Regardless of whether you like a pumpkin spice latte or not, the truth is, you can’t deny that the world simply cannot get enough of it right now. Since its creation by Starbucks, the coffee chain has sold over 350 million of these famous lattes. As a result, it has become a goal for many people to find out how they can make a Starbucks pumpkin spice latte and also explore sugar-free pumpkin spice sauce options.

That said, it might surprise you that most pumpkin spice latte enthusiasts don’t know what’s in their drink–this is why we decided to break down some of its ingredients before you begin to make it yourself. 

Pumpkin Spice Latte Ingredients

Milk

It’s no surprise that milk is one of the primary ingredients of a pumpkin spice latte. This is one of the main reasons why most Starbucks beverages tend to be creamier than our coffee at home. Also, unless otherwise specified, Starbucks uses 2% milk to give your pumpkin spice latte that rich, creamy flavor. Even though it may seem odd to some that the biggest ingredient in this particular beverage is milk, the good thing is that all the dairy involved in its preparation can provide you with 40% of your daily calcium requirements. 

Pumpkin Spice Sauce

The pumpkin spice special sauce is a mixture composed of mainly condensed milk, sugar, and pumpkin puree. However, the special sauce didn't always contain pumpkin puree. After some complaints were launched against Starbucks stating that the PSL did not contain any pumpkin, the coffee chain added the puree to the mix back in 2015 to make the drink more natural. This also helped drinkers understand just how many calories are in a Grande pumpkin spice latte. 

Brewed Espresso

There is about seventy-five milligrams of caffeine in a tall order of PSL. The brewed espresso is where drinkers get that energetic buzz from, comparable to two cups of black tea or a half cup of coffee. 

Whipped Cream

For the pumpkin spice latte, whipped cream is optional. Nonetheless, most drinkers will tell you that a PSL is nothing without some whipped cream. Those who avoid it usually do so to try to reduce their fat and calorie consumption. 

Vanilla Syrup

The vanilla syrup in a pumpkin spice latte is meant to add an extra shot of sugar to the drink. However, the PSL contains a whopping thirty-nine grams of sugar, probably more than you should consume in a day. This means that if you are trying to keep your diet in check, you should probably lay off the vanilla syrup. 

Pumpkin Spice Topping

This pumpkin spice topping is a unique blend of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg that contribute to the delicious and wonderful spiced aroma of PSL. It also settles into the whipped cream making the drink even more special.  

With all these wonderful ingredients, a standard twelve-ounce pumpkin spice latte packs roughly 300 calories. This makes it a seasonal beverage comparable to a sweet dessert in a cup.

So, now that you know what ingredients go into making a pumpkin spice latte, let us look at how to prepare your own PSL, right at home.

How to Make Pumpkin Spice Latte

1. You should start by heating and frothing the milk in a frother. 
2. You should proceed to brew Starbucks Espresso Roast in a stovetop pot or a standard espresso machine. 
3. Once you are done brewing, put two tablespoons of your homemade or premade pumpkin spice syrup into a cup or favorite mug, followed by your hot espresso. You should then stir them up as much as you can. 
4. Fill your mug with the heated frothed milk you prepared earlier until it is three-quarters full. Once this is done, top it off with whipped cream. 
5. Lastly, sprinkle your drink with pumpkin pie spice. 

Final Thoughts

It would be fair to say that the moment fall hits, most of us will rush to our local coffee shop to order a lovely pumpkin spice latte. But, if you’re looking for something a bit more healthy, try Skinny Mixes’ Pumpkin Spice Syrup–it has zero calories and zero fat, so you can enjoy your pumpkin spice latte guilt-free!