Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Copycat
Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Copycat is a popular fall drink served at the famous coffee cafe, that you can easily make at home too. You can transform it into whatever you like, changing some of the ingredients or adding your own. Since you are making it at home, you can have it year-round in 10 minutes, which is way faster than going to Starbucks.
The first pumpkin spice was used in 1000 BC in Greece. It included allspice, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon, which are all native to Southeast Asia. It is believed that the Dutch East India Company made it originally, but the first ones commercially sold were in the 1930s by McCormick & Company and Thompson & Taylor Spice Company.
Knowing that your Starbucks pumpkin spice latte is made with natural flavors and home-brewed coffee, you can feel good about drinking it or serving it to your family.
You can make it sugar-free, non-dairy, and gluten-free as well by just changing one or two ingredients. Replace the milk with almond or cashew milk, use a sugar-free brown sugar and sugar substitute, and make your whipped topping at home with no dairy or sugar.
Hot drinks like coffee and tea are the best drinks to have during a lazy autumn day. As such, you may want to make some hot or cold homemade drinks. Slurp some luscious beverages such as London Fog Latte, Irish Coffee, and White Hot Chocolate.
Ingredient list:
To make our homemade pumpkin spice latte copycat recipe, gather the ingredients listed here. Then, find our handy recipe card at the bottom of the page for precise instructions and measurements.
- Milk: Feel free to use any kind of milk, such as whole milk, skim milk, or non-dairy milk. Also, you can even use almond or oat milk.
- Pumpkin puree: I like to use real pumpkin puree made from scratch. This way I know exactly what goes into it, and I can control the flavors. If not, go with canned puree.
- Sugar: Brown sugar works the best here.
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Vanilla extract: It adds a nice aroma. However, skip it if you are not a fan.
- Cup of coffee: I like to brew my own dark roast coffee or make a hot espresso at home. But you can also use cold coffee. Just adjust the amount of coffee per your taste.
- Whipped cream, nutmeg, and ground cinnamon: To garnish.
How to make Starbucks pumpkin spice latte copycat from scratch?
- Froth milk: First, over medium heat in a small saucepan, whisk milk, whipped cream, pumpkin puree, and brown sugar.
- Keep cooking: Continue to cook frothed milk, stirring frequently, until it is hot and steamy, but DO NOT BOIL.
- Add vanilla and pumpkin spice: Then, remove it from the heat, and whisk in the vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice.
- Whisk in the coffee: Now, whisk coffee into the steamed milk and keep whisking until it is frothy.
- Pour and sweeten: Last, pour the pumpkin-spiced latte into two coffee mugs and add sugar if needed.
- Garnish and serve: Finally, garnish pumpkin spice drinks with whipped cream and cinnamon.
How to make a Starbucks pumpkin spice latte copycat in the microwave?
- Mix it all up: To begin, add the vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, and milk to a microwave-safe bowl and stir to combine.
- Heat to frothy: Now, place it in the microwave and heat for 90 seconds or until the milk is frothy.
- Pour and serve: Lastly, pour it into two mugs, add coffee, garnish, and serve.
Recipe variations:
- More flavor: They sell pumpkin pie spice extract perfect for adding some intense pumpkin taste to your cup.
- Pumpkin spice syrup: You can also add some more pumpkin spice with pumpkin syrup or pumpkin spice sauce. This pumpkin-flavored syrup makes a huge difference in the pumpkin flavor. We used Torani syrup for ours.
- Instant espresso: To make things even easier, use instant coffee or espresso.
- More spices: Feel free to add your favorite spices like ground cloves, ginger, and cardamom.
- Skim milk: To decrease calories, fat, and sugar, try this recipe using skim milk, nut, or plant-based milk.
- Make it spicy: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a spicy pumpkin spice latte.
- No caffeine: If you are on a caffeine-free diet, you can use decaffeinated coffee instead. You get the same flavor without the caffeine buzz.
- No vanilla: You can leave out the vanilla extract or try a different one like almond, mint, or even chocolate extract.
How to serve:
This pumpkin spice latte recipe is ready in minutes and tastes better than the ones you get at the store. Try one of these serving ideas or you can share your own ideas in the comments section.
- To make these drinks more festive, stick a few candy corn and edible pumpkin candies onto a couple of skewers at the top of the cup.
- Also, a slice of homemade pumpkin pie is perfect with this latte.
- Serve this delicious drink out of a mason jar with a stick of cinnamon for a special treat.
- For an even richer flavor, add our caramel sauce on top when serving.
- Melted chocolate or chocolate syrup would also be a great topping. Or just toss in some chocolate chips.
- Use our easy and delicious whipped cream recipe instead of store-bought.
- This goes great with a slice of pumpkin pie or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Topping suggestions:
- Cinnamon, stick, or ground cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Maple syrup
- Caramel drizzles
- Melted chocolate
- Sea salt flakes
Best glasses for a latte:
Many designs for mugs will make your latte look more appealing. I recommend purchasing one of these to get that picture-perfect beverage:
Frequently asked questions
How do I make my pumpkin pie sauce?
Also known as just pumpkin sauce, Starbucks sells this flavorful additive, but you can make it at home in minutes. All you need is some pumpkin puree, sweetened condensed milk, sugar, and pumpkin spice. You could also make it sugar-free using a sugar substitute like Splenda or Stevia.
How do I make my pumpkin spice seasoning?
Pumpkin pie spice, or pumpkin spice, is constantly being used in my kitchen during the fall season. Once the weather starts cooling off, I pull out the pumpkin spice and start baking. To make it yourself, just combine 1.5 teaspoons of ground cloves, 1.5 teaspoons of ground allspice, 2 teaspoons of nutmeg, 2 teaspoons of ground ginger, and 3 tablespoons of ground cinnamon.
What is a latte?
One of the most popular adult beverages in the US, a latte is a caffeinated drink made with espresso and frothed milk. It is similar to a cappuccino except a latte has more frothed milk and foam. Cappuccinos have an even amount of foamed milk, steamed milk, and espresso.
Can I use my espresso maker?
Yes. To make a pumpkin spice latte with an espresso machine, select steam mode, the mixture of milk you want, and the desired level of froth. You can choose how much foam and froth you want if you have an automatic milk frother. This is so much easier than doing all that yourself.
What is the nutrition information in this recipe?
Each serving has 287 calories, 32 grams of carbs, 12 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 163 mg of sodium, 37 mg of cholesterol, and 31 grams of sugar. You also get 0.5 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0.1 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 12 grams of protein, 1 mg of iron, 545 mg of potassium, 431 mg of calcium, 1 gram of fiber, 1 mg of vitamin C, and 5,262 units of vitamin A.
More pumpkin recipes:
Pumpkin is such a versatile ingredient because you can use it in desserts, meals, and even with drinks.
Also, during the fall season, there may be an overload on this ingredient, and making purees can help make it last longer.
If you do not have any idea what to do with excess purees, try to bake these goodies for a delicious autumn treat:
How to store leftovers:
- Store: Feel free to store your leftover Starbucks pumpkin spice latte in an airtight container in the fridge for two days.
- Freeze: To freeze, pour into ice cube trays or a freezer bag. You can keep it for 30 to 60 days.
- Thaw: Take your pumpkin spice latte out of the freezer the night before to thaw in the fridge if you plan to reheat it. Otherwise, you can use the ice cubes to add to any drink for a pumpkin spice buzz.
- Reheat: To reheat, put your pumpkin spice latte in the microwave for 60 to 90 seconds.
Recipe tips:
- For a faster cup of copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, use an espresso machine and milk frother.
- This homemade version of pumpkin spice latte is so much better than a store-bought one, you will never have to stand in line again!
- Instead of sugar, try using regular simple syrup for a faster and sweeter drink.
- Another way to cut sugar is to use maple syrup or honey.
- Also, if you are a vegan, substitute whole milk with coconut or almond milk.
- To enjoy this drink during the summer, pour it over ice.
- Instead of using coffee, use raw cacao for a delicious taste without the caffeine.
- Looking for other pumpkin recipes? Check out our food blog. We even have other Starbucks drinks.
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Starbucks Pumpkin Latte Copycat
Ingredients
- 3 cups milk
- 4 tablespoons pumpkin puree or to taste
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup hot brewed strong coffee
Garnish:
- sugar to taste
- whipped cream
- nutmeg
- pumpkin pie spice
- cinnamon
Instructions
- Place a saucepan over medium heat and whisk together milk, pumpkin puree, and brown sugar.
- Cook, stirring frequently, until hot and steamy, but DO NOT BOIL.
- Remove from heat, and whisk in the pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract.
- Whisk in the coffee and continue to whisk until frothy.
- Pour between two coffee mugs and add sugar if needed.
- Garnish with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Microwave Version:
- Add the milk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla to a microwave-safe bowl and stir to combine.
- Heat in the microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds, or until milk is frothy.
- Pour into mugs, add the coffee, garnish and serve.
Nutrition
