Pumpkin is one of the first ingredients in this flavored almond milk.
Photo courtesy of Malk
Vegans may avoid dairy, but they deserve a pumpkin spice latte in the fall. Malk Organics, an Austin-based almond milk company, is taking care of that with a new pumpkin spice variety.
This seasonal flavor is hitting shelves now, and will be available "throughout the fall season while supplies last," according to a news release. It joins three standard flavors — unsweetened, vanilla, and chocolate — for a total of four almond milks across the board. The company also makes oat and cashew milk, or "malk," and some creamers.
The second ingredient after filtered water is organic pumpkin, so that flavor should come out strong in whatever drink it's spicing up. It also contains almond butter and sugar, plus extracts of vanilla, cinnamon bark, nutmeg, ginger, and clove — all organic, too.
"With the popularity of the pumpkin spice flavor profile, we wanted to offer consumers a healthier way to enjoy their favorite fall beverages." said Malk CEO Jason Bronstad in the release. "We have meticulously crafted a pumpkin spice SKU featuring the cleanest ingredients without compromising on delicious flavor."
When Bronstad talks about health, he's referring to claims made in the release that distance the completely organic product from "gums, oils, and fillers." The brand prides itself on these things, plus few enough ingredients to count on one hand — not quite the case for this more intricately spiced product, but surely an exception can be made for that pumpkin pie flavor.
This isn't Malk's only seasonal effort; it's also bringing back its holiday nog made with almonds, maple syrup, nutmeg extract, and Himalayan pink salt. So far there aren't really any exotic flavors on the permanent menu, but a caramel creamer enhances the otherwise vanilla and unflavored line.
For those who feel called by the dairy-free pumpkin spice but don't know what to make with it, Malk has plenty of recipes on its site that might be nice to spice up. The Pumpkin Protein Pancakes are an obvious candidate for an extra bit of pumpkin oomph, as is the Pumpkin Pie Smoothie. Actually, there are lots of pumpkin recipes already on the website using other varieties of Malk; but perhaps the Caramel Pecan Cheesecake Bars could use some additional adventure.
Pumpkin Spice Malk ($6.99 for 28 ounces) can be found at Whole Foods, Sprouts, Erewhon, Gelsons, HEB, Fresh Market, and other local retailers. Find nearby options at malkorganics.com.
The Texas Pecan Praline Cheescake Cone is one of the finalists for the State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards in 2026.
The State Fair of Texas has unveiled the finalists for the 22nd Annual Big Tex Choice Awards, featuring all sorts of bold concoctions that can only be found at the iconic yearly event.
The finalists include five each in the Best Taste categories: Savory, Sweet, and Sipper. Winners from each of those categories, as well as one for Most Creative, will be announced on Tuesday, August 18.
According to a release, the competition kicked off with a record-breaking 77 entries from 46 different concessionaires, each of which has at least two years of experience at the Fair.
Each concessionaire submitted an original recipe that went through a blind judging process, ensuring each entry was judged solely on its own merits.
The 15 finalists competing for the 2026 Big Tex Choice Awards titles (and their creators) include:
SAVORY
Flamin’ Crunch Pizza is a finalist in the Savory category in State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas
Burger Chop Tater Tacos, Tom Grace: A fresh chopped burger patty combined with sautéed onions and jalapeños, then topped with mozzarella and American cheese and laid on top a bed of cheddar cheese tater tots that have been formed into a taco shell. That is then finished with buffalo buttermilk ranch coleslaw, garlic parmesan buffalo sauce, and more tots.
Dickel's Texas Two Step Tacos, Dickel’s Smokehouse: The Dickel’s Texas Two Step Tacos features two tacos, the first with a warm blue corn tortilla filled with a fire-roasted jalapeño stuffed with pineapple pork sausage and melted mozzarella. The second taco contains tender-sliced brisket wrapped around a roasted jalapeño, layered with melted mozzarella, and served on a yellow corn tortilla finished with purple pickled onion and a drizzle of sweet, smoky barbecue sauce or house made Lone Star Habanero Fuego.
Flamin’ Crunch Pizza, Tom Grace: The Flamin’ Crunch Pizza consists of hand-tossed, fresh-made pizza dough topped with a jalapeño cheddar queso base and covered with a freshly grated blend of mozzarella and cheddar cheese. The pizza is topped with handfuls of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, a drizzle of jalapeño queso blanco and house-made buffalo buttermilk ranch dressing, and a hefty sprinkle of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos dust.
Golden Crunch Melt, Tony & Terry Bednar: This entry features a tortilla brushed in a signature seasoned butter oil and packed with marinated chicken pastor, fire-roasted peppers, caramelized onions, smoky chipotle mayonnaise, melted three-cheese blend, and crispy potato strings, accompanied by a smoky chipotle crema.
Nacho Wings, Cody & Lauren Hays: Nacho Wings are crispy chicken wings tossed in zesty taco seasoning, smothered in creamy nacho cheese, and piled high with cilantro, green onions, cotija cheese, tomatoes, pickled red onions, and jalapeños. They are served on a bed of hot, golden fries and the whole thing is drizzled with ranch.
SWEET
Holy Flan! Buñueloco is a finalist in the Sweet category in State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas
Berry Me in Matcha, Stephen El Gidi: Berry Me in Matcha features a New York-style cheesecake that is hand-dipped in Belgian white chocolate, rolled in crushed matcha cookies and drizzled with white chocolate and sweet strawberry jam. The dessert is finished with a fresh strawberry slice on top.
Fernie’s Frozen Espresso-tini Bar, Christi Erpillo & Johnna McKee: This espresso martini popsicle features cold-brew espresso blended with a kick of Fernie's Funnel Cake Cream Cocktail. The bar is drizzled with ribbons of chocolate shell coating, hardening into a delicate, crackable bite.
Fletcher's Chocolate Corny Dog, Beck Fletcher: The Fletcher’s Chocolate Corny Dog consists of smooth milk chocolate fudge hand dipped in Fletcher’s famous Original Corny Dog batter and deep fried until golden perfection. It is topped with a drizzle of yellow vanilla icing and served with raspberry compote for a sweet twist on the iconic Corny Dog.
Holy Flan! Buñueloco, The Garza Family: The Holy Flan! Buñueloco starts with a warm, crispy buñuelo bowl filled with creamy, homemade arroz con leche and a scoop of cinnamon Blue Bell Ice Cream. The highlight is a deep-fried flan encased in a delicate puff pastry shell, topped with fluffy whipped cream topping and a rich caramel sauce drizzle.
Texas Pecan Praline Cheesecake Cone, Brad Weiss: This second take on cheesecake features a warm waffle cone dipped in white chocolate, rolled in buttery Texas pecan praline, crushed Biscoff cookies, and freeze-dried strawberries, and filled with homemade cookie butter cheesecake. It is then topped with a pinch of sea salt, whipped cream, Biscoff crumble, warm cookie butter drizzle, white chocolate sauce, and finished with a signature Biscoff cookie.
SIPPER
Corn Flake Shappé is a finalist in the Sipper category in State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas
Corn Flake Shappé, Milton & Gracie Whitley: The creamy Corn Flake Shappé blends toasted corn flakes into a rich creation with dulce de leche, Texas pecan notes, and a signature blend of warm spices. It is finished with whipped cream, golden corn flake crunch, sweet strawberry crumble, and a dusting of powdered sugar.
Nevins Soft Serve Peach Bellini Float, Tami & Josey Nevins Mayes: The Nevins Soft Serve Peach Bellini Float features creamy peach bellini soft serve infused with sparkling wine, topped with sparkling sugar and grated frozen peach. It is finished with a sugary-sweet golden topping.
Rousso's Bacon Jam Caramel Apple Hard Cider, Rousso’s Concessions: The Rousso's Bacon Jam Caramel Apple Hard Cider is crafted with hints of apples, caramel, churros, cinnamon sugar, and a smoky bacon jam twist.
Sunset Soft Serve Rita, Dwania Morris: The Sunset Soft Serve Rita combines a strawberry and mango margarita with vanilla soft-serve ice cream, a rim coated in Tajín rim, and topped with a chamoy drizzle and crunchy hot honey Tajín topping.
Tropical Coco Fresca, Fruteria Cano: The Tropical Coco Fresca is a layered pineapple-watermelon agua fresca with chamoy lava Tajin rim, paired with a scoop of icy coconut snow that melts into a creamy tropical explosion of flavors.
While these 15 creations earned a spot in the finalist round, the State Fair of Texas is also recognizing semi-finalists whose innovative entries will still make their debut at the 2026 State Fair as new foods.
Semi-finalists include:
All Shook Up
Butter-Dipped Toffee Crunch Nutty Bar
Deep Fried Thai Tea Tres Leches Cake
Dirty Dr Pepper Do-Si-Do Float
Fried Gobbler Roll
Layered Mango Strawberry Shortcake
Limonata Fresca Float
Loaded Lone Star Rings
Love Me Jam Sandwich
Matcha Parfait
Midnight Ruby Rush
Soft Serve Smoked Peach Bourbon Smash
The Niece
Triple Chocolate Flautas
Twinkle Twinkle Brisket Star
During the final judging event, a panel of 35 judges, including hometown celebrities, television personalities, food experts, and well-known creators, will evaluate each dish based on four key Fair-food elements: taste, value, creativity, and fairgoer appeal.
While the Big Tex Choice Awards event is closed to the public, the public can follow along online by tuning into one of the State Fair's social media channels: @StateFairofTX on Instagram and Facebook.
The winners will be announced on Tuesday, August 18, at 2 pm.
The 2026 State Fair of Texas, themed “Stars, Stripes, & Howdies,” will open on Friday, September 25, and will run through Sunday, October 18.
Flamin’ Crunch Pizza is a finalist in the Savory category in State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas
Holy Flan! Buñueloco is a finalist in the Sweet category in State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas
Corn Flake Shappé is a finalist in the Sipper category in State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas