This homemade pumpkin chai latte is made with fragrant whole chai spices, brown sugar, and pumpkin puree. Warm, cozy, and perfectly spiced, it’s an easy fall drink made in about 15 minutes from scratch without boxed chai concentrate.
A Homemade Pumpkin Chai Latte with Whole Spices for the Ultimate Cozy Fall Drink
I have a confession to make — I love chai but I rarely order it out because it’s always way too sweet and not spicy enough. I much prefer a traditional chai simmered with whole spices and sweetened just enough to keep it from being cloying like this pumpkin chai latte recipe! You can forget the flavored tea bags or ready-made boxes of chai here. Instead, we’re going in with whole spices, black tea, real pumpkin puree, and brown sugar!
Even though we’re making this homemade pumpkin chai latte completely from scratch, it only takes about 15 minutes (or less if you’re lucky enough to have a gas stove!). It can easily be multiplied and kept in the fridge so that you can drink it throughout the week and it costs wayyyy less than hitting up the drive-thru of a certain coffee chain. Plus, there’s no up-charge for using your fave milk. Want a caffeine-free version? Try my tulsi chai!
JUMP STRAIGHT TO:
- Key Ingredients and Whole Spices
- How to Make a Pumpkin Chai Latte on the Stovetop
- How to Make a Bigger Batch for the Week
- How to Turn it Into a Dirty Pumpkin Chai Latte
Key Pumpkin Chai Ingredients and Whole Spices
The most important ingredients in this fall chai latte are the whole spices: fresh ginger root, cinnamon stick, whole cloves, fennel seeds, and green cardamom pods. I ended up tossing in ground nutmeg and allspice to get more of that cozy pumpkin spice vibe but they are entirely optional. Whole spices will give you a richer, spicier flavor without the weird grittiness that comes from using all ground/powdered spices.
Since you can’t have a pumpkin chai without pumpkin, there’s real pumpkin puree in the mix along with rich brown sugar for a caramel-like sweetness that stands up well against the spices. Maple syrup would also be delicious here!
As for the black tea, a tea made using CTC (crush, tear, curl) is the most authentic for chai (I love this one from Diaspora for chai, not sponsored). But, any malty black tea will work, like Assam or even English Breakfast. If you only have tea bags, one tea bag will do here in place of the loose tea.
How to Make a Pumpkin Chai Latte from Scratch on the Stovetop
In order to extract as much flavor from our whole spices as possible, we need to bash them up a bit. Put the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, and fennel seeds in a clean kitchen towel, cover them, then hit them with something blunt and heavy (I like to use the bottom of my knife handle). The goal is to break them up into smaller pieces to encourage them to release their fragrant oils.
Add the broken spices to a small pot along with the sliced ginger root, ground allspice and nutmeg, and water. Our goal is to simmer all of the spices by themselves first in order to extract their flavor. This doesn’t work with a simple steep like you would a chai tea bag. Simmering is what extracts the flavor from whole spices. Once the spices simmer, you’ll add all of the remaining ingredients (except for the vanilla) and simmer for just 2 more minutes.
After the second simmer, your chai is ready! You’ll need to strain out the whole spices and tea, then mix in the vanilla if you decided to use it. I like to use this little mini sieve but a standard tea strainer works, too. If you want to go the extra step, you can use a little milk frother to froth up your chai a bit or top it with some frothed milk, or both. It’s your chai and you deserve to have it exactly as you want it!
How to Make a Bigger Batch for the Week Ahead
I developed this pumpkin chai recipe as a single serving so that you can multiply it based on how many servings you’d like to make at a time. Once it’s made and strained, let it cool for about 20-30 minutes on the counter before bottling it and keeping it in the fridge. You can enjoy it iced or reheat it on the stove in a small pot. Make sure to shake it well before pouring any out as the pumpkin has a tendency to settle at the bottom over time!
Make it a Dirty Pumpkin Chai
If you need a little extra caffeine boost, or just really love the flavor of a dirty chai, you can add 1-2 shots of espresso or super strong brewed coffee to your pumpkin spice chai latte. If you’re drinking it iced, simply add 1.5 ounces (3 tablespoons) of cold brew concentrate instead.
If you love the flavor of a dirty chai, I think you’d really like this fall spice horchata iced coffee. If you’re a pumpkin fan through and through, you have to try my spiced pumpkin cold brew latte!
Pumpkin Chai Latte with Brown Sugar and Whole Spices
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
Description
This homemade pumpkin chai latte is made with fragrant whole chai spices, brown sugar, and pumpkin puree. Warm, cozy, and perfectly spiced, it’s an easy fall drink made in about 15 minutes from scratch without boxed chai concentrate.
Ingredients
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 teaspoon whole green cardamom pods, about 8 total
- 1/4 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 cup water
- 1-inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg, optional
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice, optional
- 1–2 teaspoons loose black tea, such as Assam, or 1 black tea bag
- 1 cup oat milk, or other milk of your choosing
- 1–2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, optional
Instructions
Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, fennel seeds, and cloves to a clean kitchen towel, Cover, then crush with a rolling pin or the handle of a knife. Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle.
Add the crushed spices to a small pot along with the water, sliced ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. Set the pot over medium heat and once it reaches a simmer (little bubbles breaking the surface), set a timer for 5 minutes and let it continue to simmer.
After 5 minutes, add the black tea, milk, brown sugar (use 1 tablespoon for less sweet and 2 for more sweet), and pumpkin puree. Stir well, then bring the mixture back to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes then remove the pot from the heat.
Strain the tea to remove the whole spices and tea leaves then stir in the vanilla if using. If you have a milk frother, you can froth your chai a bit if you like or top it with some extra frothed milk.
Enjoy immediately! If you are doubling the batch, store leftovers in a bottle in the fridge and enjoy within a week. Enjoy iced or reheat on the stove.
Notes
- The nutmeg and allspice are optional additions as they are added more for a pumpkin spice vibe than being essential to the chai flavor.
- Use 1 tablespoon of brown sugar for a less sweet chai and 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons for a more sweet version. You can use any sweetener you like in place of the brown sugar but I think maple syrup is equally delicious!
- I do not recommend using ground spices in place of the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and fennel here. They leave a gritty texture and the flavor isn’t as pronounced.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Beverage
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