This Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe features a homemade spiced pumpkin sauce, espresso, and creamy, frothy milk. It’s a cafe-worthy drink that’s easy to make at home, the perfect fall latte!
Chilly fall mornings were made for this easy Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe. It’s flavored with a homemade spiced pumpkin sauce that elevates the drink into a better-than-the-coffee-shop fall latte. No need to venture out, enjoy this gorgeous drink in the comfort of your pajamas and slippers!
Why We ❤️ This Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte
Our daughters wait excitedly each fall for the Starbucks pumpkin spice latte to make its grand entrance. I’m pretty sure they’d order this drink year ’round if it was available! Here’s why we like this pumpkin coffee drink recipe:
- Affordable. Going out for coffee drinks is a treat that can definitely add up (💲). So it’s awesome to make our own pumpkin spice lattes at home, to still enjoy those beautiful flavors while also saving money.
- Easy to customize. Part of the beauty of DIY coffee drinks it that you can adjust them however you like. Make it sweeter or less sweet. Amp up the spice. Add a little less milk or a lot more whipped cream!
- Enjoy it anytime. With this recipe, we can drink a pumpkin spice latte whenever we want – in our pj’s, no need to leave the house!
Recipe Ingredients
I’ve included some notes below to help you when you make this recipe. Check the recipe card lower down for the full ingredient amounts.
For the Pumpkin Sauce
- Pumpkin puree – Pumpkin puree is the base of our pumpkin sauce–it adds the earthy pumpkin flavor to our latte.
- Maple sugar – I love the rich flavor of maple sugar but if you can’t find it, this latte is also perfect with light brown sugar or coconut sugar.
- Water – Water helps thin the pumpkin sauce.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract enhances the sweetness and flavor of the pumpkin sauce.
- Pumpkin pie spice – Pumpkin pie spice is a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice that gives the latte its signature warmth and pumpkin pie flavor.
- Ground cardamom – Cardamom adds a floral flavor to the latte that isn’t traditional but is so lovely! If you don’t have cardamom on hand, feel free to skip it.
For One Latte
- Espresso – I use my Nespresso maker to make this latte–my favorite pods are the Scuro and Chairo, but you could use very strong black coffee or a bottled espresso.
- Pumpkin sauce – Start with 2 tablespoons of pumpkin sauce then increase the amount if needed to suit your taste.
- Milk – I use whole milk, but any type of milk, including non-dairy milk, works fine. To froth it, you can use a stand frother, a wand frother, a blender, a french press, or even just a whisk
- Garnish – Whipped cream and cinnamon.
How To Make A Pumpkin Spice Latte
A few simple steps are all that’s needed to make a pumpkin spice latte! I’ve outlined the for you in these photos. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card lower down.
- Make sauce. Combine all of the sauce ingredients over low heat and simmer to dissolve the sugar.
- Make the latte. Stir together the espresso and pumpkin sauce.
- Heat and froth the milk. Warm the milk until it’s just steaming and froth it for about 20 seconds by carefully shaking it in a jar or using a wand frother.
- Add milk. Pour the frothed milk on top of the espresso.
- Garnish. Add a swirl of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, if desired. Fun and so pretty!
Tips for Success
Below, you’ll find a few tips to help you if you don’t have an espresso machine or pumpkin pie spice on hand. You can easily adapt this pumpkin spice latte recipe if needed.
- What if I don’t have an espresso machine? If you don’t have an espresso machine, Nespresso machine, or moka pot for making espresso, pick up a jar of instant espresso and follow the direction on the package to make the espresso. Alternatively, you could use strong coffee in place of the espresso.
- Pumpkin pie spice substitute: If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice in the pantry, you can easily recreate it. Use this simple formula: For one teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, use a combination of ¾ teaspoon of cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon ginger, nutmeg, cloves, or allspice.
- Adapt the spices. You could also adjust the added spices to do half ground cinnamon and half ground ginger, or even make it an all-ginger latte if you love the spicy taste of ginger.
- Serve it cold. Make an iced pumpkin spiced latte! Don’t heat the milk, then simply pour the latte over a glass of ice and give it a gentle stir to cool the espresso.
- Make it sweeter. For those of us who like a sweeter pumpkin latte, add an additional tablespoon or two of sugar to the pumpkin puree.
Proper Storage
Place the pumpkin sauce in an airtight container like a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and store it in the fridge for up to 1 week.
More Drink Recipes To Try
Pumpkin Spice Latte
This Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe features a homemade spiced pumpkin sauce, espresso, and creamy, frothy milk. It's a cafe-worthy drink that's easy to make at home, the perfect fall latte!
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Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Sauce
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup maple sugar, or light brown sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom, optional but delicious
For One Latte
- 2 shots freshly pulled espresso, see notes
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin sauce, or to taste
- ½ cup whole milk
- Whipped cream and cinnamon, for garnish
Instructions
For the Pumpkin Sauce
- Combine all pumpkin sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use (up to 7 days).
For The Latte
- In your favorite mug, stir together espresso and pumpkin sauce.
- Heat milk on the stovetop or in the microwave until it is just steaming, about 150℉.
- Froth milk until it develops a ½” thick layer of foam, about 20 seconds using a wand frother – or by very carefully shaking the milk in a mason jar (I recommend wrapping the jar in a towel it will be hot).
- Pour frothed milk over the espresso. Garnish with a swirl of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
Espresso – I use my Nespresso maker to make this latte – my favorite pods are the Scuro and Chairo, but you could use very strong black coffee or a bottled espresso.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1 Calories: 182kcal Carbohydrates: 29g Protein: 4g Fat: 5g Saturated Fat: 3g Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 13mg Sodium: 58mg Fiber: 3g Sugar: 24g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below. And share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #afarmgirlsdabbles or tag @farmgirlsdabble!
This post was originally published in 2012, then updated in 2024.
Je me nomme La Roux.
Je suis une jeune femme de 18 piges .
Mon occupation principale, journaliste . Mon naturel est plutôt enjoué.
Je suis vieille de trente-quatre années tant pis si ça ne se dit pas .
Mon nom est Fauna.
Ce que je fais dans la vie, assistante juridique .
Mon caractère est plutôt réservé.
It might be just personal taste, but I tried this recipe tonight and thought it had way too much spice. I couldn’t even handle three tablespoons of the finished mixture in my latte, let alone a half cup. All the heavy spice leaves a bad aftertaste too. Next time I make it I’m adjusting the measurements way down, and taking out the allspice and ginger. Thank you for sharing this recipe and getting me interested in making PSL’s on my own. =)
This is loaded with pumpkin and spice, which my family adores. Adjust to your own liking!
Hi there! I made this pumpkin spice latte for our Thanksgiving tailgate on Saturday (sadly, our team lost). Since it was a cold day and we’d be tailgating all afternoon, I decided to combine the pumpkin spice mixture with a pot of coffee … just poured the whole thing into a crockpot. I had thermal to-go cups, some Reddi-Whip, and a ladel to serve it up. This drink was a total hit!! Except for one tailgater who mistook it for gravy and ladled it over her turkey and mashed potatoes! Whoops! Anyhoo, I’ll definitely make this again!
I make my similar, but with a twist. I take a half gallon of milk, pour out 2 cups. I then add 10 tablespoons of pumpkin and let sit in the fridge for an hour or 2, shaking 2-3 times. Then I use a fine mesh strainer to take out the mushy pumpkin. I follow the rest as stated. I get a excellent lattee without the leftover mush on the bottom of my cup, which I use to forget about and choke down.
This is an EXCELLENT recipe! I substituted cardamom for the ginger in a pinch, and it still came out tasting pretty delicious. I /have/ had some problems with floating particles though upon reheating the mixture, I’ll have to be careful of overheating.
Yummmy – I’ve made it twice now. I didn’t have allspice the first two times, unfortunately. I’m going to make it again tonight and I do have allspice this time. It’s marvelous. I enjoy it from the first sip to the last drop. I’m so glad you posted it!
Thank you so much for coming back to let me know, Alice. I very much appreciate it. Enjoy your homemade lattes! :)
I just made it and am going to put it in pancakes!!!
Other people have talked about that. I am now curious and need to try it, too! :)
Just made this last night. It’s wonderful. I love pumpkin flavored things. My kids thought the mixture tasted good and one was dipping cookies in it. Thanks so much for posting
Ooooo…cookie dunking. Excellent!!
I want to preface everything by saying, this is delicious! Very good, and the end coffee drink had body, texture was very luscious. As suggested, I did blend it for a couple of minutes for a smooth texture.
Observations: 1) Do not overheat mixture in microwave. My work’s microwave is a beast and the base came out grainy after 25 seconds. Next time, heated in 10 second bursts; came out perfect. 2) I’m not sure if its my imagination. I made this without allspice and half the cinnamon because I ran out of both. However, I felt that by the fifth day (today) in the fridge, the clove flavor in the base had become very strong. Still drinkable, but maybe not for the 6th/7th day. Perhaps next time I’ll add a pinch of cloves at the time of making?
Overall, great recipe! No regrets and probably future repeats. Thanks!
Maybe over-microwaving was the problem with mine! I’m drinking my first batch today and the coffee has particulates floating in it, which is sort of hampering my enjoyment. :-/
So I made it as the latte at first, wasn’t too crazy bout it just because it made my coffee too thick (maybe I didn’t blend it long enough) so I tried it as a frappiccino, very good!! I also made pancakes with it and those were awesome as well!!! Thanks for the recipe!! I’ll definitely keep it! :)
How did you adapt for the frappuccino?
Having one now and it is wonderful!! Thank you so much for sharing.
I just made my first (definitely NOT my last) batch of Pumpkin Spice Latte. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe with all of us. I read the reviews and so I blended mine for about two minutes. I’m afraid I drank my first cup too fast to notice much grittiness. It was THAT good!!
I would rather have the full flavor and texture than the price and additives elsewhere so again, thank you!
I appreciate your comment, Alice – thank you so much. So happy you like it, too! :)
My husband and I made these tonight and are enjoying them as a type. We like espresso and don’t buy sweetened condensed milk, so I used heavy cream and extra sugar instead, and we steamed some milk to add to the three shots and mixture in the mug. I didn’t purée it but passed it through a fine meshed strainer after heating pumpkin ingredients to combine. I notice texture but no grittiness. It’s earthy and yummy!
Thank you so much, Alicia!! :)
I just made this and love it! I don’t have any grittiness. Maybe the quality of the pumpkin? Or maybe I’m just used to chewy coffee from my French press!
Thanks for this delicious recipe.
Lovely to hear, thank you so much for letting me know! Enjoy! :)
I too could not enjoy this due to the grit in the cup… even after blending it for a long time. And I really wanted to like it! I read someone on moneysavingmom used the rest of the pumpkin spice mix to make pancakes? I might try that because I’ve still got a blender full…
So sorry to hear this, Julia. It is a thicker mix, because I wanted that true pumpkin flavor, and used real pumpkin puree and plenty of fall spices. I think everyone’s blenders are different, too, so that might have something to do with how well it actually gets blended. My family loves it, and I know people who have made up a new batch of this every week since I posted the recipe. I suppose you could try straining the mixture through cheesecloth, although I haven’t tried it myself.
Thanks! I’m going to try it this afternoon!
Recipes sounds delicious! Just wondering what the calories might be
Hello Kathleen, and thank you! I’m sorry to say that I don’t figure calories for any of my recipes.
I made this and blended it for 45 seconds or so. The taste is great but there is grittyness to the drink. However it actually fills me up and I feel good drinking it because it has real pumpkin in it. I prefer dunkin donuts pumpkin lattes but to make this myself at home I have to say it’s a hit!! My kids even liked it. I made it with decaf coffee for them!
This is a thicker mix beings it is made with pumpkin, and not a base of water or cream. It’s not for everyone. But our family loves it!! Have you ever made steamers for your kids (and yourself!)? This would be great for that! Nice to hear from you Corrie, thanks for stopping by!
I have just added making that to my plans for the day!
Do you happen to know what company makes that mug, or what stores carry that pattern? I love it as much as the latte recipe!
Thanks, Paula! I found the mug at Pier 1.
I have an espresso machine and instead of one cup of hot coffee and the half cup of mix, I use 2 shots of espresso and heat the half cup of mix with a half cup of milk! Thanks so much for the great recipe!! It’s perfect!!
Love it! Sounds delicious!!