Today might be the day Travis Kelce finally popped the question to Taylor Swift—yes, America’s favorite couple is engaged—but Starbucks had its own big announcement: the Pumpkin Spice Latte is officially back on the menu.
On Tuesday, August 26, the world’s largest coffeehouse chain kicked off fall with the return of its cult-favorite PSL alongside other seasonal staples like the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew and Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai.
It’s been more than 20 years since the latte debuted in 2003, and it’s still the company’s top-selling seasonal drink. Fans track the release date like a holiday, and Starbucks’ own “Leaf Rakers Society” Facebook group has tens of thousands of members hyping it year-round.
The catch? The nutrition label isn’t exactly cozy. A Grande Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte made with 2% milk and topped with whipped cream packs around 370 calories, 16 grams of fat, and 45 grams of sugar, according to Starbucks’ official site. Caffeine comes in at roughly 150 milligrams, or about two shots of espresso. (The coffee giant notes these values are “calculated based on our standard recipes” and may vary with customizations.)
Nutrition experts say that’s a lot in one cup. “A medium-sized PSL contains a whopping 50 grams of sugar, which is about as much as 10 Oreo cookies,” Amanda Beaver, wellness dietitian at Houston Methodist, explained. For context, the American Heart Association recommends women stay under 25 grams of added sugar a day, while men should aim for no more than 36 grams.
Still, not everyone is saying cut it out entirely. “If you have one every season, it’s not going to kill you,” Kristin Kirkpatrick, a dietitian at Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, told Healthline. “It starts to become problematic when you have one every morning on your way to work.” She added that while pumpkin and spices have health perks, calling a PSL healthy just because it has pumpkin is like calling apple pie healthy just because it has apples. At the end of the day, it’s still dessert.
For anyone trying to dodge the sugar crash, experts suggest simple hacks: order a tall instead of a grande, ask for half the pumps of pumpkin sauce, or skip the whipped cream. Hardcore PSL lovers even make DIY versions at home using real pumpkin, spices, and less processed sweeteners like maple syrup or agave.