Sweet, spicy, and delicious, this creamy Fall coffee drink is the best homemade pumpkin spice latte recipe you will ever try!
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Homemade pumpkin spice latte recipe
It is pumpkin season once again, bringing the return of scarves, leggings, changing leaves, and everyone’s coffee shop seasonal favorite pumpkin spice lattes.
But before you run off to Starbucks, Krispy Kreme, or Dunkin’ for a basic PSL, why not save time and money by whipping up your own pumpkin spice latte at home?
This quick, easy homemade version is just as good as the original!
Readers also love this Frappuccino Recipe
Benefits of making your own PSL
One of the best reasons to choose homemade is the price.
Even a tall Starbucks pumpkin spice latte costs over five dollars, while a grande size is close to six dollars.
Order the drink throughout the Fall, and this gets expensive pretty quickly.
In contrast, a DIY pumpkin latte can be made for under a dollar, which is less than one fifth of the traditional coffee shop latte!
Another benefit to making your own pumpkin beverage instead of buying one from a cafe is the nutrition facts.
A tall Starbucks pumpkin spice latte contains 300 calories, 38 grams of sugar, and 12 grams of fat. Meanwhile, a similar size homemade latte can come in at under 100 calories, with less than a third of the sugar even when using real sugar instead of a no sugar substitute.
And it is no longer necessary to wait until pumpkin season. Enjoy this festive and cozy spiced drink all year long, whether it is Halloween or the middle of summer.
(The Starbucks pumpkin spice latte is set to return to their menu on August 24th.)
Finally, the lazy reason. If you make your own pumpkin latte at home, there is no need to ever leave your pajamas or the comfort of your own kitchen.
Starbucks pumpkin latte recipe video
Above, watch the video how to make a pumpkin spice latte at home
Healthy pumpkin spice latte ingredients
Depending on the ingredients you choose, this healthy pumpkin latte can be vegan, gluten free, low calorie, low fat, soy free, and nut free, with no high fructose corn syrup.
The pumpkin recipe calls for brewed coffee or espresso, milk of choice, pumpkin puree, pure vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, and sweetener of choice.
Coffee – My personal preference here is for dark roast coffee, such as French roast. Medium, light roast, cold brew, or decaf coffee for a mostly caffeine free treat also work if you prefer.
Or you may use two shots espresso instead of the brewed coffee for a stronger latte.
Milk – Generally, whole milk or oat milk produce the best steamed latte foam.
Almond milk or soy milk will also work. Low fat milk and carton coconut milk do not work as well.
Sugar – Feel free to go with your favorite all purpose sweetener, including regular or brown sugar, coconut sugar or date sugar, pure maple syrup, agave, or xylitol for a keto and sugar free pumpkin spice latte.
Pumpkin – To save time, I like to use canned pumpkin puree. If you are feeling ambitious, or if canned pumpkin is not available, you can make fresh homemade pumpkin puree by roasting a pie pumpkin or kabocha squash.
When making your own puree from scratch, it is best to avoid sugar pumpkins. Look for a smaller pumpkin, because large ones tend to be watery and stringy.
Use up leftover pumpkin to make Pumpkin Banana Bread
What is pumpkin pie spice?
You can usually find jarred pumpkin pie spice, sometimes called pumpkin spice, in the spice section of most regular grocery stores in America.
In England, the product is also known as mixed spice or pudding spice.
This spice mix combines ingredients like ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice. It does not contain any pumpkin but is often used to enhance the flavor of both sweet and savory pumpkin recipes, including pumpkin pie and pumpkin curry.
If you wish to make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice, simply combine half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, a fourth teaspoon each of ground nutmeg and ground ginger, an eighth teaspoon of ground cloves, and an optional eighth teaspoon of ground allspice.
Store in a tightly sealed container in the kitchen cabinet or pantry. If all of the ingredients are new, this pumpkin spice should keep for up to three years.
Try adding pumpkin pie spice to these Easy Cinnamon Rolls
How to make the best pumpkin spice latte
Gather all of your tools and ingredients.
No espresso machine? No problem! You can easily make this classic Fall recipe without any fancy equipment.
The first step is to stir together the milk of choice, pureed pumpkin, ground pumpkin pie spice, and sweetener of choice in a small saucepan on the stove top.
Whisk over medium heat just until the milk is hot.
If you prefer to use a microwave, simply whisk the first four ingredients in a coffee mug. Heat for around forty five seconds. If you have a cooking thermometer, it should read 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
Turn off the heat, add the pure vanilla extract, and use a milk frother or whisk vigorously for a few seconds, until the steamed milk forms small bubbles.
A good tip if making pumpkin latte art, is to not whip for too long. Let the foam sit for about thirty seconds to settle.
However, if you wish to turn it into a pumpkin cappuccino, whip away until the pumpkin foam is whipped, bubbly, and frothy, with lots of foam.
Pour the espresso or brewed coffee into a mug, glass, or cup.
Swirl the pumpkin milk mixture into the mug, on top of the coffee.
Enjoy while it is hot. Or refrigerate until cold, then pour over ice to make a wonderful autumn pumpkin iced coffee.
Top your homemade pumpkin drink with caramel sauce, whipped cream, or a cinnamon stick and sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.
This recipe makes a single serving pumpkin spice latte. For a larger yield, simply double or triple all ingredients.
Serve your latte for breakfast or snack, alongside a batch of Applesauce Muffins or these healthy three ingredient Banana Oatmeal Cookies.
Vegan pumpkin spice latte
At press time, a Starbucks pumpkin spice latte is not vegan even when ordered with nondairy milk, because its pumpkin syrup contains condensed skim milk.
Thankfully, making your own pumpkin coffee drink at home is easy and just as tasty as the Starbucks version. And it can be completely dairy free and plant based.
To make a vegan pumpkin latte, use oat milk, almond milk, coconut milk, or another non dairy milk alternative as your milk of choice.
Choose a vegan friendly sweetener instead of honey, and top your vegan beverage with store bought or homemade Coconut Whipped Cream.
Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk of choice
- 1/4 cup brewed coffee or espresso
- 2 tbsp pumpkin puree
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 – 2 tbsp sugar or sweetener of choice
Instructions
- How to make a pumpkin spice latte recipe: Stir pumpkin puree, milk, pumpkin pie spice, and sweetener in a small saucepan over medium heat just until hot. (If you have a cooking thermometer, it should read 150 degrees Fahrenheit.) Turn off the heat, stir in the vanilla, and use a whisk or milk frother for a few seconds, until small bubbles form. Let the foam settle, then pour it over the coffee or espresso in a mug. View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
More Homemade Pumpkin Recipes
or this Keto Pumpkin Bread
Yummy! I was trying to think of what Starbucks drink you would remake and this was my guess! Your drink looks prettier though. I love pumpkin and have used it for pumpkin pancakes, oatmeal, muffins, bread, cupcakes, and have seen it used in a pasta sauce once. Pumpkin donuts always intrigued me. Oh, and your mug in the picture is so cute!
I don’t really drink coffee, but this looks delish! I love everything and anything pumpkin:) Especially my friend’s mother’s recipe for southern spiced pumpkin bread…my mouth is watering as we speak. I also made this super delicious pumpkin pie last year for thanksgiving that was quite yummy.
omg yay! i really wanted to try pumpkin coffee, and since i can’t hav starbucks version im so glad you made a vegan one! 🙂
Hi Katie, this is one of my favorite uses for pumpkin; they are AMAZING!!!
http://havecakewilltravel.com/2007/08/18/pumpkin-chocolate-brownie-cake/
Oo wow, thanks Kendra!
I have no idea what to do with a 29 oz can of pumpkin either after I open it and use a little for a recipe!
The latte looks delicious, which reminds me…I gotta try making my own pumpkin pie one day and bring it to my aunt’s annual Thanksgiving party so we can stop buying those ones at Safeway. I need a can of pumpkin now~
By the way, the coldest it’s ever been at where I am is about 14 or 0 degrees F. Around there.
ive heard that canned pumpkin is a good cheat for the already cheating. hehe i mean taking a box of (vegan) cake mix and a can of pumpkin, mixing together and baking and voila! a dense, moist, no effort cake! pretty good with spice-cake mix…ooo-oo-oo!!! make pumpkin-gingerbread!! that could be sooo good!
I’ve heard you can do it with brownie mix too… I never thought to try it with spice cake. That sounds delicous!
A pumpkin chocolate chip cake…I would elaborate…but I think the fact that chocolate is mentioned is enough in itself.
My husband is Chilean, and his mom makes pumpkin sopaipillas in the winter. They’re delicious, and so easy: pumpkin (canned or fresh), self-rising flour, and a little butter or oil mixed together very well. Roll out the dough about 1/4 inch thick and use a small glass or cookie cutters to cut them in circles. My mother in law fries them in oil, but I’m sure they could be baked. Just pierce them with a fork first! You can sprinkle them with powdered sugar so they taste like a funnel cake, or we also eat them dipped in mustard or with what you Texans call “pico de gallo” for something more salty.
Oh my goodness, that sounds so good!
I read about pumpkin lattes of Mrs Peas blog yesterday, I must admit I’ve never heard of them!! I don’t think even starbucks makes them in the UK. Probably because canned pumpkin is sooo expensive here, the only place I’ve found it its £4.50 for a 500g jar. Is it me or is that really expensive??
Hi Elise, have you tried Amazon.co.uk? I get mine from there, it’s Libby’s 100% Pumpkin Puree, it’s imported from America. It’s £1.99 for a 425g can at the minute, plus £1.55 p&p. I think I used to get a better deal but I haven’t bought any for a few months and that’s all I can find on Amazon now.
Mmmm… You make me crave things I would never combine but it just looks sooooooo good. Will it work with blended frozen pumpkin?
I answer this question on half of the blogs I visit but I don’t mind doing it again. I am in love with kabocha and yogurt. I also recently discovered pumpkin tempura which is so much better than I thought. Now I am craving pumpkin with walnuts and honey. Almost everything with pumpkin is welcome 🙂 .
I wouldn’t see why not!