Easy Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe – No Table Sugar & Budget-Friendly

You may have noticed that the pumpkin spice latte has been back at coffee shops for weeks as the first day of fall looms. Perhaps you’ve tried it – but now want a fresh homemade recipe for it.

Many restaurants will load their own versions with added sugars and the sweetness will be a little bit too overzealous for some. In fact, Starbucks’ version uses a whopping 50 grams of sugar and 390 total calories.

Meanwhile, at home, you can get the same satisfaction without using an ounce of table sugar. At the same time, it costs a fraction of the price and is easy to make with just several ingredients needed.

Check out our recipe down below.

Recipe For Pumpkin Spice Latte

This recipe is for one. Feel free to multiply the serving amount down below by the number of people you plan on making this for.

Starting with the dairy portion, you’ll need to use a saucepan to mix in all your ingredients, which are as follows:

• One cup of milk
• One to two tablespoons of maple syrup
• A few dashes of pumpkin spice seasoning
• One teaspoon of vanilla extract
• Two scoops of pumpkin puree

For the coffee portion, you’ll need two espresso shots and pumpkin spice seasoning at the bottom. When done, pour the dairy mix onto your coffee and stir.

Important Steps For Ideal Outcome

To make sure that this hot drink comes out the best way, you’ll want to pay extra attention to a couple of steps.

Most importantly, once you’ve incorporated all the ingredients in your saucepan and got it to a desirable temperature, make sure to use either a fine-mesh strainer or a cheesecloth. This will eliminate the lumps and give you a smoother latte. Unfortunately, not everything will blend into your mix and the portions of the puree will be visible.

Next, make sure to use an espresso machine. While you can make shots without a machine, it certainly takes some craftiness to get similar results. Personally, I buy whole coffee beans and grind them right before brewing to acquire the best taste.

Extra Steps

These next steps are not required – but are ones that I recommend to give your pumpkin spice latte a boost.

One, top it with cold foam. I use a low-sugar-added option from Trader Joe’s – but you can make your own at home with heavy cream and a zero-calorie sweetener of your choice like Stevia.

Also, feel free to garnish pumpkin spice on top of either the cold foam or the dairy.

If your store or pantry cabinet does not have pumpkin pie spice, you can make your own by combining the following seasonings: cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, lemon peel and cardamom.

Savings Broken Down

The health benefits of making the recipe at home are obvious, but how much do you save by making your own pumpkin spice latte?

While prices will vary by location, a grande cup at Starbucks comes out to $6.45 at a local store and Dunkin’s cost $5.49 for a medium size.

Let’s take a look at the prices of the ingredients needed at an Aldi. Maple Syrup costs $5.75 or 46 cents per ounce, pumpkin pie spice seasoning costs $1.75 or 88 cents per ounce, half and half costs $2.65 or eight cents per ounce, vanilla extract is $3.65 or $1.82 per ounce and $1.99 for pumpkin pure or 13 cents per ounce.

By overestimating and assuming one ounce for each item, you’ll spend just $3.37 – almost half the cost of Starbucks. But you won’t be using a full ounce for everything, including vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice. So you’ll save significantly more than $3.37.

Plus, you’ll have more leftover to make another pumpkin spice latte for another day and afterward. This recipe can be made between 10 and 20 minutes at home.