Homemade Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe

Author: Veruska Anconitano, Award-Winning Food Travel Journalist, Sommelier & Outdoor LoverAuthor information
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Veruska Anconitano
Veruska is a a food travel journalist with awards to her credit, such as World Best Food Travel Journalist. She holds a certification as a sommelier and she is also an ardent lover of the outdoors. Aside from this, Veruska is a Multilingual SEO and Localization Consultant and co-owns multiple websites that cater to a global audience.
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Can you make Homemade Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe? Short answer: it is. Long answer: it is possible, it’s rewarding, it’s delicious and it allows you to save money as well. This is the easier and foolproof Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe you can find online: it’s been tried and tested multiple times and by thousands of people, and it’s the perfect recipe for people looking to add a spicy note to their daily dose of coffee without using too much sugar.

It’s not a mystery that Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte is the drink everyone waits for in the fall season and for this reason every year the company releases its biggest hit with a tremendous campaign. The drink has its own Twitter handle (@TheRealPSL), its own Tumblr, and its own merchandise!

How did pumpkin spice become so popular?

One of the reasons why the pumpkin spice latte recipe is so loved it’s connected to the fact that it is a seasonal treat and, as such, it can only be enjoyed within a specific timeframe; this makes the latte way more appealing than all-year-round drinks such as cappuccino, just to name one. Not only this: there’s a sense of exclusivity tied to the limited-run beverage and the urgency to be seen with the drinks before it’s too late.

On top of this, there are also other reasons:

  1. For Americans, the pumpkin flavour is traditionally associated with Thanksgiving, a moment when a family gathers together, and it’s also a reminiscence of old, more rural and agrarian times. It evokes nostalgia It’s basically the same as purchasing decorations for our houses to give entryways a rustic makeover for fall.
  2. For people in other places, the appeal lies in the fact that it is a seasonal product but also in the fact that it is unavailable in many places. This means that if you’re lucky enough to drink an original Pumpkin Spice Latte, you’re in the know.

How a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe is made?

Well, we can’t say for sure since the recipe is “secret”, but we know it contains a good amount of sugar, and on the Starbuck’s website is described as: “Our signature espresso and milk are highlighted by flavour notes of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove to create this incredible beverage that’s a fall favourite. Enjoy it topped with whipped cream and real pumpkin pie spices”.

You’ll be shocked by the crazy amount of sugar this drink contains if you check the nutrition facts. This is the nutritional table for the tall Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks (serving size 12 fl oz): it’s not just the calories in total (310), but the amount of sugar (38 grams in total) that is huge!

Stabucks Pumpkin Latte nutritional values

How to make a pumpkin spice latte at home?

Making a spiced latte at home is easy and affordable, it doesn’t take a lot of time, and it’s one of the best drinks you can prepare during the fall.

The biggest difference between the original version by Starbucks and the homemade version of this latte is simple to identify: genuine ingredients. We cannot be sure, but the making of the syrup in a big company is different from the making of the syrup at home for obvious and understandable reasons: industrially and bulk-made syrup contains more refined and artificial ingredients than homemade syrup. And this means that making the pumpkin spice latte at home using homemade and genuine ingredients is key to getting a lovely and healthier beverage.

Of course, sugar cannot be skipped but limiting the amount of latte you drink and reducing the quantity of syrup you add to each mug is a good and healthier move.

The main ingredient is the pumpkin, and this beverage’s peculiarity is that it has a strong flavour that, thanks to the presence of ginger and cinnamon, is suitable for the fall season.

A Pumpkin Spice Latte is basically made with:

  • Coffee, and specifically Espresso
  • Milk
  • Pumpkin Syrup

The espresso can easily be made at home by using a traditional Italian moka or any kind of espresso coffee maker.

The milk has to be frothed because it has to be thick and creamy; to do so, you need a milk frother, and you can choose a manual or an electric frother. An immersion blender is the easiest way to achieve the foam at home if you don’t have a milk frother. You can skip the foam by simply not using a frother or a blender: you’ll get a classical latte, but in this case, whipped cream is a must.

The pumpkin syrup is really easy to make: just combine sugar, spices, and pumpkin flesh to create a smooth cream that you’ll use for your pumpkin spice latte.

Now, let’s make the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte at home: simple, quick, cheap, and… no more coffee shop lines.

Ingredients for 4 mugs

  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 600 grams of white sugar
  • 500 ml cold water
  • 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon of ginger powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
  • 4 tablespoons of pumpkin flesh
  • 600 ml full milk
  • 300 ml coffee
  • Whipped Cream (optional)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the syrup by mixing the sugar with water and bringing it to low boiling. Once the sugar is melted add the cinnamon sticks, the spices and the pumpkin pulp, continuing to mix on a low flame for 5 minutes;
  2. Remove from heat and pour in a hermetically sealed glass jar, allow to cool and refrigerate or use it immediately;
  3. Heat the milk by bringing it almost to the boiling point;
  4. Pour 2 tablespoons of pumpkin syrup into each large cup;
  5. Pour hot coffee and milk then blend mixture with an immersion blender until frothy;
  6. Add whipped cream and serve.

notes

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte

Homemade Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe: Tips and Advice

  1. Although it is typical for Halloween and October, this pumpkin-flavoured latte can be made throughout the winter, perhaps with the addition of other spices such as cloves and pepper;
  2. Once prepared, the syrup stays in the fridge for a month in a sealed jar;
  3. Whole milk works best to get a frothy latte. If you’re a vegetarian or a vegan, you can use a coconut or almond drink to get more or less the same result;
  4. You can skip the foam by simply not using a frother or a blender: you’ll get a classical latte but in this case, whipped cream is a must;
  5. This recipe calls for quite a lot of sugar, but how much you use is up to you, and you may also use a sugar substitute.

Pumpkin spice latte recipe: Frequently Asked Questions

Over the years, we received so many questions about this PSL recipe that we’ve decided to create a section to publicly answer each of them.

1. Can you buy pumpkin spice syrup from Starbucks to make your pumpkin spice latte?

You can’t buy the syrup, but you can buy a few products that are inspired by the syrup used in the PSL. Among them are Pumpkin Spice Flavored Creamer that you can use to give flavour to your coffee and the Pumpkin Spice Latte mix that you can use to make the Starbucks’ PSL at home.

2. What are the ingredients in Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte?

Aside from espresso and steamed milk, there’s a combination of spices added to the mix: pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. On top of these, there’s sugar.

3. Can I make my pumpkin spice latte lighter?

Yes, you can! By reducing the amount of sugar used to make the syrup, you are already making a less caloric PSL than the one you used to drink at Starbucks. If you want to take things even further, go for skimmed milk and skimmed cream and use sugar substitutes.

4. When will the Pumpkin Spice Latte be available at Starbucks?

While there is no official information on the drink’s return, it’s now a tradition for Starbucks to have it available the last week of August, at least in the US. In 2024 it will arrive on August 30th.

5. Does the pumpkin spice latte taste good?

Judging the taste of food is usually hard because the taste is a personal matter. Depending on how many spices you use, the milk you use and the espresso, your latte will be more or less strong. Overall, the pumpkin latte has a mildly spicy flavour that falls on the sweet spectrum. If you like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and pumpkin, you won’t be disappointed.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means that we may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link.

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