Pumpkin Chai Latte

This time of year has been a weird mix of working with all manner of pumpkin flavor goodness... then hitting the beach. LOL.

Anyway, as chatter turns to talk of Starbucks releasing their fall menu, I figure it’s time to bust out my pumpkin spice chai latte recipe.

This pumpkin chai latte is the perfect fall drink for chai lovers - and tea drinkers in general!

It starts out with the foundation of a regular chai latte, but punched up with pumpkin puree and my homemade pumpkin spice blend.

Nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger are all shared between the two, with ground cardamom and star anise seed being more common in masala chai - not as common in pumpkin pie.

You may already know that homemade chai latte is a really easy hot drink to make, but these pumpkin chai tea lattes are almost as quick and easy to make!

So skip the local coffee shop and make this delicious hot drink at home. One batch makes 2 chai drinks, but it’s easily scaled up to serve the entire family, if needed!

PS: If you love Starbucks copycat recipes, you should also check out my Apple Crisp Macchiato and Pumpkin Spice Latte recipes!

Pumpkin Spice Latte Ingredients

This recipe only needs a handful of ingredients, all of which should be available at your local grocery store.

A few notes:

Real Pumpkin Puree

I use canned pumpkin purée for this - not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling contains thickeners, fillers, etc - you just want pumpkin for this.

Homemade pumpkin puree works fine, too!

Milk of Choice

You can use any kind of milk you like when making this.

We generally use unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk, but we’ve recently been getting into gluten-free oat milk. (YUM!)

If you can handle dairy, whole milk makes a rice latte, but 2% works well also. Really, whatever type of milk you like drinking, use it in this.

Chai Tea Bags

Rather than using a chai concentrate or loose leaf tea, I tend to use tea bags when making this - something most chai lovers will have on hand.

I’m too lazy to mess with loose tea, and too cheap to bother with concentrate, LOL.

I’ll generally use whatever black tea chai sounds good at the moment, as I like this for a hit of caffeine in the morning.

That said, feel free to use a decaf version (we love the Stash Tea Decaf Chai Spice Black Tea, and go through a ton of it!) or something like a Rooibos Chai, if you’re watching your caffeine intake.

Spices

I add extra spices to the spices present in the tea, to amp of the flavor so it doesn’t get lost against the pumpkin and brown sugar.

My spice mix includes:

Ground Cinnamon
Ground Ginger
Ground Cloves
Ground Nutmeg

... but you can use 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice in place of these individual spices, if you prefer.

If you’re a purist, feel free to add a pinch of black pepper, too!

Everything Else

You’ll also need some sweetener - I use either brown sugar or maple syrup, depending on what I’m in the mood for - some vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.

As far as garnishes go, I usually skip the whipped cream (the foam is enough!), unless making the iced version.

Cinnamon sticks or a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on top of your latte are nice ways to finish it off, though!

Also, while it’s not an ingredient, I recommend having a Milk Frother.

I bought one a while back for making my keto iced coffees every morning, and LOVE it. I’ve been using it a lot more since getting into making these fall coffee and tea drinks.

How to Make Chai Spice Lattes

The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post, this is a pictorial walk through with some extra info and “pro tips”!

In a medium saucepan, mix together pumpkin, brown sugar (or maple syrup), spices and salt.

Stir in almond milk, whisking until smooth and well combined.

Turn element up to medium-high heat, bring JUST to a boil.

Remove from heat, add the tea bags, and allow to steep for 5 minutes.

Use a milk frother or immersion blender on high speed to combine and froth.

To Make an Iced Pumpkin Chai Latte

I like to make 2 batches, when it comes to making this as and iced latte.

Ahead of time, I make one batch, skipping the frothing step.

Once it’s cooled to room temperature, I portion it out into an ice cube tray and freeze it solid.

I make the second batch when I’m in the mood for that iced pumpkin spice latte, and let it cool a bit.

Then, pop some of those pumpkin chai ice cubes into a tall glass, pour the fresh latte over it, and serve!

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Recipes

Looking for even more pumpkin recipes to celebrate the fall season - or serve as a great addition for your Thanksgiving spread? Here are some great options!

Baked Pumpkin Custard
Copycat Pumpkin Spice Latte
Easy Pumpkin Martini
Fluffy Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancakes
Gluten-Free Maple Pumpkin Pie
Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Mini Doughnuts
Gluten Free Sopaipillas Pasadas
Keto Pumpkin Bars
Keto Pumpkin Fat Bombs
Pumpkin Chia Pudding

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