The kids are back in school, the leaves are turning brown, there’s a definite nip in the air and yes, the rain has returned: autumn is here, and with it comes the pumpkin spice latte season. If you’ve never had a PSL, it’s a warming, slightly spiced coffee that has made its way to our shores from the US, and coffee shops go mad for it. And if we’re honest, so do we.
But, as we learned with last year’s Christmas drinks, it’s so easy to sink a couple of hundred calories into a little paper cup. That’s fine if you’re prepared for it and have cleared the decks so you can enjoy it, but it’s pretty shit if you’re under the impression that it’s lower in calories than it actually is. So in the interest of going in prepared, here’s our handy guide to the calories in your favourite autumn drinks. Oh, and if you were wondering – there’s no actual pumpkin involved, just a mix of spices guaranteed to warm your cockles.
How many calories in a Pumpkin Spice Latte?
Starbucks
Starbucks has upped their autumn offerings this year, adding a few new options, bringing them out earlier than ever and making their signature pumpkin spice latte syrup vegan for the first time. A big shocker with these drinks is that switching to oat milk significantly bumps up the calories, but why this is we’re not sure.
Pumpkin Spice Latte
Standard drink (with semi-skimmed milk and whipped cream):
Tall calories: 292
Grande calories: 383
Milk alternatives:
Tall
with skimmed milk: 264 calories
with soya milk: 275 calories
with almond milk: 245 calories
with oat milk: 339 calories
Grande
with skimmed milk: 349 calories
with soya milk: 363 calories
with almond milk: 325 calories
with oat milk: 442 calories
without cream:
Tall
with semi-skimmed milk (standard): 281 calories
with skimmed milk: 253 calories
with soya milk: 264 calories
with almond milk: 233 calories
with oat milk: 328 calories
Grande
with semi-skimmed milk (standard): 345 calories
with skimmed milk: 311 calories
with soya milk: 325 calories
with almond milk: 287 calories
with oat milk: 404 calories
Maple Latte
Standard drink (with semi-skimmed milk):
Tall calories: 256
Grande calories: 332
Milk alternatives:
Tall
with skimmed milk: 217 calories
with soya milk: 233 calories
with almond milk: 191 calories
with oat milk: 321 calories
Grande
with skimmed milk: 279 calories
with soya milk: 300 calories
with almond milk: 241 calories
with oat milk: 423 calories
Maple Rooibos Tea Latte
Standard drink (with semi-skimmed milk):
Tall calories: 164
Grande calories: 211
Milk alternatives:
Tall
with skimmed milk: 123 calories
with soya milk: 140 calories
with almond milk: 94 calories
with oat milk: 235 calories
Grande
with skimmed milk: 158 calories
with soya milk: 179 calories
with almond milk: 121 calories
with oat milk: 301 calories
Nitro Cold Brew with Maple Cold Foam
Standard drink (with semi-skimmed milk):
10oz calories: 22
Tall calories: 28
Costa
Costa is doing things a little differently, and it’s not offering any pumpkin spice drinks. Instead, they’ve got a ‘bonfire spice family’ – caramel with smoky, toasted spices and crunchy caramel toppings.
Bonfire Spiced Latte
Standard drink (with semi-skimmed milk):
Primo calories:
drink in: 140 calories
takeaway: 166 calories
Milk alternatives:
with skimmed milk:
drink in: 119 calories
takeaway: 138 calories
with soya milk:
drink in: 134 calories
takeaway: 158 calories
with coconut milk:
drink in: 120 calories
takeaway: 140 calories
Bonfire Spiced Coldbrew
Standard drink:
Primo calories without whipped milk:
drink in and takeaway: 72 calories
with whipped milk: 86 calories
Bonfire Spiced Hot Chocolate
Standard drink (with semi-skimmed milk):
Primo calories:
drink in: 250 calories
takeaway: 266 calories
Milk alternatives:
with skimmed milk:
drink in: 223 calories
takeaway: 234 calories
with soya milk:
drink in: 242 calories
takeaway: 257 calories
with coconut milk:
drink in: 225 calories
takeaway: 237 calories
