Homemade pumpkin spice latte
Homemade pumpkin spice latte with real pumpkin, warm spices, maple and frothy milk over strong coffee. Ready in 10 minutes, no espresso machine needed.
50% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 5 min
- Cooking
- 5 min
- Serves
- 2
- Calories
- 215
- Protein
- 8 g
- Per serving
- $1.23
Why this recipe works
You don't need a coffee-shop line or an espresso machine for a pumpkin spice latte. Real pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg simmered into milk and poured over strong coffee make a cozier, less sugary version you can sweeten to taste.
- Heating the pumpkin and spices in the milk lets the spices bloom and dissolve, so the drink tastes rounded instead of dusty.
- Straining the milk through a fine sieve takes out the pumpkin fiber, which fixes the gritty sludge at the bottom of most homemade versions.
- Shaking or whisking the hot milk makes a real foam without a steamer.
Ingredients
To serve
You will need
- Small saucepan
- Whisk or milk frother
- Fine-mesh sieve
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Heat the milk
Whisk the milk, pumpkin, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat, whisking often, until steaming and small bubbles form at the edge, 4 to 5 minutes. Don't let it boil.
Strain and froth
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve, then froth with a milk frother or whisk hard for 30 seconds until foamy (or shake in a sealed jar half full, with a towel over the lid).
Pour
Divide the hot coffee between 2 large mugs and pour in the pumpkin milk, holding back the foam with a spoon, then spoon the foam on top.
Serve
Top with whipped cream and a pinch of cinnamon if you like, and serve right away.
Cook's notes
- Brew the coffee twice as strong as usual so the flavor isn't lost under the milk.
- Make a pumpkin spice syrup ahead: simmer ½ cup pumpkin, ½ cup maple syrup, ½ cup water and the spices for 5 minutes, strain and keep it in the fridge for a week. Use 2 to 3 tablespoons per drink.
- For an iced latte, let the strained pumpkin milk cool, then pour it over ice and cold brew.
Nutrition per serving
215 calories
$1.23 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | 15% of calories | 8 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 51% of calories | 27 g |
| Fat | 34% of calories | 8 g |
| Fiber | 1 g | |
| Sodium | 110 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
Does a pumpkin spice latte have real pumpkin in it?
This one does: a few spoonfuls of plain pumpkin puree are simmered in the milk. Many store-bought syrups are only spice and sugar.
Can I make a pumpkin spice latte without espresso?
Yes. Strong brewed coffee, French press coffee or cold brew concentrate all work. Use about ½ cup per drink.
How do I make an iced pumpkin spice latte?
Make the pumpkin milk, strain and chill it, then pour it over ice with cold brew or chilled strong coffee and stir.
