Tax: consumers were willing to pay 14.1% more for delicious pumpkin spice products

  • Largest Markups Found: Trader Joe’s pretzels saw a massive 161.1% price increase

  • Starbucks and the PSL: The brand synonymous with pumpkin spice charges a 18% premium

  • Retailers: Not surprisingly, Trader Joe's takes the cake (or should I say, pie?) with a 161.1% markup on their pumpkin spice pretzels. Surprisingly though, Target saw a negative tax rate.

Cultural Impact and Market Expansion

From its humble beginnings in an 18th-century cookbook to its current reign as the king of fall flavors, pumpkin spice has come a long way, with the broader "pumpkin spice economy," valued at approximately $800 million annually.12  And honestly? It shows no signs of slowing down. So the next time you sip that PSL or bite into a pumpkin spice cookie, remember: you're tasting a piece of history.

2024 Products I’m looking forward to

Chobani flip is my guilty pleasure

Sources

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