Oh, the pumpkin spice latte. Call it “basic” if you want, but these days, nothing else serves as the harbinger of fall quite like a PSL.
Why? Because we all love it so much, it could be 90 degrees on September 1—or whenever your fave coffee place decides fall starts—and we’d still be sipping on that scalding hot beverage, willing the chill autumn winds to arrive.
Well, it’s with that same spirit that I developed this pumpkin spice latte recipe.Because I feel like you should be able to have a sweet treat that reminds you of your favorite season whenever you want.
Why you’ll love this pumpkin spice latte recipe
First of all, it uses real pumpkin. Which you might think would make it chunky, but it doesn’t. At all. Second, it’s got brown sugar in it, which gives it a homey depth of flavor. Finally, the secret ingredient—sweetened condensed milk—lends a creamy, indulgent vibe to the final product.
Is this recipe for a syrup? Or a mix? I don’t know. But what I do know for sure is that it’s delicious both hot and cold, and you’re going to love it.
Makes 48 tablespoons, or about 16 pumpkin spice lattes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 14 oz. (1 can) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, plus more for garnish
- Pinch of salt
- Espresso or strong coffee
- Whole, 2% or oat milk, and/or whipped cream
For the pumpkin spice latte syrup
- Combine the water, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugars have completely dissolved.
- To the saucepan, add pumpkin puree, sweetened condensed milk and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk until smooth.
- Allow syrup to cool slightly, then carefully pour into a jar and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
To make the pumpkin spice latte
- To a mug, add three tablespoons pumpkin spice latte syrup to 2 shots of espresso or 6 oz. strong, hot coffee.
- To garnish, add 1/3 cup warm, frothed milk of your choice or whipped cream (or both, we’re not judgy). Top with a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.
Notes
- Play around with how much pumpkin spice latte syrup you add to your beverage. I started with two tablespoons, and it didn’t hit quite right. Three was the sweet spot for me, but everyone’s palate is different.
- Make sure you’re buying pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. The latter will have all kinds of spices added, which will change your final result.
- I bought store-brand pumpkin puree for this pumpkin spice latte recipe, and it was perfectly smooth. If you’re using fresh pumpkin, make sure you puree it really well before using in this recipe.
- Leftover pumpkin spice latte syrup should keep 1-2 weeks in the fridge. But I’d be surprised if it lasts you that long. I found myself reaching for it every morning…and afternoon.