Seasonal, Creamy SIMPLE Pumpkin Spice Latte

Soothing and creamy flavours of a proper pumpkin spice pie transferred into a creamy latte – sounds good, doesn’t it? And it’s even easier to make at home to enjoy any time you want. If you want to know how to make a pumpkin latte at home, you’re at the right place – this pumpkin spice latte recipe is simple and tastes great. Which pumpkin to use, which tea to use, and what are the perfect ratios?

What is a pumpkin latte?

Pumpkin latte or a pumpkin spice latte, or even long – a pumpkin pie spice latte – is a drink inspired by the delicious autumnal pumpkin pie. Just like the real pie, pumpkin latte contains pumpkin puree too, and soothing and warming spices. It’s like a regular black tea latte, with the addition of spices and pumpkin puree.

How to make a pumpkin latte?

Let’s go back to pumpkin pie. Anyone who ever made a pumpkin pie knows that they can be both easy and difficult to make. Plus, there are hundreds of recipes out there, and you may do some testing before finding the perfect one. Well, pumpkin latte is the same. The choice of ingredients will have an enormous impact on the final flavour and texture. This pumpkin spice latte recipe is very simple but may take 20 minutes more if you need to make a pumpkin puree first.

Pumpkin spice latte recipe ingredients

Every creamy tea pumpkin spice latte will have a few mandatory ingredients:

• Tea base
• Milk
• Pumpkin puree
• Spices
• Sweetener (which can be optional!)

Depending on the ratios and quality of ingredients, the final flavour may vary significantly.

1. Choose the right pumpkin

First and foremost, always choose the right pumpkin. Not all pumpkins will be good for making a pumpkin puree. Choose sweet pumpkin with a yellow-orange flesh. Of course, you can easily buy a pre-made canned puree too. Making pumpkin pure at home will literally take less than 30 minutes. Making a homemade pumpkin puree can be as simple as peeling it, cutting it into small chunks and steaming them until soft. You will need 1 tablespoon of puree per serving.

Check out the Gardener‘s Path guide to 11 of the best pumpkins for pies and purees.

2. Choose the right tea

The next step is choosing the right tea. Strong black teas like Assam, pumpkin spice flavoured black teas, chai blends and vanilla flavoured black teas may all work well with this recipe. Avoid weaker teas – a proper pumpkin spice latte recipe calls for a strong tea. For a caffeine-free version, you can choose pure red rooibos or spiced red rooibos blends. Just follow the simple rule – if it brews into a dark full-bodied tea and it doesn’t taste bitter, it will probably be good for a tea latte too. Steep it longer and use more tea leaves if needed.

3. Add enough spices

Pumpkin spice latte recipe without spices wouldn’t be pumpkin spice at all. You can use a pre-made spice blend or make your own. A typical pumpkin pie spice blend contains cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cloves. ¼ teaspoon of spice mix will be enough for one serving.

4. Steam and froth the milk

A proper latte should have steamed and frothed milk. Since pumpkin puree will give a lot of texture to this drink, you can use a bit less milk too, without ruining the consistency. If possible, use a full fat milk or a creamy dairy-free milk alternative.

Ideally, if you have a milk steamer, use it. The easiest way to froth the milk without a milk steamer it by heating it in a small saucepan while frothing it with an electric hand frother. This will take less than 2 minutes. If you want to make it richer, use full fat milk and/or add a tablespoon of half-and-half or coffee cream. Alternatively, you can microwave the milk for about a minute, and froth it then. This method will give a less rich foam.

Are you a vegan or lactose-intolerant? Check out these 5 milk substitutes for tea.

5. Add a sweetener

And finally, to complete the pumpkin spice latte recipe, you may need a sweetener. Some pumpkins are naturally very sweet and if you like less sweet lattes, you don’t need to add anything else. This will depend on the type of tea you are using as well. If the tea you are using is astringent, you can try to add some honey or brown sugar.

6. Choose the right ratios

Using the right ingredients is as important as using the right amount of ingredients. The perfect ratio for lattes is 1/3 of base drink and 2/3 of steamed and frother milk. Tea lattes don’t need to follow the same rule, but this will depend on the tea. If you are using more tea leaves and a stronger tea base, you can use more milk. Usually, 1:1 ratio works well in almost any tea latte.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe

This recipe is for a simple, easy to make pumpkin spice latte. If you want to make your own pumpkin puree, you will need to peel the pumpkin and cut it into small pieces. Just simply steam it for 10-15 minutes (until soft) and use a blender or food processor to make a pure. Other alternatives are available too. You will also need an electric hand frother to froth the pumpkin pure together with tea and to froth the milk.