Dairy-Free Pumpkin Spice Sauce

Thanks to this Dairy-Free Pumpkin Spice Sauce, dietary restrictions and allergies can no longer sideline us from pumpkin spice latte season! Typically made with dairy, this 3-ingredient pumpkin spice sauce is made with coconut condensed milk, pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spice blend. The result: a delicious dairy-free sauce perfect for PSLs, hot and cold coffee drinks, breakfast, dessert, and scooping straight from the jar.

In my book, pumpkin spice season is the best season. All good things are made great with pumpkin: muffins, pancakes, coffee creamer, banana bread, cookies. The list goes on and on, but one staple always stands: pumpkin spice lattes (PSLs)!

Enjoyed hot or cold (or even with marshmallow!), you never have to convince me to get my PSL on. But a common complaint? Starbucks doesn't make a dairy-free pumpkin sauce! All their pumpkin spice latte drinks are made with traditional pumpkin spice sauce (made with sweetened condensed milk), so none of their pumpkin spice drinks can be made dairy-free!

As much as I believe in PSL season, I also believe in making delicious coffee drinks available for all. So, today I am sharing my dairy-free pumpkin spice coffee sauce! It's creamy, dreamy, and (dare I say) even better than the original, thanks to nutty and sweetened condensed milk. So good that even dairy drinkers (like myself!) may even opt for it over the classic version. 😍

This DF pumpkin spice sauce is made with just 3 wholesome ingredients in 2 simple steps, making it easy and delicious to make all your favorite pumpkin spice drinks deliciously dairy-free in the comfort of your own home. We're talking easy, better for you, budget-friendly, quick, and barista-level every time! Let's jump in!

Jump to:

• What Is Dairy-Free Pumpkin Spice Sauce?
• What Does It Taste Like?
• Why You'll Love This Pumpkin Spice Sauce
• Ingredients Needed
• Substitutions
• How to Make Dairy-Free Pumpkin Sauce for Coffee
• Optional Variations & Dietary Adjustments
• Serving Suggestions
• Recipe Success Tips
• Storage Directions
• FAQs
• Nutritional Info
• Other Pumpkin Coffee Recipes
• Dairy-Free Pumpkin Spice Sauce

What Is Dairy-Free Pumpkin Spice Sauce?

This dairy-free pumpkin spice sauce is a creamy, sweet pumpkin spice-seasoned sauce designed for adding to hot and cold coffee drinks, but also great for drizzling on breakfasts, desserts, and other hot and cold drinks. It's designed to be the dairy-free equivalent of the classic Starbucks pumpkin spice sauce, which is made with sweetened condensed milk. This version is made with coconut condensed milk, making it dairy-free but just as (if not more!) creamy, sweet, indulgent, cozy, and versatile.

What Does It Taste Like?

This dairy-free pumpkin sauce for coffee tastes like your favorite pumpkin pie filling was turned into a spoonable coffee stir-in. It's silky, sweet, nutty, and perfectly pumpkin-y; great for adding to all your favorite caffeinated drinks, sweet treats, fall breakfasts, and more!

Pumpkin purée adds earthy sweetness, a smooth texture, and golden color to the sauce. Sweetened condensed coconut milk makes it rich, creamy, sweet, and nutty. And, it wouldn't be pumpkin spice without the comforting and warm cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. It's great for drizzling, stirring, or eating straight from the spoon!

Why You'll Love This Pumpkin Spice Sauce

• Allergy-Friendly — Whether avoiding lactose, dealing with dietary allergies, or eating plant-based, this vegan pumpkin sauce for coffee is made without dairy, animal products, gluten, or nuts!
• Wholesome — Made with just 3 whole foods-based ingredients, the sauce contains no additives, preservatives, or stabilizers, making this sauce world's better than store-bought (or what you'll get at Starbucks)!
• Simple and Easy — If you have a can opener and a blender, you can make this DF coffee sauce. Just open the cans, pour them into the blender with the pumpkin pie spice blend, blitz, and you're good to go! It's quick, beginner-friendly, and sports a fresh pumpkin flavor that beats any coffee shop.
• Very Versatile — Though many of our PSL-loving brains naturally think of adding this sauce to coffee, it's just as good drizzled in or onto our favorite breakfast foods, blitzed into frozen drinks, added to desserts, and more!

Ingredients Needed

At the time of publication, Starbucks no longer publishes its pumpkin spice sauce ingredient list. However, when they did, the ingredients were pure pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin pie spice blend, and "natural" flavors (they're not natural). So, I followed suit, making easy adaptations to make the sauce dairy-free.

Here's what you'll need to grab:

• Pumpkin Purée — Measure ¾ cup of pure pumpkin purée. Be careful not to grab pumpkin pie filling. It contains additional flavors and sweeteners, which we don't need.
• Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk — This dairy-free condensed milk is so delicious, sweet, and nutty that I recommend it even for dairy eaters! You can find it in the baking or natural foods aisles of well-stocked grocery stores, at Whole Foods, or online.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice — For sweet, spicy warmth! Use your favorite brand of store-bought or make homemade.

Substitutions

Whether adjusting the recipe for ingredients you have on hand or making the sauce your own, it's simple! Here are my approved ingredient substitutions:

• Pumpkin Purée — Roasted and puréed butternut or acorn squash. You can also use sweet potato purée!
• Condensed Milk — Keep it dairy-free by using sweetened condensed oat milk, or make homemade dairy-free and vegan condensed milk using coconut milk and sugar.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice — Make homemade pumpkin pie spice, or swap an apple pie spice blend or chai spice mix.

How to Make Dairy-Free Pumpkin Sauce for Coffee

Ok, let's get to the fun (and easy!) part: making homemade dairy-free pumpkin sauce:

Step 1: Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

Step 2: Transfer the dairy-free pumpkin sauce to an airtight container or Mason jar and refrigerate for up to 7 days.

Step 3: Enjoy! Use this pumpkin sauce in all your favorite dairy-free drinks, desserts, and bites, from pumpkin spice lattes and cold brew and more (see my serving suggestions below)!

Optional Variations & Dietary Adjustments

• Extra Spicy — Add a pinch (or two!) of your preferred ground spices to make this dairy-free pumpkin sauce your own. Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cardamom, or allspice are all great options.
• Processed Sugar-Free — No dairy or refined sugar? No problem! Simply make this recipe using homemade sugar-free vegan sweetened condensed milk. For an extra flavor boost, sweeten the condensed milk with pure maple syrup!
• Vanilla or Maple — Blend in up to ¼ teaspoon of pure vanilla or maple extract for warm, nutty, or spicy undertones. Delish!

Serving Suggestions

With so many ways to enjoy this pumpkin sauce, you'll make a second batch quicker than you can say "PSL!"

Drinks

• Delightfully Dairy-Free Pumpkin Spice Lattes — Celebrate fall, PSL style, without the tummy troubles by adding 1-2 tablespoons of dairy-free pumpkin spice sauce to two shots of espresso or a cup of strong brewed coffee. Top with steamed almond or oat milk for an easy, allergy-friendly, and vegan drink!
• Dairy-Free Pumpkin Cold Foam — Make cold foam using full-fat coconut milk, full-fat oat milk, and one tablespoon of vegan pumpkin sauce. Spoon the cold foam over a tall glass of cold brew or iced coffee and sip up for a plant-based and dairy-free seasonal sipper!
• Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino — Make your favorite blended coffee drink minus the dairy by blending ½ cup cold brew coffee, 1 cup ice, ½ cup dairy-free milk (such as oat, almond, or soy), and ¼ cup DF pumpkin spice coffee sauce until smooth. If desired, blend in additional sauce by the tablespoon to sweeten it to taste.
• Dairy-Free Coffee Topper — Elevate nearly any seasonal drink by topping it with whipped coconut cream, a hearty drizzle of sauce, and a couple of shakes of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice blend for a chef's kiss experience!
• Smoothie — Blend a few tablespoons into a pumpkin protein shake for an extra layer of spicy pumpkin flavor.
• Hot Chocolate — Make your favorite dairy-free hot chocolate, stirring in 1-2 tablespoons of pumpkin sauce before topping with coconut whipped cream and a light drizzle of pumpkin sauce. Drink up!

Bites

• Oatmeal — Drizzle or swirl a tablespoon or two of the vegan pumpkin spice sauce into your morning oatmeal for a warm and spicy twist.
• Overnight Oats — Take pumpkin spice overnight oats to new heights by swapping ¼ cup of pumpkin spice sauce for the pumpkin purée, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice.
• Pancakes — Who needs maple syrup when you can drizzle your next tall stack with pumpkin spice sauce! Sprinkle with chopped pecans for a crunchy and nutty finish.
• Cake — Make pumpkin cake, swapping one of the frosting layers with pumpkin sauce!
• Fruit and Cookie Dip — Plate a bowl of the sauce with sliced apples, pears, or persimmons, and graham crackers or Biscoff cookies for an autumnal snacking plate.
• Cinnamon Rolls — Make dairy-free cinnamon rolls, spreading the dough with the ½ cup pumpkin sauce instead of the vegan butter and cinnamon sugar mixture.

Recipe Success Tips

• Achieving the perfect consistency. The sauce should be thick but spoonable and easy to drizzle. If the sauce is too thick, blend in a tablespoon or two of coconut, almond, or oat milk to thin it out.
• Use pure pumpkin purée. Cans of pure pumpkin look surprisingly similar to pumpkin pie filling, which contains excess fillers, flavors, and stabilizers we don't need. When shopping, buy a can that says "100% pure pumpkin" (or make homemade purée).
• Use fresh spices. Once past their expiration date, pumpkin pie spice blend (and nearly any spice) can weaken in flavor. Whether using a premade blend or making your own, always use fresh, high-quality spices for the best-tasting dairy-free pumpkin sauce for coffee.

Storage Directions

• Refrigerating: Transfer the pumpkin spice sauce to an airtight container (such as a glass jar with a flip-top cap) and store for up to 7 days.
• Freezing: For extended storage, spoon the sauce into an ice cube tray and freeze overnight until solid. Once frozen, transfer the cubes to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost the cubes at room temperature for an hour or in the microwave on low heat before using. If adding the ice cubes to a frozen drink, pop them in the blender frozen with the other ingredients.

FAQs

Nutritional Info

Each 2-tablespoon-sized serving comes in at 112 calories per serving, almost 30 of which come from the fat in the coconut sweetened condensed milk. The remainder of the calories are via carbohydrates, a few of which come from the pumpkin purée; the remaining 17 grams come from the sugar in the sweetened condensed milk.

With this nutritional profile, this pumpkin coffee sauce would be considered a modest treat for most diets; one that can be enjoyed regularly within an otherwise healthy and balanced diet. It's sweet, creamy, and indulgent, but not as heavy as many grande or venti flavored or blended classic Starbucks drinks.

The sauce is naturally low in sodium (just 20 mg per serving) and protein, as coconut milk does not contain protein as dairy milk does. To reduce the sugar and caloric load of the sauce, make the sauce with homemade sugar and dairy-free coconut condensed milk. To make the recipe processed sugar-free, make the coconut condensed milk with agave or maple syrup.

Total nutritional content per serving is:

• Calories: 112 calories
• Total Fat: 4 grams
• Protein: 0 grams
• Sodium: 20 mg
• Carbohydrates: 19 grams
• Sugar: 17 grams

*This nutritional information is an estimate and calculated based on the ingredients used to create the recipe. The nutritional value of your ingredients may differ slightly. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.

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xoxo Megan