Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte

What’s to love about this recipe

• Homemade iced pumpkin spice latte is easy to make and exceptionally tasty
• The cost is a small fraction of the coffee shop version
• This version is made with whole ingredients and it’s healthier and lower calorie than store bought (only 83 calories per serving of iced PSL made with almond milk compared to 370 calories in a 16 oz iced PSL made with whole milk at Starbucks)
• Easily customizable – add as much pumpkin, spices, sweetness or milk as you like!
• No refined sugar, syrups, additives or chemicals in this latte

Looking for more delicious homemade drinks? Try this iced Thai Boba Tea.

Ingredient notes

• Espresso: you will need two shots of espresso (¼ cup) or ½ cup of strong brewed coffee, if you don’t have an espresso machine. Use your favorite coffee blend, caffeinated or decaf.
• Pumpkin Puree: I like Libby’s but use any brand of 100% pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling).
• Milk: use regular dairy milk (skim, 2% or whole milk) or unsweetened plant-based milk of choice (almond, oat, soy or coconut). I tested this recipe with both almond and soy milk and both worked great. For the most neutral taste, go with unsweetened plain almond milk.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice: made with ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and other spices. You can buy pumpkin spice blend at most grocery stores or make your own.
• Maple Syrup: to sweeten the latte. I don’t like my coffee sweet so I only add ½ tablespoon of pure maple syrup. You can add more if you want!

Equipment notes

• Espresso machine: I like this one by Breville because it has a built-in coffee grinder and it’s easy to use)
• Coffee grinder: if your espresso machine doesn’t already come with one
• Blender: I like my Vitamix but any type of blender will work for this recipe
• Pint glass or mason jar
• Metal straws: I love serving festive coffee drinks with a golden straw
• Whipped cream maker: my husband bought one a while ago and we absolutely love it, especially for flavored whipped cream (maple whipped cream would be great for this latte)

Expert tips

I love a good fall pumpkin spice latte (both hot or iced) but often when you get it at a coffee shop, it doesn’t come out quite right. Different coffee places use different pumpkin syrups and it’s hard to gauge how sweet it’s going to be.

There is nothing worse than paying $5.75 for a fancy pumpkin spice latte to discover that it’s way too sweet for your liking or that the oat milk you requested tastes funny in it.

The beauty of a homemade coffee drink is that you can make it exactly how you like it. It may take some experimentation but if you follow the tips below, you’ll end up with truly perfect glass of pumpkin latte.

• Use good quality espresso. It really makes a difference and will make your latte taste like the expensive real deal you get at a cozy coffee shop. My favorite espresso brands are Lavazza and Illy. If you’re going for a Starbucks copycat ice PSL, choose Starbucks Espresso Roast. Freshly ground coffee beans will give you best results.  
• Cool your coffee. This will prevent the ice from melting too fast. A couple of minutes is usually enough to cool two shots of espresso.
• A little goes a long way. I recommend starting with 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree, ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and ½ tablespoon of maple syrup. Blend it up and give it a taste. Add more pumpkin, spices or sweetener to make it perfect for you.
• Go easy on the ice. If you add a lot of ice cubes in your glass, the melting ice will dilute the flavors. Make sure your milk is super cold and only fill ⅓ of the glass with ice.

How to store leftover latte

If you don’t drink your iced PSL latte right away, store it in an airtight container, such as a mason jar with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Don’t put ice or whipped cream in it for storage. When ready to serve, give the jar a shake and pour over ice. Add toppings if you like.

Substitutions and special diets

• If you’re sensitive to caffeine, use decaf espresso blend or decaf coffee.
• To make this PSL latte vegan, use plant milk, such as almond, oat or soy and coconut whipped cream.
• If you don’t have maple syrup, replace it with your favorite sweetener (sugar, stevia or agave).
• For a low-sugar version, use unsweetened milk and skip maple syrup or use a no-sugar sweetener such as monk fruit or stevia.
• You can use cinnamon in place of pumpkin pie spice, especially if you don’t have any.
• To make this latte skinny, skip the whipped cream, use unsweetened almond milk or skim dairy milk and swap maple for stevia.
• If you want a more frothy latte, use a good milk frother and froth half of the milk this way. Blend the remaining milk and all other ingredients, pour over ice and top with extra frothy milk.