Mars Snacking's RXBAR is adding a limited-edition Nut Butter & Oat Apple Pie bar to its fall lineup — the brand's first new seasonal flavor in more than four years — while simultaneously bringing back the perennial Pumpkin Spice 12g Protein Bar for a national limited-time run starting in August.

The Apple Pie variety joins the existing Nut Butter & Oat sub-line, which sits alongside conventional RXBAR protein bars in the single-serve and grab-and-go sets that account for a meaningful slice of c-store center-store revenue. The new bar is built on whole grain oats, cashews, egg whites and wildflower honey, delivering 10g of protein and a good source of fiber per bar. Suggested retail is $2.79 for a single and $11.99 for a five-count box.

The Apple Angle

The flavor choice is deliberate. Apple is tracking as one of the fastest-growing seasonal flavor trends heading into fall 2026, according to reporting in Food Business News, signaling that pumpkin spice — dominant for more than a decade — now shares the fall flavor conversation with orchard-fruit profiles. For c-store buyers managing limited cold-vault and ambient shelf space, the RXBAR move offers a second fall-seasonal option that can sit alongside pumpkin spice facings rather than simply duplicating them.

The Pumpkin Spice 12g Protein Bar, a brand staple since its 2015 debut, returns on the same timeline. It is made with dates, nuts, egg whites, cinnamon, pumpkin and cloves. Like the Apple Pie SKU, it carries a $2.79 single and $11.99 five-count MSRP and will be available while supplies last.

Operator Takeaways

For forecourt and foodservice-adjacent snack sets, limited-time offers (LTOs) reliably drive incremental ring without cannibalizing core velocity — a dynamic NACS data has long supported in the candy and snack category. Protein bars in particular over-index in convenience because the channel's core shopper skews toward high-energy, on-the-go consumption occasions. A two-SKU fall LTO from an established brand gives single-store operators and regional chains alike a low-risk way to refresh the bar set and generate social-media-driven foot traffic during the typically softer early-fall daypart.

"Certain flavors have the power to instantly transport us," said Regina Cabrera, Senior Brand Manager at Mars Snacking. "With new RXBAR Nut Butter & Oat Apple Pie and the return of RXBAR Pumpkin Spice, we set out to capture that sense of warmth and nostalgia in satisfying snacking options made with simple, recognizable ingredients."

Both SKUs will be distributed through national retail channels beginning this month. Operators interested in carrying the fall lineup should confirm availability and ship windows with their Mars Snacking distributor representative.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.