Your nearly $7 pumpkin spice latte has about 50g of sugar. This one has real pumpkin and tastes better.

The short answer: This healthy pumpkin spice latte uses real pumpkin, pure maple syrup and warm spices instead of a sugary sauce. Plus, it takes about 5 minutes, has roughly 215 calories and 13 grams of added sugar, and you can make it hot or iced.

It’s 6:45 AM, it’s dark out, and the drive-thru line is already wrapped around the building. Of course, you want the cozy fall drink. But you don’t want the 10 AM sugar crash or the nearly $7 charge on your card again.

It’s built the Clean Fit Fab way: real food, big flavor, and no seed oils.

Why this healthy pumpkin spice latte works on tired mornings

• Real pumpkin, not a sweet sauce. Just two tablespoons of pure pumpkin puree bring the flavor, plus a little fiber and a dose of vitamin A.
• About a quarter of the sugar. One tablespoon of maple syrup adds about 13 grams of sugar. Meanwhile, the coffee shop grande has about 50 grams.
• Five minutes, one small pot. Warm, whisk, pour. Also, no special machine needed.
• Real protein from real milk. Whole milk or soy milk gives you 7 to 8 grams of protein, so it holds you until breakfast.

In fact, a grande Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte with 2% milk and whipped cream lists about 390 calories and 50 grams of sugar, and roughly 32 grams of that is added sugar. The Harvard Nutrition Source notes that the American Heart Association suggests women keep added sugar under about 25 grams a day. So one drink can use up more than a full day’s worth.

The flavor: what makes it taste so good

The coffee shop version leans on a sweet pumpkin sauce. Instead, this one builds flavor the way a good pie does, with spice and a little salt. The pumpkin gives it body, the maple gives it a round caramel sweetness, and the espresso keeps it from tasting like dessert.

• Pumpkin pie spice: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and a whisper of clove
• Pure maple syrup for sweetness with a caramel edge
• A tiny pinch of sea salt, which makes the pumpkin taste richer
• Real vanilla extract and freshly pulled espresso or strong brewed coffee

What you need

Here’s a quick look at the ingredients. Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

• Ingredients: espresso, whole milk, pumpkin puree, pure maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, sea salt, ground cinnamon

Also, a note on fat: we cook with extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, butter or ghee. They taste better, and they’re real food.

How to make healthy pumpkin spice latte

First, brew the espresso or a half cup of strong coffee. Next, warm the milk with the pumpkin, maple, spice and salt in a small saucepan, whisking until it steams. Then froth it, pour it over the coffee and dust with cinnamon. The full recipe card is below, and the iced version is the last step.

Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte

A Starbucks copycat pumpkin spice latte with real pumpkin, maple and warm spices. Five minutes, about 215 calories, hot or iced.

7minutes

8gprotein

215calories

1servings

Servings

1x2x3x

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Ingredients Uncheck all

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• 2 shots espresso or 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
• 1 cup whole milk or 2% milk
• 2 tbsp pumpkin puree 100% pure pumpkin, not pie filling
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp ginger and a pinch each of nutmeg and clove
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tiny pinch sea salt
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon for dusting

Instructions

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1. Brew the espresso or strong coffee and pour it into a large mug.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the milk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Heat for 3 to 4 minutes, whisking often, until steaming with small bubbles at the edge. Don't let it boil.
   Start 4 min timer
3. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the vanilla. Froth with a handheld frother, or whisk hard for 30 seconds until foamy.
4. Pour the pumpkin milk over the espresso, spoon the foam on top and dust with cinnamon.
5. Iced version: whisk the milk, pumpkin, maple, spice, vanilla and salt together cold, shake in a jar, pour over ice and top with the cooled espresso.

Calories 215Protein 8gCarbohydrates 28gFat 8gFiber 1gper serving, estimated

Serving ideas

Pour it into a big mug and dust the foam with cinnamon. Then pair it with something that has protein, like a jammy egg or cottage cheese toast, so it’s breakfast and not just a treat. Also, for the iced version, pour the shaken mixture over a tall glass of ice and top with a splash of cold milk.

Nutrition at a glance: each serving has about 215 calories, 8g protein, 28g carbs and 1g fiber. Numbers are estimates and change with your exact ingredients.

Swaps and variations

• Make it iced: whisk everything together cold, shake it in a jar with the cooled espresso, and pour over ice.
• Use oat milk or unsweetened soy milk for a dairy-free latte. Soy froths best, and it also brings the most protein.
• Want it sweeter? Add one more teaspoon of maple, not a whole second tablespoon, and taste first.
• Stir a scoop of unflavored collagen or whey into the warm milk for a protein latte with 15 to 20 grams.
• No espresso machine? Use a half cup of strong brewed coffee or cold brew concentrate.

Make-ahead and storage tips

Make a jar of the pumpkin base ahead: whisk 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla and a pinch of salt. It keeps in the fridge for a week, too. Then each morning, warm 1 cup of milk with 3 tablespoons of the base and pour it over espresso. That turns this healthy pumpkin spice latte into a 3-minute habit.

Frequently asked questions

Save this one for your next long day. Want more? Try our cinnamon roasted sweet potatoes with brown butter pecans next.

This article is for general information and is not medical or nutrition advice.