The Ultimate Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte {Video Included!}

 
When I started graduate school for organic chemistry, nearly everyone had a coffee cup permanently glued to their hand by the end of the second week. First year students were required to take two classes, teach two undergraduate lab sessions, and attend three seminars each week. Add in grading the lab reports for those lower division classes, as well as completing our own problem sets, and caffeine immediately became a necessity. We barely got any sleep!  

There was a reason the Chemistry Department always offered both cookies and coffee at those required seminars… They started at 4 pm, and without them, the entire lecture hall would’ve started snoring by the time the guest speaker finished their introduction!
 

 
Most grad students brought their own coffee in the mornings, usually in a travel mug since nearly everyone biked to campus. Armed with a pencil in one hand and coffee in the other, they sat through the early morning classes while scribbling down notes from the old-fashioned blackboards. Even the professors brought their own coffee to class!

Many of the first years walked across the courtyard to the student center in the afternoons to grab another pick-me-up from Starbucks on the days without seminars. With our very small grad student income, the majority opted for inexpensive plain cups of black coffee instead of fancier frappuccinos, cappuccinos, or lattes, but every once in a while during the fall… Someone would splurge for a pumpkin spice latte.
 

 
Since my brother just moved into his new graduate school student housing, I started thinking about my own grad school days… And I started craving this copycat Ultimate Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte as a result! It tastes — dare I say it? — even better than the original from Starbucks, and it costs just a fraction of the price!

Even better, it contains entirely wholesome, clean eating ingredients (along with a delicious dairy-free option!). Nothing artificial, no sugar or refined sweeteners or syrups… And yes, unlike the very first PSLs way back in the day, this homemade one actually does include real pumpkin!
 

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HEALTHY HOMEMADE PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE

Our healthy homemade pumpkin spice latte (or PSL, for short!) starts with extra strong coffee. Yes, traditional lattes always use shots of espresso, but because most of us have regular coffee makers at home, not espresso machines, we’re using coffee. Since you’re adding more milk than coffee, it’s important to make the coffee extra strong so you can taste it. Besides, very few people turn down extra caffeine, right?

To that, we’ll add the hot milk mixture. You’ll make this by heating milk and pumpkin purée on the stove until they start to simmer. If you’d like, you can easily make this healthy homemade pumpkin spice latte vegan and by using your preferred dairy-free milk! Soy milk, almond milk, cashew milk, and coconut milk all work.
 

 
Next come the spices and sweetener. You’ll use a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to create the iconic pumpkin spice flavor. Since they can tend to clump, whisk them into the hot milk very well! As for the sweetener, we’ll use liquid stevia. Stevia is a no-calorie, plant-based sweetener, and this brand that I used can be found at most health-oriented grocery stores. (However, I typically buy it online at that link because it’s the cheapest price I’ve found!)

Then pour, sip, and enjoy your healthy homemade pumpkin spice latte! ♡
 

HEALTHY HOMEMADE PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE – RECIPE VIDEO

 
Ahhhhh. Pure bliss! And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your ultimate healthy homemade pumpkin spice latte!

The Ultimate Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 1 latte

Make your own PSL at home for a fraction of the cost and calories! This recipe is easily doubled or tripled to serve more.

5 from 17 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients 

• 1 cup (240mL) nonfat milk or non-dairy milk (see Notes!)
• 1 tbsp (15g) pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix!)
• 4 drops liquid stevia (or adjusted to taste)
• ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
• tiny pinch ground nutmeg
• tiny pinch ground ginger
• ¾ cup (180mL) extra strong coffee

Instructions

• Add the milk and pumpkin to a small pot. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, until the mixture begins to simmer. Add in the stevia, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Whisk the mixture until it becomes frothy.
• Add the coffee to a large mug, and pour the milk mixture on top.

Notes

MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk, including all non-dairy varieties, may be substituted for the nonfat milk. My favorite non-dairy milk options are unsweetened cashew milk (it's so thick and creamy!) and unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

 

SWEETENER NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: I buy my liquid stevia online here because that's the best price I've found, and you'll use it in all of these recipes of mine too! Any sweetener may be substituted for the liquid stevia. Adjust the amount to suit your tastes.

 

SPICES ALTERNATIVE: If you prefer, a generous ⅛ teaspoon of store-bought pumpkin pie spice may be substituted for the cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

 

COFFEE NOTES + ALTERNATIVE: Two shots of espresso may be substituted for the extra strong coffee. To prepare the extra strong coffee, add twice the amount of coffee grounds to the coffee maker as is required.

 

{gluten free, dairy free, egg free, vegan, clean eating, low fat, sugar free}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amyshealthybaking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points

You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  Healthy Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte
♡  Healthy Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate
♡  Healthy Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Latte
♡  Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte Oatmeal Cookies
♡  Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte Scones
♡  Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte Cinnamon Rolls
♡  Healthy Mint Chocolate Chip Frappuccino
♡  Healthy Almond Joy Frappuccino
♡  Skinny Chocolate Covered Strawberry Frappé
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy pumpkin recipes!