Tea drinkers rejoice: Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte is a great way to warm up in cold weather!
Four out of five of my kids are sick. Snuffling, sneezing, sore throat, goobery, gloppy, walking-petri-dish, tissue-dropping sick. This comes at the end of a week that was so busy that I didn’t know whether I was coming or going two-thirds of the time. There are five kids in this house, friends, you can imagine how many extra-curricular activities we have… To cap it off, my darling Evil Genius was on a five day business trip. In fact, as I write this, I’m waiting for him to walk back in the door.
I’m planning on tackle hugging him. He’d better brace himself.
The net effect of this all is that I’ve been pooped. Super pooped. I’ve been so pooped that I kind of created my own little song about it. Any ABBA fans out there? COME ON. Admit it. I’ve been singing “Super Pooper” to the tune of “Super Trooper”. Also, remember that “I Love Lucy” skit where she got lit on Vitameatavegamin? Her line was supposed to be, “Do you poop out at parties? Are you unpopular?” After too much of the Vitameatavegamin, she slurred out, “Do you pop out at parties? Are you unpoopular?” I was totally unpoopular this week.
The one and only thing that kept me going was a steady stream of Pumpkin Spice Chai Lattes. Back in the day, I made these with a syrup made with pumpkin. The problem was two-fold… it relied on me remember to actually MAKE the syrup before a craving struck, and it wasn’t pumpkin-y enough. Where was my instant gratification fix that all those cool folks who live in places with Starbucks can get? When I saw Lori of Recipe Girl’s post of super easy and super pumpkiny Pumpkin Spice Lattes, I knew I had to modify it for the tea drinking crowd (read: ME!)
I opted to make this something I could dig into at a moments notice… Something that would be waiting for me in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks as I dipped into it as the need arose. The need arose A LOT this week.
Here’s how the process works. Because you will be agog when you realize how fast you’ll be sipping your very own fancy-pants Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte recipe. You mix pumpkin puree with brown sugar, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, grated nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. That’s your base! After you’ve mixed it together, you scoop it into a jar with a tight fitting lid and store it in the refrigerator until you need it. Oh hey… how about you mix one up before you stash it in the refrigerator.
Now you’re going to brew yourself a VERY strong, rather small cup of chai tea. Yes, that is one mega mug and there’s very little tea in it… I wanted to leave mucho room for the pumpkin latte portion of the program. “Excuse me, miss. I ordered a LARGE?” (Name that movie.) Now you scoop a couple tablespoons of the pumpkin spice base into a microwave safe cup (or a saucepan). Add a cup(ish) of milk; whisk or mix in thoroughly with a fork. Heat it up in the nuker or the saucepan until it’s steamy and frothy. Pour it into the tea.
You can serve it up as is… You wouldn’t be sorry. I promise.
It’s creamy, spicy, and oh-so-pumpkiny. But there’s a little something else you could do to take it over the top. You probably know where I’m going with this, right?
WHIPPED CREAM and LOTS of it! Don’t forget to shave a little nutmeg over the top. That you WOULD regret. Believe me. There’s one final instruction. Wrap both hands around that mug and slurp. Lick your upper lip to make sure you got all the whipped cream and nutmeg. Now tell me… do you feel happier than you did when you started?
P.S. Coffee drinkers… we tea drinkers are an accommodating crew. If you replace the specified chai with a shot of espresso or a small cup of strongly brewed coffee, you will have yourself a pretty dandy coffee Pumpkin Spice Latte, or so my dearest coffee drinkers have told me.
Use this to make Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte
- Looking for some great Chai? This is my preferred brand when I’m not mixing up my own blend.
- Mini Whisk
- Whipped Cream Dispenser
Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte {real pumpkin}
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Spice Base:
- 1 cup real pumpkin puree not pie filling
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 pinch of salt
For the Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte:
- 2 tablespoons Pumpkin Spice Base
- 1 cup milk whole, 2%, skim, almond, coconut, soy, what have you...
- 1 chai tea bag. I like Stash Chai Spice best.
Optional for serving:
- Whipped Cream
- fresh nutmeg
Instructions
To Make the Pumpkin Spice Base:
- Mix all of the base ingredients together until it is evenly coloured and darkened. Scrape it into a clean jar with a tight fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
To Make a Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte:
- Pour about 4 ounces of boiling water over the chai tea bag (unless you're using green or white chai, in which case you use under-boiling water!) Let it sit while you prepare the pumpkin milk.
- Stir the Pumpkin Spice Base and the milk together in a microwave safe 2 cup container or a saucepan until smooth. If microwaving, heat on high until steamy and frothy. If heating in a saucepan, heat over medium high heat until steaming hot.
- Pour the hot milk into the tea. You can leave the tea bag in if you'd like it very strong or remove it according to your own preference. Serve as is or top with a thick cap of whipped cream and a few scrapings of nutmeg. Say ahhhhhhh.
This post was originally published September 21st, 2013, updated September 2015, and again with links and information in October, 2017.
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
This latte sounds fabulous! Yum!
Happy Valley Chow says
Mmm I love pumpkin spice latte, your recipe sounds awesome!
Happy Blogging!
Dianne says
Ok, I am officially making this today. Because I’m looking for a pumpkin “treat” that I can enjoy without wrecking my blood sugar, I will be subbing coconut sugar for the brown sugar. Can’t wait to try it! Thanks for sharing!
Traci says
Oh yum!!! I will be making this!! I love me some pumpkin spice..but a lot of the “coffee shop” drinks taste SO SO SO faux!! And I do believe I have everything I need to make one today..WIN! Thanks 🙂
Katie says
This is the first thing I am going to make once I am over this yucky sick first trimester!
Julie B. says
So I Married An Axe Murderer! HELLO! One of my favorite movies. Now I need to watch it with a large cup of pumpkin spiced chai tea! Or the Cubby Wubby Womb Room 😉
Thanks for this recipe, I’ve been looking for a good pumpkin spiced mix for tea and coffee!
Rebecca says
YEAH! I’m so glad someone got it! I love that movie. I quote it indecently often. And when I meet someone named Harriet? Forget it. I start reciting the poem! I hope you love the chai!
Julie B. says
So many lines to choose from. It’s hard for me to not write all of them! Ok, just one 😉
Head! Pants! Now!
Seriously putting in the movie now
Christina says
She stole my heart and my cat….
Andrea says
Sipping right now! Made it as soon as I saw it, 2 babies napping – this is the perfect treat! Question- I only have black tea, can I just up the spices in the concentrate and then use it with reg black tea you think?
MrsBrownie says
You just made my day! I am craaaaving a PSL but have been trying to cut back on caffeine.
Lorna says
Do you think the base could be frozen in portions in ice cube trays so it would last longer than 2 weeks?
Rebecca says
I haven’t tested it but I think that would work. Pumpkin usually freezes beautifully, so I’m pretty sure you’d be okay here!
Tieghan says
Just posted my own chocolate version of a pumpkin spice latte today, but I am LOVING the full cup of pumpkin in yours. So awesome!
Chels says
I cannot wait to make a mug full of this!
Rebecca says
Do let me know when you try it!
Shira says
Hi there.. I love this.. I don’t drink coffee and no lie when I saw that other recipe you linked to I thought “I wonder if that would work with chai tea?!”
And then I found this yay.. Just made with almond milk, so amazing.
And also unbelievably happy about your movie quote.. My sister and I had So I Married an Axe Murderer on vhs (one of like 2 tapes we owned) and can basically recite it to this day.. “Wooooooooo- MAN” 😉
Makes this Canadian proud to see it getting some love!! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Rebecca says
Hooray! You DO realize there is a quote fest waiting to happen here. I’m pretty certain that if you sat my siblings down and properly caffeinated us we could recite it from start to finish!
I’m awfully glad Team Tea has some serious Pumpkin Spice love going for us now. 😀
Carol Gindt says
My husband, daughter and I live north of the Arctic Circle (Kotzebue, Alaska). The only way to get to our location is by air….there are no roads traveling in our out of this location. I am so happy I “stumbled” upon your blog. Your writing is entertaining and the recipes are delightful 🙂 Today my daughter made the Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte (minus a couple of ingredients our grocery store was sold out of) recipe…..words can express how much we enjoyed our “cup of yup” thanks to you! Fall foods and recipes are something my daughter and I have enjoyed together for years – especially the flavor of pumpkin. We are making a trip to Anchorage in 2 weeks (540 miles from Kotzebue by air) and have our long grocery list made (with key ingredients from your recipes). Thank-you for the time you put in your writing and for sharing tried and true recipes!
Carol Gindt, Kotzebue Alaska
Rebecca says
Hooray, Carol! I’m so glad I could bring some fun your way. Alaska is one place I’ve always wanted to visit that I’ve not seen. Desperately! You must have some serious pioneer spirit living there! I can’t wait to hear what else you’ve tried from FwF!
Carrie says
Coffee *instead* of tea? How about just a shot of espresso WITH the tea. Yum. (don’t knock it ’til you try it!)
Rebecca says
I am familiar with ‘dirty chai’, Carrie, but sadly, coffee does not like me. I like it just fine, but it’s not friendly to my heart rate. 😀
kelley {mountain mama cooks} says
What I wouldn’t give to sip on a mug of tea while hanging in your living room and catching up on life. Miss you!! xo
Sarah says
This was sooo good! I made it this morning and can’t wait to make it again tomorrow. Or tonight 😉
Carol says
Just tried this. Delicious. Thank you. Was sad when I kept seeing PSL at the coffee shop. I am not a coffee drinker, so this was a great gift.
Sue T. says
Holy smokes, this is soooo good!! Perfect blend and flavor. It is my new favorite after dinner treat, plus I am upping my calcium, so it has to be healthy, right??? No more spending $4 for a mediocore PSL!
Lauren L. @ Newest Obsession says
Yum! I just made this with 1/3rd of the sugar and it is fabulous! I also used mostly tea and just a few tablespoons of coconut milk to make it creamy. Thanks for reducing pumpkin spice latte consumption!
sue Lee says
Not pumpkin pie filling…
Do they sell pumpkin puree in the store or will I have to make my own? It sounds wonderful! I’m going to make some today! Thank you for the recipe!
sue Lee says
Not pumpkin pie filling? Do they sell pumpkin puree in the store or will I have to make my own? It sounds wonderful! I’m going to make some today! Thank you for the recipe!
Rebecca says
Yes, you can buy plain pumpkin puree at the stores. Absolutely! You won’t need to make your own unless you really want to try!
Kathy says
I just made a batch and have to tell you how good these are!! You can really taste the freshness of the pumpkin and it has to be healthier than the syrup used at Starbucks!
Stephie G. says
Pumpkin is one of my pregnancy cravings. Pairing this base with decaf chai and almond milk is perfect. So happy right now!
Danae F. says
I made this today because my Pumpkin Spice Chai craving is getting out of hand. This is so much better than Starbucks and way cheaper!!! Love it thank you so much!!!
Tiffany K. says
Ohh-Mmmm-Geeezzzzyyy! Delicious! And it was so easy to make! Wondering if the pumpkin base freezes well?!?! Thinking about freezing it in an ice cube tray and pop ’em out as I need ’em!
Georgia says
Made this up in about 20 minutes while my kids were busy eating cereal. Sooo good. Used Rooibos Chai. I’m thriller for a recipe that uses real ingredients instead of pumpkin “flavor,” and without coffee since my pregnant tummy doesn’t seem to like it. No more gazing lustfully at the seasonal drink posters hanging in my local Dunkin’ Donuts window. Thanks!
Kristine says
OMG, I made this tonight, mouthwatering! It’s fantastic!!! Thanks for sharing.
Miranda says
I looooove this! Thank you!
I was on the hunt for a recipe that isn’t syrups but real pumpkin, and came across this one on Pinterest!
I tried it as per instructions the first couple times and I am in looove BUT I decided to try it with coffee too, and it’s just as good! Love it both ways!
Thank you sooo much for sharing. You have made my fall pumpkin obsession just that much better 😉
Llamasmama says
Made this with a splash of almond rum last night. What a treat! Think my hubby fell in love with me all over again. ;).
Jodie says
Amazing!!! I brewed up a bit of Chai from Teavana (Maharaja Chai Oolong) and the result was the best Pumpkin Chai Latte I ever had! Before I would buy the Tazo Pumpkin Chai concentrate at 7 dollars a box! This is way better and way cheaper! Thank you so much for posting 🙂
Rebecca says
You’re so welcome! I can’t even buy one when I’m out any more because I know mine is better!
Beth Gerrish says
My hero! I was *just* wondering if anyone had invented pumpkin chai! The clincher…your siggy is like mine. Plus, you & my dd share a name. Thank you for posting this!
xo Bethie
Julie Brown says
Can you reheat the leftover pumpkin milk??
Rebecca says
You really only heat up as much pumpkin and milk as you need for one serving. I haven’t tried reheating the pumpkin milk. Let me know if you try!
Brit Jones says
Just made this!! YUM!! I wish I could make it more frothy.. guess I may need some kind of special machine for that? This is great!
Kendra says
I was dubious, but this is delicious!!! Whenever I try to make drinks at home it never tastes quite as good as store bought, but this is amazing! And healthier! I will drinking a LOT of this.
jessica says
This is so good. Thanks for the recipe. I can’t imagine how much money this is going to save me over a lifetime!
Tanya Boser says
Yum!! I searched Pinterest for a great Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte recipe, and this one sounded the best. So I made it right away! Totally enjoying a cup right now 🙂
And if you enjoy chai outside of Pumpkin Pie, you should try Celestial Seasonings India Spice Chai and Bengal Spice Chai (herbal, non-caffeinated version but just as yummy). I get those for when I don’t have access to the loose leaf tea paraphernalia to make the Masala Chai I get from the local, non-franchised, Tea Shoppe. I drink the loose leaf version several times a day, lol!
Myrna Patterson says
I can’t stop making this! I use almond milk with the tea and it is delicious!! Thank you!
Rebecca says
You’re very welcome! I’m so glad you like it!
Shanna says
Oh my goodness!!! Made this with Bengal Spice tea and coconut sugar instead of brown sugar and was transported to a place better than Starbucks or my local coffee shop!! I can’t wait to try this with a pumpkin spice chai blend. For this paleo girl (I skipped the whipped cream and used almond milk) it was a wonderful treat!
Rebecca says
That is wonderful, Shanna! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Willow says
Just discovered this recipe, and thank you so much for it. I love it so much more than the popular commercial coffee store latte. Thanks for this, and I will be drinking a cup every night.
Ruthie Derby says
Tried it. It’s different. Not as spicy as the one at starbucks, but its okay.
Nancy Fenker says
THANK YOU!!! This recipe is perfect😊 I recently discovered this drink at a local coffee shop. Thought it would have to be my ‘guilty pleasure’ due to the cost. You just made it very affordable!
Devon says
Yummy!! Thanks for posting this delicious recipe. I love my pumpkin chai, but the one from Starbucks is too sweet. Yours is super easy to make and I know whats in it.
Melanie P. says
I just made this following your recipe and I’m in love! It’s so warm, delicious, and comforting. Thanks for sharing a perfect afternoon pick-me-up that I will have available all winter long. 🙂
Rebecca says
That is wonderful, Melanie! I’m so glad you loved it!