Pumpkin spice. It is a clear sign that fall has begun when, suddenly, the spice is being included in deserts, pastries and drinks. On top of that, coffee lovers deeply anticipate and await Starbucks’ fall menu to be released each autumn season. However, for teenagers with limited budgets, spending $6.25 just for a grande iced pumpkin spice latte, or more for other drinks, can add up really quickly. So in order to save a few bucks, I decided to try out recipes and work to recreate Starbucks’ fall drinks at home.
After some research, I found that Starbucks has an online recipe for their pumpkin spice syrup. Excited, I began making the syrup on my stovetop. All I had to do was put the following ingredients in a pan on medium heat, stir and wait about five minutes for the syrup to melt. The whole process took less than 10 minutes, and I left it in the refrigerator overnight to cool.
Syrup ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 6 Tbsp pumpkin purée
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
The next morning, I made my own version of Starbucks’ pumpkin cream cold foam, using an electric milk frother to froth the ingredients. The cold foam can be a “pumpkiny” addition to any latte, cold brew or chai tea, but I used it to replicate Starbucks’ pumpkin spice latte.
Cold foam ingredients:
- ¼ cup 1% milk
- ¼ cup half and half
- 4 Tbsp pumpkin syrup
Then, I poured the cold foam over cold coffee and added a sprinkle of pumpkin spice for a decorative touch. The drink looked up to par, but did it compare to Starbucks’ taste? Yes. I bought an iced pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks for a side-by-side comparison, and I thought that mine tasted better! Surprisingly, I could taste the natural pumpkin flavor better in my drink, while Starbucks’ left an extremely sugary and slightly chemical-like aftertaste. One drink only costs $0.61 to make and the syrup can last in the refrigerator for two weeks. By making the drink at home, one is able to make changes based on their own preferences. For example, the next time I make the syrup I will cut down the amount of sugar, and I will try the cold foam with oat milk for a dairy-free option.
The homemade pumpkin spice drink was easy to make and took less than 15 minutes, which is the same amount of time it takes me to go to Starbucks. It unexpectedly tasted better than the classic Starbucks pumpkin spice latte and cost one-tenth of the price. It was well worth the little effort it took to fulfill my pumpkin spice craving with this surprisingly tasty drink.
