8 Fast-Food Fall Desserts Of 2025, Ranked

Do you like your October spooky or sweet? Some people creep out of bed on the first of the month, ravenous for all things Halloween. These are the people who put gummy eyes in the punch and bake cookies to look like bloody fingers. You know the type. Then, there are others who like to sit and savor autumn's more cozy, welcoming flavors like pumpkin, cinnamon, and apples. These are your pumpkin spice latte drinkers and orchard visitors.

There's quite the divide in palates, come October, but luckily, we have a small taste of both sides included in today's fast-food fall dessert round-up. I've taken note of some hair-raising (not to mention eyeball-raising) monster-inspired treats from chains like Wendy's and Burger King, which seem to be catering to the Halloween enthusiasts. I've also noticed that plenty of classic fall treats are still lingering on menus at a few of our favorite drive-thrus, like McDonald's, Popeyes, and even Taco Bell.

Here's a surprise: Many of these seasonal indulgences are actually made with ice cream. When you think of fall, you usually think hot tea, warm cinnamon donuts, and steaming lattes, not something icy. But as an insatiable ice cream lover, I'm certainly not complaining. After rounding up eight of these autumn-centric desserts, I tasted them and ranked each one based on criteria like a manageable sweetness, cohesive blend of flavors and ingredients, and great texture all around. Most importantly, though, I was searching for that one treat that tastes like a hearty slice of fall.

I'll be honest, Popeyes missed the mark on this one. This came as a surprise to me, especially considering the chain's cinnamon apple pie is one of the best fast-food pies you're likely to find. The entire thing is deep-fried goodness, stuffed with juicy, cinnamon-sprinkled apples and dusted in sugar. This cheesecake cup, though? It just doesn't have that same level of gotta-have-it appeal.

Right off the bat, the dessert radiates an intense butterscotch aroma, even though it is, in fact, caramel-based. You can see light tan swirls of buttery sauce imprinted into the crackly cheesecake round. The texture seems to be extra creamy at first, but then, as it settles onto your tongue, you start to realize it has an odd grit to it. That, and that it tastes of straight cream cheese. It's extra tangy and missing that decadent richness often found hiding inside a well-done New York-style cheesecake. The caramel is sweet but not prominent enough, and real apple bits are infrequent.

Probably the biggest letdown was the Graham cracker crust. It's gummy instead of crumbly, and doesn't even taste like real honeyed Graham crackers. It's more like a flattened and flavorless glob of mystery mush. With this final nail in the coffin, the words I scribbled in my notes were, "not my favorite". So, onto the next.

The Golden Arches opts for a pumpkin cheesecake feel rather than a caramel apple one like Popeyes'. It combines both pumpkin pie filling and a cream filling inside a sugar-coated pie pastry to make its signature autumnal treat. Now, while the chain's apple pie doesn't impress, the Blueberry and Creme and Strawberry and Creme pies from previous seasons were pretty darn delicious, and this current offering shares some of their standout qualities.

McDonald's always seems to do pie crust well. It never fails to be browned and crisp on the ends, while staying more forgiving in the center. Flakiness and even a bit of butteriness are also always on the table. The cream half of this confection is also to die for. Balanced between sweet and tangy, it's just like the substance you would find nestled inside a cheese Danish. It's the pumpkin side that didn't quite do it for me. I think someone forgot to add in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and other warm fall spices because it tasted like a clump of pure pumpkin purée. I thought it even tasted a bit sour in spots.

When I took a whole bite of all three elements at once, I could see the vision. The crust and cream help to mask some of the pumpkin's inferiorities, and it's this balance that lifts it above the Popeyes cheesecake. However, I still think it's one of Mickey D's less inspired cream-filled pie creations.

From the Wednesday-inspired Meal of Misfortune (the anti-happy meal) comes the Raven's Blood Frosty, and it certainly fits in with the dark, macabre theme. The item's official description (via Instagram) even says, "Wednesday pushed for actual blood, but the powers that be wanted to make sure it 'tasted good.' Killjoys."

When I asked for the chilling treat at the drive-thru, I was automatically given a vanilla version instead of chocolate, so I just rolled with it. It seems more fitting to me anyway. The appearance matched up perfectly with the name. Looking like a swirly, bloody mess, it's both mesmerizing and slightly off-putting at the same time. The taste also lines up with the description. It's essentially just a plain Jane vanilla Frosty that's been doused in a pool of dark cherry sauce. Landing somewhere between a coulis and a syrup, the reduction is mostly sweet but with the lightest touch of tartness.

My final verdict is that it's tasty. Certainly tastier than the previous two fall-inspired sweets that lacked good execution. I also have to award some bonus points for the attention to detail. I mean, come on. They've named the deep purple spoon the "spoon of gloom" and decked it out with a tombstone at its end. How adorably ominous is that? But even if it is every bit as clever as it is gruesome, the taste is still a bit forgettable compared to the higher-ranking desserts.

Burger King's Halloween sundae follows a similar concept to Wendy's Frosty. It's just the more lighthearted, less frightful version. I also found it to be just a hair more scrumptious, thanks to its candy toppings of choice.

The base of this frozen dessert is a simple helping of vanilla soft-serve ice cream, swirled with a purple Franken candy fudge. It's a bright violet shade of purple rather than a gory red-purple mix, and has a light taste similar to a white chocolate sauce. OREO crumbles are also meant to be included, though I believe my local restaurant stiffed me on that part. What it did have was plenty of Nerds-sized purple and green chocolate popping candies. Be aware that these little bits will sizzle on your tongue just like Pop Rocks. I wish I had taken a closer look at the description beforehand, so I would have been prepared for that strange buzzing sensation. Once you know what's going on, though, they're actually quite satisfying, like tiny little M&M fragments filled with electric energy.

Just like Frankenstein's monster, this sundae is one of a kind. I like that it brings a never-before-seen element into the fold. Plus, with the intended OREOs, I think it would bring your taste buds to life even more.

Dairy Queen has not been exempt from autumn's embrace, and you know what that means: Time for Pumpkin Pie Blizzards. According to the chain itself, it was the very first to introduce pumpkin pie as a flavor, all the way back in 1991. I didn't know that DQ was such a pioneer in this space, making pumpkin moves an entire decade before PSLs ever came to be.

With nearly 35 seasons under the Blizzard's belt, I expected big things, and it did deliver ... at least to some extent. The treat harbors a very gentle pumpkin pie flavor, so if you're a huge pumpkin pie devotee, it may not be strong enough for your liking. Notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and the gourd itself are hidden underneath DQ's famous vanilla soft-serve. Also hiding in the depths of the cup are real pie crust pieces, and these bits are delicious. They're light and crumbly, sugary and buttery. Give me more crust pieces!

The pumpkin pie blizzard is more of a suave, adult dessert compared to Wendy's Frosty or the Franken Sundae, but I don't necessarily think it belongs in the Dairy Queen Blizzard Hall of Fame. Perhaps if it had been topped with the dollop of whip and extra sprinkling of nutmeg I had been promised, it would have made it further. But I guess I'll never know. I'm gathering that fast-food joints like to skip out on the frills and accompaniments. Imagine that.

When you want a drink or an ice cream treat with all the mix-ins, you go to SONIC. It's just what you do. It's a kiddo's dream and potentially a parent's worst nightmare. With the chain's most recent seasonal installment, though, you don't have to do all that. The Trick or Treat Blast does all the concocting for you.

I think the idea behind this frozen dessert was to take any kind of candy that may be found at the bottom of a Halloween basket, crush it up, and blend it with ice cream (vanilla or chocolate, though I opted for vanilla). Heath bars, M&M's, and OREOs all collaborate in the cup, creating a rainbow-colored blend that turns out to be substantially yummier than I expected. Yes, it sounds like a chaotic sugar overload, but somehow, some way, it just works. Mine came mixed well, and each spoonful brought a new surprise flavor combo. Crunchy M&Ms were plentiful in every bite, then sizable chunks of OREO and Heath bars would pop up every now and then. Even though I tend to think of Heath as a bottom-of-the-barrel Halloween candy, I thoroughly enjoyed their caramelized toffee flavor butting up next to the smooth vanilla ice cream.

I really do think this is the kind of treat that anyone could enjoy, young or old, and one that would appeal to more people than, say, the DQ Pumpkin Pie Blizzard or BK Franken Candy Sundae. I would maybe just advise steering clear of the chocolate version. I fear that would be richness overload.

We can't let pumpkin have all the fall fun. Dairy Queen is additionally spotlighting a brand-new Blizzard this season, filled with flavors of caramel, toffee, and cookies. We'll call that the ultimate autumnal triple threat.

Like the Sonic Trick or Treat Blast, I worried that too many cooks and the kitchen would overwhelm the palate. However, the frozen dessert does quite the opposite. With an always reliable base of vanilla soft serve, caramel sauce is spread evenly throughout so that it can complement each tiny, brittle bit of buttery toffee. I would have been happy with these ingredients and nothing else. Sure, it's simple. Yet, it's also tasteful. And sometimes that's all you need from classic Blizzard. But it doesn't stop there. You'll soon discover the cookie pieces. These are not lumps of cookie dough. They are like a cross between well-cooked salted caramel cookie bits and oatmeal cookie chunks. They're extra rich, extra chewy, and extra delicious.

I find this Blizzard to be wonderfully cohesive. Each element is close enough in taste to mesh, yet distinct enough to add something unique to the mix. This buys it a high podium spot in the rankings, just shy of the winner's circle. That place is reserved for a nostalgic comeback confection.

It's back! I don't know about you, but my heart was broken when the Caramel Apple Empanada was stripped from Taco Bell's menu back in 2019. For years, it was a staple part of my order. I would go with a classic Crunchwrap Supreme (obviously), then pair it with a side soft taco, wash it down with a Baja Blast, and top it all off with an empanada. It's an unbeatable combo, and now, thanks to Taco Bell's limited-time decades Y2K menu, I can relive those glory days.

The empanada's greatness begins in the crust. It's deep-fried (just like McDonald's pies used to be), so it's extra crispy and greasy, but in the best possible way. Don't expect a normal, goopy apple pie filling as you crackle your way to the insides. Instead, what comes oozing out is a creamy apple soup spiked with flavors of caramel and cinnamon. Abundant real apple bits straddle the line between tender and lightly crunchy, providing both texture and juiciness.

Always served warm, they're like autumn wrapped up in a handheld pocket. Dare I say they even beat out Popeye's beloved cinnamon apple pie? Hands down, they are my favorite fast-food fall dessert pick. If you want to take your own sweet trip back in time, you'd better hurry before they disappear for another six years.

I nibbled my way through these eight treats over the course of two days — for the most part, just trying to spread out the sugar rush. When I got to ranking, honestly, the first thing I considered was how well each item fit into the theme of fall, and some just hit the mark better than others. Popeyes' Caramel Cheesecake, for example, didn't carry enough of that spiced oomph. While the monster sundaes from Burger King and Wendy's were clever and cute, they could have used a bit more Halloween-inspired flair in their toppings.

After determining how well each dessert embodied the season, I moved on to the basics of what makes a quality sweet treat. Sweetness is, of course, a must, but it can't be cloying. Texture obviously influences the experience as well. Ice cream should be creamy and blend smoothly with its mix-ins, while a pie should have a crisp exterior with a juicy, gooey center.

Last came the overall flow of ingredients. Many of these offerings are "monster mash" creations that pull together multiple flavor experiences. Sometimes it worked, as with Dairy Queen's Caramel Toffee Cookie Blizzard and Sonic's Trick or Treat Blast. And sometimes it didn't. My favorite, the empanada, is the epitome of a well-done fall dessert with all the flavors and textures we crave this season.