People are asking Starbucks workers to pour coffee in carved-out pumpkins. I tried it — and it wasn't nearly as weird as I thought.
This isn't the most unusual order at Starbucks.
People on social media started the trend in 2025, asking workers to use carved-out pumpkins as cups. The nationwide coffee shop allows people to bring in their own cups, and on TikTok, people tested Starbucks' limits on what's considered a cup. Turns out, a pumpkin counts.
When Starbucks brought back the pumpkin spice latte and its other fall flavors, people started bringing their pumpkins again. The trend is fairly simple: you carve out a pumpkin and bring it to Starbucks. The hardest part is asking, but most Starbucks workers are happy to agree. Some people try it through
the drive-thru, while others bring their pumpkin-shaped cup into the shop.
If you're skeptical, I don't blame you, but I tried it, and it actually worked.
Trying the pumpkin cup trend at Starbucks
I tried the trend myself, and it was easier than it looked.
I carved out my pumpkin the night before and let it dry, then went to Starbucks in the morning. People on the internet asked workers at the drive-thru if they could use their own cup while ordering their drink, but didn't tell them about the pumpkin until they were face-to-face.
I tried the same approach by telling them I already had a cup.
At the window, I asked if they could put my PSL in a pumpkin. They were hesitant at first but agreed, topping my pumpkin with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spices. It's worked for several people, but not everyone agreed to this trend. Some people on social media were denied and had to put their coffee in the pumpkin afterwards.
My biggest fear, other than asking the workers for this odd request, was that my drink would taste too much like pumpkin. That might be the price to pay for ordering a pumpkin spice latte in a pumpkin, but to my surprise, it wasn't too much. The drink tasted the same as if it were in a regular cup, and I didn't get any pumpkin bits up my straw.
If I could do it again, I'd bring a bigger pumpkin.
USA TODAY Food is waiting on Starbucks' response to the pumpkin cup trend — but for now, BYOP.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: I tried ordering my Starbucks coffee in a pumpkin. It actually worked
