We Sampled Starbucks' New Fall Menu, And One Drink Gives The PSL A Run For Its Money

It may still be August and sweltering outside, but that won't stop Starbucks from rolling out its new fall menu, laden with all the familiar favorites plus several new items. On August 22, the chain's fall menu will debut, including among its new offerings the Iced Apple Crisp Nondairy Cream Chai, Raccoon Cake Pop, and Pumpkin Spice Chai Martini.

In addition to these new items, Starbucks is also bringing back fan-favorite fall beverages, such as the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai, Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato, and baked goods like the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin, Pumpkin & Pepita Loaf, Baked Apple Croissant, the Pumpkin Spice Cake, and more. And of course, fall isn't officially fall at Starbucks without the return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL for those in the know), back for its 21st year of pumpkin sauce, steamed milk, and espresso topped with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice.

I had the opportunity to try the Iced Apple Crisp Nondairy Cream Chai, Raccoon Cake Pop, and Pumpkin Spice Chai Martini at a media event in New York City before they were made available to the public. As you mentally and emotionally prepare for the fall season to slowly but surely arrive, read my review of Starbucks' new fall treats to see if they're worth adding to your cold-weather caffeinated rotation.

The big announcement from Starbucks this fall is the Iced Apple Crisp Nondairy Cream Chai, made with chai spices and creamy oat milk and topped with a nondairy apple crisp cold foam made from oat and soy milk. For the over-21 crowd who are also fans of the Pumpkin Spice Latte, a Pumpkin Spice Chai Martini is joining the Reserve and Roastery cocktail menu, inspired by the always in-style espresso martini, made with Maharaja chai and oolong tea, pumpkin spice sauce, Kalak single-malt vodka, Amaro Averna, pumpkin spice cold foam, and cinnamon.

Fans of Starbucks' baked goods will also be treated to a new fall item, as the chain is introducing a comical, albeit adorable, Raccoon Cake Pop, made with vanilla and buttercream cake, dipped in purple-gray chocolate icing, and decorated with a raccoon face. It's almost too cute to eat, but that shouldn't stop you from finishing it in a few bites.

For customers who like to order their coffee for pickup ahead of time rather than waiting in line, you'll also have access to two additional beverages exclusive to the Starbucks app. The Iced Caramel Apple Cream Latte and the Iced Honey Apple Almond Milk Flat White will be available at all Starbucks stores around the U.S., but only if you order through the app.

As Starbucks has continued to open new Reserve and Roastery locations around the country and the world, the chain has sought to differentiate these locations' menus from those of standard Starbucks stores. In that regard, new items such as the Pumpkin Spice Whiskey Barrel-Aged Cold Brew (pictured above), Pumpkin Spice Affogato, the aforementioned Pumpkin Spice Chai Martini, and the Pumpkin Spice Cake can exclusively be found at the Starbucks Reserves in Chicago, New York, and Seattle. If you're lucky enough to live near a Reserve location but haven't made a trip yet, these new menu items may be just the thing to convince you to check it out.

If you don't live near a Reserve location, fear not — you're still getting plenty of fall flavors at your local Starbucks store. The new Iced Apple Crisp Nondairy Cream Chai and Raccoon Cake Pop will be available at all Starbucks locations nationwide for a limited time, while supplies last.

Pumpkin spice tends to get all of the love during the fall season, so the fact that Starbucks is introducing a new beverage without any pumpkin spice flavor is both remarkable and welcome. Additionally, designing a beverage that is completely plant-based comes off as an unspoken ode to fans of the Starbucks brand who either can't have dairy or prefer to have their coffee beverages with nondairy milk instead.

The aroma of this drink is immediate and enveloping, like a light blanket that warms you up just enough during that fall chill. Notes of apple and warm baking spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, and toasted graham cracker linger as you dive in for that first sip. Sweet and crisp, the cold foam is creamy and luxurious, evoking memories of hot buttered rum cider, apple pie, and warm apple crisp fresh from the oven. I do wish there was a little more of those chai spices coming through, like allspice and ginger, since they do end up getting overshadowed by brown sugar and apple, but there's no lack of flavor overall.

A grande Iced Apple Crisp Nondairy Cream Chai hits you with 95 milligrams of caffeine and contains 370 calories, 12 grams of fat, and 64 grams of carbohydrates, 46 of which are sugar. This drink is sweet, no doubt, but the use of plant-based milks lightens everything up, making this a refreshing and delicious sip without the weightiness that tends to come with dairy. While I'm not sure I could down the largest version of this without a painful sugar rush, a small or medium (okay, a tall or a grande) is more than doable.

Starbucks has added a sense of whimsy and imagination to its cake pop selection, going above and beyond the typical icing and sprinkles options, and for that, I'm grateful. For someone like me who has a sweet tooth that mostly lies dormant, a cake pop is the perfect amount of cake to satisfy the craving without going overboard. Rather than lean too far into the fall season by presenting us with a pumpkin-shaped cake pop, Starbucks decided to go deeper. Deeper into nature, that is, by choosing a woodland creature we all know but maybe don't exactly love, the raccoon.

At first glance, I was a little taken aback by this cake pop. It's adorable, to be sure, but ... a raccoon? Why? After taking a bite, I quickly realized: Who cares? This is tasty, and not to mention, it's just really fun. The cake is moist with a tender crumb, and the chocolate icing has a wisp of bitterness to it to counteract the sweet sponge. While I'm still not entirely sure what makes a raccoon a fall-friendly animal, the eponymous cake pop is a festive and cute snack nonetheless, and one that goes nicely with a not-too-sweet hot drink, like an Americano or cappuccino. One of these little guys comes in at 150 calories, 7 grams of fat, and 19 grams of carbs (14 of those are sugar).

Starbucks has been riding high on the introduction of cocktails at its Roastery and Reserve locations worldwide, so it only makes sense to bring the pumpkin spice craze to the martini menu. The Pumpkin Spice Chai Martini uses the warming, spicy flavors of Maharaja chai and oolong tea to welcome you in and then tantalizes your seasonal taste buds further with pumpkin spice and creamy cold foam to capture the essence of the fall season in every possible way.

There's a lot going on in this martini from a flavor perspective, but it's a welcome chaos. Each sip is nicely balanced, with the amaro bringing something a little bitter and fruity to an otherwise rich and earthy flavor profile. The cold foam adds a decadent creaminess but doesn't weigh things down to the point of this drink feeling more like a meal than a cocktail. The Pumpkin Spice Chai Martini is essentially a boozy version of the fan-favorite PSL, and as someone who likes a PSL but loves a martini far more, this is an unmistakably delightful matchup.

Comparing the Pumpkin Spice Latte to anything feels like an invitation for a thirsty Starbucks fanbase to go on the attack, but it's important to see how a new entry to the menu stacks up to Starbucks' iconic fall drink. Considering that the flavor profiles differ greatly and still manage to give us the fall feels, this is a comparison worth making.

Despite being a fall item, the Iced Apple Crisp Nondairy Cream Chai, like its name implies, is only available iced, while the PSL can be made hot or iced. For coffee drinkers who opt for warm drinks in the colder months, this is a win for the PSL. However, this is really the only knock against the new menu item. The Iced Apple Crisp Nondairy Cream Chai, unlike the PSL, has more nuance in each sip, with fall flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar, as well as apple and toasted graham cracker. The PSL, while it can be ordered in a nondairy version, is a bit heavier, whereas the new drink benefits from the use of plant-based milk for its airy texture and flavor.

Flavor-wise, these beverages have clear differences. The PSL leans heavily into the pumpkin flavors of fall, while the new nondairy apple drink is, of course, all about apple. The PSL is a classic and always will be, but it's a bit basic. For something new and a little more memorable, the Iced Apple Crisp Nondairy Cream Chai edges out the competition.

This year, it feels like Starbucks turned things up a notch, not just bringing back fan favorites but thinking about the fall season, and the menu, as a whole. It would have been only too easy to present us with a few new pumpkin-themed items and call it a day, but instead, we're gifted with exciting and enjoyable flavors that remind us of the fall season without going the expected route. Additionally, making the Iced Apple Crisp Nondairy Cream Chai an entirely plant-based beverage is a welcome change, showing that a brand as big as Starbucks is listening to consumers and still closely following the trends of today and looking toward the future. As for the Raccoon Cake Pop, who doesn't love an adorable animal-themed baked treat?

For a company that is constantly introducing new items to its beverage and baked good menu, fall is by far the most memorable season for the Starbucks brand. People count down the days until the Pumpkin Spice Latte is back on the menu, anticipating the aroma of cinnamon, brown sugar, and nutmeg the moment they open the door at their local Starbucks. The Pumpkin Spice Latte loyalists will be pleased with the return of this classic beverage, as well as other pumpkin-inspired items. But it's the new menu items that get me legitimately excited to go to Starbucks this fall. No question — these new fall items stand firmly in the "worth it" column.