Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte

A creamy delicious fall treat, homemade pumpkin spice latte! Using maple syrup, real pumpkin, oat milk, and spices. Homemade is a million times better than store-bought, and takes about 2 minutes to whip up!

This post was originally published in 2012, the recipe and photos have been updated for even more epic pumpkin goodness!

Tis’ the season to consume many, many, many pumpkin spice lattes. A now ubiquitous fall beverage

Last month there was a reported pumpkin spice syrup shortage at hundreds of Starbucks around the country; lovers of this beverage were outraged! It was the Pumpkin Spice Latte-APOCALYPSE! Happily, for the PSL fans, the syrup was replenished and drinking resumed.

I am so sorry to burst your pumpkin bubble, but do you know, REALLY know, what you are drinking? It seems inoccent enough but I was surprised to find out what was actually inside that Starbucks PSL.

I emailed them (which quite honestly, is very simple to do) and asked for the ingredient breakdown:

Sugar, Condensed Nonfat Milk, Sweetened Condensed Nonfat Milk, Annatto (E160b, Colour), Natural and Artificial Flavours, Caramel Colour (E150D), Salt, Potassium Sorbate (E202, a preservative).

This list did not make a healthy girl very happy. The first ingredient is sugar, then more sugar in the form of sweetened condensed milk, numerous coloring agents and preservatives. Then the big whammy, under the guise of “natural and artificial flavors” are hidden health disastrous ingredients that legally do not have to be listed. Ingredients like Vanillin instead of Vanilla (synthetic vanillin primarily comes from wood pulp, a by-product of the sulfite process. Yum!) are considered “natural ingredients.”

Well, fear not PSL fans, making your own Pumpkin Spice Latte could not be easier!  Using only whole food ingredients, like real pumpkin, and maple syrup this PSL is not only better for you, but tastes a billion times better!

Ingredients

• Real Pureed Pumpkin
• Maple Syrup
• Pumpkin Pie Spice
• Oat Milk (or your favorite plant-based milk)
• Coconut whipped cream, for an extra special treat!

This version is vegan, did you know that Starbucks Pumpkin syrup is made with milk?  Sneaky buggers!

Making a homemade pumpkin spice latte is as simple as:

• Brewing delicious strong coffee, (bonus: if you really, really love the pumpkin flavor Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice Coffee is quite delicious) or espresso.
• Making a “pumpkin milk” (full recipe below)
• Blending and/ or whisking your milk until frothy
• Voila! Pumpkin heaven.

Pro-Tip – I am IN LOVE with my Nespresso Milk Frother. I use it every morning to steam almond milk for my coffee and comes in handy when I’m making my homemade PSL!

Nutrition Nerd Bonus!

Health Benefits of Pumpkin

• Pumpkin is a rich source of beta-carotene, potassium, and zinc.
• Pumpkin has anti-inflammatory benefits
• Pumpkin is a fabulous food for prostate cancer prevention.
• Just one cup contains 200% the RDA for vitamin A, which is fantastic for eyesight.
• Pumpkin is an excellent source of fiber.

So ditch that store-bought PSL and embrace the glory of a homemade pumpkin spice latte. You will never go back. I promise

More tasty recipes:

• Homemade Lemon Ginger Tea
• Echinacea Tea
• Holly Jolly Hot Toddy
• Earl Grey Adaptogen Hot Chocolate
• Vegan Turmeric Eggnog
• Hibiscus Adaptogen Latte
• Tahini Cardamom Hot Chocolate
• Warm Mulled Cranberry Apple Cider

For similar tasty dishes, check out my Thanksgiving recipes, fall recipes, pumpkin recipes and November recipes roundup!