If your favorite thing about fall is the return of the pumpkin spice latte (PSL), you’re about to be in for a rude awakening. That’s because this year, as the leaves start to turn, health experts are taking aim at the cozy drink and calling it out for its nutritional shortcomings.
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Janine Bowring, ND, a naturopathic doctor and medical content creator, is just one doctor who has recently highlighted PSL’s least healthy attributes.
“A large size is going to give you 14 g of fat, 52 g of carbohydrates, 50 g of sugar, so if you’re on a low-carbohydrate diet, this may be all of the carbohydrates that you get for the day,” she explained in a recent TikTok post. She notes that it also contains 14 g of protein, “which is not the worst thing,” but with 150 mg of caffeine, she suggests you might also be overspending on your caffeine budget with just a single serving.
Bowring also notes that your standard pumpkin spice latte also has “some other compromising ingredients.” In particular, she notes that most commercially produced PSL beverages contain potassium sorbate, which the doctor describes as “a preservative that I do not like people ingesting.”
“The whipping cream has carrageenan and diglycerides and monoglycerides, which can be very compromising to your gut health and microbiome health. And again, more potassium sorbate in the vanilla syrup,” the doctor notes.
@j9naturally How Healthy Is Your Pumpkin Spice Latte? 🎃☕🍂 Curious about how healthy your pumpkin spiced latte really is? Watch as Dr. Janine breaks down the total fat and carbohydrates in this fall favorite!
Popular content creator and recipe developer Bobby Parrish shared an even more alarming nutritional analysis of Krispy Kreme’s frozen pumpkin spice latte. He highlighted that a large beverage contains a shocking 110 g of added cane sugar. To demonstrate just how much sugar this is, he filled a cup roughly halfway.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that men should consume no more than nine teaspoons, or 36 g of added sugar per day. Women should consume no more than 6 teaspoons, or 25 g of sugar per day.
“It’s 27 and a half teaspoons of white cane sugar,” Parrish notes. “That’s the same amount of sugar as in 11 original glazed donuts. And no, I’m not telling you that you can have 11 glazed donuts instead of the coffee—I’m just showing you how ridiculous this is.”
Parrish adds that even if you can “forget about the sugar for a minute,” these recipes are still unhealthy. “There’s no pumpkin in here. It’s all artificial flavorings and chemicals,” he warns.
@bobbyparrish There’s how much sugar in Krispy Kreme’s Frozen PSL??? These ultra sugary drinks have got to be stopped. Not only is it bad for our health, but it’s an abomination. Check out my seasonal FlavCity Pumpkin Spice Latte. It has no added sugar, real pumpkin powder, 87mg caffeine from single-origin cold brew coffee, as well as 25g grass-fed protein and 10g grass-fed collagen. It’s a complete Protein Smoothie, without all the crud! Grab a bag through the link in my bio! #krispykreme #pumpkinspice #pumpkinspicelatte #psl #proteinsmoothie #eatthisnotthat
Dietitian and content creator Lauren Hubert, RD, says she never wants any woman to feel guilty or bad for eating any food in her diet—especially not something that brings so many people so much seasonal joy.
“All foods can fit,” she said in a recent TikTok post. “However, knowledge is power. A pumpkin spice latte, a grande from Starbucks, is 390 calories. So let’s be real—it adds up very quickly over time if you’re having it multiple days throughout the holiday season, plus all of the other fun treats you might want to fit into your diet.”
She recommends trying a simple swap that preserves the aroma and flavor that makes pumpkin spice lattes feel special while lowering your sugar and calorie intake.
“Order a grande blonde roast with one pump of pumpkin, two pumps of sugar-free vanilla, almond milk, and whipped cream and cinnamon on top. It makes it so tasty—literally like you’re having the OG version for only 110 calories,” she recommends.
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Or, for an at-home version made of whole, healthy ingredients, Parrish recommends combining 4 ounces of milk or almond milk, 4 ounces of strong, hot coffee, 1 tablespoon of unsweetened pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon of maple syrup, and a half-teaspoon of vanilla extract in a saucepan.
“Top it with some whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice. Enjoy!” he says.
