Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte
1 drink · 5 minutes · Any milk frother
Real pumpkin, a little maple syrup and well-frothed milk. Works with dairy or barista oat milk. Makes 1 drink in about 5 minutes. Adapted from Gimme Some Oven.
What do you need for a homemade pumpkin spice latte?
- 2 shots espresso, or ⅓–½ cup very strong coffee
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin purée
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, plus a pinch to top
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup milk (whole, 2% or barista oat)
How do you make a pumpkin spice latte at home?
Mix the base
In a large mug, stir the hot espresso or coffee with the pumpkin purée, maple syrup, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice and salt until smooth.
Heat and froth the milk
Heat and froth the milk until very hot but not boiling — around 140–150°F for dairy, a little lower for oat milk. With a handheld frother, heat the milk first.
Combine and serve
Pour the frothed milk over the pumpkin coffee, spoon the foam on top and dust with pumpkin pie spice.
Tips
- Whole milk gives the creamiest texture; barista-edition oat milk is the best dairy-free option. See the oat milk guide.
- Mixing the pumpkin into the hot coffee first keeps it from clumping.
- For an iced version, skip heating and top iced coffee with cold foam.
Which frother works best for this recipe?
Any frother works. For hot drinks, a frother that heats milk saves a step: the Breville Milk Café (#1, Froth Score™ 67) or the budget Instant Pot 4-in-1. A $9 handheld Zulay works if you heat the milk first. Not sure? Take the frother quiz.
