Starbucks (PSL) Pumpkin Spice Latte K-Cups Review

crazy by Editorial Staff | Updated on April 1st, 2023

Looking for a delicious way to start your day? Try a Starbucks (PSL) Pumpkin Spice Latte! These sweet and spicy latte flavors are perfect for those cold mornings or anytime you want something warm and comforting.


The Pumpkin Spice Latte is made with fall favorites like pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. The drink is frothy and creamy, with just the right amount of spice to make it taste delicious. And since Starbucks offers K-Cups in hot and iced formats, you can enjoy this popular drink any time of year.

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte K-Cups Review
Sbux PSL KCup

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Known by Starbucks fans simply as the PSL ( Pumpkin Spiced Latte) and what can arguably be noted as the impetus for all things pumpkin spice that flood our lives each Fall,

Starbucks has decided to make this at-home PSL a 2 step process by including a creamer/flavoring packet and a coffee K-Cup.

Pumpkin Spice Caffe Latte Single-Cup Coffee for Keurig Brewer

Billed as a smooth & balanced Caffè Blend, the coffee K-Cup is 3/4 full of ground coffee instead of half-full like some espresso blends we’ve seen.

The flavoring packet is comprised of real pumpkin flavoring & spices, and the creamer is comprised of powdered milk & cream.

Unlike some of the Gevalia Latte K-Cups we’ve seen in the past, the packet does NOT contain any foaming/frothing agents, so don’t expect a foamy froth on the top of the final cup as there is most definitely none to be found. You don’t even get the dark orange hue typically found in a real PSL, just a typical beige of a normal latte.

Brewing the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte K-Cups resulted in the coffee’s signature Starbucks dark roast aroma. Still, once blended with the powder from the flavoring packet, we barely got any scent of pumpkin spices. There’s a tiny bit of nutmeg and cinnamon, but it’s so faint that you barely notice anything. It made for a rather disappointing experience.

How does Starbucks (PSL) Pumpkin Spice Latte taste?

Pumpkin Spice Caffe Latte Single-Cup Coffee for Keurig Brewer

Upon the first sip, you get a rather harsh chemical taste which then starts evolving into notes of cinnamon, with nutmeg being the spice that seemed predominant. Finally, some pumpkin flavor appears in the finish, but it’s not quite the same as the real deal you’d get at your local Starbucks.

Once you work your way through the spices, you get a sweet milk flavor like sweetened condensed milk. Texture-wise, it is similar to a real PSL, with a smooth, creamy feel.

The bottom of the cup holds a surprise as you get the fine gritty residue of real pumpkin. It’s a bit shocking if you’re not expecting it and had us wondering what the heck was going on until we realized what the gritty mix was comprised of.

We’re not quite sure what to think of this one. While it doesn’t come close to a real PSL you’d get at a Starbucks location, Starbucks was likely hoping it would be “good enough” for most people.

However, the problem is one of Starbucks’ own making. Over the years, when you think PSL, your brain is hard-wired to think of the signature aroma and unmistakable taste of the PSL you get in-store, most recently, the new orange coloring.

You don’t get the same aroma, taste, or color with this product, so it doesn’t feel close to a real PSL and will probably end up disappointing most people.

Caffeine Content of Pumpkin Spice Latte K-Cups

In the Fall, pumpkin spice latte K-Cups are all the rage. But how much caffeine is in these drinks? A recent study found a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks has about 150 milligrams of caffeine, while a Dunkin’ Donuts version has about 166 milligrams. If you’re looking for a less caffeinated drink, try a chai tea K-Cup, which has about 100 milligrams of caffeine.

The cost

Given that a 9-pack is going for under $5 per k-cup, we can only chalk this one up to being a neat novelty and something worth checking out only for those curious. Serious PSL fans should stick with getting the real thing at an actual Starbucks location instead.

So, what do we think? Is this one worth checking out?

Conclusion

While Starbucks offers a variety of flavors for their pumpkin spice latte, the PSL is by far the most popular. This drink packs a punch with spices like cinnamon, ginger, and allspice. The latte is smooth and creamy, with just the right sweetness and pumpkin flavor.

FINAL VERDICT:  Leave it! (We can’t justify the $4,83 + shipping pricing for something most PSL fans will claim doesn’t come close to the real thing)

We want to note that we found these K-Cups on Amazon and purchased them on our own for this review. The Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte K-Cups will work in all K-Cup Brewers, including Keurig 2.0.

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Editorial Staff

The editorial staff at Crazy Coffee Crave is a team of coffee enthusiasts & Baristas who enjoy the one thing we all think about as soon as we get up in the morning. Trusted by thousands of readers worldwide.