Elevate Your Dunkin' Pumpkin Spice Latte With These 5 Ordering Tips

Over two decades ago, Starbucks launched its Pumpkin Spice Latte with espresso, milk, and pumpkin spice syrup that eventually included actual pumpkin. It has, of course, solidified its place in people's hearts as a seasonal must for fall flavor enthusiasts, but Starbucks isn't the only game in town with the autumnal drink on the menu. Massachusetts-born Dunkin' has its own spin on it. In addition to being flavored with traditional warm spices, the sweet beverage features a topping of whipped cream, caramel, and cinnamon sugar.

If you're celebrating the start of brisk weather and falling leaves, upgrading your pumpkin experience may be as easy as pairing the Pumpkin Spice Signature Latte with one of Dunkin's seasonal treats. The chain has previously released baked goods like an Iced Pumpkin Loaf, Pumpkin Cake Donuts, and Pumpkin Munchkins, all suitable for doubling down on fall flavor. You could also lean a little into the sweet-meets-savory side of things with some bacon that's made even better with maple syrup. But if you're looking to up the ante on the drink itself, there are more than a few ways to do it, from changing the milk to adding new flavors.

The default dairy for lattes at Dunkin' is dairy milk, but if you're looking for something a little lighter, you can ask for skim. However, there are a handful of other options that can kick your beverage up a notch. To start, for anyone looking to skip dairy altogether, almond milk is on the menu and can add a subtle nutty flavor to the pumpkiny drink. If you want something creamier that more closely mimics the classic consistency, opt for its oat milk. Dunkin' uses Planet Oat, which is also gluten-free and contains no legumes (ie, soy or peanuts).

If you're looking to maximize one of your macros, try swapping the traditional milk for protein milk. You may be thinking, "Milk has protein," and you're right, but ultra-filtered milk has almost double the amount. Dunkin' uses the Lactaid brand 2% milk, making it an easy way to add a little extra protein to your Pumpkin Spice Signature Latte.

Finally, for an extra creamy and buzzier version of the beverage, try subbing in a New England staple: coffee milk. Typically used as the base of a Dunkalatte, it's coffee syrup-infused milk that levels up the flavor, sweetness, and thickness of the drink.

It may be hard to turn down a cloud of whipped cream, a generous swirl of caramel, and a sprinkle of warm, sweet cinnamon sugar, but if you want to experiment with the flavor profiles, Dunkin' has you covered. Many of their specialty drinks involve whipped cream's silkier, frothy cousin, cold foam. While cold foam, in its purest state, is made merely with skim milk, Dunkin' has a sweet version as well as varieties that are flavored to complement specific, sometimes seasonal beverages. While a flavor like strawberry, served with some of its summer menu items, might not be a winning pairing with pumpkin, keep your eye out for others that are sure to shine, like salted caramel, cookie butter, brown sugar, and even potentially marshmallow.

If you're not on team caramel, or you're just a big fan of chocolate, you can swap that topping, too, by replacing the drizzle with mocha. While you're at it, double down on the chocolate by requesting hot chocolate powder instead of cinnamon sugar.

Whether you're trying to save room in your belly for Dunkin's donuts or snacking bacon, or you just want a lighter latte, there are a few ways to customize your cup of fall comfort. One of the easiest ways is to simply order the smallest size, but if you don't want to skimp on your sips, try an alternative milk — skim milk or non-dairy milk may be the way to go. Another simple tip is to skip the whipped cream, caramel, and sugar-cinnamon and simply savor the spiced latte on its own. Or, reduce the number of pumps of syrup — if you need to bump up the sweetness, sprinkle in a sugar alternative or sugar-free vanilla syrup.

Based on what you're aiming for, you can mix and match all of these modifications to find the one that you love. However you do it, it's bound to be easier than making a pumpkin spice latte at home (though we're fans of doing that, too).

With warm, fall-friendly spices, a little vanilla, and the addition of caramel and cinnamon-y sugar on top, Dunkin's Pumpkin Spice Signature Latte certainly isn't a one-note drink. Even so, you can take it to the next level with add-ins that complement the pumpkin spice.

Dunkin's syrups come in two varieties: unsweetened and sweetened. The former comes in at least seven flavors that range from fruity to nutty. Just like with the cold foam, the berry-based options might be ones to steer clear of for pairing with this latte, but hazelnut and toasted almond, flavors that work well in pumpkin bread, may be just the thing to add a little depth to the drink. Many nuts pair beautifully with pumpkin spice, so keep your eye out for any other seasonal offerings, too. As for sweetened syrups, brown sugar and butter pecan feel like naturally rich options to go with pumpkin in autumn, while a little caramel can go a long way toward marrying the flavors of the drink and the topping.

Turn the traditional latte up-chai-down by using the Chai Latte as a base instead of the plain espresso and milk. Dunkin's Chai Latte still uses dairy (or your preferred alternative), but it also incorporates all of the classic chai spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and more. All you need to do is ask for a pumpkin flavor swirl, and you'll have a similar drink with even more autumnal goodness. Bonus: Chai pairs just as well with sweets as it does with savory dishes, so you can just as easily pair it with one of Dunkin's apple fritters as with its ham-and-cheese stuffed croissant or morning wrap.