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:
- 1/4 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 PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE VIDEO TUTORIAL
Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte
Ingredients
For Pumpkin Sauce
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice
For Pumpkin Spice Latte
- 1/4 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.
Hey thanks for this! My prob is “pumpkin spice”. We don’t have this in Australia. Do you know what spices are in it? When I taste the Starbucks one I think it might have nutmeg and cinnamon? But I’m sure there’s something else in it. Any help will be amazing!
HI Nolsie! Here is a recipe for homemade pumpkin spice: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/20476/pumpkin-spice/ You can also make the latte without the pumpkin spice successfully. Thanks for stopping by!
we don’t have it in the UK either, this is the recipe I use to make mine. 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg, 1 ½ teaspoons ground allspice and 1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves.
Is it one cup or one can of pumpkin puree for the pumpkin sauce?
Hi Elle! You’ll need just one cup of the pumpkin puree. Thanks for stopping by!
What kind of espresso, milk and pumpkin did you use? I tried it with Illy espresso, Fairlife milk, and Publix pumpkin. I also used a Moka. The whole thing came out too milky and no matter how much espresso or pumpkin was added I still could not taste anything other than sweet milk with a hint of pumpkin spice. I followed the recipe exactly and double checked my work. I want to adjust the recipe or change the brands I used. I was thinking of cutting the milk in half.
Hi Angelin! I am not sure why your drink is too milky. Do you feel that both espresso AND pumpkin sauce are not too strong? I’ve made this drink multiple times and it tastes very close to the Starbucks version.
Let’s take a closer look.
First, ESPRESSO. I almost exclusively use Lavazza Crema e Gusto when I make espresso. The trick is to have the coffee ground very fine and pack it really well into macchinetta? You’ll have very rich and flavorful esspresso this way. How do you make your espresso?
Second, PUMPKIN SAUCE. Did you cook the pumpkin puree? Cooking it intensifies the flavors. Maybe cook it for extra 5 minutes next time. I have tried it with many canned pumpkin brands and they all worked well.
Let me know if you try it again. Thank you!
Amazing! Can’t wait to give it a go. My question is how long will the pumpkin sauce keep for? Can I freeze it?
Hi Wednesday! The sauce should last for up to 7 days in the fridge. I have never tried freezing it, but I think it should work. Can’t wait to hear how you enjoy it!
This sounds perfect! Can’t wait to try it. I do have one rookie question about the refridgerated sauce. The next time it’s used, should it be reheated so it doesn’t cool the latte down too much?
Hi Jet! If you use refrigerated sauce, make sure to heat the milk almost to the boiling point. The latte will be fairly hot. Thanks and I can’t wait to hear how you enjoyed it!