Pumpkin spice is the highlight of fall for so many people. Suddenly in late August, pumpkin spice seems to appear everywhere – in grocery stores, in bakeries, and of course – in coffee shops like Starbucks. And for good reason – it’s delicious!

I love pumpkin spice. The yummy blend of nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and cloves, add to pumpkin, is the essential flavor of fall. And it reminds me of the pretty fall colors, fun fall festivals, cooler days and nights, football games, and bundling up in blanket in front of a fire.

Starbucks makes an amazing Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte, but as much as I’d love to have one every day, I know my bank account would not approve! So here instead is a version I make at home to save money, and you can too! It still tastes similar to what you’d find at Starbucks, and for a lot cheaper.

What is a latte?

A latte is a type of coffee made with espresso and hot steamed milk. It’s typically milkier than a cappuccino. However, an iced latte just uses chilled milk. This recipe just uses chilled milk.

What kind of milk to use?

You can use any type of milk in this recipe – skim, whole, oat, soy, or almond.

Here are some tips before making it:

Get a good coffee grinder and use whole bean coffee so you have the freshest-tasting coffee possible. I always use a dark roast coffee.
Use a Nespresso for rich, flavorful expresso. I love mine and there are many varieties of expresso and coffee that you can use. In the fall, they have a pumpkin spice cake coffee that would go well with this.
For a low-fat version, you can use skim milk. I recommend experimenting with different combinations to get the best flavor for the fewest calories.
For the pumpkin puree, I just use canned pumpkin. You can also use fresh pureed pumpkin as well.
Do not confuse the pumpkin puree with pumpkin pie filling. Puree is just pumpkin, not prepared for a pie.

Why make it at home?

There are many reasons to make this coffee drink at home.

It saves money!
It’s easy!
You can customize it with whatever ingredients you want.
Homemade coffee drinks like this are typically lower in calories and sugar.
You can make this in only 5 minutes! That’s less time than it takes to go to Starbucks, order and then wait.

Starbucks Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte Copycat Recipe

Ingredients

Pumpkin puree – 1/4 cup
Milk – 3\4 cup
Strong coffee – 1/2 cup
Pumpkin spice (or pumpkin pie spice) – 1 tbsp.
A pinch of salt
Vanilla – 1 tsp.
Honey – 1 tbsp.

You’ll also need a tall glass for the drink. I used soda glasses – many come as a set with straws, and go by many names (sake, classic can tumbler, etc). You can find some on amazon.com here!

Instructions

In a bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, milk, spices and honey.

Add salt and vanilla. Mix.

Fill the glass with crushed ice. Use as much or as little ice as you like. I use less because I like stronger flavor, but I know some like a lot of ice.