🎃 Pumpkin Spice Latte 🎃 Make this autumn favourite from the comfort of your home!

The pumpkin spice latte has been a recurring autumn favourite for years. A typical version of this seasonal favourite combines a concentrated coffee base with milk, pumpkin-spice flavouring and sweetness.

What is pumpkin spice?
It’s a blend of warming ingredients commonly used in pumpkin pies, usually cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and sometimes cloves or allspice. The flavour is sweet-smelling, fragrant and slightly peppery.

You can make your own pumpkin spice latte at home with strong coffee, hot milk, a pinch of spices and, if you fancy it, a spoonful of real pumpkin purée. You control the sweetness, the strength and the amount of autumn magic!

How to make a pumpkin spice latte at home
You don’t need a complicated machine or a cupboard full of syrups - this simple recipe makes one delicious mug.

You’ll need:
• 40–60ml espresso or strong brewed coffee
• 180–200ml milk or your preferred milk alternative
• 1 tablespoon smooth pumpkin purée
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• A small pinch each of ground ginger and nutmeg
• 1–2 teaspoons maple syrup or brown sugar (optional)
• A drop of vanilla extract (optional)

Method:
1. Brew your coffee a little stronger than you would when drinking it black.
2. In a small saucepan, whisk the pumpkin purée, spices and any sweetener into the milk.
3. Warm gently until steaming, but don’t boil it, then whisk or froth until smooth.
4. Pour the coffee into a large mug, then add the warm spiced milk.
5. Taste before adding more sweetness, then finish with a tiny dusting of cinnamon.

That’s it! You have a proper coffee underneath the seasonal flavour, and you can adjust everything to suit your taste.

Five ways to make it taste better
1. Go easy on the spices. Nutmeg and cloves can overpower coffee quickly, so start small and add more next time.

2. Choose a coffee with good body. A smooth, chocolatey or nutty profile often sits comfortably alongside cinnamon and milk, while very delicate, floral coffees can get lost.

3. Sweeten last. Milk and pumpkin already contribute some natural sweetness, so you may need less syrup than you expect.

4. Make it smooth. Whisk the purée thoroughly. A lumpy pumpkin latte is nobody’s idea of a treat!

5. Try it iced. Let the coffee cool, stir your spices into a little warm milk first, then pour over ice with cold milk. 

If you’re not sure which roast or flavour profile you’d enjoy as a base, our Coffee Finder can help narrow down options by brewing method, roast and taste.