Delicious Pumpkin Spice Latte made just like Starbucks, this copycat recipe shows how easy it is to make this drink at home in just 5 minutes, including the homemade whipped cream!
CONTENTS
Recipe Highlights
- Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte (also known as just PSL), is a popular seasonal fall drink. It’s a sweetened and pumpkin spice flavored espresso and milk beverage.
- With a combination of flavors like pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, it’s a delicious and comforting hot beverage, perfect for the cooler months.
- This copycat recipe recreates a grande size (16 ounces) Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, including the vanilla whipped cream.
- Store-bought or homemade pumpkin spice sauce or pumpkin spice syrup can be used for this drink.
- An espresso machine or a Nespresso is needed to make espresso for a latte, but strong brewed coffee can be used as a substitute, although it won’t taste quite the same.
RELATED: Starbucks Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte Copycat
Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks
A very popular hot beverage, the Pumpkin Spice Latte returns to Starbucks at the end of every August, along with other pumpkin spice drinks like Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte and Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew.
All pumpkin spice drinks are made using a pumpkin spice sauce (also seasonal) that contains sugar, pumpkin puree, and condensed skim milk.
The Pumpkin Spice Latte is topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin spice topping, which is a blend of warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
The drink comes in 4 sizes: short, tall, grande, and venti. Like all other lattes, it’s made with 2% milk but it can always be customized with any milk Starbucks offers, including oatmilk and almond.
RELATED: Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte
Ingredient Notes
- Espresso
All lattes are made with espresso. Use an espresso machine or a Nespresso. Starbucks has their own brand of espresso if you want to go with theirs.
Whole beans: Starbucks Espresso Roast
Nespresso Original: Starbucks Espresso Roast
Nespresso Vertuo: Espresso Roast - Pumpkin spice sauce
Use store-bought or homemade pumpkin spice sauce or pumpkin spice syrup. - Milk
The Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks is made with 2% milk but you can use any milk you like. - Heavy cream
This is to make the vanilla whipped cream. - Vanilla syrup
To sweeten and flavor the whipped cream, just like the one at Starbucks. Use store-bought or homemade vanilla syrup. - Pumpkin spice
A blend of warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, this is sprinkled on top of the whipped cream. Make your own pumpkin spice topping using my homemade version below.
Step-by-Step Instructions
For full ingredients and instructions, scroll down to the recipe.
- Whisk heavy cream and vanilla syrup to make whipped cream. Set aside.
The quickest and easiest way to make whipped cream for drinks is to use a handheld milk frother. - Put espresso, pumpkin spice sauce, and hot or steamed milk into a mug. Stir.
- Top with whipped cream.
Use a spoon to add the whipped cream on top of the drink. - Garnish with a sprinkle of pumpkin spice topping.
Photo Credit: amazon.com
Coffee Options
For a drink to be a latte, it has to be made with espresso. Use an espresso machine or a Nespresso to make espresso at home.
If you don’t have a way to make espresso, try these other options. Note that since these options won’t be as intense as espresso, you’ll need to add more coffee to the drink.
- Strong brewed coffee made in a coffee machine
Use 2-3 tablespoons of ground coffee and 1 cup of water to make coffee in a drip coffee machine. - French press
Combine 2-3 tablespoons of ground coffee and 1 cup of hot water in a French press and steep for 4 minutes. Strain. - Keurig
Brew strong coffee by using two pods to make 1 cup by adjusting the settings so that each pod makes ½ a cup of coffee.
RELATED: How to Froth Milk for Lattes in a French Press
Expert Tips
- Homemade pumpkin spice topping can be made at home by combining ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves.
- Instead of caramel sauce, you can use caramel syrup. The syrup contains no dairy so it’s not as rich in flavor as the sauce, but it’ll be easier to stir into the milk since it’s a thinner liquid.
- To whip cream for drinks, use a handheld milk frother for about 30-50 seconds until you get soft peaks. Don’t overwhip.
- Vanilla syrup is used to sweeten and flavor the whipped cream, but you can replace it with regular simple syrup or 2 teaspoons of sugar if you don’t have it.
- Homemade vanilla syrup is super quick and easy to make at home using just 3 ingredients, so I highly recommend making it instead of buying it.
- Get freshly roasted coffee beans if possible, making sure you know the roast date. The best tasting coffee is made with beans that are used 1-2 weeks after they have been roasted. Too soon after roasting and the coffee will have too much carbon dioxide and too late after roasting, the coffee will taste stale.
- Grind coffee beans right before brewing to get the best flavor from the coffee bean. It’s best not to buy pre-ground coffee.
Questions You May Have
In a grande (16 ounce) drink, there’s 2% milk, 4 pumps of pumpkin sauce, 2 shots of espresso. The drink is topped with vanilla whipped cream and pumpkin spice topping.
There are 4 spices in the pumpkin spice topping at Starbucks: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove.
Sauces contain dairy and they’re thicker than syrups. Both the sauce and syrup contain pumpkin puree.
Related
- 13 Starbucks Pumpkin Drinks (Including Secret Menu)
- How to Make Pumpkin Spice Cold Foam
- Starbucks Medicine Ball Tea (Cold Buster) Recipe
- 17 Delicious Latte Recipes
- 19 Starbucks Caramel Drinks (Including Secret Menu)
Did you make this? Did you love it? Please leave a 5 star rating below or a review in the comments section.
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Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Copycat
INGREDIENTS
Pumpkin Spice Latte
- 2 espresso shots
- 3 tablespoons pumpkin spice sauce
- 1 ¼ cup steamed or hot milk
- pinch pumpkin spice
Whipped Cream
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla syrup
INSTRUCTIONS
- Whisk heavy cream and vanilla syrup to make whipped cream. Set aside.The quickest and easiest way to make whipped cream for drinks is to use a handheld milk frother.
- Put espresso, pumpkin spice sauce, and hot or steamed milk into a mug. Stir.
- Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin spice.Use a spoon to add the whipped cream on top of the drink.
EQUIPMENT
NOTES
- Use any light or dark roasted coffee you like to make espresso. Starbucks also sells their own branded espresso.
Whole beans: Starbucks Espresso Roast
Nespresso Original: Starbucks Espresso Roast
Nespresso Vertuo: Espresso Roast - Starbucks makes their lattes with 2% milk but you can use any kind of milk you like.
- Homemade pumpkin spice can be made at home by combining ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves.
- Instead of caramel sauce, you can use caramel syrup. The syrup contains no dairy so it’s not as rich in flavor as the sauce, but it’ll be easier to stir into the milk since it’s a thinner liquid.
- To whip cream for drinks, use a handheld milk frother for about 30-50 seconds until you get soft peaks. Don’t overwhip.
- Vanilla syrup is used to sweeten and flavor the whipped cream, but you can replace it with regular simple syrup or 2 teaspoons of sugar if you don’t have it.
- Homemade vanilla syrup is super quick and easy to make at home using just 3 ingredients, so I highly recommend making it instead of buying it.
- Get freshly roasted coffee beans if possible, making sure you know the roast date. The best tasting coffee is made with beans that are used 1-2 weeks after they have been roasted. Too soon after roasting and the coffee will have too much carbon dioxide and too late after roasting, the coffee will taste stale.
- Grind coffee beans right before brewing to get the best flavor from the coffee bean. It’s best not to buy pre-ground coffee.
Coffee Options
For a drink to be a latte, it has to be made with espresso. Use an espresso machine or a Nespresso to make espresso at home. If you don’t have a way to make espresso, try these other options. Note that since these options won’t be as intense as espresso, you’ll need to add more coffee to the drink.- Strong brewed coffee made in a coffee machine
Use 2-3 tablespoons of ground coffee and 1 cup of water to make coffee in a drip coffee machine. - French press
Combine 2-3 tablespoons of ground coffee and 1 cup of hot water in a French press and steep for 4 minutes. Strain. - Keurig
Brew strong coffee by using two pods to make 1 cup by adjusting the settings so that each pod makes ½ a cup of coffee.