The Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte will contain a new ingredient this fall: pumpkin.
The drink inspires a kind of mild insanity every year when it returns to stores, and even though we're still in the hot and humid peak of summer, fans are already thinking ahead. It is hands down Starbucks's most popular seasonal drink, and that makes it all the more surprising that that the company is changing the recipe.
"The PSL returns this fall, and this time it will be made with real pumpkin and without caramel coloring," the company announced on its blog on Monday.
Pumpkin Spice Latte needs to come back already.
The new drink will contain pumpkin puree, ending a running joke that the Pumpkin Spice Latte contains no actual pumpkin. In fact, the primary flavors associated with the drink all along have been the spices — such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove — rather than pumpkin itself.
Starbucks has sold more than 200 million Pumpkin Spice Lattes, commonly referred to as PSLs, since the drink launched in 2003.
Food companies — from Panera and Taco Bell to General Mills — have been trying to remove artificial ingredients from their foods to appeal to consumer demand for more natural options. Starbucks, already known for offering higher-quality options, must stay on top of these trends to compete.