This is hands down the best and the easiest Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe you'll ever find. My photo and video instructions will help you make your favorite drink at home!
During the fall months, so many of us LOVE and CRAVE Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks. I still remember the first time I tried it because I felt so sure that I wouldn't like the pumpkin mixed with milk and espresso. Boy, was I surprised when I took the first sip! It's like all of the best things fall has to offer in one cup!
While working at Starbucks for five years, I had plenty of opportunities to enjoy Pumpkin Spice Lattes. During the fall months, I had one almost every day. Now that I work from home, I would love to see a cup of PSL next to my computer while I am working, but the nearest Starbucks is 20 minutes away—plus, if I bought it as often as I wanted it, I would run the risk of going broke. 🙂 Since I've had success duplicating many of my favorite Starbucks drinks at home, like the Caramel Macchiato and Mocha Frappuccino, it was a no-brainer for me to make the Pumpkin Spice Latte as well. Today, I want to teach you how you can make this delicious treat, too.
HOW THE PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE IS MADE
A Pumpkin Spice Latte is made with:
- Pumpkin Sauce
- Espresso
- Milk
Let's talk a bit more about these ingredients.
ESPRESSO
Espresso could be made with an espresso machine, various K-Cup machines, or with a macchinetta or “moka.” If you don't own any of these items, I suggest starting with a macchinetta. That's what all of Italy is using! It is cheap, easy to use, and the Italians swear it makes the best espresso. There are several good brands to choose from, like Bialetti and Grosche, but I have to tell you that even the cheapest $10 macchinetta makes espresso well. Check out this video I found on how to use a macchinetta:
MILK
As with any latte, you'll need to froth the milk for this Pumpkin Spice Latte. You can froth the milk by simply warming it up (microwave or stovetop) and whisking it. But if you enjoy making lattes and cappuccinos at home, you'll need a simple and effective milk frother. There are two kinds of milk frothers that work really well: manual milk frothers (I use this Ninja Frother), and electric frothers (I recommend MilkBoss by Zulay Kitchen). Check out the reviews on these frothers. They are both very effective. Here is a video on how to use a manual milk frother:
PUMPKIN SAUCE
Lastly, you'll need Pumpkin Sauce for this Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. It is also easy to prepare, and the sauce will last up to seven days in the refrigerator. You'll need just a few ingredients to make the sauce:
1. To make the sauce, just place all of the ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer for about 10 minutes.
2. Place the sauce in a smoothie cup or food processor and process until very smooth. This step is optional, but recommended.
The sauce is ready!
Now, let's make the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte at home!
PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE INGREDIENTS:
- ¼ cup of pumpkin sauce
- 2 oz. espresso
- 8 oz. milk
- whipped cream and cinnamon, to garnish
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE:
1. Prepare the espresso.
2. Warm and froth the milk.
3. Add pumpkin the sauce and espresso to a 16 oz. serving cup. Stir well.
4. Pour the milk into the pumpkin-espresso mixture. Top with whipped cream, and sprinkle with cinnamon.
You'll love these Starbucks Copycat Recipes too:
- Starbucks Caramel Macchiato
- Starbucks Chai Tea Latte
- Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino
- Starbucks Caramel Latte
Why I share Starbucks recipes? Read my Starbucks Journey. 🙂
STARBUCKS PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE VIDEO TUTORIAL
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Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte
Ingredients
For Pumpkin Sauce
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ tsp. pumpkin spice
For Pumpkin Spice Latte
- ¼ cup pumpkin sauce
- 2 oz. espresso
- 8 oz. milk
- whipped cream and cinnamon to garnish
Instructions
PUMPKIN SAUCE
- To make the pumpkin sauce, just place all of the ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Place the sauce in smoothie cup or food processor and process until very smooth. This step is optional, but recommended.
- Transfer the sauce into a jar with a lid and keep in refrigerator for up to 7 days.
PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE
- Prepare espresso.
- Warm and froth the milk.
- Add pumpkin sauce and espresso into a 16 oz. serving cup. Stir well.
- Pour the milk into the pumpkin-espresso mixture. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon.
I love Starbucks pumpkin spice latte but this recipe is the BOMB!!! i used maple syrup instead of sugar and frothed full fat coconut milk to mix in instead of whipped cream. Will be making this on a regular basis. Thanks for such a great but simple recipe.
Thanks, Pattie! It means a lot to me!
May I ask, how much maple syrup did you use as for the sub for sugar??
this was so good i could drink 20 a day... do u know if there are any other recipes i could use the pumpkin sauce ?
Hi Laxmi! Do you mean other recipes you can use the same pumpkin sauce from this Starbucks Pumpkin Latte recipe? If so, I use it only for this application. I am glad you liked it!
Is the sauce supposed to be thick? Mine doesn’t seem like a “sauce”
Yes. It's supposed to be thick. How does yours look like? If it's too thick, you can add some water to reach nice consistency.
This was seriously BANGING pumpkin latte! Wow! I can't wait to impress my guests!
P.S. How long can I keep this sauce for?
Haha! Thank you, Trish! It should stay fresh at least for 1 week. 🙂
Very tasty recipe but not quite living up to the Starbucks PSL. I was looking for something so good I would have to spend $7 on a coffee. This will decrease my visits a little but I'm going to keep searching for ways to get even closer to the true copycat. Thanks for the springboard and keep up the great posts!
By the ingredients, it would be plausible to me that the sauce should last longer than 7 days refrigerated.
Hi Sally! If the sauce tastes and smells good and there is no slime forming, it should be safe to consume even after 7 days. Thanks for stopping by!