How to Order a Pumpkin Spice Matcha at Starbucks

Starbucks and the pumpkin spice latte go together hand in hand.

While it’s impossible to definitively say that the Seattle-based coffee chain invented the first pumpkin spice latte — someone could have previously made a coffee drink infused with pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove — Starbucks is undeniably responsible for its widespread popularity, and the brand has even trademarked the acronym “PSL.”

Since it was first added to Starbucks menus in 2003, the PSL has cycled through changing opinions, being called exciting and delicious, then basic and trite, and now, an essential, ubiquitous part of fall.

Even I, a dedicated coffee drinker who usually avoids sweetened drinks at all costs, feel the urge to get a PSL every time October rolls around. Along with the standard pumpkin spice latte on Starbucks menus — which includes espresso, steamed milk, pumpkin spice sauce, whipped cream, and spices sprinkled on top — customers have developed “secret” menu items with the same flavor profile over the years, ranging from the pumpkin pie Frappuccino to the caramel pumpkin macchiato.

This year, there’s one pumpkin-centric secret beverage that’s become so popular that Starbucks has included it in its semi-official secret menu: the pumpkin spice matcha latte.

How to order the pumpkin spice matcha from Starbucks

Earlier this summer, Starbucks finally responded to requests to more formally sell “secret” menu items — customized beverage orders that fans often share with each other — by adding a select number of the customer-designed beverages to its online app for a limited time. 

Although the chain didn’t add any secret menu drinks to its official menu, it did include pre-set customizations for certain secret menu beverages in the “offers” tab of its app. Users can tap on the secret drink they want, and the app will automatically add the necessary customizations to their cart. And this month, Starbucks is spotlighting the pumpkin spice matcha.

If you’re ordering on the Starbucks app, you can purchase the spiced, iced matcha latte through the “offers” tab, just like any other limited-time secret menu item. However, if you want to order this drink in person, you’ll need to ask for a few customizations yourself. Here’s exactly what to tell your barista:

• Order a Grande Iced Matcha Latte 
• Ask for oat milk instead of 2% milk 
• Remove classic syrup
• Add two pumps of brown sugar syrup
• Add one pump of pumpkin sauce
• Add pumpkin cream cold foam
• Add pumpkin spice topping

Of course, you can skip some of these substitutions and changes if you prefer. Choose a milk of your liking, and feel free to skip the brown sugar syrup if you want something less sweet. (I often go with an iced matcha or cold brew coffee topped with just pumpkin cream cold foam to add a touch of seasonal flavor without too much sweetness.)

How to make a pumpkin spice matcha latte at home

There are a bevy of recipes online for making pumpkin spice matcha lattes, but the easiest way to infuse this seasonal flavor into your matcha lattes and espresso drinks at home is to make a batch of pumpkin spice syrup. (If you’d rather just buy some, Torani makes a good pumpkin spice syrup.)

In her TikTok recipe, content creator @thethriftwitch suggests mixing two cups of brown sugar, half a cup of pumpkin purée, one tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice, and one and a half cups of water in a small pot.

Stir to combine the ingredients, then bring the syrup to a simmer. Let it simmer for about five minutes, until the mixture starts to thicken. Let it cool, then transfer the syrup to an airtight container and store it in the fridge.

Adding a spoonful or two of this spice-infused syrup as the base for your matcha lattes will make them taste just like the secret menu items at Starbucks, while saving you money. Plus, with plenty of homemade pumpkin spice syrup available, you can drizzle it over pumpkin pancakes for a cozy fall breakfast.