The pumpkin spice latte is the drink that announces autumn around the world: espresso, creamy milk, and pumpkin syrup with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. The chain version usually tastes more like sugar than coffee, but at home you can make a pumpkin spice latte recipe with real pumpkin and a good specialty coffee that stands out in the cup.
We’ll tell you how to make the homemade syrup, which coffee to choose, and how to assemble the drink step by step, with and without an espresso machine.
What is a pumpkin spice latte
It is a latte (espresso with textured milk) to which a spiced pumpkin syrup is added. The spice blend, the famous pumpkin spice, comes from the tradition of American pumpkin pie: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. It is usually finished with whipped cream and a pinch of cinnamon on top.
The key to making it not too sweet is two things: a syrup with real pumpkin and less sugar, and a full-bodied espresso that can stand up to the milk and spices.
Homemade pumpkin syrup
These quantities make about 400 ml of syrup, enough for 10-12 drinks.
Ingredients
- 200 g roasted pumpkin purée (butternut squash or violin squash, peeled)
- 150 ml water
- 120 g brown sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 cloves (or a pinch of ground cloves)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
- Roast the pumpkin in pieces at 200 °C for about 30-40 minutes until tender, and blend until you get a fine purée.
- Put the water, sugar, and spices in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the pumpkin purée and let it simmer gently for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat, add the vanilla, and strain through a fine sieve to remove the cinnamon stick, cloves, and fibers.
- Store it in a glass jar in the refrigerator. It lasts about 5-7 days; shake before using.
If you like it less sweet, reduce the sugar to 80 g. If you prefer it spicier, add a pinch of allspice.
What coffee to use for a pumpkin spice latte
The spices and pumpkin call for a coffee with chocolate notes, good body, and moderate acidity. Look in our selection of specialty coffee for espresso and keep these two options in mind:
- Natural Mundo Novo Brazilian coffee: dense, sweet, and very chocolaty. It is the safest companion for milk and spices.
- Washed Bourbon-Typica Mexican coffee: chocolate notes, aromatic herbs, and a citrus touch. It gives a fresher latte, with the spices more pronounced.
Do you drink it in the afternoon? Prepare it with Caldas decaf coffee, which retains its sweetness and works very well in espresso.
Remember that you can order the coffee in beans or ground for your method; if you have a grinder, grind it right before preparing.
Pumpkin spice latte recipe step by step
Recipe card (1 cup of about 300 ml)
- Coffee: 18 g of espresso coffee
- Grind: fine, espresso
- Drink: 36 g double espresso
- Ratio: 1:2
- Water: 92-94 °C (machine temperature)
- Extraction time: 25-30 seconds
- Syrup: 30 ml (about 2 tablespoons)
- Milk: 200 ml, textured at 60-65 °C
Preparation
- Put the pumpkin syrup at the bottom of the cup.
- Extract the double espresso directly over the syrup and stir so it integrates.
- Texture the milk until you get a shiny microfoam, without large bubbles. Do not exceed 65 °C: the milk loses sweetness.
- Pour the milk over the espresso. If you want to practice, take the opportunity to draw a heart; in our beginner latte art guide we explain how.
- Finish with whipped cream (optional) and a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg.
The espresso machine: where the texture is won
In a latte, half the result is the milk. If you are thinking about an espresso machine for home, these two options are very good for milk drinks:
- Sage the Bambino Plus: compact, ready in 3 seconds, and with an automatic steam wand that textures the milk for you, with 3 temperatures and 3 textures. Ideal if you are starting.
- Profitec Go 2.0: single boiler, 58 mm professional group, and PID temperature control. It gives you more control over the espresso and milk if you want to learn to texture by hand.
Variations
Pumpkin spice latte with plant-based milk
Oat milk is the one that best combines with pumpkin and the one that most resembles milk when textured. Choose a "barista" version, with a bit more fat, so the foam is stable.
Iced pumpkin spice latte
Mix the syrup with the freshly made espresso, add ice, and complete with 150 ml of cold milk. If you have leftovers, a cold whipped cream foam with a little syrup on top looks spectacular.
Without an espresso machine
You can use a concentrated moka coffee or AeroPress and heat and foam the milk separately. In our article on how to make a latte at home with and without an espresso machine you have all the options.
Tips to make it perfect
- Use roasted pumpkin, not boiled: it has more flavor and less water.
- Adjust the syrup to your taste: start with 20 ml and increase if you want it sweeter.
- Heat the cup before serving so the drink does not cool down.
- Prepare the syrup on Sunday and you will have pumpkin spice latte all week.
This autumn, swap industrial syrup for real pumpkin and a good espresso. Choose your specialty coffee for espresso, roasted in Barcelona, and remember that shipping is free on coffees from €35 on the mainland.
