Pumpkin Spice Latte

4.41 from 5 votes

Updated Sep 28, 2026

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This homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte combines real pumpkin, coffee, creamy milk, and warm fall spices for an easy Starbucks copycat you can make right at home. It’s creamy, cozy, and SO good!

When you’re in the mood for more cozy sips, try my homemade Irish coffee or whip up a cinnamon dolce latte for a café-style treat at home!

My Favorite Homemade PSL Recipe

The Pumpkin Spice Latte is basically the flavor of fall. Honestly, it feels like the natural next step after spending the summer sipping on a boatload of vanilla bean frappuccinos.

Raise your hand if you’ve hit Starbucks three times this week just to wrap your fingers around a warm cup of that pumpkin-y goodness. With a slice of pumpkin bread and a pumpkin muffin to go with it, of course. No? Just me? Uhm… okay.

Every fall, countless of us coffee lovers eagerly anticipate the return of the iconic pumpkin spice latte at Starbies because it’s just so darn good. BUT with this recipe, you can make the best homemade pumpkin spice latte. It’s delicious, easy to make, and even better than the store-bought version, especially paired with a square of pumpkin baked oatmeal.

Why I Love This Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe

Made with real pumpkin. This latte gets its pumpkin flavor from real pumpkin puree, along with coffee, milk, vanilla, and warm fall spices.
Budget-Friendly: Making your pumpkin spice latte at home means you can have one whenever the craving hits without paying coffee-shop prices every time.
Customizable: Adjust the sweetness, add extra cinnamon or pumpkin spice, or use your favorite milk. Once you have a good pumpkin spice latte recipe in your back pocket, it’s easy to make it exactly how you like it.
Convenience: I can whip one up at home in minutes, and while I’m at it, I’ll make my Starbucks copycat egg bites and skip the line altogether.

Ingredients For My Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte

Milk: Opt for traditional dairy or a non-dairy alternative. My personal favorites for this drink are whole milk or oat milk.
Pumpkin Puree: Use store-bought canned puree or make your own with my slow cooker pumpkin puree recipe.
Light Brown Sugar: You can also use regular granulated sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, or even your favorite sweetener.
Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall taste and adds a warm, sweet flavor that complements the pumpkin.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: This blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and sometimes allspice gives the latte its classic warm pumpkin-spice flavor. You can also substitute store-bought pumpkin pie spice with equal amounts of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and ginger.
Espresso: Coffee shop lattes include espresso for a more robust coffee flavor. When making lattes at home, if you don’t have an espresso machine, brew your own coffee, but make it stronger. Alternatively, for an iced version, you can use chilled coffee.

How To Make Pumpkin Spice Latte

Making a pumpkin spice latte at home saves me time and money, plus I can make it exactly how I like it, from the coffee to the sweetness and spices. You can make it in the microwave or on the stovetop, but I prefer the stovetop because I can pull the saucepan off the heat before the milk boils over. In the microwave, I try to watch it closely, but it takes approximately one millisecond for that milk to boil over, and then I’m crying over spilled milk. Literally.

Stovetop Method

Heat the milk, pumpkin, and sugar. Combine the milk, pumpkin puree, and brown sugar in a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture is hot but not boiling.
Add remaining ingredients. Once off the heat, whisk in the pumpkin pie spice and vanilla. Add the coffee, whisking it in until the mixture turns frothy.
Serve. Pour the pumpkin mixture into two coffee cups. Taste and adjust the sweetness according to preference. Top with whipped cream and a dash of nutmeg for garnish.

Microwave Method

Combine all the ingredients. Whisk the milk, pumpkin puree, light brown sugar, pumpkin-pie spice, and vanilla in a microwave-safe bowl.
Warm it up. Place it in the microwave and heat it for about 1 to 1.5 minutes, or until the milk froths and begins to rise.
Serve. Transfer the pumpkin latte mixture to a mug and stir in the coffee. Garnish and serve.

Make It an Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte

Add the milk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice to a blender and blend until smooth and frothy. Pour over ice, add cooled espresso or strong coffee, and stir. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon.

Pumpkin Spice Latte topped with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice.

Recipe Tips And Variations

Quality ingredients: The quality of your ingredients can affect the taste of your PSL. Opt for fresh pumpkin puree, pure vanilla extract, and good espresso.
Adjust to taste: Always taste and adjust your latte’s sweetness or spice level to your preference. The measurements I suggest are just a starting point. You can add more or less of the spice, vanilla, sugar, etc.
Use real espresso: If you have an espresso machine, consider using real espresso instead of regular coffee for an authentic coffeehouse latte.
Dairy & non-dairy options: While dairy milk is common, non-dairy alternatives like almond, oat, or coconut milk can offer a unique flavor profile and are great for those with dietary restrictions.
Avoid overheating: Do not boil the milk mixture. Overheated milk can develop a scorched taste, which can overshadow the flavors of the pumpkin and spices.

pumpkin spice latte in a mug with whipped cream on top.

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4.41 from 5 votes