Pumpkin Spice Latte

A pumpkin spice latte (PSL) is an espresso drink flavored with pumpkin spice syrup and steamed milk, topped with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon or nutmeg. Despite the name, the flavor comes from warm baking spices — cinnamon, ginger, clove, and nutmeg — the same blend used in pumpkin pie, which is why it tastes like fall even though pumpkin itself is fairly bland. Starbucks’ version has actually contained real pumpkin puree since a 2015 recipe change, and you can build the same flavor at home for a fraction of the price.

This guide covers a homemade pumpkin spice syrup you can make in 15 minutes, hot and iced assembly methods, a full nutrition and caffeine breakdown, and a handful of variations if you’re dairy-free, watching sugar, or skipping caffeine entirely.

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What Is a Pumpkin Spice Latte?

A pumpkin spice latte is built the same way as a regular latte — espresso plus steamed milk — with pumpkin spice syrup added for flavor and sweetness. The syrup typically combines pumpkin puree with sugar, cinnamon, ginger, clove, and nutmeg, then a bit of vanilla. Starbucks popularized the drink in 2003, and it’s become the anchor of the entire “pumpkin spice” flavor category in food and drinks.

If you already know your way around a vanilla latte, a PSL is a simple swap: replace the vanilla syrup with pumpkin spice syrup and everything else stays the same.

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How to Make a Pumpkin Spice Latte at Home (Hot)

This makes one latte once you have the syrup ready (recipe below).

What You’ll Need

• 2 tablespoons pumpkin spice syrup (recipe below)
• 1 shot (1 oz) espresso, or 1/3 cup strong brewed coffee
• 3/4 cup milk of choice, steamed or frothed
• Whipped cream and a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg, to finish

Steps

1. Pull your espresso shot (or brew strong coffee) directly into your serving cup.
2. Stir in the pumpkin spice syrup while the coffee is still hot so it dissolves fully.
3. Steam or froth your milk — see our guide to frothing milk if you don’t own a steam wand; a handheld milk frother works fine for this.
4. Pour the milk over the syrup-and-espresso mixture.
5. Top with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon or nutmeg.

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Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte

The iced version uses the exact same syrup and espresso — the only change is temperature. Combine the pumpkin spice syrup and espresso first and stir well, since syrup mixes into hot liquid far more easily than cold; if you pour espresso straight over ice with syrup already in the glass, it tends to clump at the bottom.

1. Pull espresso and stir in 2 tablespoons pumpkin spice syrup while still hot.
2. Fill a glass with ice.
3. Pour the espresso-syrup mixture over the ice.
4. Top with cold milk, or with homemade cold foam instead of whipped cream for a lighter, coffee-shop-style finish.

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Homemade Pumpkin Spice Syrup Recipe

Makes about 1 cup — enough for 6 to 8 lattes.

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 cinnamon stick, or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Combine the water, sugar, pumpkin puree, and spices in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and let the spices steep for 10 minutes.
4. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the cinnamon stick and any solids.
5. Stir in the vanilla extract once strained, then store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to two weeks.

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Pumpkin Spice Latte Nutrition and Caffeine

Café versions run higher in sugar and calories than homemade, mostly because pre-made syrup is sweeter than most people make at home. Here’s how the numbers compare, pulled from official nutrition data and tested homemade recipes:

Version	Calories	Caffeine	Sugar
Starbucks PSL, Tall, nonfat, no whip	~200	~75mg	—
Starbucks PSL, Grande, 2% milk + whip	~390	~150mg*	~50g
Homemade (standard recipe)	~171	Varies by espresso	—
Homemade (lightened, less syrup)	~132	Varies by espresso	~22g carbs

For context on how this stacks up against a regular espresso drink, see our breakdown of how much caffeine is in a latte.

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Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free, and Other Variations

• Dairy-free: oat milk is the most popular substitute for PSLs — it froths well and its natural sweetness complements the spice blend better than almond or soy.
• Sugar-free: swap the granulated sugar in the syrup for monk fruit sweetener or erythritol at a 1:1 ratio; expect a slightly thinner syrup since sugar also adds body.
• Decaf: use decaf espresso or decaf strong-brewed coffee — the syrup recipe doesn’t change at all.
• PSL cold foam: blend 1/4 cup milk with 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice syrup and no dairy fat needed, then froth until thick; spoon over an iced PSL instead of whipped cream. If you’ve made brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso before, it’s the same cold-foam technique with a different syrup.

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When Does Pumpkin Spice Latte Season Start?

Starbucks has historically launched the PSL in late August — as early as August 22 in recent years — with the exact date announced via press release each summer. If you’re making it at home, there’s no reason to wait: the syrup keeps for two weeks refrigerated, so you can start whenever pumpkin puree is on the shelf.

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Watch: The Ultimate Pumpkin Spice Latte

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Frequently Asked Questions About Pumpkin Spice Latte

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