Pumpkin Spice Latté is the iconic Autumn drink that you need in your life, and you can make it yourself with pumpkin spice and pumpkin puree.
The leaves are falling, the air is cold, and fall is just around the corner. That means it’s officially PSL season. For the uninitiated, a PSL is a Pumpkin Spice Latte. The comforting fall beverage is made with the perfect amount of sweetness, warm spice, and pumpkin all blended into a warm cup of coffee.
This Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte is the perfect seasonal twist on a classic Cafe Latté. For more coffee shop Drink Recipes, check out my Classic Cold Brew and Caramel Frappuccino.
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Sabrina’s Pumpkin Spice Latté Recipe
While many people think of Pumpkin Spice Lattes in association with Starbucks, you can pretty much get this Autumnal coffee of choice at any fancy coffee shop. However, while going to a cafe and ordering your favorite drink is nice sometimes, you don’t want to brave coffee shop lines every time you want a delicious Pumpkin Spice Latte. Well, with my homemade version, you never have to.
Follow my easy directions to make the perfect Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte in just a few minutes. You don’t need any high-tech barista equipment or even a coffee maker. You can combine it all on the stovetop, then pour it into your favorite seasonal mug and top it all off with a dollop of Whipped Cream. Just like that, you’ll be feeling like a world-class barista.
Chef’s Note: Pumpkin Puree vs Pumpkin Filling
You might be tempted to grab a can of pumpkin pie filling for this recipe, or maybe you won’t notice the difference. However, a can of unseasoned pumpkin puree will allow you to add the fresh spices and control the seasoning yourself for a much better flavor. You can also use Homemade Pumpkin Puree too. In fact, this is a great recipe when you are doing your holiday baking to use up that last bit of puree and get to enjoy pumpkin flavor while your treats bake up.
Ingredients
- 3 Teaspoons Instant Espresso Powder and 2 Cups Boiling Water: To make the easy coffee base, just mix instant espresso powder in boiling hot water. If you have an espresso machine, you can also make 2 cups of Americano.
- 1 Cup Evaporated Milk: Instead of regular milk, mix evaporated milk with the spice blend for some added richness in the Latte.
- ½ Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice: Pumpkin pie spice blend is made with ground ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice. If you don’t have a ready-made blend, my Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice is quick to mix up. The spice blend is pretty strong, so you only need a little.
- ½ Cup Pumpkin Puree: Using real pumpkin puree gives the latte a rich and authentic fall flavor that’s hard to replicate with flavorings.
- 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is the perfect sweetener for this coffee blend. It has a dark, rich flavor that goes perfectly with the warm holiday spices. It also adds some caramel-like undertones to the amazing taste. You can use either light or dark brown sugar.
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract: Warm vanilla flavor goes so well in sweet coffee drinks. It has a subtle sweet flavor that adds that extra special touch.
- Whipped Cream: An optional topping is some whipped cream. Add as much or as little as you want.
- Ground Cinnamon: Top off that silky white whipped cream with a pretty dusting of warm, aromatic cinnamon. This is another optional, but really impressive finish that makes your homemade latte look and taste like it’s from an expensive coffee shop.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Medium Saucepan: Grab a medium saucepan to heat up your latte. It needs to be big enough to hold over 3 ½ cups of liquid.
- Whisk: A whisk is the best tool to combine all of your ingredients, especially to integrate the spices into the coffee.
- Coffee Mugs: To serve warm Pumpkin Spice Lattes, you’ll need 2 large coffee mugs. Any type will do, but a glass mug will allow you to see the creamy latte, and mugs in fall colors will fit the flavor and enhance the warm, seasonal feel when you serve your Lattes.
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Latté
Time needed: 5 minutes.
- Make Espresso
Add the water and espresso powder into a saucepan. Whisk to combine the coffee mixture. Heat over medium heat, but don’t boil. If you prefer to use the microwave you can heat the water in a large bowl in 30-second increments until boiling, then take it out and mix in the espresso powder.
- Milk/Spice Mixture
Add evaporated milk and pumpkin pie spice to a small measuring cup, and mix well.
- Combine
Then add the milk and spice mixture to the hot espresso.
- Add Pumpkin
Add the pumpkin puree and brown sugar.
- Whisk
Turn off the heat and whisk the pumpkin mixture until smooth.
- Finish
Pour the homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte into two coffee mugs. Then add whipped cream for topping and dust with cinnamon or a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 cups boiling water
- 3 teaspoons instant espresso powder , or 2 cups Americano – Espresso and water brewed
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar , packed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Whipped Cream
- ground cinnamon for dusting
Instructions
- Into a saucepan or heat proof bowl, add the water and espresso powder.
- Whisk to combine.
- Turn heat on to medium.
- In a small measuring cup add evaporated milk and pumpkin pie spice and mix well.
- Add the milk/spice mixture to the saucepan.
- Add in pumpkin puree and brown sugar.
- Turn off heat, whisk well until smooth.
- Pour into two coffee mugs, top with whipped cream and dust with cinnamon.
Nutrition
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Can this Latté be made ahead?
It is best to prepare and serve your Latte fresh, but you can make the coffee mixture ahead of time. Just make and refrigerate it, then warm it up again before mixing in the milk, pumpkin, and seasonings. You could also serve an Iced Latte by using chilled coffee as the base of your mixture and serving the whole thing over ice.
Nutritional Facts
What to Pair With Pumpkin Spice Latté
You can enjoy this latte with your breakfast, or as an afternoon treat with your favorite seasonal desserts. The PSL flavor tastes incredible with Ginger Cookies or Classic Snickerdoodles. Coffee drinks are always a great reason to enjoy some crispy Biscotti Cookies. Mix it up by dipping some flavored biscotti into your Latte, like Chocolate Chip Biscotti or Cranberry Orange Biscotti.
How to Store
- Serve: Don’t leave your Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Store: Lattes are best served fresh, but if you can’t finish your drink, you can keep it in a glass jar or another sealed container in the fridge. It’ll stay good for up to 2 days. You can reheat the recipe in the microwave or on the stove.
Frequent Questions
Although it’s unlikely that Starbucks baristas were the first to ever think of adding this seasonal spice flavor to their morning coffee, the chain definitely popularized the drink. Peter Dukes is credited with creating the original Starbucks blend.
Yes, this Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe uses real pumpkin puree to give it the perfect pumpkin flavor. Imitation flavors wouldn’t quite achieve the same flavor as the real thing, so it is important to use real pumpkin.
If you like cold coffee drinks, prepare the coffee mixture and let it cool to room temperature, or chill it in the refrigerator. Then combine the rest of the ingredients and serve the Latte over a tall glass filled with ice. You can even use a tall cup with a lid and straw that you purchased at your favorite coffee shop to get that authentic feel.
Variations
- Vegan Pumpkin Spice Lattes: To make this into a vegan-friendly Pumpkin Spice Latte, you’ll need to replace the milk with your favorite plant-based milk. Soy milk, oat milk, coconut milk, or almond milk would all work well. You can also top the latte with whipped coconut cream so that you don’t have to miss out on that delicious finishing touch.
- Chocolate Pumpkin Latte: Try combining your two favorite flavors in a dark chocolate pumpkin latte. Just add ½ teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder to the coffee and milk mixture.
- Sweeteners: If you don’t want to use brown sugar, maple syrup makes a good flavor substitute. If you want to make your Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe sugar-free, you can use your favorite sugar-free syrup.
- Finishing Touches: To add a little pizzazz to this recipe, you can garnish the lattes with a cinnamon stick, sprinkles, or fudge sauce.
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