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FAQs

Why is Pumpkin Spice Latte not vegan? ›

Year after year, we hold onto hope that Starbucks will finally make its Pumpkin Spice Latte vegan. And yet, the PSL remains one of the few drinks at the chain that is virtually impossible to veganize. Unfortunately, its star ingredient, the pumpkin spice sauce, contains dairy.

Try it hot or iced! If you're still looking to fulfill your pumpkin spice craving at Starbucks, don't worry! Try the Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte on our “secret menu” below, or ask your barista to veganize the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew by making a custom plant-based milk cold foam and adding pumpkin spice topping to it.

Apparently, you can request the Pumpkin Spice mix (which is in fact vegan) to be added onto your plain or vanilla latte. Just make sure you choose a non-dairy milk, like soy, almond, or coconut. The Pumpkin Spice topping contains nutmeg, ginger, gloves, and cinnamon, which is what gives it that fall flavor.

But for vegans, it can seem like there's less to get excited about because there's still no vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte on the menu. Starbucks's signature Pumpkin Spice sauce and Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam both contain dairy, so even if you order your drink made with plant milk, it won't be totally dairy-free.

If you are allergic to pumpkins, yes you can be allergic to pumpkin spice lattes! While pumpkin spice itself does not contain pumpkin (it actually just includes cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves), the pumpkin spice latte has pumpkin puree so someone with a pumpkin allergy should avoid pumpkin spice lattes.

So why do we love this particular flavor so much? Turns out, we love to be reminded of fall and the warm feelings of family, home and nostalgia the season brings — and our brains associate those warm feelings with this particular flavor, psychologists and researchers say.

All told, the grande PSL has 50 grams of sugar. Some of that sugar occurs naturally in the latte's milk. But we estimate that roughly 7½ teaspoons (32 grams) are added sugar, from the PSL's sweet pumpkin sauce and whipped cream. That's more than half the 50-gram Daily Value (DV) for added sugar.

Pumpkin Spice Latte was first introduced as a test in just 100 stores in Washington, D.C. and Vancouver, Canada. PSL gets its nickname from the three-letter beverage code originally written on cups by baristas. Since 2015, PSL's pumpkin sauce has included real pumpkin puree, made from little kabocha pumpkins.

At the moment, plant-based sippers need to rely on vegan pumpkin spice beverages at Peet's Coffee, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (by substituting the powder for the syrup), Whole Foods, and 7-Eleven gas stations — but geography and accessibility issues can sometimes make that difficult.

Starbucks in Europe has launched a limited edition Halloween drink called the Phantom Frappuccino. It's a chilled, blended drink made from coconut milk, mango and pineapple essence, Starbucks crème Frappuccino syrup, and what the brand calls "ghoulish lime slime."

Which Starbucks syrups are vegan? ›

These vegan-friendly syrups can be added to any beverage for a hint or a tidal wave of sweet flavoring. They include Cinnamon Dolce, Vanilla, Brown Sugar, Hazelnut, Peppermint, Raspberry, Toffee Nut, Caramel, and Sugar-free Vanilla.

This year, depending on your location, a standard version of its 16-ounce PSL will run you about $5.95 before tax, about 50 cents more than it went for in 2022, per a report from The Krazy Coupon Lady.

*The new vegan PSL is available in the UK, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Austria, and the classic PSL is available in all other European markets to enjoy.

Mocha Frappuccino

Although it typically comes with milk and whipped cream, you can order a nondairy milk, like almond, soy, or oat, and without the whipped cream. Luckily, the mocha syrup is already vegan.

Vegan Syrups aT STARBUCKS:

Toasted Vanilla. Brown Sugar. Caramel.

Pumpkin Spice Latte was first introduced as a test in just 100 stores in Washington, D.C. and Vancouver, Canada. PSL gets its nickname from the three-letter beverage code originally written on cups by baristas. Since 2015, PSL's pumpkin sauce has included real pumpkin puree, made from little kabocha pumpkins.

According to Dunkin's ingredient list, the Pumpkin Flavored Swirl Syrup is made with sweetened condensed nonfat milk, which is a combo of milk and sugar. So, any drink you add the pumpkin syrup to won't be vegan.

Second Cup's PSL blends the oat milk with bold espresso, organic pumpkin pie spice blend and a pumpkin pie spice syrup made with pure cane sugar and no artificial flavours. A few years ago, Second Cup's pumpkin spice blend contained dairy allergens, but that's all changed now with a new formulation to make it vegan.

The Pumpkin Spice Latte is a coffee drink made with a mix of traditional fall spice flavors (cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove), steamed milk, espresso, and often sugar, topped with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice.