What To Do If Your Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Is Too Sweet

When the leaves start changing colors, the air becomes cool and crisp, and kids are back in school, we all know what's right around the corner: pumpkin spice lattes. Nothing says fall more than this delicious coffee drink that tastes like Thanksgiving dessert. For some of us, however, the Starbucks PSL's high sugar content provides a jolt of sweetness that is just a bit too much for our taste buds. If you're the type of person who enjoys the bold taste of coffee and goes light on the creamer, you might be looking for a less sweet version of this tasty fall drink. Luckily, you have a few options. 

In addition to the flavors of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte contains one shot of espresso for a short or tall cup and two shots for grande and venti sizes. Simply ask your barista to add an extra shot of espresso to boost the coffee flavor of your PSL and reduce the sweetness. As a bonus, you'll have extra energy to get through all your Thanksgiving cooking.

If you don't want the extra caffeine, there are other ways to make your ultra-sweet Starbucks pumpkin spice latte taste more like coffee. Ask for fewer pumps of pumpkin sauce to reduce the sugar content. A short (8 ounces) cup has two pumps, while the venti (20 ounces) has a heaping five pumps of Pumpkin Sauce, so reducing it by a pump or two will take out a bit of the sugary sweetness while maintaining some of the pumpkin flavor. If you're worried too much pumpkin flavor will be removed, you can always request extra pumpkin spice toppings to boost the flavor. Leaving out the whipped cream is another way to lessen the sugar and hence the sweetness. 

Besides making in-store requests, if you're a Starbucks Rewards member, you can order and customize your drinks online or through the app by selecting the number of espresso shots and flavoring options with the drop-down menus. Keep in mind that some customizations, particularly if you are adding things like flavoring or shots of espresso, will cost you a few cents more; An extra shot of espresso is about 60 cents depending on location.