Posted in Seasonal on June 25, 2025
Every season brings its changes — to the weather and the menu. As autumn approaches, we can count on leaves to drop and demand for fall flavors to rise with pumpkin, maple, caramel and other flavors typically found on menus this time of year.
Fact is, 65% of consumers associate the fall season with special flavors, dishes, beverages and limited-time offers from restaurants.1 And with nearly 60% hungry for limited-edition fall retail items and restaurant specials,1 maximizing your autumn menu mix is table stakes.
Major Chains Fall for Fresh Twists
Fall flavors are renowned sources of culinary comfort and nostalgia that usher in the holiday season while hearkening back to childhood memories.
But seasonal staples often share the stage with trending takes on old favorites. While flavors like pumpkin and pumpkin spice may be mainstays of the season, many foodservice operators are turning over a new leaf with unique twists on classic fall flavors.
In 2024, Datassential cited Olive Garden’s Pumpkin Cookie Butter Cheesecake — a dessert that offers classic pumpkin and cheesecake flavors in luscious layers, mixed with a cookie butter swirl and graham cracker crust — as a case in point.2
Topped with fluffy whipped cream, Cracker Barrel’s Cinnamon Roll Pie — cinnamon rolls baked into a pie crust and drizzled with cream cheese icing — hit the sweet spot in 2024. The dessert scooped a 64% rating for Unbranded Purchase Intent and a Superstar score of 83 in Datassential’s Launches & Ratings platform.1
Whip It — Whip It Good
Whipped cream is a popular fall ingredient that can’t be topped for versatility. “Pay attention to whipped cream on fall menus, as it can be leveraged beyond just topping pies,” Datassential reports. “Add flair to plain whipped cream by infusing it with trending fall flavors like caramel, caramel apple, or cinnamon roll.” Use it to top hot beverages like cider or lattes, layer it into seasonal parfaits or trifles, pipe it onto mini tarts and cupcakes, or serve it alongside bread pudding and spiced doughnuts for an elevated finish.
Whipped cream has proven especially popular in fall-themed beverages.2 To capitalize on the trend, think Pumpkin Pie Milkshake with NILLA Wafersand Pumpkin Spice Milkshake made with OREO Cookie Pieces — two scrumptious seasonal concoctions topped with whipped cream.
Tasty Trio: Sweet, Savory, Sensory
Balancing the menu with both sweet and savory flavor profiles is a smart way to make the most of the season. On the savory side, based on an average index of 100 across seasons, stuffing and cranberry sauce serve up the highest fall menu indexes (4,200 and 3,300, respectively), followed by pumpkin pie (2,850 index) and caramel apple pie (1,650 index).1
Consider creative takes on seasonal staples like Thanksgiving Shepherd's Pie made with RITZ Crushed Crackers as an all-in-one meal or Pumpkin Pie Pops made with NILLA Wafers as a grab-and-go treat.
Keep in mind that visual and sensory elements, from warm orange tones to garnishes like cinnamon and caramel, enhance the cozy, nostalgic vibe of autumn flavors. Desserts like Cheesecake with Orange-Cranberry Sauce & NABISCO Grahams combine classic fall flavors with appealing visual accents.
At Mondelēz Foodservice, our acclaimed chefs leverage our beloved brand ingredients to create fresh takes on seasonal favorites all year round. For more seasonal LTOs and specialty concepts, follow us at @mondelezfoodservice on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. And if you haven’t already, sign up for our emails to get fresh helpings of culinary ideas and inspiration delivered to your inbox.
1 Datassential, Fall Trends 2024, September 9, 2024
2 Datassential, Trend Bites 2024, October 8, 2024
