Name: Pumpkin Spice Latte
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: Espresso or Moka Pot Coffee - 1 fl. oz. to 2 fl. oz. (30 to 60 milliliters); Whole Milk - 2 fl. oz. (60 milliliters); Sweetened Condensed Milk - 2 fl. oz. (60 milliliters); Pumpkin Puree - 2 tablespoons (1 oz. or 30 grams); Pumpkin Pie Spice - 1 teaspoon; Whipped Cream; Pumpkin Spice; Caramel Sauce

Being able to replicate your favorite coffee drink at home and, most importantly, taking a sip of it, is always very satisfying.

Those who love Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte will appreciate the Woke Lark’s easy copycat Starbucks recipe.

This cozy latte’s flavor reminds most of us of fall, but since it’s quite delicious, I like having it every once in a while no matter the season.

I guess it’s not only me as Starbucks started releasing their pumpkin spice flavored coffee beverages a month before the beginning of fall.

I guess some impatient Pumpkin latte lovers made Starbucks bring back their signature autumn drinks earlier.

In terms of calories, the DIY latte contains around 300 calories if you add whipped cream on top. Without the toppings, the warm Pumpkin Spice caffeinated drink will contain around 250 kcal.

In the ingredient section, I will give you tips on how to cut the calorie count and still enjoy your latte.

So let’s move on to the essential part.

Ingredients

Here are the homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe ingredients:

Pumpkin Puree: 2 tablespoons (around 1 ounce or 30 grams).

It’s important to note that you can make a delicious Pumpkin spice latte at home without using pumpkin puree.

It does add richness and a more pronounced pumpkin flavor to the drink.

But the essential component in this latte is actually the Pumpkin Pie Spice, not the puree.

Even if you do have pumpkin puree at home, you can try making your drink without it just for the sake of the experiment.

You’ll see that the absence of this ingredient won’t be so noticeable.

But if you take away the Pumpkin Spice, you’ll definitely notice that something’s quite a bit off.

That being said, adding 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree will make your homemade latte richer and more authentic.

Pumpkin Pie Spice: 1 teaspoon.

As I mentioned, the pumpkin spice latte’s heart lays in this recipe component.

A teaspoon is the amount that you have to add to the milk.

I make my own pumpkin pie spice by mixing 2 parts of cinnamon, and 1 part of cloves, ground ginger, allspice, and ground nutmeg.

In the photo below you can see an illustration of the pumpkin pie spice ingredients.

After your coffee’s done, you might want to sprinkle a bit of the spice on top of the latte too, as this gives it a smooth finish.

Espresso Shot.

I like adding a double espresso shot to my lattes and mocha coffee drinks because I prefer a better-pronounced coffee flavor.

Nevertheless, feel free to use a regular or a double ristretto shot instead.

If you don’t have an espresso machine, you can use 2 ounces (60 ml) of coffee brewed in a Moka pot.

If that’s not an option for you – improvise with what you have available.

You can make your pumpkin spice latte with French press coffee, or even instant coffee by dissolving a teaspoon of powder in 1 fl. oz. (30 milliliters) of hot water.

The latter is definitely the worst alternative to espresso, but a friend of mine says it works well for her.

Whole Milk: 2 fluid ounces or 60 milliliters.
Sweetened Condensed Milk: 2 fluid ounces (60 milliliters).

The Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Sauce contains sugar and condensed skim milk.

In my copycat recipe, I add equal parts of sweetened condensed milk and whole milk.

This brings my copycat drink closer to the original while giving it a smooth and sweet taste.

In case you want to cut down the number of calories your drink contains, add 1 fl. oz. or 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of the sweetened condensed milk and 3 fl. oz. or 90 milliliters of whole or nonfat milk instead.

This way your drink will still be nice and sweet but will contain no more than 230 kcal even if you add the whipped cream on top.

The vanilla flavor goes quite well with this drink, so you can either add a bit of vanilla extract, or use vanilla syrup.

My favorite vanilla syrup is by Monin and you can check it out on Amazon by clicking here.

Have in mind, though, that it’s sweet, so in case you want to add some, use 1 tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk, 1 tablespoon of vanilla syrup and 4 fl. oz. (120 ml) of whole milk.

Whipped Cream: optional, as a topping.

You might as well want to add a bit of caramel sauce as a topping, as it compliments well all the other ingredients.

I prefer sprinkling the freshly made homemade latte with a bit of pumpkin pie spice. This, for me, is the perfect final touch.

How to make a Pumpkin Spice Latte: Recipe Instructions

To make a pumpkin spice latte, follow these steps:

Mix well all the ingredients except for the espresso (or coffee).

I previously heated the milk and I mixed it together with the pumpkin puree and the pumpkin pie spice.

In case you want you can pour them all into a saucepan and have them heated while stirring the mixture with a spoon.

On this particular occasion, I used a battery-operated milk frother to do the mixing, as it does a perfect job at combining all the recipe ingredients well and making the drink foamy.

You can also use an espresso machine’s steam wand to steam and foam the milk.

Nevertheless, the frother that I used and that you see on the photo is more widely available among households as it’s affordable and convenient to use.

Pour the espresso/coffee shot on top

Here you can see the homemade Pumpkin Spice latte topped off with whipped cream, sprinkled with pumpkin pie spice, and decorated with a cinnamon stick:

When I have this cozy coffee drink I skip the whipped cream and just add a dash of pumpkin spice on top of the foam.

Not only does it look good – this made-at-home Pumpkin Spice latte tastes great too.

I made the latte that you see on the last photo by heating the whole and condensed milk along with the pumpkin spice and puree on the stove.

When all of the ingredients are heated in the same vessel, they combine well. This results in a satisfying Pumpkin Spice latte with a smoother flavor.

After heating the mixture on low heat I mix the components further and add some frothy texture with the milk frother.

Related:

Yield: 1 serving

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Find out how to make a delicious Pumpkin Spice Latte at home by following an easy copycat Starbucks coffee drink recipe.

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

Espresso or Moka Pot Coffee - 1 fl. oz. to 2 fl. oz. (30 to 60 milliliters)
Whole Milk - 2 fl. oz. (60 milliliters)
Sweetened Condensed Milk - 2 fl. oz. (60 milliliters)
Pumpkin Puree - 2 tablespoons (1 oz. or 30 grams)
Pumpkin Pie Spice - 1 teaspoon

Toppings (optional)

Whipped Cream
Pumpkin Spice
Caramel Sauce

Instructions

Pour the whole milk, the sweetened condensed milk, the pumpkin puree, and the pumpkin pie spice into a saucepan.
Turn the stove on medium heat and stir until the flavored milk warms up.
Use a whisk or a drink mixer (milk frother) to froth the milk.
Pour it into a cup.
Add the espresso shot on top.
Add toppings of choice.

Notes

*In case you don't have an espresso machine, use 2 fl. oz. (60 ml) of Moka Pot coffee. If you don't have a coffee pot, you can use whatever coffee brewing device you have at hand. You can even prepare your drink with 1 teaspoon of instant coffee, dissolved in 1 to 2 fl. oz. (30 to 60 ml) of hot water. Still, the best-tasting pumpkin spice latte is always made with espresso.

*You can add vanilla extract or vanilla syrup to this drink as this flavor compliments all of the other ingredients very well. In case you go for the vanilla syrup, use 1 tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk, 1 tablespoon of vanilla syrup, and 4 fl. oz. (120 ml) of whole milk. You can check out the Vanilla Syrup by Monin (the one that I usually use) in the "Recommended Products" section below.