Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte

2 hot cups of delicious Pumpkin spice chai latte packed with simple ingredients like creamy pumpkin puree and fall-infused pumpkin spice ready in less than 15 minutes. Regular and vegan options.

A perfect fall drink if you are a coffee lover but trying to consume less caffeine. The recipe literally includes 2 steps and only 6 to 8 ingredients, depending on what toppings you decide to go with.

But the natural flavors are so worth it, one of my go-to fall drinks when I have time in the morning, especially on weekends.

What Is Chai Latte?

Chai latte is a type of tea, and its original name is Masala chai. It was created in India and is made of strongly brewed black tea in milk and water, with or without spices.

The word chai itself means tea in Chinese and Hindi. Every region in India and Southeast Asia would have its own version.

So, a chai latte is a tea, just a latte is coffee. We call it chai latte as latte in Italian means milk. So both drinks have milk in them, thus the use of the word latte.

The original spice blend that gave the drink its distinctive chai flavor included spices and herbs available, like ginger, cardamom, cinnamon sticks, cloves, black pepper, mint, or even lemongrass. You probably saw a Masala spice blend in the store, that’s it!

And apparently, it is even considered to be very healthy. Chai latte is rich in antioxidants and has less caffeine than coffee.

This makes me very happy as the Pumpkin chai latte can easily be named the American chai latte I think.

Is This One Of The Starbucks Copycat Recipes For Pumpkin Chai Latte?

As far as I know, Starbucks uses pumpkin spice sauce, not the real pumpkin puree I use in my recipe. I can also be 100% sure that I don’t add any artificial flavors to my drink.

However, of course, pumpkin chai lattes’ popularity spiked when Starbucks introduced the drink – in 2003! Can you imagine it has been more than 20 years?

However, your local coffee shop only serves it during fall and with this recipe on hand, you can make it any time of the year! Plus, homemade pumpkin spice chai latte will be much cheaper and contain less added sugar.

Pumpkin chai latte is a chai tea concentrate with warm milk, pumpkin puree, and a mix of fall spices: cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. You can make your own blend and add more or use less of different warm spices. For example, star anise has a very unique flavor.

Homemade Pumpkin Chai Latte Ingredients

I think everything will be readily available at your local grocery store. If you struggle to find specifically chai tea concentrate or leaves, use Assam black tea bags or leaf tea.

Chai Tea Latte

• Milk. Regular whole milk or non-dairy milk. Coconut milk, oat milk, soy milk, or unsweetened almond milk will work great if you’re vegan or lactose intolerant. I don’t use steamed milk or frothed milk, I simply simmer it with the ingredients.
• Pumpkin purée. Make sure to use exactly the pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling, as the latter often has additives that will ruin the flavor. Plus, puree has the most natural and creamy pumpkin flavor. Feel free to make your own or simply buy canned pumpkin puree.
• Granulated sugar or sweetener of choice (1-2 tbsp depending on preference). You can use date paste, honey, maple syrup, agave, or brown sugar syrup.
• Chai tea – strong brewed aka chai concentrate. Just dried black tea. Don’t buy the Chai Latte mixes that already have milk, spices, pumpkin, and some additives in them. We are making the chai latte from scratch. If you have the tea bags, use 1 to 3 to brew depending on how strong you love your chai.

Pumpkin Spice Topping & Decoration

• Pumpkin pie spice blend. See below how to make your own, or just buy the ready-to-use mix.
• Vanilla extract, use pure extract if you can.
• Whipped cream (optional, for topping)
• Ground cinnamon (optional, for garnish)

Just like the Starbucks drink, a homemade pumpkin spice chai latte is easy to customize. You can use whichever toppings you love!

To make it fancy, decorate with a long cinnamon stick, dust some spices, and place a star anise on the top. That will be a piece of art!

Kitchen Equipment You Need

• a small or medium saucepan (a small saucepan is enough for making 2 portions).
• 2 mugs

How To Make A Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte (HOT)

1. Brew the chai tea covered for at least 5-10 minutes. You can step it on the stovetop as well.
2. Combine the milk, pumpkin puree, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a low simmer over medium-low – it should have a few bubbles, but do not boil. (stir frequently)
3. Whisk in the chai tea, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla. Bring back to a simmer for another 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
4. Pour pumpkin chai latte into your favorite fall mugs, and top with whipped cream and cinnamon if desired.
5. If you want the drink to be without any pumpkin pulp, pour it into the mugs through a sieve or cheesecloth.
6. Serve hot with some cookies!

How To Make Iced Pumpkin Chai Latte

To make an iced version of the latte with pumpkin spice we will use cold milk.

• Mix brewed chai, pumpkin puree, chai spices, and sugar.
• Pour milk (cold).
• Fill the glass with ice or vanilla ice cream and pour the mix into the glass. Your iced latte is done!

Can I Make Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice?

Pumpkin pie spice is a Fall spirit in a jar!

To make homemade pumpkin spice you simply add all the spices you want, like cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, and pepper, and grind them until it’s powder.

Or you can buy all of them in powder form separately and just mix! Use more cinnamon in your mix, like in ratio 1:3, meaning 1 part of any other spice and 3 parts of cinnamon. Black pepper is optional and if adding, use just a pinch.

In an airtight container, the blend will last a whole year.

Tips To Make The Best Pumpkin Spice Latte

• Store your chai tea leaves in an airtight container to preserve the aromas.
• Use the shortcut: you can brew chai directly in hot milk for 5 minutes. Then you add the remaining ingredients.
• If using chai tea bags make sure to not let the labels fall in the brewing cup and squeeze them well before discarding.
• A bit of sweetened condensed milk can make the chai latte extra creamy, sweet, and tasty. Condensed skim milk has a lower water content.
• If you like frothy drinks, use a regular immersion blender or a milk frother. Note that not all plant-based kinds of milk froth well, only soy, cashew, and oat milk.
• Change it up by adding cold foam, heavy cream, or a shot of espresso. 

Popular Questions

Is Pumpkin Spice Latte Similar To Chai Latte?

Regular chai latte may not have any spices in it, while pumpkin spice latte specifically has a pumpkin spice blend.

Both can be made with chai tea. But a Pumpkin spice latte can also refer to the regular caffeinated latte.

How Many Calories In A Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte From Starbucks?

Starbucks has a lot of add-ons you can use in your chai latte, but usually, it has at least 390 calories in a 16 oz cup with a standard choice of milk and toppings. Venti cup has a minimum of 470 cal.

Is There Caffeine In A Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte?

Yes, chai latte has caffeine but less than regular coffee latte. To compare, a mug of chai latte has only around 30 mg of caffeine, while a mug of coffee has around 120 mg. More concentrated chai can have up to 50 mg of caffeine at most.

Is The Pumpkin Chai Latte Coffee Or Tea?

Pumpkin chai latte is a tea-based drink with milk. Regular pumpkin spice lattes have a single or double shot of coffee with milk as well. 

If you love this cozy fall drink recipe, you’re going to love these other fall favorites too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

More Delicious Fall Drinks

Holiday Punch Recipe

Bourbon Apple Cider

Instant Pot Apple Cider

Pumpkin Spice Latte

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