Skip the sugary syrups and artificial flavors and make your own pumpkin chai latte filled with cozy fall flavors easily at home.
Ah fall, the season of chunky sweaters, chilly evenings and all things cozy. But nothing is more synonymous with the season than pumpkin and spice. Even before summer has seen its last day pumpkin spice flavored everything has already taken over grocery stores and coffee shops everywhere.
Would it even be fall without a pumpkin spice latte or my favorite, a pumpkin chai latte?
What’s in a pumpkin chai latte?
A cross between a pumpkin spice latte and a traditional chai latte, a pumpkin chai latte is made with tea instead of espresso and has all the usual chai flavors in addition to the pumpkin spice flavors. It’s sweet and spicy and easy to make at home. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Pumpkin Puree: Make sure to grab pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Sweetener: I think maple syrup pairs the best with pumpkin spice but you can also use coconut sugar or date syrup if you prefer.
- Spices: You’ll need cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom and black pepper or you can use a pumpkin pie spice mix and chai tea bag instead.
- Milk: I like coconut or cashew milk but you can use any milk you’d like just make sure it’s on the creamy side.
- Vanilla: Extract or paste is fine here.
- Tea: I make my latte with rooibos tea so I can enjoy all the seasonal flavors any time of day minus the caffeine jitters, but of course you can also make this with regular black tea if you prefer.
How to make a pumpkin spice chai latte at home:
- You’ll start by heating the pumpkin puree along with the maple syrup and spices in a small saucepan until warm and fragrant.
- Then you’ll whisk in your milk and water and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add your vanilla and tea, turn of the heat, cover and let steep.
- If you like a bit of froth you can use a milk frother, an immersion blender or simply pour the mixture into a high speed blender until frothy and serve. If you’re feeling extra fancy you can also top your latte with whipped cream and an extra sprinkle of cinnamon.
Smooth and silky but not overly rich, with just enough sweetness and warming spice, it’s like fall in a mug.
More warming fall drink recipes:
Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte
A soothing caffeine-free pumpkin spice tea latte made with rooibos tea, that's like fall in a mug.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons/30g pumpkin purée
- 1 ½ Tablespoons/22ml maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛th teaspoon ground ginger, a pinch of ground cloves and a pinch of ground nutmeg.
- 2 cardamom pods, crushed open (use both seeds and pod)
- A pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup/240ml light coconut milk (or milk of choice)
- ¼ cup/60ml filtered water
- 1 chai rooibos tea bag or 1 regular rooibos tea bag
Instructions
- Place the pumpkin purée, maple syrup and spices in a small saucepan and cook, stirring constantly over low heat until slightly thickened and the spices are fragrant (about 1-2 minutes).
- Whisk in vanilla, milk and water and bring just to a simmer while stirring often (do not boil).
- Add tea bag, cover and let steep for 5 minutes.
- Remove tea bag and strain mixture to remove cardamom pods.
- Pour mixture into blender and pulse until frothy or return to pan and use an immersion blender or milk frother instead.
- Pour into mug and top with a sprinkle of cinnamon, or nutmeg if desired. Serve warm.
Notes
VARIATIONS: Substitute your favorite kind of black tea instead of rooibos tea. Recipe can be doubled.
STORAGE: Store in an airtight container in the fridge and re-heat to serve.
DIETARY INFO: Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Refined Sugar-Free
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 129Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 24mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 2gSugar: 13gProtein: 1g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
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Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
Ivana says
Thank you for this great recipe! Can you tell me, please, if you use canned coconut milk, or the regular one in a carton? Thank you in advance! 🙂
Sylvie says
I use canned but feel free to use coconut milk that comes in a carton if you prefer. Please note that the coconut milk in the carton is lower in fat than canned coconut milk and will produce a less rich but equally tasty result!
Lisa @ Wine & Glue says
This looks so delicious without being packed with all the calories of the original!
Emma says
This looks so, so good and soul-warming. I'm so ready for the fall and all the delicious spices and tastes that is associated with it, but we're have a full on Indian summer here in Denmark right now, which is quite unusual. Not that I'm not enjoying the good weather, but fall is probably my favorite season, so I'm pretty excited about it 🙂 As soon as the temperature drops a little, I must make this latte.
Love, Emma
Brenda @ a farmgirl's dabbles says
I love that this pumpkin drink is made with tea. Super lovely!
Laura |Petite Allergy Treats says
I can't just imagine relaxing with a cup of this! Love the idea of pumpkin tea instead of coffee!
Em says
Caffeine-free pumpkin spice drink - it's all I've ever asked for! Thanks for knowing just what a mama wants, Sylvie. And I love the styling in these pics. That throw! <3
Raia says
That looks so comforting and delicious! I love the addition of the hemp, too. I'm definitely going to be giving it a try.
Catherine says
Dear Sylvie, I am so ready for the fall and this latte only makes me more eager for the cooler season to arrive. Sounds so warm and comforting...I would love this in the evening with a classic movie. Beautiful photo too. xo, Catherine
Maria says
So cool using the rooibos tea!
allie says
I'd love to snuggle up in this gorgeous throw with your pumpkin latte. Sounds heavenly. We're just getting a drop in humidity around here and looking forward to the cool crisp nights of fall. You are getting me in the mood for sure!