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!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Full Disclosure Policy for more information.

Jump to:
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
1: Boil water and steep chai tea bags for 6-8 minutes (the longer you steep, the stronger the tea will be).
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).
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.
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.
Recipe FAQ
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.
Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger! Using actual pumpkin pie spice (instead of these individual spices) just keeps things easier and requires less ingredients.
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.
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!
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
Want more healthy recipes like this delivered straight to your inbox? Click here to join The Perfect Pear newsletter!
If you give this recipe a try, please rate and review it below! I would love to hear your feedback. Also snap a photo and tag me on Insta @theperfectpearr so I can see your creation!
PrintDirty Chai Latte with Pumpkin Recipe
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!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 8 minutes
- Yield: 1 latte 1x
- Category: Drinks, Festive Drinks, Fall
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (6 ounces) boiling water
- 2 chai tea bags
- 1-2 shots of espresso, depending on your preference
- ¾ cup (6 ounces) milk of choice (I recommend low-fat cow's milk or soy milk for a creamier texture!)
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin puree
- ½ Tablespoon pure maple syrup or honey (more or less depending on your sweetness preference)
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric, optional
- Dash of black pepper, optional*
Instructions
- Boil water and pour into a mug or liquid measuring cup. Steep chai tea bags for 6-8 minutes (the longer you steep, the stronger the tea will be).
- Prepare espresso while tea is steeping. Once it's ready and tea bags have been removed, pour espresso into the mug with chai tea. Set aside.
- In a separate glass or liquid measuring cup, combine milk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and spices.
- Froth until mixed and foamy.
- Pour into mug with espresso and chai tea.
- Garnish with a dash of cinnamon and enjoy!
Notes
-
- *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!
- 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.
- You can use your milk of choice in this recipe: cow's milk, almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, oat milk, etc.!
- If you don't want the "dirty" part of this latte, you can omit the espresso to make a a hot or iced pumpkin chai latte.
- I love serving this dirty chai latte with pumpkin with a dash of cinnamon top or a cinnamon stick in it.
- This pairs well with cinnamon pecan granola on top of yogurt, banana pumpkin muffins, pumpkin baked oatmeal, or a handful of candied pecans!
- If you happen to have some leftover, you can store it in an airtight container (like a resealable bottle of some sort) 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 to warm up! Be sure to watch it, no matter how you decide to warm it up, as the milk may burn.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 16 ounces
- Calories: 147
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 99
- Fat: 4
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Unsaturated Fat: 1
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 15
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 12
- Cholesterol: 15
Keywords: What is a dirty chai, iced dirty chai, how to make a dirty chai latte, dirty iced chai, dirty chai latte with pumpkin, pumpkin spice chai latte
Susan says
This tastes just like fall and is so good! Thank you.
Lauren says
I love to hear it! Making these at home and is so easy (and a little better for you!).