These Food Trends Will Rule Fall 2026

After seeing Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman’s Practical Magic 2 press tour, who doesn’t want to be a long-lost Owens sister? Pinterest cited hype surrounding the sequel as one reason why being a “kitchen witch” was an overarching trend for fall 2026. Beyond that, searches for starting an herbal apothecary, making candles, kombucha scobies and indoor herb gardens are all on the rise, as well as a nod to the movie itself: Queries for “midnight margaritas” are up 140 percent year over year. (And if you’re in need of a solid recipe, we’ve got one right here.)

Bananas took over the beauty aisles this summer, and this fall, you’ll find it on drink menus across the country. And I’m not talking smoothies. Starbucks launched its fall menu with the usual pumpkin and apple flavors, but the standout was its banana bread latte. (The drink is also inspiring amateur baristas everywhere: TikTok has seen searches for it climb 950 percent over the past 30 days.)

Not to be outdone, Sonic added a banana mini menu to its roster, featuring banana pudding milkshakes and even a banana-infused dirty Dr. Pepper.

But wait! There’s more: It’s also popping up in cocktails, from the bourbon-based Midnight Foster at ART NoMad in New York to the Ideal of Harmony (a blend of banana, vodka, lime-yuzu sparkling soda and coconut green tea) at Tigress Restaurant & Rooftop Bar in Naples, FL.

The banana bread latte isn’t the only drink stealing pumpkin spice’s thunder this year. Yelp cited “fallternative flavors” as a major trend this fall, and they’ve got the receipts to back it up: People are increasingly looking for salted brown butter, apple and cardamom-flavored coffees as we creep toward sweater (or, to be more 2026, funnel-neck jacket) weather.

The tangy-mildly spicy Mexican seasoning blend has been around for ages, but it’s finally getting its due at chains nationwide. From Taco Bell’s Tajín-dusted mini menu to Hungry Howie’s Tajín-crust pizza, it’s popping up everywhere. Try it in every iteration this fall, but especially on a mango (they’re in season through September, after all) or as the rim on a spicy margarita. You can’t go wrong.

Baking season is upon us, and if you’re tempted to go full Taylor Swift and start making your own sourdough from scratch, good luck and godspeed. But hey, maybe you don’t need my well wishes. This season, there’s no shortage of gadgets designed to make that notoriously labor-intensive journey just a bit easier. Earlier this year, King Arthur Flour partnered with FirstBuild to create the Sourdough Sidekick, which takes care of your daily sourdough feedings for you, so you can be hands off until you’re ready to bake bread. And if you’re looking for something a little less tech-y, check out Sourhouse’s Goldie, an incubator that keeps your starter within a “goldilocks” temperature range so it rises marvelously, even if your kitchen is drafty.

While every kid in the world is fixated on squishy dumplings, the rest of us are into the (actually edible) frozen kind. They’ve become a weeknight dinner staple, thanks to the viral Trader Joe’s dumpling bake, and they’re only growing in popularity as we head into soup season. Whether you layer them into lasagna, use them as a shortcut for potsticker soup or toss them into a stir fry, a pack of frozen dumplings is worth having on hand all autumn long.

NYFW saw an influx of campy statement bags. From Betty Crocker’s cake slice crossbodies to Rachel Comey’s candy wrapper-inspired clutch (a collab with Unreal), there has been no shortage of made-to-go-viral accessories. But there’s a genuine appetite for these launches—Walmart’s rotisserie chicken bag, for example, sold out in 90 minutes flat. Both of the Betty Crocker drops did in less than a day’s time. And Burger King's daily Le Nugguette drops have similarly been disappearing in no time (though fans still have a shot at that one, if they act fast—there will be daily drops at noon ET on LeNugguetteBK.com through Sept. 16).

Crisp late summer and fall nights make people think of cozying around a campfire, so naturally, s’mores are top of mind. They can be a bit messy for the drive thru, so several chains are opting for a frosty, sippable version. You can savor the flavor as a layered sundae in a S’mores Dasher at Carvel, as a milkshake or iced coffee at Hardee’s, or as a frozen mocha Chiller at Dairy Queen. But why choose?