The Pumpkin Spice Latte Returns, So Fresh and So Clean

Summer is slowly saying its last few farewells and hopefully taking this blistering Seattle heat with it too. Every year, the drink that officially reminds us of this before we even feel an autumny nip in the air is back. Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte returns to stores and this time, it’s cleaned up its act. 

For those of you that follow food blogs, you’ve probably stumbled upon the name, Vani Hari, aka “The Food Babe,” a well-known blogger and (slightly controversial) food investigator. Last year, The Food Babe wrote a blog post about the toxic ingredients inside of the PSL. And it went viral.

Hari unearthed that the seasonal drink contained milk, class IV caramel color (possibly carcinogenic), “natural and artificial flavors” and a truck-full of sugar. But no actual pumpkin. The Pumpkin Spice Latte contained “natural and artificial” flavors that tasted like pumpkin.

This year Starbucks has officially announced that the Pumpkin Spice Latte has changed its ways. Peter Dukes, co-developer of the beloved drink, blogged that “the PSL returns this fall, and this time it will be made with real pumpkin and without caramel coloring.” He also revealed the full list of ingredients (below).

Okay now my tastebuds can’t wait for fall. 

Full list of ingredients in the new PSL posted by Peter Dukes: 

• Espresso
• Milk
• Pumpkin Spice Flavored Sauce (Sugar, Condensed Skim Milk, Pumpkin Puree, Contains 2% or Less of Fruit and Vegetable Juice for Color, Natural Flavors, Annatto (Color), Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Salt)
• Whipped Cream (Light Whipping Cream [Cream, Mono and Diglycerides, Carrageenan])
• Starbucks Vanilla Syrup (Sugar, Water, Natural Flavors, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Citric Acid)
• Pumpkin Spice Topping (Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Clove)