Boy: Did you just put pumpkin in your latte?
Girl: Yes. Why yes I did.
(boy: pause)
Girl: ..Spice too.
(boy: longer pause. blank stare.)
Girl: What? It's a Pumpkin Spice Latte...
My Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte. You saw me put the spinach back in spinach dip. Well now I'd like to put the pumpkin back in Pumpkin Spice Latte. Let's go..
Pumpkin..
Yes, the ghosts are back. What can I say, they love pumpkin I guess..
So yes, I had a craving for Starbuck's PSL: pumpkin spice latte. But first, let me set the scene..
8am NYC. I'm Cold. I want a Latte.
Flashback. It used to be so easy. I'd wake up. Rub my eyes. Yawn. Throw the covers off my bed. Put my feet on the cold floor. Shiver dramatically. Walk upstairs. Turn on the heater. Push that little tab up a few notches past 70. The buzz of the furnace would hum a few moments later. Followed by a swift gush of hot air rising from the floor vent. I'd stand over it. My T-shirt would puff up like a marshmallow, swollen with warm air. Ahh.. Warmth.
Out of the corner of my eye I'd notice a glare from my warm-blooded dad sipping his coffee. "You're cold?" He'd ask in disbelief. A few minutes later my hot-blooded sister would whine from the bathroom as she primped her hair for school, "Kathy! I'm hot!" But I was cold. I'm always cold. Some people just are. I hate being cold.
The point of my flashback story is this: turning on the heat, aka staying warm, isn't so easy when you live in an NYC building - this time of year. Right now, we are in what I like to call "the in-between." The in-between of hot and cold. The air is cold outside, but not cold enough to turn on the furnaces in the buildings where the people (me) live. So I wake up: cold.
And from my bed this morning, snuggled under three blankies, I thought to myself,
"Self, wouldn't it be great if I could go get a steamy hot soy Pumpkin Spice Latte at the Starbucks around the corner as a special Monday morning treat? Yes, that would be nice!"
But in the past year, I realized that the lovely Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks is not vegan. It contains dairy. Even if you order it with soy milk.
Confirm Please. This morning (still snuggled in my warm bed) I gave the Starbucks customer service hotline (1-800-23-LATTE) a call. Total call time: 13 minutes and a few seconds. The call confirmed: yes, there is dairy in Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. Even without whip, and with soymilk. The culprit: "condensed nonfat milk".
..I told the Starbucks lady I was saddened by the news. Maybe if we all call and ask/cry/sigh to Starbucks they will get the message. 1-800-23-LATTE folks.
Oh, and the last thing. Starbucks, why don't you just list all dietary/ingredient info online? Why did I have to call for this info? You already put calories/fat/sugar etc. I mean I was drinking Pumpkin Spice Lattes a few falls ago like they were water. I had no clue the soy Pumpkin Spice Latte contained dairy. You think if someone orders soymilk ... they probably are not into dairy, right? Now everytime I hear someone order a "soy pumpkin spice latte" it makes me wonder if they are aware of the dairy.
Why can't Starbucks simply use a soy base instead of a dairy base? Others, including Ellen Degeneres have expressed similar concerns. Her tweet..
"Sure would. RT @tonyaharrington Wouldn’t a soy-based pumpkin spice latte be a great non dairy option at @Starbucks?" -@TheEllenShow on Twitter
So instead of twiddle my thumbs as I wait for Starbucks stores to catch up to the demand - I decided to take my own vegan stab at a Pumpkin Spice Latte...
Sip, sip, gulp, ahh..
Here is the recipe I made this morning. I must say it was pumpkin-y and spicy. And 100% vegan. Warm. Rich. cozy. Will I make it every morning? Probably not. But is it nice to have a vegan option for a PSL - with actual pumpkin in the mix? Definitely.
Pumpkin and Spice and Everything Nice...
Kathy's Real Pumpkin Spice Soy Latte
vegan, makes one big latte
Coffee/Soymilk Base:
1 ½ cups vanilla soymilk
1-2 shots espresso OR ½ cup strongly brewed coffee
1 ½ tablespoon canned pumpkin (unsweetened)
sweeten to taste (I used agave syrup)
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice OR cinnamon/nutmeg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
dash of cayenne (optional, but recommended!)
Sweet Pumpkin Foam:
1 teaspoon canned unsweetened pumpkin
¼ cup warm soy milk
1 teaspoon agave syrup
dash of spice
tiniest pinch of salt
tool: hand foaming tool
1. In a small soup pan heat all the base ingredients. Note: If you are using coffee you can add it directly to the pan here. However if you are using fresh hot espresso you can add it last.
2. Stir all ingredients until simmering. Make sure the pumpkin dissolves into the base well and the spices don't clump. Add the spices last if you are having clumping issues. When mixture is at a low/med boil you can remove from heat, pour into a serving mug and set aside. Optional: I like to get my base mixture extra fluffy by whipping with my foaming wand a few times. A few nice bubble form..
Foamy base mixture..
3. Quickly whip up your pumpkin foam by heating all the ingredients in a tall circular glass until warm. Then whip into a foam with a foaming wand. (If you do not have a foaming wand you will have to skip this step and simply go with a no-foam latte. Simply add the 'foam ingredients' to the main base mixture.)
A little spice make your pumpkin foam nice...
4. Top your steamy hot base with a few scoops of pumpkin foam. If you have not added your espresso yet, do so now. Dash of spice on top.
5. Top with soy whip if you are feeling luxurious.
Soy Latte with a side of pumpkin is served..
It's yummy..
Kathy Patalsky says
Oh neat! Thank you! That is interesting.
Nicole says
I know this is a super old post, but this looks delicious and I'll definitely have to try it 🙂 I work at Starbucks though, and a good vegan replacement for the PSL is a soy latte with the pumpkin powder added in it! Vegan friendly and it's really good 🙂
Kathy Patalsky says
Oh great to know Nicole! So how is that different than what everyone says in no vegan in the psl? No milk powder or something? Thanks for the info!
Nicole says
What goes into the PSL is the pumpkin sauce (which as the milk powder), but if you get just a soy latte with the pumpkin powder, you're just getting the pumpkin pie spice that they sprinkle on top 🙂 (so just spices, no dairy or anything)
Guest says
Unfortunately not everyone lives in a town with options other than Starbucks. Personally I don't buy ready-made drinks very often but if you live in a small town like me, there's not much choice.
Carol says
Hi
I too loved Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte until recently. I follow a blogger named Vani a.k.a Food Babe. Last week she released that there is more in your latte than meets the eye. Check out her blog.
Thank you for the Real pumpkin spice latte recipe, I can't wait to try it.
Kathy Patalsky says
Yup saw that infographic! Crazy facts. I hope everyone gets on starbucks and requests a more natural vegan friendly version! It just make you own 🙂
Maripoix Buchman says
This was such an amazing idea. I have a Nespresso Citiz machine and I added unsweetened pumpkin, pumpkin pie spices and a tad of agave to frothed soy milk and whipped it with a spoon before pouring on top of my espresso. I then floated a bit of plain steamed soy milk on top. Bringing real wholesome pumpkin to an artificial beverage craze! I want to build a whole brunch menu around this beverage. So inspiring!
Bella says
I thought Starbucks was fair trade, which is one of the reasons why I would sooner go to Starbucks than Tim Hortons. Slightly depressing...
jennd says
Funny! I just made something similar with 1/4 cup Torani sugar-free Gingerbread syrup, 1 cup of canned pumpking, three cups of Trader Joe's unsweetened almond milk, and a Tablespoon of instant coffee! 🙂 Thanks for the recipes--very helpful to those of us trying to get back to a vegan lifestyle!
Kathy Patalsky says
oh super to hear!! 🙂
caity says
I just made this, and my mom and i thought it was the best latte we've ever had! so much better than starbucks-- just sweet enough, and it doesn't leave you with a heavy feeling and an upset stomach. it's the perfect cozy fall drink, thank you!
Barbara Adamich says
Excellent Pumpkin Spice Latte! Made it this morning with Almond Milk. Really love the cayenne kick! Thanks for some great recipes!
Just sayin says
I just found this and can't wait to make it!! We are not vegan, or even vegetarian, but try to avoid the loads of hormones in cow's milk so we drink almond milk (or, if I'm going to have milk, it has to be organic!) so I second the other posts that suggested more coffee shops offer almond milk. And I don't get all the hype on soy- I hope people of childbearing years know the link between soy and infertility....not trying to preach but have read a lot on the subject.
Alicia @ Treble Tart says
I am in love with this post! I know it's an old one, but I just stumbled across it, and not only am I a huge pumpkin fan, but I also work at Starbucks (and am vegan) and I am ridiculously bummed I can't have the PSL. This looks like the PERFECT replacement!
I completely agree that Sbux needs to offer allergen information for everything that contains dairy. I have to actually search on the original packaging for ingredient lists whenever I'm not sure about the dairy content, and I think that's kind of ridiculous. By the way, I know someone else mentioned that the White Mocha with soy is not vegan, but in case you were curious, neither is the caramel drizzle sauce (it's made with nonfat milk). Whenever someone orders a soy Caramel Macchiato, for example, I always make sure to ask if they want the caramel sauce on top, since it contains dairy. (A vegan version of the Caramel Macchiato is to order it with caramel syrup instead of vanilla, soy milk, and no caramel drizzle.)
Also, just FYI: if you're in a food pinch and you need something to eat when you stop at Starbucks, the only vegan foods in the pastry case are the plain and multigrain bagels. They also sell raw granola packs and dried apples that are both vegan. 🙂
DJ says
I found this article just now googling "recipes starbucks soy latte." I want to comment on the soy / non-dairy choice: I like to use Silk Light Soy Milk Vanilla often as it is lower in fat and calories than cream, but high in protein. So, not at vegan choice, just a balanced diet choice.
Thanks for posting - especially the great pictures. I'm bookmarking this recipe for the fall *yummm* Off to explore your site some more...
Chef, Vegan Wrinklies says
Hi! I just found your blog because I was looking for vegan pumpkin lattes...go figure! I tried this as a cappuccino (sort of a 1:1 coffee /soy milk ratio). It was wonderful. Tomorrow I'm thinking of making a frozen pumpkin-ccino.
I think the discussion was interesting. I found the idea of adding whip cream to a soy milk latte as humorous. My husband reminded me that people order diet sodas with large calorie burgers and fries all the time. Same logic!
Anyway, I enjoyed your blog!
Kathy Patalsky says
i heard this too.. i must investigate.. 😉
Rjriddle says
there is no dairy in the regular dark mocha, i also used to work at starbucks as a vegan
Debbie says
Thanks for the info (and work-around) for the toffee mocha. I'm hoping that a soy toffee nut latte just uses the syrup and therefore is safe.
Kathy Patalsky says
..and yes I agree, never assume. Always ask.
...But then again, Starbucks could make it A LOT easier to communicate the nutrition info to customers - say by putting ALL the info online. Or by putting a *contains dairy or *contains nuts or *contains soy or *contains gluten notes right on an in-store menu.
Most people won't wait 13 minutes to call customer service like I had to do to confirm.
cheryl says
I agree with Mr. StarBucks - people do put whip on the soy, in fact, when I order a soy drink they ask if I want whip? But i also agree the SB should let us who really need to know that there is dairy in their products. I assumed soy is non dairy, and I can't tolerate dairy, so all those times after drinking my soy based drink and having stomach pains after wards I"m thinking did they give me real milk instead of the soy?. Now I know, and quite frankly I make my drinks at home now, so thanks for the reeipe Lunch Box bunch!
Kathy Patalsky says
i would love to know the thought process behindordering "soy" latte WITH whipped cream. Intrigues me!! lol..
christine says
You and me both...
lindsay says
Some people like the taste of soy milk better than dairy milk, but they still like whipped cream.
vmom says
my daughter is 6 and since I don't force her to choose vegan (not wanting her to rebel against it later) I let her get whipped cream if she wants, but she definitely would never drink cow's milk (by her own choice). So there is one scenario.... (of course she is drinking steamers, not lattes :-))
Yourfavoritegrrl says
there is no dairy in the soy chai.
there is also no dairy in the mocha sauce
all regular syrups are vegan, so any flavored soy latte is vegan (syrup meaning not sauce like pumpkin spice, white mocha or toffee mocha)
Kathy Patalsky says
I love the soy chai- in fact I had one this morning. I love Starbucks. I just wish they would continue the "however you want it" trend and add a vegan Seasonal Bevie to the menu.
Thanks for all your insider Starbucks info. Great tips. ~k
TCULinz says
Last time I went to Starbucks the barista told me that there was dairy in the mocha sauce. Did she tell me wrong? That would make me very happy!!