Cracker Barrel has deemed pumpkin spice a basic fall flavor and is now pushing a rebellious apple narrative with three new apple-inspired items, but it only proves pumpkin is better.

The restaurant introduced the signature fried apple french toast bake, southern apple cobbler and Granny Smith apple tea on Aug. 6, and the cobbler and beverage will be available until Oct. 20.

Cracker Barrel’s Vice President of Marketing Communications Julia Perry said, “As autumn approaches, guests are seeking flavors beyond the standard pumpkin spice, and we know they’re ready for warm comfort food to accompany cooler temperatures outside.”

As “brat summer” ends and Charli xcx’s viral hit “Apple” remains on the Billboard Hot 100, Cracker Barrel’s apple gimmick is a genius marketing tactic, whether it was intentional or not.

To start the apple marathon, there’s the Granny Smith apple tea, the restaurant’s signature iced tea blended with Granny Smith apple puree, costing $3.59.

The tea had a gorgeous golden hue and a satisfying ring of foam at the top, but looks can be deceiving.

Using Granny Smith apples was a grave mistake and made the tea taste artificial — comparable to a forgotten green apple Jolly Rancher at the bottom of a backpack.

Besides the acrid apple flavoring, the tea itself was fresh and appropriately sugary, like a grandma’s homemade tea on a hot summer day.

However, it wasn’t enough to quell the bitter aftertaste.

Cracker Barrel likely went with Granny Smith because it uses the apples for the signature fried apples, but red apples, like a McIntosh or a Honeycrisp, would have made this beverage more bearable. 

Next is the southern apple cobbler, which the server said he liked the best because the “peach cobbler is trash.”

The $6.59 cobbler features warm cinnamon apples coated in a flaky crust and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel. It’s good, but not almost $7 good. 

The best part is how the caramel sinks to the bottom of the bowl and creates a heavenly, buttery goo. 

Other than this, it tastes ordinary, making it a safe but unimaginative menu addition.

The fried apple french toast bake is one of the most brilliant creations Cracker Barrel has conjured since the stuffed cheesecake pancake breakfast.

It’s thick-cut country bread soaked in vanilla custard and covered in cheesecake filling, the restaurant’s signature fried apples and brown sugar streusel. 

To make matters better, the bake is served with a side of butter pecan syrup. 

It’s a hefty $10.99, served with bacon or sausage, but every bite feels like a million bucks.

The bread was soaked for the perfect amount of time, giving it a silky interior and a light, crispy outside. 

If it weren’t in the description, it would be hard to guess there is a cheesecake filling because the flavor is that subtle, but what’s there will leave your jaw on the floor. 

The french toast is so flavorsome that it doesn’t even need the fried apples.

Without a doubt, the bake beat the cobbler and tea in tastiness and creativity.

It makes sense because it’s the most innovative item in this series, so kudos to Cracker Barrel for thinking outside of the pumpkin spice box.

Still, the people want pumpkin pies and lattes. 

There will never be a better fall flavor than pumpkin spice, but Cracker Barrel’s subversiveness is appreciated.