Dirty Chai Latte with Pumpkin

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A dirty chai latte with pumpkin belongs on the fall menu at every coffee shop. This low sugar version is the perfect fall drink recipe to cozy up with on the couch on a Sunday morning or fun way to spice up your weekday at work!

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A healthy dirty chai latte with pumpkin sprinkled with cinnamon with coffee grounds and a pumpkin in the background

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Why You'll Love this Dirty Pumpkin Chai Latte
Equipment
Ingredients
How to Make a Dirty Chai Latte with Pumpkin
How to Make an Iced Dirty Chai Latte
Variations & Substitutions
Pro Tips
Serving, Storing, & Reheating
Recipe FAQ
Other Recipes You May Like
Dirty Chai Latte with Pumpkin Recipe

Why You'll Love this Dirty Pumpkin Chai Latte

This dirty pumpkin spice chai latte recipe tastes like the holiday season. The warm spices from the pumpkin spices, real pumpkin flavor from pumpkin puree, and chai flavor from the tea all come together to make the perfect drink during the fall and winter (or any time of year). You can also pour this recipe over ice to make an iced chai tea latte with pumpkin if you're more of an iced person!

And if you love a hot drink during the bitter cold winter months, protein hot chocolate is another one of my go-to recipes! 🙂

Equipment

Mug - you'll need at least a 16-ounce mug for this recipe. You can tweak the ingredient amounts based on the size of your mug if you have a smaller or larger one!
Milk frother - this electric frother works wonderfully for blending the pumpkin puree, milk, vanilla extract, and spices together. Plus it gives it a nice foam on top! If you don't have a milk frother, you can use a shaker bottle (combine all of the pumpkin spice milk ingredients and shake) or combine everything in a regular glass and stir really well with a whisk! If you want to be really fancy, you can use an immersion blender but this isn't necessary.
Liquid measuring cup - I like to use this to either boil water in the microwave in or pour boiling water from a teapot in, and then steep the tea bags.
Regular glass or mason jar (optional) - if you like to froth your pumpkin spice milk separately (instead of in the mug you'll drink from), you can use a separate glass to froth it in. Once it's frothed, you can then pour it on top of the chai tea espresso mixture, which will be in the mug.

Ingredients

Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Boiling water - making hot tea requires water. You can boil it either in the microwave or on the stove! Or if you have a coffee machine, like a Keurig, you can use the hot water from there.
Chai tea - I like to use chai tea bags but you can definitely use loose leaf tea as well! I love these vanilla chai tea bags because they taste great and super easy to use. Regular chai tea is totally fine if you don't have vanilla chai. You can also use black tea bags and add chai tea spices or a chai tea concentrate!
Milk - any milk of your choice will work! I recommend using a low-fat, creamier milk (like 2% or soy) to give this diry chai latte a nice mouthfeel. I don't use whole milk often, as it's high in saturated fat. Fat free or more watery milks (like almond milk) will add a little bit of milkiness but not a smooth, creamy texture! My favorite thing to do is use a low-sugar vanilla protein shake for extra protein!
Espresso - a high quality espresso will make this dirty chai absolutely delicious. A single or double shot of espresso is great, depending on your preference and if you want that extra kick of caffeine. If you don't have an espresso maker, like a nespresso machine, you can use instant espresso (1 stick) or 6-8 ounces of strong coffee! These both may change the flavor slightly.
Pumpkin puree - you can't make a dirty pumpkin spice chai tea latte without pumpkin! Real pumpkin puree adds the pumpkin flavor, as well as a little bit of vitamins A and C, fiber, and zinc. Be sure to buy pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling!
Pure maple syrup - maple and chai go so well together, and real maple syrup adds a hint of sweetness to this latte. You can tweak the amount based on your sweetness preference and/or use honey or Stevia!
Pumpkin pie spice (optional) - this is optional if you want extra pumpkin spice flavor. The chai spices are fantastic on their own but if you love pumpkin spice everything, you can add a touch more. I like using the actual spice (and real pumpkin puree) instead of a pumpkin spice sauce commonly used in commercial pumpkin spice lattes because the sauces and syrups are high in added sugar!
Pure vanilla extract (optional) - just to round out this recipe and add a hint of vanilla!
Turmeric (optional) - it may sound strange, but I love adding turmeric into my lattes. I only use a sprinkle, so not enough to add much flavor. Turmeric is rich in antioxidants and very anti-inflammatory!
Ground black pepper (optional) - this may sound strange, but to get the benefits of turmeric, you need a compound in black pepper called piperine. I only use a small dash, not enough to actually taste pepper!

How to Make a Dirty Chai Latte with Pumpkin

two chai tea bags in hot water in a liquid measuring cup.

1: Boil water and steep chai tea bags for 6-8 minutes (the longer you steep, the stronger the tea will be).

milk with spices and pumpkin puree to make a dirty chai latte with pumpkin spice.

2: Prepare espresso while the tea is steeping. Pour into a mug and add chai tea (once it's ready and tea bags have been removed).

espresso and black chai tea in a mug to make a dirty chai latte with pumpkin.

3: Combine the pumpkin, milk, vanilla extract (if using), and spices in a separate glass or the liquid measuring cup used to make the chai tea. Froth together using a milk frother or whisk. You're basically making a homemade pumpkin cold foam!

4: Pour the pumpkin cold foam (aka pumpkin spice milk) over the espresso tea mixture in the mug.

How to Make an Iced Dirty Chai Latte

You can definitely make an iced dirty chai with pumpkin using this recipe! Simply follow the recipe but let the chai tea and espresso come to room temperature. Then pour into a glass filled about halfway with ice. Pour the pumpkin spice milk into the glass and enjoy!

If you like this recipe, you should try a vanilla iced chai latte next!

Variations & Substitutions

You can use your milk of choice: cow's milk, almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, oat milk, etc.!
You can omit the espresso to make a hot or iced pumpkin chai latte.

Someone grabbing a healthy dirty chai latte with pumpkin. A linen, pumpkin, and coffee grounds are in the background.

Pro Tips

You don't need a fancy milk frother to make the pumpkin spice milk. Simply combine the ingredients in a separate glass or the measuring cup used to steep the tea and stir well with a whisk!
I love using a low-sugar vanilla protein shake for extra protein and a hint of sweetness. Be mindful of which protein shakes you use, as a lot can be high in sugar and less than ideal ingredients.
The black pepper addition sounds strange, but necessary to get the antioxidant benefit from turmeric! Piperine is a compound in black pepper that enhances the antioxidant capacity of turmeric so I like to combine both when using turmeric. I only add a small dash, not enough to actually taste pepper!

Serving, Storing, & Reheating

Serving

I love serving this dirty chai latte with pumpkin with a dash of cinnamon on top.
This pairs well with cinnamon pecan granola with yogurt, banana pumpkin muffins, pumpkin baked oatmeal, or a handful of candied pecans!

Storing & Reheating

If you happen to have some leftover, you can store it in an airtight container (like a resealable bottle) for up to 4 days. Be sure to stir it before warming up and drinking, as the pumpkin and spices will settle at the bottom.
To reheat this dirty chai latte, you can either warm it up in a microwave-safe mug or glass in the microwave or pour it in a small saucepan on the stove over low medium heat! Be sure to watch it, no matter how you decide to warm it up, as the milk may burn.

A healthy dirty chai latte with pumpkin on a coaster and sprinkled with cinnamon. Coffee grounds, a milk jug, and pumpkin are in the background.

Recipe FAQ

Are pumpkin spice lattes healthy?

The answer to this will totally depend on how they're made. Typically, store-bought mixes and the ones you get at coffee shops have quite a bit of added sugar. This makes them not as healthy (but okay to have every once in a while!). This version is low in sugar, unless you add more than what's suggested.

What flavors are in a pumpkin spice latte?

Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger! Using actual pumpkin pie spice (instead of these individual spices) just keeps things easier and requires less ingredients.

Is pumpkin spice good in chai?

Pumpkin spice is so good in chai tea and chai tea lattes! The warm spices from pumpkin pie spice and masala chai spices blend together so so well. Add a creamy milk and shot or two of espresso and you have yourself a delicious drink.

What can I use instead of a milk frother?

You don't need a fancy milk frother to make the pumpkin spice milk. Simply combine the ingredients in a separate glass or the measuring cup used to steep the tea. Then stir really well with a whisk!

Can I double this recipe for multiple servings?

Absolutely! Simply multiply the ingredient measurements by however many portions you want. If you're making this for multiple people, it may be worth making the tea on the stove in a small saucepan and adding the espresso to that to keep it warm until the pumpkin spice milk is ready.

Other Recipes You May Like

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