Here's how to make the perfect pumpkin spice latte

This pumpkin spice latte recipe is sure to get you in the holiday spirit...

Autumn is officially here and from the surge in harvest-themed Netflix films and burnt orange outerwear to the influx of falling leaves Instas, the holidays seem to be on steroids this year.

This of course means that we have entered pumpkin spice latte season, with PSLs seeing a 1000% spike as an online search term.

As cafés across the world release their take on the autumnal beverage, we've been looking into how best to make a PSL at home.

Brewsmartly.com spoke exclusively to Sanjay, spokesperson for Spice Kitchen, earlier this season to offer some insight into making the perfect Pumpkin Spice Latte:

Pumpkin spice latte recipe

Pumpkin puree

• The first step is to make the pumpkin puree. First you must slice, deseed and then devein your pumpkin.
• In a preheated oven, bake the pumpkin for 45 minutes at 190◦C (374 ◦F).
• Blend in a food processor until smooth.

Spice blend

• As you wait for your pumpkin to bake, you can start creating your spice blend.
• The perfect blend is as follows - 4 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons of ground ginger, 1 teaspoon of ground cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg.

Warm your milk

• In a pan, warm 2 mugs of your chosen milk (dairy or non-dairy alternative).

Combine

• Add 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, 1 shot espresso and half a teaspoon of your spice mix and whisk until smooth.

Sit back and enjoy!

• Serve with whipped cream, a dusting of cocoa powder and a cinnamon stick for stirring.

Why is the Pumpkin Spice Latte so popular?

'The Pumpkin Spice Latte has become a staple drink for Autumn,' explained Alex Ion, expert at Brewsmartly.com back in early September. 'It has become so iconic, particularly across both the US and the UK, that now the drink is synonymous with the season, as evidenced by the fact #pumpkinspicelatte has over 600,000 tags on Instagram already, and fall hasn't even arrived yet!'

And breaking down the spices, Alex continued: 'The spices used to create that distinct taste are comparable to a Thanksgiving Pumpkin pie, adding an almost nostalgic element to the drink and the season by association.'

BRB - off to make this ASAP!