Fall is officially underway, and this cozy, warm season is known for some delicious flavors. By getting a pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks, spending a Saturday afternoon picking apples, or heading down to Trader Joes for whatever delicious, autumn foods they have in store this year, everyone is seeking out a taste of fall. These top five picks of fall flavors are delicious no matter how they are used!

5: Maple

While I can’t argue against the idea that maple is a winter flavor in some regards (imagine eating maple candy in a frost-covered forest!), this sweet, earthy flavor can definitely be attributed to fall. There are a few things more suitable for fall than eating pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast (or dowsing any of your favorite breakfast foods in this tasty condiment), or collecting the beautiful leaves from the trees that produce the sap for syrup. Another joy of the maple flavor is that maple candies and other maple-flavored foods get the taste right without fail. However, many maple syrups taste either artificial or too much like pure maple, and lack the desired level of sweetness, so it is important to find the right balance and buy syrup accordingly.

4: Salted Caramel

Caramel apples, trail mix, or a drizzle on hot chocolate, this treat speaks wonders to the entirety of sweet cuisine. Warm and sweet in flavor, golden brown in color, salted caramel is also an ideal flavor for spooky season. I have a pretty big sweet tooth, so caramel anything is an automatic “yes”, but even someone who wants uninterrupted sweetness all of the time can agree that the salt cutting through the caramel enhances the flavor and makes it that much more delicious. Salted caramel is trending all year round, so it is not entirely known as a fall flavor, but the treat speaks to fall with enough tastiness for me to count it on the list.

3: Pumpkin Spice

The controversy surrounding pumpkin spice is completely irrational and unnecessary; after all, who could detest this warm and classic flavoring? Some people say that the pumpkin spice flavor is basic and overused, but lovers of pumpkin bread, the Trader Joes snack aisle in the fall, and, of course, the infamous pumpkin spice latte, would disagree. Sure, the flavor isn’t an exact match to the tastes of pumpkins and spices, and it is definitely more spice than pumpkin, but the yummy notes of everything from cinnamon to cloves make anything pumpkin spice irresistible. There will always be haters of pumpkin spice, but frankly, it wouldn’t be so popular if it weren’t so good! Don’t knock it till you try it!

2: Brown Sugar

Brown sugar is not just a top fall flavor, but a top flavor of all time. Every baked good is automatically twice as good when brown sugar is mixed in to create a rich and caramelized flavor and texture. From oatmeal, to crumbles, to cookies, anything becomes a luxurious and decadent treat when fortified with this molasses-enriched sugar. Not only is brown sugar delicious, but it is also comforting; the feeling of sinking their teeth into, for example, a brown sugar cookie, brings people home without a doubt. Brown sugar isn’t just a good flavor and the quintessential ingredient to any sweet recipe, but also an iconic and trendy scent that flies off the shelves of perfume aisles in seconds. There isn’t one person with a negative thing to say about this warm, sugary flavor.

1: Apple Cinnamon

From apple picking to apple pie, delicious fall apples are sweet, tart, and perfect for baking. An apple picked during the fall or something made with one is about as close to perfection as possible, but its complement, cinnamon, just makes it that much better. Would it really be a pie, cider, or crisp without this rich spice mixed in? There is absolutely nothing wrong with this flavor that is perfect for any food-related endeavor you can imagine, be it baking or curling up by a fire for Halloween movies with a treat (not to mention how the delicious smell wafting through the house can make anyone feel at home). Some apple cinnamon treats are actually pretty healthy, and as for the others, anyone can argue the health benefits of apples and cinnamon, so it’s a win-win! There are lots of great choices out there, but nothing can top apple cinnamon as the best fall flavor. 

These top-five flavors are absolutely delicious and are even better in the fall, but this season provides a whole host of delicious flavors. Anything tastes better with some warm autumn vibes packed inside!