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This homemade pumpkin spice latte recipe is quick and easy to make, more affordable than the coffee shop version, and lightly sweetened with maple syrup. Feel free to top with whipped cream if you’d like!
Pumpkin spice latte fans! ♡
In honor of the return of PSL season in coffee shops everywhere, I thought I would bump this recipe to the top of the blog today for those of you interested in making your own pumpkin spice lattes at home this season. Because while the coffee shop version is fun, I’m much more partial to making homemade pumpkin spice lattes because:
I’m one of those people who likes my coffee first-first thing in the morning while padding around at home in my pjs and slippers, and this version can be made in just 5 minutes in the comfort of my kitchen.
I’ve never been able to handle the sugar roller coaster that comes with the original Starbucks pumpkin spice latte recipe, so I appreciate being able to use less sweetener and natural sweetener (maple syrup, which I would argue is even more delicious than sugar in PSLs) in this homemade version.
I also enjoy being able to use my favorite type of oat milk and coffee and a legit spoonful of pumpkin purée when making my lattes. And occasionally, it’s also a fun treat to top it with some whipped cream a la Starbucks.
Finally — let’s be real — the cost of those coffee shop lattes adds up quickly. So it’s always nice to be able to make a homemade version at a small fraction of the cost.
Anyway, I’ve been tinkering around with these ingredient ratios for years and finally landed on a pumpkin spice latte recipe that I absolutely love. But of course, the joy of making your own version is that you can customize this recipe endlessly to your taste as well. (Lots of suggestions below!) So if you’re a fellow PSL fan, I say tap into your inner barista and let’s make some lattes together!
Pumpkin Spice Latte | 1-Minute Video
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte Ingredients
Before we get to the full homemade pumpkin spice latte recipe below, here are a few notes about the ingredients you will need…
Espresso or strong coffee: You are welcome to use either espresso or very strongly-brewed coffee to make your latte. Starbucks typically adds one shot in their “tall” (12-ounce) latte, but I prefer two shots for the extra coffee flavor.
Milk: Feel free to use whatever type of plain-flavored milk that you love best in this latte. It is traditionally made with cow’s milk, but I love using a barista-style oat milk to make mine.
Pumpkin purée: Yes, by contrast to the original pumpkin spice lattes that did not contain actual pumpkin back in the day, this PSL recipe does contain a significant amount of real pumpkin. Be sure to double-check that you are buying pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling, which is a different ingredient altogether.
Pumpkin pie spice: I used my favorite homemade pumpkin pie spice recipe (made with ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves), but you can also purchase a jar of pre-mixed pumpkin pie spice.
Maple syrup: You are welcome to use whatever sweetener you love best here, but I highly recommend maple syrup! In addition to being a more natural sweetener, its flavor really complements the pumpkin spice flavors and makes this latte extra delicious. Feel free to adjust the amount of sweetener to taste.
Vanilla extract and fine sea salt: We will also add a splash of pure vanilla extract and fine sea salt to the latte to help bring out all of those delicious pumpkin pie spice flavors.
How To Make A Pumpkin Spice Latte
Detailed instructions for how to make pumpkin spice lattes are included in the recipe below, but here are a few tips to also consider…
Make a big batch of the syrup to have on hand. I highly recommend making a large batch of just the syrup (with the pumpkin purée, maple syrup and spices) to keep on hand in the fridge. Then all you will need to do is scoop out 2 tablespoons’ worth of syrup each morning to add to your coffee and milk. See the notes below the recipe for instructions on how to make a large batch of the syrup.
Adjust the sweetener to taste. As mentioned above, Starbucks’ PSL includes considerably more sugar. So if you want this to taste like the coffee shop version, I would recommend using more sweetener (and they use simple syrup instead of maple syrup).
Froth the milk however you prefer (or skip that step). We invested in a Nespresso Aeroccino a few years ago, which does an amazing job at frothing just about any kind of milk. But you are welcome to use a handheld milk frother or any of these alternate methods (<– I’m partial to the mason jar hack) to froth the milk. Or you can skip the frothing step altogether and your latte will still taste delicious.
PSL Recipe Variations
Here are a few fun ways that you can customize your pumpkin spice latte recipe if you’d like…
Make an iced pumpkin spice latte: Here is my full tutorial for how to make an iced pumpkin spice latte if you’re interested. ♡
Make a chai pumpkin spice latte: Omit the espresso/coffee and instead steep 2 chai tea bags in 1/2 cup of very hot water for a few minutes. Then add the chai tea to the steamed milk and pumpkin spice syrup.
Make a mocha pumpkin spice latte: Add 2 3 teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to the mix. (You may need to add a touch more sweetener too.)
More Favorite Latte Recipes
Looking for more homemade latte recipes to try at home? Here are a few of my faves…
Mix the coffee and pumpkin spice syrup. Add the freshly-brewed hot espresso, pumpkin purée, maple syrup, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, and salt to a large mug. Briefly stir to combine until the mixture is smooth.
Heat the milk. Heat and froth the milk until it is very hot (but not boiling) using a milk frother or an alternative frothing method. (Or you can skip the frothing step altogether.) Immediately pour the hot milk into the coffee mixture.
Serve. Serve immediately, topped with whipped cream and/or a pinch of pumpkin pie spice if desired, and enjoy!
Large-batch pumpkin spice syrup recipe (6 servings): Combine 1/3 cup pumpkin purée, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice and 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt in a jar and whisk until evenly combined. Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week. You will need 2 scant tablespoons of the syrup mixture per latte. Combine with the pumpkin spice syrup with the milk and espresso as directed above.
Espresso/coffee: Starbucks’ pumpkin spice latte that is similarly sized (a 12-ounce “tall”) typically contains just 1 shot of espresso. I prefer two to really bring out the coffee flavor, but feel free to use however much espresso (or very strongly-brewed coffee) that you prefer.
Sweetener: Feel free to use any other sweetener that you prefer in place of maple syrup, adding more or less if needed to taste.
Source: Recipe inspired by the famous Starbucks pumpkin spice latte.
Your pumpkin spice latte looks wonderful… One of my favorite fall drinks! If you have a stick blender (immersion blender), you can actually use that right in the sauce pan to froth the milk. Mine has a whisk attachment, which actually works really well!
One of the few things that helps me to make it through a northwest winter is the return of pumpkin spice lattes. I can’t wait to try this at home and be able to control the sweetness level too :) Thanks!
The best thing about the return of fall…pumpkin! And the pumpkin spice latte!! This could very well become a saturday ritual! :o) Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I love this Fall drink, the flavors of pumpkin and nutmeg in a warm coffee mug, as the leaves are changing color.. ahh! Like pumpkin pie in a mug. I can’t wait to try this recipe, thanks for sharing!! :-)
i can’t even begin to estimate the number of pumpkin spice lattes i made when i worked at starbucks. ridiculous. this is an awesome way to enjoy the gooness at home AND save a buck or twenty. :)
Hello, Just wanted to let you know I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen and tried it today. I loved it! Even my husband liked it and he normally doesn’t like coffee drinks. Thanks for sharing.
Oooh – that’s a fantastic idea! As long as the milk is still good, I imagine that the mixture would at least stay fresh for a few days (and probably a week). If you try it, would love to hear how it turns out! :)
This isn’t the first of your wonderful concotions I have tried. I made this today and it was wonderful. I didn’t use quite as much sugar and without the cream it was still delicious. Thank you. Perfect for a frosty day.
I can’t wait to try this. Ali, I am doing a Pintesting post on variations of Pumpkin Spice Coffees and want to include yours. Usually I send an email, but I can’t find your email address and the form on the Contact Me page doesn’t come up. Can you please contact me? I’d like to do the post this week. My contact info is on my blog. Hope to hear from you soon!
This is definitely one of my favorite go to Pumpkin Spice drinks for Fall! I linked (with credit to you, didnt copy anything) this on my post and I hope that you can check it out and let me know what you think :) keep cooking, love your blog!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks for your sweet words Heather, we appreciate the shoutout on your blog! :)
I’m sipping this pumpkin spice latte right now. It’s so delicious. I made the recipe exactly as written. I thought it might be too sweet since its equal parts espresso and syrup, but it’s not! I steamed unsweetened vanilla almond milk for it, and it’s incredible. Thank you for this perfect recipe! I had given up on the Starbucks and Caribou versions because they are sickening sweet and artificial tasting. This one is perfection!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks Pamela, we’re so happy you liked this, thank you for taking the time to comment! :)
PSL Is by far my favorite drink at BuckStars. But let me tell you, i made this today EXACTLY like your recipe, i personally think this recipe is 10 times better!!! My new favorite drink!!!! Thank you so much for sharing. ??
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Oh my goodness you are so sweet, what a nice compliment! We’re really happy to hear you like this recipe! :)
Okay so I just had to comment again!!! So today we celebrated a coworkers birthday and the weather was perfect for your yummy latte. So I made the syrup at home and this morning made PSLs for all the teachers. They loved it!! It was a hit. this recipe is keeper. Thanks!!
I made this exactly as you directed and it was fantastic! Thank you (I’m going to freeze my leftover syrup in ice cube trays & just nuke what I need for my next cup.)
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks Leslie, we’re happy you liked it! And we think freezing the leftover syrup is a great idea. :D
Making Pumpkin Latte recipes to taste test & make for our Thanksgiving get together. This is soooo good. No pumpkin dregs in the bottom of the cup. Googled how to steam milk in microwave – easy. I don’t care for Starbucks coffee – Love your Pumpkin Spice Latte! Thanks for this yummy recipe. It’s the winner!!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Yay, we’re so glad you like this recipe, thanks for sharing! :D
This was so delicious! And I imagine a lot healthier than Starbucks – just put the ingredients into MyFitnessPal and it looks pretty legit (I used light brown sugar).
I’m a little confused, the text of the post mentions finding a batch recipe of the syrup in the notes but there isn’t one. Am I just missing it? I’d love to keep a batch of it on hand to make quickly in the morning.
Rachel —
I have the same question. I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for a few years and I’m sure there used to be a syrup that you can make in advance and just mix with the coffee and milk. I’m pretty sure it contained brown sugar and not maple syrup too. I wonder if they’ve updated this recipe?
Rachel —
I see it now at the bottom of the recipe under Notes!
I do not like this recipe. Half a teaspoon of vanilla extract is far too strong for just 1 drink, and the maple syrup does not add enough sweetness to the drink.
Thanks for this great recipe. My husband is diabetic and wants everything I have and sneaks things, so I made a large batch of pumpkin spice seasoning using sugar free syrup and added more pumpkin and spice-it was great and he enjoyed it. So, thank you for the note on sweeten as I wish. Love all your recipes and esay to follow directions.
Made the large batch version and the salt measurement seems way off. Made lattes and they taste only of salt :( I would recommend adding salt to taste at the very end
Hey, I’m Ali!
My favorite thing in life is time spent around the table. And all the better with some seriously tasty food to bring us all together. more about me »
Your pumpkin spice latte looks wonderful… One of my favorite fall drinks! If you have a stick blender (immersion blender), you can actually use that right in the sauce pan to froth the milk. Mine has a whisk attachment, which actually works really well!
One of the few things that helps me to make it through a northwest winter is the return of pumpkin spice lattes. I can’t wait to try this at home and be able to control the sweetness level too :) Thanks!
The best thing about the return of fall…pumpkin! And the pumpkin spice latte!! This could very well become a saturday ritual! :o) Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I love this Fall drink, the flavors of pumpkin and nutmeg in a warm coffee mug, as the leaves are changing color.. ahh! Like pumpkin pie in a mug. I can’t wait to try this recipe, thanks for sharing!! :-)
i can’t even begin to estimate the number of pumpkin spice lattes i made when i worked at starbucks. ridiculous. this is an awesome way to enjoy the gooness at home AND save a buck or twenty. :)
and by “gooness,” i of course mean goodness. :)
Hello, Just wanted to let you know I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen and tried it today. I loved it! Even my husband liked it and he normally doesn’t like coffee drinks. Thanks for sharing.
I used to make a similar drink whilst working at a local owned coffee shop. We used brown sugar for the sweetener. Yummy
Oooh – that’s a fantastic idea! As long as the milk is still good, I imagine that the mixture would at least stay fresh for a few days (and probably a week). If you try it, would love to hear how it turns out! :)
Hey there Ali
This isn’t the first of your wonderful concotions I have tried. I made this today and it was wonderful. I didn’t use quite as much sugar and without the cream it was still delicious. Thank you. Perfect for a frosty day.
Emily
I can’t wait to try this. Ali, I am doing a Pintesting post on variations of Pumpkin Spice Coffees and want to include yours. Usually I send an email, but I can’t find your email address and the form on the Contact Me page doesn’t come up. Can you please contact me? I’d like to do the post this week. My contact info is on my blog. Hope to hear from you soon!
Anne Hernandez
Thanks a million for this amazing Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe. Just shared it over on my blog because I am enjoying a cup this morning.
Love & Blessings
I wish you would develop a recipe for raspberry-mocha syrup. Those lattes are delicious also!
it seems like you are priding yourself on making this homemade, why use CANNED pumpkin?
This is definitely one of my favorite go to Pumpkin Spice drinks for Fall! I linked (with credit to you, didnt copy anything) this on my post and I hope that you can check it out and let me know what you think :) keep cooking, love your blog!
Thanks for your sweet words Heather, we appreciate the shoutout on your blog! :)
I’m sipping this pumpkin spice latte right now. It’s so delicious. I made the recipe exactly as written. I thought it might be too sweet since its equal parts espresso and syrup, but it’s not! I steamed unsweetened vanilla almond milk for it, and it’s incredible. Thank you for this perfect recipe! I had given up on the Starbucks and Caribou versions because they are sickening sweet and artificial tasting. This one is perfection!
Thanks Pamela, we’re so happy you liked this, thank you for taking the time to comment! :)
PSL Is by far my favorite drink at BuckStars. But let me tell you, i made this today EXACTLY like your recipe, i personally think this recipe is 10 times better!!! My new favorite drink!!!! Thank you so much for sharing. ??
Oh my goodness you are so sweet, what a nice compliment! We’re really happy to hear you like this recipe! :)
found this on Pinterest and made it today!! Amazing! I can now make PSL without giving up my paycheck!!!
Tiffanie, we’re so happy you liked it! :)
Okay so I just had to comment again!!! So today we celebrated a coworkers birthday and the weather was perfect for your yummy latte. So I made the syrup at home and this morning made PSLs for all the teachers. They loved it!! It was a hit. this recipe is keeper. Thanks!!
Aww, we’re so glad to hear that Tiffanie! :)
Yuumy, I wonder what a pumpkin spice frappe would taste like, delicious I guess!
I made this exactly as you directed and it was fantastic! Thank you (I’m going to freeze my leftover syrup in ice cube trays & just nuke what I need for my next cup.)
Thanks Leslie, we’re happy you liked it! And we think freezing the leftover syrup is a great idea. :D
We’re so happy you liked it Karen! And thanks for sharing your photo with us, you made those bottles look so cute! :)
Making Pumpkin Latte recipes to taste test & make for our Thanksgiving get together. This is soooo good. No pumpkin dregs in the bottom of the cup. Googled how to steam milk in microwave – easy. I don’t care for Starbucks coffee – Love your Pumpkin Spice Latte! Thanks for this yummy recipe. It’s the winner!!
Yay, we’re so glad you like this recipe, thanks for sharing! :D
Enjoy collecting and referencing recipes from people who are passionate about cooking -and- sharing their culinary delights. thank you! Regards, Lynn
Thanks Lynn, we’re happy you’re a fan of the blog! :)
Can’t wait to try this!!
We hope you enjoy it, Jana!
Did you find any texture issues because of the puree? I am looking for a good recipe, and some say to strain, some say not to… Your opinion?
Hi Anna — the texture doesn’t bother us, but if you think it might bother you, we’d suggest straining it. We hope you enjoy!
This was so delicious! And I imagine a lot healthier than Starbucks – just put the ingredients into MyFitnessPal and it looks pretty legit (I used light brown sugar).
Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe!
Thanks, Jackie — we’re so glad to hear that! :)
I’ve been looking for the perfect Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe and I’ve found it, thanks to you!!! ?
Thank you, Alix — we’re so glad you enjoyed this! :)
I will totally be trying this in the fall:) yum!
Awesome, we hope you enjoy!
Ever tried using the syrup in a drink that’s not a latte?…like in your cold brew recipe??? Do you think it would work?
I’m a little confused, the text of the post mentions finding a batch recipe of the syrup in the notes but there isn’t one. Am I just missing it? I’d love to keep a batch of it on hand to make quickly in the morning.
I have the same question. I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for a few years and I’m sure there used to be a syrup that you can make in advance and just mix with the coffee and milk. I’m pretty sure it contained brown sugar and not maple syrup too. I wonder if they’ve updated this recipe?
I see it now at the bottom of the recipe under Notes!
You mention you have a favorite oak milk. May I ask what brand is it? thank you.
Really really good, I loved the maple syrup version!
★★★★★
IMO, this is way better than Starbucks!
★★★★★
I do not like this recipe. Half a teaspoon of vanilla extract is far too strong for just 1 drink, and the maple syrup does not add enough sweetness to the drink.
★★
Thanks for this great recipe. My husband is diabetic and wants everything I have and sneaks things, so I made a large batch of pumpkin spice seasoning using sugar free syrup and added more pumpkin and spice-it was great and he enjoyed it. So, thank you for the note on sweeten as I wish. Love all your recipes and esay to follow directions.
Made the large batch version and the salt measurement seems way off. Made lattes and they taste only of salt :( I would recommend adding salt to taste at the very end