This pumpkin spice chai latte recipe is warmly spiced, lightly sweet, and made with real pumpkin purée. This homemade pumpkin chai latte is dairy-free, naturally sweetened, and ready in about 10 minutes.
If you love pumpkin, you'll also want to check out my vegan pumpkin spice mug cake recipe and my graham-cracker crust vegan pumpkin pie recipe.
🔍 A Quick Look: Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte
- 🍵 Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte
- 🕒 Total Time: 12 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 1
- 🎯 Key Ingredients: Chai tea, pumpkin purée, plant-based milk
- 🌱 Dietary Info: Vegan, dairy-free, naturally sweetened
- ✨ Best For: Fall mornings, afternoon drinks, cozy evenings
- 💕 My Favorite Part: You can make it as bold, creamy, or lightly sweet as you like
Jump to:
- 🔍 A Quick Look: Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte
- Why This Recipe Works
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- My favorite Tea for Pumpkin Chai Latte
- Tested Tips
- How to Make a Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte
- How To Adjust the Strength of Your Chai
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage
- Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte FAQs
- More Drinks You'll Love
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
This is one of those fall drinks I look forward to all year. Coffee-shop pumpkin chai always sounds good to me, but most versions are sweeter than I want. So I started making my own with brewed chai, real pumpkin, plant-based milk, and maple syrup.
What I like most is that you can still taste the chai. The pumpkin and spices make it feel like fall, but they don’t have to overpower the tea.
If you love drinks like this, my dairy free horchata, simple matcha latte, or iced strawberry matcha latte are more drinks I make at home. Browse all my vegan drink recipes for more ideas.
Why This Recipe Works
- The chai stays front and center. Brewing the tea before adding the milk gives it enough flavor to hold up to the pumpkin and spices.
- A little pumpkin goes a long way. It adds body and pumpkin flavor without making the latte heavy.
- Maple syrup keeps the sweetness easy to control. You can add more after tasting if you want it sweeter.
- The extra spices round everything out. Pumpkin pie spice and cardamom build on the warm spices already in the chai.
Try this warm hibiscus tea or homemade pineapple peel tea next.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here's what you'll need to make this pumpkin-spiced chai latte recipe:
- Chai tea bags – A black tea chai gives you the classic flavor. Use rooibos chai for a caffeine-free version. Prefer loose-leaf? Here’s my favorite loose-leaf Masala Chai. Just use a tea infuser or strainer before mixing.
- Pumpkin puree – Use plain canned or homemade pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Plant-based milk – My favorite is oat milk. But homemade cashew milk works incredibly well, too.
- Maple syrup – Substitute with agave or date syrup.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Adds the warm cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove, and allspice flavor that gives this drink its fall feel.
See the recipe card for the complete ingredient list and quantities.
My favorite Tea for Pumpkin Chai Latte
The tea matters more than you might think.
- Classic flavor: Spiced black tea chai with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, clove.
Try: The Republic of Tea Bold Black Chai or Numi Golden Chai Black Tea - Caffeine-free: Rooibos chai (naturally earthy + warming).
Try: Numi Rooibos Chai or Yogi Chai Rooibos - Extra bold: Masala chai (often includes black pepper for a stronger kick).
Try: Rishi Masala Chai
Tested Tips
- Don’t boil the milk. Warm it gently until steaming. Plant-based milk can scorch or separate if it gets too hot.
- Give the chai time to steep. About 5–7 minutes makes a stronger tea that won’t disappear once you add milk.
- Taste before adding extra spice. Chai blends vary quite a bit. If yours is mild, add pumpkin pie spice a little at a time.
- Froth it if you want that coffee-shop texture. A milk frother works, but a small whisk works too.
- Make extra chai ahead. Brew extra chai and refrigerate it for quick lattes later.
Some afternoons, I’ll make pumpkin chai and pair it with vegan banana bread or oat bran muffins.
How to Make a Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Warm the pumpkin milk mixture
In a small saucepan, whisk milk, pumpkin purée, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, and cardamom. Heat gently over medium-low until steaming (don’t boil).
Combine and serve
Stir in brewed chai tea, vanilla, and salt. Froth if desired, then pour into a mug. Top with spices or whipped cream and enjoy.
How To Adjust the Strength of Your Chai
Chai is both art and science. I like mine bold and spiced, but others in my house prefer it milder. Your sweet spot might shift depending on your mood or the size of your mug.
- If yours tastes too light, steep the tea a little longer next time or use slightly less milk.
- If it’s stronger than you like, stir in a splash of warm plant-based milk.
The easiest way to remember it:
- Less milk for a stronger chai flavor
- More milk for creamier and more mellow
There’s really no exact formula. A couple of small adjustments will get you to the version you like best.
Serving Suggestions
For breakfast, I love pumpkin chai with vegan banana pancakes. And for the perfect afternoon treat, I pair it with my vegan carrot cake cupcake recipe, vegan chocolate chip cookies, or this vegan matcha cookies recipe.
Storage
Store leftover pumpkin chai latte in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat gently over low heat, whisking before serving. For the best flavor and texture, I prefer it fresh.
Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte FAQs
Yes. Let the chai and pumpkin milk cool completely, then combine and pour over ice.
A pumpkin chai latte combines brewed chai tea with pumpkin purée, warming spices, milk, and a little sweetener. This version uses plant-based milk and maple syrup.
Yes. Pumpkin spice and chai share many of the same warming flavors, especially cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and clove. The pumpkin spice deepens the chai flavor without needing to overpower it.
I love unsweetened oat milk for its creamy texture and neutral flavor. You can also use almond, soy, or full-fat coconut milk for different textures and richness levels (but coconut milk adds a more noticeable flavor).
Yes. Homemade pumpkin purée works well as long as it’s smooth and fairly thick. If it’s much thinner than canned pumpkin, the finished latte may be a little less creamy.
More Drinks You'll Love
Looking for more cozy drink recipes? Try these:
Did you try this recipe? Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest! 💛
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte
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Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- 2 chai tea bags, OR 1 tablespoon loose-leaf chai tea
- ¾ cup unsweetened plant-based milk
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup, adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, homemade recipe in Notes
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom, optional but highly recommended
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Steep the Chai: Heat the water until just below boiling (around 200°F). Remove from heat, add chai tea bags (or loose-leaf in a tea infuser), and steep for 5–7 minutes. Squeeze the tea bags to extract maximum flavor, then discard.
- Warm the Pumpkin Milk: In a small saucepan, whisk together the milk, pumpkin purée, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, and cardamom. Heat over medium-low until steaming. Do not boil.
- Combine and Serve: Stir in the brewed chai, vanilla, and salt. Froth if desired, pour into a mug, and add toppings if you like. See notes.
Video
Notes
- Homemade pumpkin pie spice mix: 1.5 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon cloves, ¼ teaspoon allspice. Store airtight.
- No frother? Whisk vigorously or blend briefly for foam.
- Adjust strength: Use the chai-strength guidance in the post above.
- Iced version: Let chai and pumpkin milk cool completely, then pour over ice.
- Optional toppings: Coconut whipped cream, extra pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, star anise, cinnamon stick
Nutrition
Julie Gaeta is a plant-based recipe creator, certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, and mom of nine who's been plant-based for over 20 years. She's cooked approximately 4,382 pots of beans and can't vacation without her juicer and pasta pot. Her work has been featured in HuffPost, Yahoo, YourTango, and other major outlets. She helps others simplify wellness and feel good again through her blog, coaching, and weekly newsletter.
Julie Gaeta says
One of my absolute favorite fall drinks. It's the just-right combo of sweet and spice!