It’s that time of year! The air is cool, football games are starting up, campus feels alive again, and pumpkin has returned from its hibernation! Starbucks is best known for its iconic Pumpkin Spice Latte: espresso mixed with pumpkin syrup, milk, whipped cream, and pumpkin spice topping. Personally, I love to bundle up with a warm PSL during sweater weather, but it can also be ordered iced.
However, the PSL is not the only delectable pumpkin beverage on the Starbucks menu. As a newer Starbucks barista of about 5 months going through her first fall season, I sure have had lots of experience with pumpkin so far. To prepare for the hectic nutmeg and cinnamon fall season that Starbucks is known for, baristas have access to pumpkin and other autumnal ingredients since early August so we can learn recipes and experiment with flavorings. Because of this, I have had lots of time to curate my perfect list of fall-themed drinks to order.
Here are some more drinks on our menu that I think have the original PSL beat!
Pecan Crunch Iced Latte with Pumpkin Cold Foam
Normally, the Pecan Crunch Iced Latte comes with vanilla cold foam, but swapping it for pumpkin cold foam is definitely the move. This drink has blonde espresso mixed with pecan syrup, finished with milk and a refreshing cold foam, and sprinkled with pecan crunch topping. When you substitute the vanilla for pumpkin, you get the best mix of the two most iconic fall flavors that Starbucks has to offer.
How to order this: Iced Pecan Crunch Latte with Pumpkin Cold Foam and no Vanilla Cold Foam.
Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai
Besides the Pumpkin Spice Latte, the Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai might be the second most iconic fall drink on the menu (especially among younger people and non-coffee drinkers). Normally, this drink is a regular iced chai latte, made with concentrated chai syrup and classic sweetener syrup, topped with pumpkin cold foam and pumpkin spice topping. Although, what I like to do as a young and hip barista is swap out the classic syrup for brown sugar syrup. This way, the chai still gets sweetened, but with the additional pop of brown sugar. The combination of brown sugar, chai, and pumpkin blends so well together and embodies fall in the best way possible. Also, if you were to get both classic sweetener syrup and brown sugar syrup, the drink would be overwhelmingly sweet, so this is a great way to get all the flavors in and cut back on the sweetness.
How to order this: Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai, no classic syrup, sub brown sugar syrup.
Iced Banana Bread Matcha – the Original Way!
The iced matchas are made similarly to the iced chais at Starbucks, where the matcha powder is mixed with milk and classic sweetener syrup. However, the new Iced Banana Bread Matcha is made a little differently, and I’d recommend the original version instead. Instead of the classic sweetener, it gets banana syrup and brown sugar cold foam and is then topped with yummy cinnamon dolce sprinkles. But the old way we used to make it is much better and would be perfect for fall. Originally, the drink was made with the brown sugar syrup inside of the matcha drink, rather than the banana syrup, and the cold foam was banana flavored instead of brown sugar flavored. It also used to be topped with caramel crunch topping instead of the cinnamon dolce topping. Switching the order this way really makes the drink taste better because the banana is not overpowering the taste of the matcha.
How to order this: Iced Banana Bread Matcha, no banana syrup, sub brown sugar syrup, no brown sugar cold foam, add banana cold foam, no cinnamon dolce topping, add caramel crunch topping.
I hope you guys try all these drinks and love them as much as I do! They will add the perfect touch to any fall day and definitely be the cherry on top to an immaculate fall agenda. Autumn is perfect for cozy vibes and trying new things. Tell your barista that another barista recommended them to you, and happy fall ;)
