The Solution to Your Pumpkin Spice Latte Craving (but Without Coffee)
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Soon you'll be able to find pumpkin spice lattes on coffee shop menus everywhere, and if you're anything like us, you'll want to try them all. The latest pumpkin-infused latte available is from The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, a chain that's wildly popular in its home base of California and that has plenty of other locations across the US. In addition to the coveted PSL, The Coffee Bean's seasonal menu also includes a Pumpkin Chai Latte, an Ice Blended Pumpkin Latte, an Ice Blended Pumpkin Chai Latte, and a variety of spiced pastries. We tried the entire lineup to share which ones we think are worthy of ordering.
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Pumpkin Spice Latte ($5 For Medium)
The one thing that sets Coffee Bean apart from other coffee shops is its homemade powders in french vanilla, dutch chocolate, white chocolate, and hazelnut. The company uses the vanilla powder in its pumpkin spice latte, and the sweet flavor really comes through and blends well with the pumpkin sauce seasoned with nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves.
The real star, however, is the eye-catching topping of honey cinnamon sprinkles. These crunchy, glittery bits of sugar rest on the frothy foam and taste like the buttery coating you'd find on cinnamon sugar toast. We want to order regular lattes with these sprinkles! Overall, the latte is a touch too sweet for our liking and left us with a bit of an artificial aftertaste. There's one way to offset this. Even if you're not dairy-free, we recommend ordering this drink with almond milk because the nuttiness rounds out the sweetness and enhances the spiced flavors.
★★★☆☆
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Pumpkin Ice Blended ($5 For Medium)
If you're more in the mood for a Frappuccino-like beverage over a hot one, opt for the Pumpkin Ice Blended. It's made with the same pumpkin syrup and vanilla powder as the hot version, and it's blended with espresso and ice before being topped with whipped cream and those must-have sprinkles. The sweetness of this drink makes it more of a dessert than a breakfast, but sometimes it's OK to eat dessert first thing in the morning, right?
★★★☆
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Seasonal Pastries ($2 to $3)
To go with your warm pumpkin latte, Coffee Bean has three limited-edition pastries for Fall: Chocolate Pumpkin Muffin ($3), Pecan Apple Sticky Bun ($3), and Mini Pumpkin Ginger Bundt Cake ($2). Each pastry hits the spot, but the clear winner is the Chocolate Pumpkin Muffin. It's filled with semisweet chocolate chunks and topped with a chocolate drizzle that perfectly complements the moist pumpkin muffin. The only drawback is these pastries will only be available in Southern California, so if you're in that region, take advantage.
★★★☆
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Pumpkin Chai Latte ($5 For Medium)
The Coffee Bean's pumpkin chai latte is made with freshly brewed chai tea rather than a premade syrup or powder, and it makes all the difference. Comforting, aromatic, and caffeinating, this latte beats out the pumpkin spice latte in our opinion, because it tastes like true pumpkin pie. An added bonus is it comes with the honey cinnamon sprinkles, too.
★★★★☆
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Pumpkin Chai Ice Blended ($5 For Medium)
Our personal favorite of the bunch, the Pumpkin Chai Ice Blended is the frozen version of the Pumpkin Chai Latte, and it tastes even better cold. This is the drink to get if you're in the mood for an icy afternoon pick-me-up with warming, spiced flavors.
★★★★