Hey everyone! Now that my bold claim on the title got your attention, let’s get into it. For years Starbucks has touted and aggressively promoted its signature Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL for those of us well versed) every fall. It has turned into a huge money maker for them every year and I’m not knocking that. However, despite push from the vegan community to create a vegan version for literally year, Starbucks decided to ignore us again this year. Several others have actually listened (I see you, Peet’s) and for that, on behalf of the entire vegan community, thank you! And I say fine, I don’t want to spend $6 on a small (tall) coffee anyway. So here- enjoy my vegan pumpkin spice latte recipe for a fraction of the cost.
Why you will love this homemade PSL
A lot of people freak out when making lattes at home because they don’t have that fancy machine like in the coffee shops. You know which one I’m talking about- the one that has a nozzle and steams and froths the milk at the same time.
But don’t worry- you don’t need that fancy equipment to make a beautiful latte at home. Now I am not hyping myself to be some fancy latte artist- I don’t make flowers or crazy swans or anything. But I can tell you that this will taste amazing and save you a pretty chunk of change if PSLs are your kryptonite.
Star Ingredients
Pumpkin– This should come as no surprise, but did you know that Starbucks didn’t actually use any pumpkin in their PSL recipe until they got called out for it in 2015? No fillers or artificial flavoring here- just simple ingredients.
Pumpkin pie spice– Because pumpkin puree has a generally weaker flavor profile, we’re going to enhance the fall flavors with a blend that contains cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves.
Maple butter- Yes maple butter is vegan- the one I’m using for this is just maple and coffee extract. This is a great choice for me because I don’t like any of my teas or coffees sweetened. I drink all my chai and coffee with zero sugar. Maple butter is a good way to get some flavor in without all the sweetness that comes from refined sugar. Sure, some sweetness comes through, but it’s not overpowering.
Strong coffee- Home strained decoction or strong instant coffee work just fine for this recipe. Just make a strong black coffee that you like.
How to make a vegan pumpkin spice latte
Like I mentioned above, you don’t need that fancy looking intimidating frother in the coffee shops. You’ll just do the steaming and the frothing in two steps. You’re going to want to whisk together all the ingredients except the coffee and bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
Next, transfer the mixture to a high powered blender that can handle boiling liquids. I used my Vitamix. On medium high speed, blend the milk mixture together for 30 seconds until there’s a thick layer of foam on top of the mixture.
Then just pour it into coffee and you’re done!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups soy milk
- 2 tbsp pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp maple butter
- 1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 cup strong instant or decoction black coffee
Method
- Prepare your black coffee.
- Combine soy milk, pumpkin puree, maple butter, and pumpkin pie spice in a pot.
- Bring it to a boil.
- Transfer milk mixture to high power blender, like Vitamix. Blend on medium high for 30 seconds until thick layer of foam forms on top.
- Pour over coffee.
- Top with more cinnamon.
