Creamy Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe

One sure sign that fall is on the way is when all the coffee shops add pumpkin spice lattes to their menus. While it's become somewhat of a seasonal trope, some PSL lovers may want to enjoy their favorite beverage in spring or early summer, so developer Julianne De Witt came up with a DIY recipe. Not only is the drink easy to make, but it takes less time than you might spend waiting in line at Starbucks, and it'll cost you a lot less, too.

De Witt describes her drink as "not overly sweet or too spicy and perfectly creamy," and it even includes real pumpkin just like a Starbucks PSL. The recipe can also be easily customized to suit your needs. If you don't have an espresso maker, you can use instant espresso or substitute four ounces of strong coffee. You can also use any kind of milk you want, whether plant or dairy, and the whipped cream on top can be omitted or swapped out for foamed milk. If you're not a coffee fan, you can even replace the espresso with cocoa to make pumpkin spice hot chocolate similar to the kind found on Starbucks' secret menu.

The base of this drink is espresso and milk (De Witt uses 2%). To flavor the drink, you'll need pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and sugar. Optionally (and recommended), you can top off your homemade PSL with whipped cream.

Brew or pour 2 shots of espresso into a medium-sized mug.

Place the milk in a milk frother and heat.

Add pumpkin, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice to coffee.

Whisk thoroughly to combine.

Top off with the hot milk and stir.

Garnish the latte with whipped cream and more pumpkin pie spice, if desired.

You don't need to go out any buy a jar of pumpkin pie spice if it's not already in your pantry. This seasoning is actually a blend of five different spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves. So, it's quite easy to make your own pumpkin pie spice simply by blending those spices together, should you have each individual one in your repertoire. To duplicate most store-bought pumpkin pie spices, combine nine parts cinnamon, two parts nutmeg, two parts ginger, and one part each allspice and cloves.

Of course, the beauty of DIY is that you don't need to stick with a standard formula and can customize the blend as you see fit. Cinnamon is the signature flavor, but if you don't care for either the nutmeg or ginger, you can omit them, while you may also feel free to double them if they're favorites of yours. As for the allspice and cloves, these spices have a fairly similar flavor so you can omit either one without changing the taste of your PSL too much or leave them both out if you're not a fan. You can also add spices to your pumpkin pie blend — a pinch of black pepper or cayenne would warm up the mix, while cardamom could provide floral notes.

If you don't have a milk frother, you don't need to bypass this recipe. You can simply heat the milk together with the pumpkin, sugar, and spice, then pour the warm mixture over the espresso. If you do want to duplicate the froth, however, there are various kitchen tools that can help you achieve this effect. 

The simplest method for foamy milk without a frother is using a lidded jar — first heat the milk on the stove or in the microwave, then pour it into the jar, screw on the lid, and shake. You can also use a whisk, an electric mixer, or a handheld frother, while an immersion blender or a stand blender will also whip some air into your warm milk and make it nice and foamy. If you have a French press, this also makes a great milk frother. Pour the warm milk into the press, hold the lid in place with one hand, and pump the handle up and down for about 10 seconds. Allow the milk to rest for a minute before adding it to the other ingredients.