The fall season is almost here, and it would be fair to say that most Starbucks fans could not be more excited. But before you become engulfed in all the hype associated with the PSL, you must understand how many calories the drink contains, mostly due to the pumpkin spice sauce, to help you maintain a healthy diet. 

A Brief History of the Pumpkin Spice Latte

The iconic PSL was initially launched in 2003 but did not manage to get the notoriety it holds today until the mid-2010s. The man responsible for creating the drink was Peter Dukes, who joined the company back in 2001 as a product manager and has continued to work there ever since. 

Peter, who is currently the Director of Global Growth and Concepts, introduced the idea and launched the first PSLs in Starbucks stores in the fall of 2003. Initially, the beverage was only available in one hundred stores within the U.S.; however, the company later rolled it out globally and it has remained hugely popular since that time.

On the other hand, during an interview with CBS, Peter stated that he did not think the PSL would ever make it to stores in the beginning as it was not as popular as other latte flavors like chocolate, cinnamon, and caramel during the trial phases. Little did he know that the PSL would become the coffee chain's best seller just a few decades later. 

That said, every year, coffee lovers from different regions of the world eagerly await the launch of the pumpkin spice latte. According to Starbucks officials, the coffee giant will be debuting this year’s version on August 30th alongside a tasty autumn menu with various sweet and savory snacks. This menu includes: 

• A toffee and apple muffin
• Espresso roast Blondie
• Egg bites
• Mushroom 
• Egg muffin 
• American salami focaccia

The famous PSL is also one of Starbucks' taste sensations with a unique mix of winter spices like pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove. Despite all these delicious ingredients, the question remains, how many calories are in it? 

Pumpkin Spice Latte Calories

When you visit the official Starbucks website, you will see that a Grande PSL contains 390 calories, whereas a Venti has 470 calories. If you are going for a Tall coffee, you will be consuming 300 calories, whereas the Short version comes in at 210 calories. 

These calorie numbers are also based on a standard pumpkin spice latte made with one espresso shot, 2% milk, and topped off with whipped cream. Nonetheless, if you are a real PSL enthusiast, you can use Starbucks' online calculator to customize your favorite drink. You can change the size, flavors, milk, and toppings, and the calculator will inform you about the number of calories you will consume. 

The Full Ingredient List of the PSL

The Starbucks pumpkin spice latte is made using espresso, milk, and flavored spices of pumpkin, nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon. All these spices are meant to make a PSL taste more like a pumpkin pie. 

Aside from the pumpkin spice sauce giving the drink its iconic flavor, the ingredients are as follows: 

• Milk
• Pumpkin spice sauce
• Brewed espresso
• Vanilla syrup

It is also important to point out that the pumpkin spice sauce is made from condensed skim milk, sugar, fruit and vegetable juice, pumpkin puree, annatto, salt and potassium sorbate, and other natural flavors. All this is topped off with delicious whip cream and pumpkin spice made from ginger, clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg. 

In some cases, if your server is feeling a tad generous, you may also have your PSL topped off with cinnamon dolce sprinkles that are savory and made of cinnamon and sugar.

Final Thoughts 

There is no denying that the PSL is one of the sweetest beverages available during the fall season. However, this also means that drinking too many will lead to you consuming excessive calories. This can be a lot, especially if you are trying to watch your weight. One of the best things you can do to avoid such issues and still enjoy your PSL is to use Skinny Mixes’ Sugar-Free Pumpkin Spice sauce as an alternative, which will work wonders for your body–and taste buds!