Starbucks describes its most famous fall beverage (and perhaps its most iconic holiday drink overall) as "our signature espresso and steamed milk with the celebrated flavor combination of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove." Of course, other cafés and coffee chains make the drink as well, but the Starbucks one is the gold standard—and with good reason.
As a former barista who has made a zillion of these sippers in her time, I’m not a particularly huge fan. That said, it’s hard to find something explicitly wrong with the drink. It’s comforting, fragrant, sweet and gently spiced.
I’m not the only staffer who thinks so, either. If liking the PSL is wrong (read: basic), PureWow Associate Editor of SEO Marissa Wu doesn’t want to be right. “If I’m at Starbucks in the fall, I need one. It tastes like the holidays.”
How to Make a PSL at Home
The TLDR? Combine pumpkin spice syrup and espresso, then top it with milk. You can crown it with whipped cream, ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice or even chocolate shavings if you’re feeling fancy. But it’s really just a latte with pumpkin spice flavoring.
PSL Ingredients
All you need is espresso, milk (ideally frothed or steamed for a hot PSL, or cold for an iced) and pumpkin spice syrup. The milk can be regular or non-dairy (I’m partial to oat milk, but whole milk makes for the creamiest texture). The pumpkin spice syrup can be homemade or store-bought, and it would also do well in chai lattes, hot chocolate or even mulled apple cider.
As for the espresso, you can substitute cold brew, iced coffee or hot drip if you need, although shots are technically required for it to be a real latte. If you don’t have an espresso machine at home, you can use instant espresso or buy shots from your local café.
