Coffee Drink
Pumpkin Spice Latte: Real Pumpkin Recipe, Calories & Iced
A pumpkin spice latte combines espresso and milk with warm baking spices. This home version also uses plain pumpkin purée for body, with brown sugar and whipped topping measured separately so you can adjust sweetness without losing the spice.
Drink Snapshot
- Caffeine
- 75 mg referenceGeneric prepared espresso, 36 gBeans and brewing change actual caffeine.
- Calories
- 170 kcalDefined recipe; all measured ingredients servedIncludes the measured dairy whipped topping.
Serving, sugar and sources
- Serving
- 36 g espresso + 180 g (¾ US cup) whole milk + puree, spice, brown sugar and topping
- Made with
- Espresso + whole milk
- Sugar
- 17 g total. Includes milk sugar, pumpkin, brown sugar, spice and the named sweetened topping.
- Preparation
- 8 minutes; equipment ready
Estimated nutrition using USDA composition references and named labels, checked 25 September 2026. All measured milk and topping are served. See the full calculation or label comparison.
Key Takeaways
- 1Pumpkin gives the latte body; baking spice supplies much of the familiar pumpkin-pie aroma.
- 2For a less-sweet PSL, adjust the sugar or topping while keeping the spice you enjoy.
- 3Warm the pumpkin mixture in a pan, then combine it with espresso; keep purée out of milk-only equipment.
On This Page10 Sections
Pumpkin Spice Latte Ingredients: Pumpkin, Spice and Sweetness
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| Ingredient | What it changes | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Plain pumpkin puree | Body and pumpkin flavor | Use puree, not sweetened pumpkin pie filling |
| Pumpkin pie spice | Cinnamon-led baking-spice aroma | Blends vary; start with the measured amount |
| Brown sugar | Sweetness with a little molasses character | Adding more spice will not replace its sweetness |
| Milk and whipped topping | Texture, richness and some sugar | A dairy-free substitution needs its own label calculation |
For a simpler spice-only drink, see the cinnamon latte.
Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe
Use a 350 ml (12 US fl oz) cup to leave room for milk foam and topping. A small scale that reads fractions of a gram is useful for the spice.
Recipe
Real Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Makes:
- 1 serving
- Time:
- 8 minutes; espresso equipment ready
Ingredients
- 18 g coffee, ground for espresso, to yield 36 g espresso
- 180 g (¾ US cup) cold whole milk
- 15 g (1 US tbsp) plain pumpkin purée
- 5 g (1 packed US tsp) light brown sugar
- 0.5 g pumpkin pie spice
- 10 g (0.35 oz) dairy whipped topping
Equipment
- Espresso machine
- Grinder and tamper
- Scale accurate to 0.1 g for the spice
- Small saucepan
- Whisk
- Spoon
- 350 ml (12 US fl oz) heatproof cup
Method
- Whisk 180 g (¾ US cup) milk, 15 g (1 US tbsp) plain pumpkin purée, 5 g (1 packed US tsp) brown sugar and 0.5 g pumpkin pie spice in a small saucepan. Heat gently until steaming, without boiling.
- Brew 18 g ground coffee to 36 g prepared espresso into a warmed 350 ml (12 US fl oz) cup.
- Whisk the warm pumpkin milk briefly to add a little foam, then pour all of it into the espresso. Stir.
- Add 10 g (0.35 oz) whipped topping and serve.
Estimated nutrition: 170 kcal · 17 g total sugar. Per latte with 36 g espresso, 180 g (¾ US cup) whole milk, 15 g (1 US tbsp) plain pumpkin purée, 5 g (1 packed US tsp) brown sugar, 0.5 g spice and 10 g (0.35 oz) dairy whipped topping.
Prepare the shot using the espresso brewing method.
Use a pan for the pumpkin-milk mixture rather than drawing puree through equipment intended only for milk. If your espresso recipe needs a different dose or yield, dial it in first; the espresso ratio guide explains that separately.
What Does a Pumpkin Spice Latte Taste Like?
A pumpkin spice latte tastes creamy and gently spiced, with cinnamon-led aromas, a mellow pumpkin note and a coffee finish. The purée makes this home version feel fuller than a syrup-only latte. Brown sugar adds a little molasses character, while the whipped topping makes the opening sips sweeter and more creamy.
I prefer a pumpkin spice latte with enough cinnamon and clove aroma to notice before the sweetness, because that is what makes the cup feel like pumpkin pie to me.
More purée thickens the drink; more ground spice can make it dusty. For a different autumn sweetness, try a maple latte; mocha adds chocolate instead.
Iced and Dairy-Free Pumpkin Spice Latte
For iced PSL: reserve 30 g (2 US tbsp) from the recipe's 180 g (¾ US cup) milk. Warm that 30 g (2 US tbsp) with the same 15 g (1 US tbsp) puree, 5 g (1 packed US tsp) brown sugar and 0.5 g spice, then whisk smooth. Combine with the 36 g espresso and cool the mixture. Put 100 g (3.5 oz) ice in a 450 ml (15 US fl oz) glass, add the remaining 150 g (⅝ US cup) cold milk and the coffee mixture, then stir and finish with the same 10 g (0.35 oz) topping. The milk totals 180 g (¾ US cup), not 210 g. Ice adds dilution and vessel space, not sugar or caffeine.
For dairy-free PSL: use 180 g (6.3 oz) of a plant drink you enjoy in coffee, 15 g (1 US tbsp) plain pumpkin purée, 5 g (1 packed US tsp) brown sugar, 0.5 g spice, 36 g espresso and 10 g (0.35 oz) of a suitable non-dairy topping. Warm and whisk the plant drink, purée, sugar and spice in a pan, combine with the espresso and finish with the topping. Use the products’ labels for nutrition and allergens; omit the topping if preferred.
Without an espresso machine: follow the moka-pot method, then measure 60 g (2.1 oz) of the prepared coffee. Warm and whisk 180 g (¾ US cup) whole milk, 15 g (1 US tbsp) plain pumpkin purée, 5 g (1 packed US tsp) brown sugar and 0.5 g spice in a pan. Combine with the coffee in a 350 ml (12 US fl oz) cup and add 10 g (0.35 oz) whipped topping. This makes a larger, differently concentrated drink; its caffeine follows the moka coffee used.
Pumpkin Spice Latte Calories, Caffeine and Sugar
Estimated for one latte with 36 g espresso, 180 g (¾ US cup) whole milk, 15 g (1 US tbsp) plain pumpkin purée, 5 g (1 packed US tsp) brown sugar, 0.5 g spice and 10 g (0.35 oz) topping: 170 kcal and 17 g total sugar, plus a generic caffeine reference of 75 mg.
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| Change to this serving | Estimated calories | Estimated total sugar |
|---|---|---|
| Complete recipe, including topping | 170 kcal | 17 g |
| Omit the 10 g (0.35 oz) topping | 140 kcal | 15 g |
| Omit the 5 g (1 packed US tsp) brown sugar | 150 kcal | 12 g |
| Omit both topping and brown sugar | 120 kcal | 10 g |
The last version still contains the milk's natural sugar. Omitting sugar does not make a milk-based drink sugar-free. These changes keep the same espresso, so they do not change its caffeine contribution.
Ingredient calculations and sources
Calculation basis: USDA whole milk supplies 61 kcal and 5.05 g sugar per 100 g; prepared espresso supplies 9 kcal and 212 mg caffeine per 100 g. The named LIBBY'S puree label gives 45 kcal and 5 g sugar per 122 g. The named Reddi-wip label gives 15 kcal and 1 g sugar per 5 g. Historical USDA brown-sugar and pumpkin-spice records supply the remaining estimates. For the full recipe, the ingredient sum is 169.28 kcal and 16.59 g sugar before rounding. Caffeine is 36 × 212 ÷ 100 = 76.32 mg, shown as 75 mg.
A café PSL may use a different sauce, milk, topping, cup size and number of shots. Use that café's current nutrition for the exact order instead of applying this smaller home recipe's numbers. A decaf espresso substitution reduces caffeine, but does not establish zero caffeine; see decaf espresso.
Pumpkin Spice Latte Troubleshooting
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| Problem | Likely cause | Next adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| Dusty or gritty texture | Too much dry spice or poorly dispersed puree | Whisk the measured spice and puree into the milk before heating; some fine spice sediment remains |
| Pumpkin overwhelms the coffee | Too much puree for this milk and espresso portion | Return to 15 g (1 US tbsp) before changing the espresso |
| Too sweet | Sugar and topping both contribute | Remove the topping or reduce sugar first; keep the spice unchanged |
| Coffee disappears | Milk quantity or mild extraction | Taste the espresso separately, then reduce milk if needed |
| Thick paste or cooked-milk flavor | Prolonged heating or boiling | Warm gently only until steaming |
How Pumpkin Pie Became a Latte
Starbucks describes the development of its Pumpkin Spice Latte as a tasting exercise with actual pumpkin pie. In 2003, the team alternated bites of pie with sips of espresso to work out which flavors belonged together. Cinnamon, clove and nutmeg became central to its pumpkin-spice sauce, served with espresso and steamed milk.
After testing the drink in 100 stores, Starbucks expanded it across its US stores in 2004.
Common Questions
Does a pumpkin spice latte contain coffee?
Does pumpkin spice contain pumpkin?
Can I use pumpkin pie filling?
Can I make it without syrup?
Can I skip the whipped topping?
Editor's Take
Sources and Further Reading
8 references
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Serving estimates
- Prepared espresso, NDB 14210PDFUSDA Standard Reference · Generic prepared-espresso energy and caffeine per 100 g(opens in a new tab)
- Whole milk, NDB 01077PDFUSDA Standard Reference · 61 kcal and 5.05 g total sugar per 100 g(opens in a new tab)
- Pumpkin pie spice, NDB 02035PDFUSDA SR28 · Historical composition reference: 342 kcal and 7.76 g sugar per 100 g(opens in a new tab)
- Brown sugar, NDB 19334PDFUSDA SR28 · Historical composition reference: 380 kcal and 97.02 g sugar per 100 g(opens in a new tab)