Calling All PSL Lovers! How to Make Amazing Pumpkin Spice Lattes Yourself
With great patience comes great reward. That’s what Starbucks aficionados count on—waiting, patience, more waiting each year for Starbucks to announce the start of its short Pumpkin Spice Latte season. If that’s you, good news! You can quickly learn to make PSLs at home, any time of the year and whenever you want!
The ingredients are easily obtained, and the process simple to learn. Get ready to claim your role as your household’s official barista!
A PSL consists of espresso, milk, pumpkin, pumpkin spice, whipped cream, and pumpkin syrup. With basic ingredients and the following recipes, you’ll be turning out delicious copycat PSLs in no time!
Starbucks PSL
Originally created by Starbucks, Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) has developed a cult following. It is so popular, PSL even has its own Twitter account! The downside is that PSL is so stinkin’ expensive. And you have to go there, wait in line, order, then wait some more. At more than—gulp!—$6.00 for a Starbucks venti PSL, that’s quite a price to pay!
One of the essential ingredients in PSL is “pumpkin spice.” Curiously, pumpkin spice has no pumpkin in it at all. It is simply a mix of the spices used to make pumpkin pie. As available as pumpkin pie spice is in the spice aisle of most supermarkets, it’s not exactly cheap!
To pull off this DIY project, you need three recipes—one for Copycat Pumpkin Spice Latte, Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix, and Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Pumpkin Spice Latte
- 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix (below), plus more to garnish
- freshly ground black pepper, a pinch
- 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar (sub with Splenda or Stevia )
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup half and half (whole milk, reduced-fat, or skim milk if you must)
- 1/4 cup hot espresso OR extra strong brewed coffee
- sweetened whipped cream for serving
- Pumpkin Spice Syrup to drizzle across the top (optional, but who can resist?)
Combine the half and half, pumpkin, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, pepper, and vanilla in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and vent with a small hole. Microwave until the half and half is hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is foamy, about 30 seconds.
Pour the espresso or coffee into a large mug and add the hot, foamed mixture. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice. Yield: 1 large (venti) latte.
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix
(Printable recipe card with instructions below)
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Syrup
(Printable recipe card with instructions below)
- 1½ cups sugar
- 1½ cups water
- 6 cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoonz ground nutmeg
- 4 tablespoons pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
Pumpkin Spice Latte
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree NOT pumpkin pie mix; pure puree
- ¼ teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice (see NOTES)
- 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar OK to sub with Splenda or Stevia
- pinch ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup half and half (see NOTES)
- ¼ cup hot espresso OR hot, strong brewed coffee
- 1 dollop sweetened whipped cream
Instructions
- Combine half and half, pumpkin, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, pepper, and vanilla in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and vent with a small hole.
- Microwave until the half and half is hot, 1 to 2 minutes
- Whisk vigorously until the mixture is foamy, about 30 seconds
- Pour the espresso or coffee into a large mug and add the hot foamed mixture.
- Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tspn ground ginger
- ½ tspn allspice
- ½ tspn ground cloves
- ½ tspn ground nutmeg
- ½ tspn ground mace Can substitute ground nutmeg (See NOTE)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well. Store in an airtight container for up to one year. Recipe multiplies well.
Notes
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Ingredients
- ¾ cup white granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups water
- 6 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tspn ground cloves
- tspn ground ginger
- 2 tspn ground nutmeg
- 4 tbsp pumpkin purée NOT pumpkin pie filling!
Instructions
- Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Once sugar is dissolved, add cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and pumpkin purée, and let simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and immediately strain through cheesecloth.
- Makes enough syrup for 8 beverages. Keeps up to 7 days in the fridge.
How can I make a single serving (like in your recipe) of Strong Coffee?
I use double the amount of coffee that you would normally use to brew regular coffee.
Thank you so much Mary! Have a Great early Fall.
Here is Southern California were having a heat wave. Yesterday 100.0 today is suppose to be 105. ugh