Pumpkin Pie Spice Latte

Drinking a Pumpkin Spice Latte is like sipping on autumn itself. It’s the season’s icon that you can’t miss. Even the highest of coffee snobs can’t miss its presence. This recipe takes the P in PSL a little directly. We’re using freshly juiced winter squash to help flavor the syrup. Combine that with pumpkin pie spice and it’s truly a pumpkin latte. This pumpkin pie spice has a whisper of curry from the black cardamom and coriander. Almost like a spiced golden milk. It still holds to the essence of pumpkin spice. 

Pumpkin pie spice and masala

Pumpkin pie spice already has a South Asian masala influence, but I’m adding a bit more. The four essential ingredients can be found in just about any curry. It’s a simple spice mix, with cinnamon being the main star. I added just a little black cardamom and coriander for some savory hints. Black cardamom has an earthy sweetness and melds nicely. It is akin to anise and licorice. Coriander brings a floral touch to the finished syrup. Adding your flare is always welcome. I would try to keep cinnamon and the other main ingredients at the front though. They are what makes pumpkin spice, pumpkin spice. Star anise, green cardamom, galangal, and vanilla are a few other ingredients I had in mind. 

Juicing winter squash

Make sure you have your juicer handy for this one. We’re using fresh juiced pumpkins in the syrup. Juiced pumpkin is what truly elevates the Pumpkin Spice Latte. It has a fresh vegetal flavor that pairs great with the spice. If you don’t have a juicer handy 3 tbsp of pumpkin puree will suffice. One of the fun parts is exploring the many varieties of pumpkin. Each one has a different flavor and it comes through in the juice. It makes each syrup special. You can even mix a few different squashes for the pumpkin spice syrup. That is if you want to make a crazy complex pumpkin juice for your PSL. 

Winter squash to pair with pumpkin pie spice latte

Pumpkin is a catch-all term for winter squash. I feel that we usually associate the term with the bright orange ones: Big Max Pumpkin, Sugar Pie, and Connecticut Field Pumpkin. There is a slew of varieties of winter squash though. you can use just about any pumpkin here, but I would go for the sweeter ones. A little natural sweetness is great here and will work better in this application. Here are a few pumpkins I would go for. 

• butternut squash 
• Blue Hubbard 
• buttercup
• sweet dumpling squash 
• sugar pumpkins 
• Acorn squash 
• Honey nut squash 

my favorite here is Blue Hubbard. It is very starchy though. If using a starch pumpkin let the juice settle for a couple of minutes. The starch will pool to the bottom leaving the juice on top. 

Pumpkin Pie Spice Ideas

This syrup is great for a PSL, but I’ve been using it for everything. I’ve made a lot of this stuff. Pumpkin-inspired cocktails are always fun. A bit of this pumpkin spice would be killer in some egg nog. I have a recipe for one here on the blog. Adding this pumpkin pie spice to curry is great too. The spice blend or even the syrup will work here. I also love to take the leftover pumpkin from juicing and add it to pancakes. A few pinches of pumpkin spice and it’s the perfect autumn brunch. we have a handful of creative options here. Make each part your own.

Eggnog

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If you have a juicer give this recipe a shot. The pumpkin spice has a faint deep savoryness from the black cardamom. The Pumpkin flavor is a nice subtle addition too. If you don’t have a juicer don’t worry too much. A little pumpkin puree will do the trick if you need it. Bottomline is, give this pumpkin spice syrup a try. It’s a riff on the classic. Sweet, Spiced, a little floral, and delicious.