I kept seeing pumpkin spice matcha popping up at Starbucks and a few local coffee/matcha shops, so of course I wanted to try one. Sadly, the pumpkin spice syrups I kept coming across contained dairy, so that was a no-go for me.
Which meant, of course, I had to make my own!
It took a few experiments to get it exactly where I wanted it. My first versions were good, but they were missing a little something. I wanted more actual pumpkin flavor without adding so much syrup that the drink became overly sweet.
And then came the pumpkin spice ice…
Originally, I mostly wanted to make orange pumpkin-shaped ice because… well, just look how cute it is. But it ended up being the thing that brought the whole drink together!
I blended real pumpkin purée with oat milk, a little maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice and froze it in my pumpkin mold. As the ice melts, it adds more creamy pumpkin flavor to the matcha instead of watering it down.
Pumpkin spice ice. I still can’t get over how conveniently that rhymes. 😂
Dairy-Free Pumpkin Spice Matcha
Makes: 1 large iced matcha
For the matcha
- 1 tbsp RYZE Matcha
- ¼ cup water (hot for whisking; cool or room temperature for blending)
- 1¾ cups oat milk, or your preferred milk
- ¼ tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1–2 tsp pumpkin spice syrup, adjusted to taste
- Pumpkin spice ice, as desired
A note about the syrup: The pumpkin spice syrup I use is sweetened with stevia, which I know isn’t everyone’s favorite. Feel free to use your favorite pumpkin spice syrup instead and adjust the amount depending on how sweet it is (and how sweet you like your matcha).
For the pumpkin spice ice 🎃
- ¼ cup pumpkin purée
- ¾ cup oat milk
- 1–2 tsp maple syrup
- Tiny pinch of pumpkin pie spice
Add everything to a blender and blend until completely smooth.
Pour the mixture into a silicone ice mold and freeze until solid.
You definitely don’t need a pumpkin-shaped mold, but I mean… look at them. 🎃🥹 A regular ice cube tray works just as well!
How to Make It
There are two ways I like to make this depending on how much time (and patience) I have…
Whisked + Layered Method
Add the RYZE Matcha to a bowl with ¼ cup hot water. Whisk until completely smooth and frothy.
In a separate glass or small pitcher, combine the oat milk, vanilla bean paste and pumpkin spice syrup. Stir or froth until combined.
Fill your serving glass with pumpkin spice ice, then pour the pumpkin-spice oat milk mixture over the ice.
Slowly pour your prepared matcha over the top. This gives you those pretty creamy-orange and green layers before everything gets mixed together. 🎃🍵
Admire it for an unreasonable amount of time, take a picture if you’re like me, then stir and enjoy!
The “Throw It All in a Blender” Method
Add the RYZE Matcha, ¼ cup cool or room-temperature water, oat milk, vanilla bean paste and pumpkin spice syrup to a blender.
Blend until smooth and frothy.
Fill your glass with pumpkin spice ice, pour the matcha mixture over it, and you’re done.
This is honestly how I make matcha a lot of the time when I don’t feel like getting out the bowl and whisk. It’s quick, frothy and just as delicious… no hot water or whisk required.
Why Pumpkin Spice Ice?
Besides being ridiculously cute, there is actually a reason for it.
While I was testing this recipe, I found that adding more pumpkin spice syrup gave me more sweetness and spice, but not necessarily more pumpkin flavor. I could have kept adding syrup, but that wasn’t really what the drink needed.
Putting real pumpkin purée directly into the matcha was another option, but I loved what happened when I froze it instead.
The pumpkin spice ice slowly adds an extra boost of creamy pumpkin flavor. And because the cubes are made with pumpkin and oat milk rather than water, they add flavor as they melt instead of simply diluting your matcha.
What started as an aesthetic choice accidentally became my favorite part of the recipe!
Make It Your Own
One of the things I love about making drinks at home is that you don’t have to follow the coffee shop formula exactly.
Want it sweeter? Add a little more syrup. Want the matcha stronger? Adjust that too. Prefer almond, soy or coconut milk? Go for it!
And if stevia isn’t your thing, definitely use a different pumpkin spice syrup. The goal isn’t to recreate my exact drink… it’s to find the version that tastes best to you.
Things I Used
Here are the exact products I used to make my pumpkin spice matcha latte, plus a similar pumpkin mold since mine came from Spirit Halloween. 🎃
- RYZE Matcha – this is the matcha I used for this recipe. You can save with my code LUCYBL15.
- Pumpkin Spice Syrup – mine is sweetened with stevia, so if stevia isn’t your thing, feel free to substitute your favorite pumpkin spice syrup.
- Vanilla Bean Paste – I love the extra little bit of vanilla this adds.
- Pumpkin Ice Mold: 2-Tray Set – my husband found mine at Spirit Halloween, but I found this similar two-tray set so you can make even more little pumpkins at once. 🎃🎃🎃
- Matcha Bowl – for the whisked + layered version.
- Milk Frother – perfect for mixing and frothing the pumpkin-spice milk layer.
- Frothing Pitcher – this is what I use for mixing and pouring the milk layer.
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