Another Autumn season is upon us: sweaters are being pulled out of closets, candy corn is being purchased, and—most importantly—pumpkin spice lattes are being sipped on. Coffee shops big and small have started dishing out their fall menus. Many of them have gotten creative with their Autumn line-ups, but they have also stuck true to the OG: the pumpkin spice latte.
Most coffee shops have their own version of the PSL, but which one is the best? I ventured out on a journey to answer this question, to ensure that you aren’t wasting your money or tastebuds this autumn season.
I went to six different coffee shops and ordered the same thing: a small iced pumpkin spice latte with oat milk and compared them. I also considered many things such as price, taste, ambiance and more to give you a true answer as to which of these PSLs is the best.
Starbucks makes the most famous pumpkin spice latte out there, but how good is it really? My PSL with oat milk retailed to $7.74, so it isn’t cheap, but nowadays what is?
First off, let’s discuss the ambiance of Starbucks. Starbucks is the epitome of fall; the second you walk in there, you feel warm and cozy. This would be a great place to study and sip on a latte.
Call me basic, but I would do anything for a Starbucks PSL. Okay, maybe not anything, but I would still pay nearly $8 just to enjoy one. I don’t know what Starbucks puts in their pumpkin spice lattes, but whatever it is, it works. The latte is the perfect amount of sweet and the espresso mixed with the oat milk gives it the smoothest texture. I think it could be slightly more pumpkin tasting, but that’s just because I am addicted to pumpkin spice. This latte is the most popular for a reason, and I highly recommend it.
Overall I would give Starbucks 9 pumpkins out of 10.
Let me start with the pros: the ambiance in this store was so welcoming and adorable. All they needed was some fall decor, and it would be the perfect quiet study place for autumn.
This one was definitely on the more expensive side, which makes sense since it’s a small business. My latte retailed for $7.97, and I only got a 12oz. To put that into perspective a Starbucks grande is 16oz, so this one was more expensive and also smaller than Starbucks. My jaw did slightly drop at the total, especially for how small it was.
And for taste: lackluster at best. The espresso brew itself was very nice and strong, but the pumpkin flavor was barely there. They also use a natural oat milk, so there were little oat chunks in the milk which some people might enjoy, but I did not love the texture.
I would enjoy going back here to try other drinks or food items because it’s truly cozy inside, but I would not go back for the PSL. If you are looking for a good vibes establishment this place is great, but if you are looking for good taste, I don’t recommend it.
I give them 5 pumpkins out of 10.
Since it is widely known as Starbucks’ main competitor, I thought Dunkin’ would be interesting to compare against these other PSLs, especially Starbucks.
The ambiance at Dunkin’ was definitely the worst; it was drive-thru only, so there was no inside to judge, and the lady taking my order…wasn’t the nicest. However, my latte was $5.81, so it was definitely a more affordable option.
For the latte itself, I have one word: SWEET. If you love all things sugar, this is the latte for you; however, it was hard to pinpoint the pumpkin flavor over the excessive amount of sugar. I also asked for no whipped cream so that all of the lattes I was judging would be similar, but they decided to give it to me anyways.
Dunkin’ is not the place to go if you are looking for a nice pumpkin coffee, but if you are wanting to bounce off the walls from a sugar rush, Dunkin’ has you covered.
So, if you are broke and have a sweet tooth this is the one for you. I give Dunkin 3.5 pumpkins out of 10.
Scooters isn’t known as the most high-end coffee, but I enjoyed it. It was by far the most pumpkiny, and it made me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. The latte was $7.09, so not the cheapest, but also not the most expensive.
The only downside to this latte is that their espresso itself is not my favorite. The coffee lacks the creaminess others have, but it had a really good balance of sweetness; it wasn’t too sugary like Dunkin’ but also not too bitter.
Since it’s another drive-thru only, it’s hard to judge the overall ambiance, but the workers were very sweet!
Scooters really nailed it with the pumpkin flavor, so if you are looking for that extra-fall feel, I would highly recommend this PSL.
I give Scooters 8.5 pumpkins out of 10
If you are looking for an affordable but still tasty option, I highly recommend Dutch Bros. Their latte retailed to $5.68.
This latte was a nice balance between pumpkin spice flavor and sweetness. Dutch Bros does a good job of providing pumpkin flavor without overwhelming your taste buds. The coffee has a good high-quality taste, even though it is one of the more affordable options on the list. It’s nothing astonishing, but it is still a nice latte!
The workers were very kind even though I could tell they were very busy and slightly stressed out. It’s another drive-through only, but I got my drink decently fast even though there was a bit of a line.
All things considered, I give Dutch Bros a solid 7.8 pumpkins out of 10.
Last but not least, another smaller business on the list, we have Aspen Coffee. Aspen has a few locations, and I have been to a couple myself, and I really love the environment. It’s always very relaxing inside there, and there’s usually other people there working or studying, so it is really easy to focus on yourself when you are there. The ambiance of Aspen was definitely my favorite of the options on this list.
As for the latte: I spent $6.50, so not too bad. The latte was very good, it could’ve used more pumpkin flavoring, but the overall taste was very nice. This one was on the less sweet side which highlighted the overall taste of the coffee. Aspen’s coffee is not your average cup of joe, it has a very unique taste that is very enjoyable. With just a bit more pumpkin flavor this latte would be perfect.
They also gave my dog, Archie, a pup-cup which he really enjoyed, so that bumps them up a few points!
So, overall Archie and I give Aspen Coffee 8.2 pumpkins out of 10.
I hope this article helped you on your pumpkin spice latte journey, and let us know what your favorite PSL is in the comments. Happy Fall!
