Pumpkin bread crushes the competition as fall favorites are revealed across America

It’s finally starting to feel like fall in much of the country, and as people break out their sweaters and tune in to football, another festive favorite is returning.

“Every year there’s arguing over whether pumpkin as a fall flavor is dying, or at least plateauing,” said Mike Kostyo, a Chicago food “trendologist” with market research firm Datassential. “Overall, pumpkin and pumpkin spice are here to stay. It’s a seasonal favorite in the same way peppermint is for winter.”

‘Tis the season for pumpkin-flavored everything, but while demand is nearly universal, what people prefer it in depends on where in the U.S. they live.

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From breads and cookies to soup and seeds, pumpkin favorites vary state by state, according to an analysis of Google Trends by the blog Coffeeness.

The company analyzed more than 30 different pumpkin-based foods and drinks — including pumpkin ravioli and curry — comparing search interest across all 50 states over the past year. While tastes vary by region, a few items clearly dominate. In the Northeast, for example, pumpkin purveyors favor muffins, cookies and other seasonal sweets.

Pumpkin bread was the #1 searched item in 20 states, particularly across the south and Midwest: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia.

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Recipes for pumpkin bread date back to the 1830s and experts trace its roots to early American settlers who adapted European spice breads and puddings using the gourd popular among Native American tribes.

Convenient, on-the-go pumpkin muffins followed as the top search in 11 states, including California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Pumpkin cookies were the favorite in Arizona, Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Utah, the analysis found.

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“Some of what you’re seeing in the search trends reflect that people are cooking at home more,” Kostyo said. “That is partly because of pricing pressures, and it’s much cheaper to cook at home, but also because we’ve seen a general shift towards people cooking at home since the pandemic.” 

He added that social media recipe sharing has boosted interest in homemade treats like breads and muffins.

A few states, however, prefer their pumpkin blended into a cozy soup. Florida, Texas, New York and Michigan all favor the savory option. In some parts of the Lone Star State, recipes even include citrus zest for a Southwestern twist.

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In warmer climates such as Hawaii, Louisiana and Mississippi, nutrient-packed pumpkin seeds were the top searched item, beating out heavier baked goods.

Over the years, interest in savory pumpkin items has surged, according to Kostyo. “It was a natural white space opportunity for pumpkin after every sweet beverage and dessert was pumpkin-ified,” he said. “It also reflected the fact that consumers kept asking for real pumpkin, not just pumpkin flavor, and real pumpkin on its own is actually savory.”

Pumpkin pie topped the list in only North Dakota and Wyoming, while the iconic pumpkin spice latte was No. 1 in just South Dakota.

Nonetheless, Starbucks announced that it saw its best Tuesday sales ever this year when it brought back the Pumpkin Spice Latte, Kostyo noted, proving that the seasonal favorite is far from fading. He said people likely aren’t searching for “pumpkin spice latte” because they already know where to find one.

Iced lattes and other cold drinks are ways that warmer states can still get in on the action, Kostyo added. “That’s also why apple options have been trending, because they work so well in cold drinks.”