This healthy pumpkin spice latte is made with real pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, and unsweetened milk, and it’s ready in about 5 minutes. And you don’t need an espresso machine! Strong coffee from a regular coffee pot works great.
It’s my lower sugar take on the classic fall drink, made for people living with diabetes or anyone who wants less sugar in their latte. It’s dairy-free when you use unsweetened almond milk.
Real pumpkin, no added sugar
I’ve always been a bit bothered by the fact that a lot of restaurant or coffee shop pumpkin spice lattes don’t actually have any real pumpkin in them. But, this healthy pumpkin spice latte does!
We also use some of my favorite ingredients to enhance flavor and sweetness, without adding additional sugar to the recipe: extracts, stevia, and spices!
What “skinny” means on a pumpkin spice latte
“Skinny” usually just means a lower sugar version of the traditional drink.
Caffeine in a pumpkin spice latte
The caffeine content of a latte is going to depend on what you use to make it. Or, if you’re getting it from a restaurant, how much espresso they use to make it. Typically a latte will range from 120-180mg caffeine, and usually has the same amount of caffeine as a 12 fl oz. cup of coffee.
How to order a lower sugar pumpkin spice latte
A few small swaps make a coffee shop latte a lot lighter. And by healthier, I’m primarily referring to your drink having less sugar:
- Ask for half syrup if your latte is flavored
- Use an unsweetened milk like whole milk or unsweetened almond milk
- Skip the whipped cream and syrup on top or ask for less
How to order a healthy pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks
Starbucks will make any of the swaps above. Here’s what comes in the standard drink and the easiest way to lighten it up.
Starbucks pumpkin spice latte
A standard grande pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks comes with 2% milk, two shots of espresso, four pumps of pumpkin spice syrup, and has pumpkin spice topping and whipped cream on top. This 16 fl oz. drink has 390 calories, 52g carbohydrate (50g sugar), 14g protein, and 150mg caffeine. These numbers were still current for the 2026 season.
Lower sugar Starbucks order: fewer pumps, no whip
If you want to reduce the sugar content and order a healthy pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks, ask for 2 or fewer pumps of syrup, and no whipped cream on top.
McDonald’s skipped pumpkin spice in 2026
McDonald’s didn’t bring back its pumpkin spice latte for fall 2026. Caramel Apple is its only fall coffee flavor this year.
Dunkin pumpkin spice latte
Dunkin’s pumpkin spice latte has the most sugar of the big chains. A medium iced Pumpkin Spice Signature Latte made with whole milk has about 59g carbohydrate, 55g sugar, and 12g protein, and a large hot one is even higher (about 77g carbohydrate and 71g sugar). It’s seasonal, so check your local Dunkin.
Homemade pumpkin spice latte
So, as you can see, most of the restaurant options available are quite high in sugar. Yes, there are ways to order a healthy pumpkin spice latte. But, it’s much cheaper to make one at home for yourself!
Make sure to try my Low Sugar Caramel Brulee Latte too!
Making it without an espresso machine
And, believe it or not, you don’t even need a fancy espresso machine. I’ve included instructions in the recipe below for how to make your pumpkin spice latte both ways, with or without an espresso machine.
This pumpkin spice latte is keto-friendly
This recipe could be called a keto pumpkin spice latte. Most of the carbohydrate in this drink comes from the real pumpkin puree and the sweetener, if you use one. Truvia is made from erythritol, which counts toward the total carbs on the label but has very little effect on blood sugar.
Just remember to be careful with keto recipes, as some can be packed full of alternative sweeteners and sugar alcohols. Some amounts of these sweeteners are just fine, I even prefer to use some in my lattes I make at home. But, excessive amounts can lead to stomach upset.
Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte with Real Pumpkin
Ingredients
- 2 fl oz brewed espresso or 4 fl oz strong coffee
- 6 fl oz. unsweetened milk of choice Unsweetened almond milk or plain whole milk work best
- 2 Tbsp pumpkin puree
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1-2 tsp granulated sweetener optional (I prefer Truvia)
- Low sugar whipped cream optional
- Additional ground cinnamon for topping optional
Instructions
If you have an espresso maker
- Brew a shot of espresso per your machine’s instructions into a large coffee cup.
If you have a standard coffee pot
- Brew 4 fl oz of coffee as you normally would into a large coffee cup, except use double the amount of coffee grounds as you normally would. (For example, if you typically use 2 Tbsp of coffee to brew a cup, use 4 Tbsp here.)
While your espresso or coffee brews…
- Add your milk to a microwave safe 16 fl oz or larger glass cup or jar. Heat the milk in the microwave for 90 seconds.
- Once heated, add the pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, almond extract, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, and sweetener to the milk. Using a milk frother, froth the milk until it is almost double in volume.
- Pour your frothed milk mixture into the brewed espresso or coffee. Top with whipped cream and some additional cinnamon and enjoy!
One Response
This was amazing. I did not have to put a whole latte effort into making this. Added to my favorites for the upcoming holiday season.