New York Is Team Apple, But Which Fall Flavor Owns America?

Fall in New York means a lot of things: colorful leaves, chilly mornings, apple picking, cider donuts and, of course, the annual arrival of pumpkin spice everything.

But when it comes to fall flavors, New Yorkers apparently have their minds made up.

According to DoorDash's analysis of fall ordering data, apple was New York's top fall flavor, putting the Empire State firmly in the apple camp.

Apple was actually the top fall flavor in 18 states, particularly across the South and Mid-Atlantic.

States where Apple was the No. 1 fall flavor:

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maryland
• Mississippi
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Carolina
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Virginia

And there's more evidence that apple has a serious claim to the fall flavor crown.

Instacart's analysis of 2024 pie sales found that apple pie accounted for 29% of all pie sales nationwide, compared with 23% for pumpkin pie. Apple was the most-purchased pie in the country, although regional tastes varied considerably.

So what about pumpkin?

Pumpkin spice is still very much alive and not just on the Dunkin' commercials.

DoorDash found that pumpkin dominated as a fall flavor in states including California, Oregon and Washington.

Pick Your Poison: Hudson Valley Halloween Events

DoorDash also found that pumpkin spice latte orders remained huge, reaching about 59,000 orders per week during the 2024 fall season. But pumpkin spice wasn't the fastest-growing fall flavor. That honor went to pecan, which saw orders increase 28% year over year. Apple and gingerbread tied for second among the fastest-growing flavors.

Meanwhile, other parts of the country went in completely different directions.

Caramel was the leading fall flavor in 13 states, cinnamon took the top spot in several New England states, Texas favored pecan and Michigan went with maple.

Still, here in New York, the data points toward apple.

We've got apple orchards all over the Hudson Valley, apple cider, apple pie, apple cider donuts and enough Honeycrisp-related enthusiasm to keep an orchard busy all weekend.

So now we want to know:

Are you Team Apple or Team Pumpkin?

Apple cider donut or pumpkin spice latte?
Apple pie or pumpkin pie?
Apple picking or pumpkin picking?

There's only one correct answer... according to your taste buds.