A pumpkin spice latte from Dunkin’ Donuts is a popular fall drink, but like most coffee drinks it packs quite a caloric punch. Let’s take a closer look at just how many calories are in Dunkin’s large pumpkin spice latte.
Quick Answer
A large pumpkin spice latte from Dunkin’ Donuts contains 510 calories. This is quite high, with over half of the calories an average adult needs daily coming from just one coffee drink.
Detailed Nutrition Information
While the quick answer provides a calorie total, looking deeper at the complete nutrition facts for a Dunkin’ Donuts pumpkin spice latte can give more context:
| Nutrition Facts | Large (20 fl oz) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 510 |
| Total Fat | 19g |
| Saturated Fat | 12g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 65mg |
| Sodium | 260mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 63g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0g |
| Total Sugars | 61g |
| Protein | 12g |
As you can see, a pumpkin spice latte contains significant amounts of fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugar. The 61 grams of sugar is a particular concern, as that exceeds the recommended daily limit for added sugars for most adults.
Calorie and Macronutrient Breakdown
To better understand where the calories in a pumpkin spice latte come from, we can break it down into macronutrients:
| Macronutrient | Grams | Calories | % Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fat | 19g | 171 | 34% |
| Carbohydrates | 63g | 252 | 49% |
| Protein | 12g | 48 | 9% |
This breakdown shows that nearly 50% of the calories come from carbohydrates, over 30% come from fat, and around 10% come from protein.
The high carbohydrate and fat contents are what drive up the calorie count. With over 60 grams of sugar alone, it’s no wonder a pumpkin spice latte contains 2-3 times the amount of calories found in plain coffee.
Factors that Influence Calorie Content
While 510 calories is the total for a large Dunkin’ pumpkin spice latte, there are some factors that can alter the calorie count slightly:
- Size – Going for a small or medium instead of a large will reduce the calorie count.
- Added Flavors – Opting for extra flavor shots will increase calories.
- Milk Type – Using nonfat or low fat milk reduces calories compared to whole milk.
- Whipped Cream – Adding whipped cream piles on extra calories and fat.
- Other Customizations – Things like extra syrup also boosts calories.
Sticking with the standard large size pumpkin spice latte without any special customizations provides the basic nutrition information. But special orders can easily tack on an extra 100-200 calories.
Daily Calorie Needs
To really understand the impact of 510 calories, it helps to look at general calorie intake recommendations. Here are some comparisons:
- The average sedentary man needs roughly 2,500 calories per day.
- The average sedentary woman needs around 2,000 calories per day.
- Moderately active men and women need 500-1,000 more daily calories than their sedentary counterparts.
Given these standard calorie requirements, here is how a large pumpkin spice latte stacks up:
- For a sedentary man, a large PSL provides 20% of daily calories.
- For a sedentary woman, a large PSL provides 25% of daily calories.
- For a moderately active man or woman, a large PSL provides 10-15% of daily calories.
Consuming a drink that delivers that high of a calorie percentage is quite substantial. For some individuals, a single pumpkin spice latte could account for nearly half or more of their allotted discretionary daily calories after getting the rest of their necessary nutrition.
Pumpkin Spice Latte vs. Other Drinks
Dunkin’ Donuts pumpkin spice lattes have significantly more calories than typical drinks:
| Drink | Calories (Large) |
|---|---|
| Dunkin’ coffee with cream and sugar | 130 |
| Latte | 170 |
| Cappuccino | 140 |
| American drip coffee | 10 |
| Pumpkin Spice Latte | 510 |
A plain Dunkin’ coffee has just 130 calories with cream and sugar added. Even lattes and cappuccinos don’t come anywhere close to the pumpkin spice version, at well under 200 calories. Unsweetened plain coffee has only about 10 calories.
So while the pumpkin flavors make for an indulgent seasonal treat, they come at a steep caloric cost. Those flavors pack in lots of added sugars and fat that regular coffee drinks don’t have.
Ways to Make a PSL Healthier
If you want to enjoy a pumpkin spice latte but reduce the impact on your daily calories, here are some tips:
- Order a small or medium rather than a large.
- Request skim or low-fat milk.
- Skip the whipped cream topping.
- Ask for just 1 pump of pumpkin spice flavor instead of the standard 2.
- Sweeten with a small amount of cinnamon or nutmeg instead of using sugary syrup.
- Substitute a couple pumps of vanilla for some of the pumpkin spice flavor.
- Enjoy it as an occasional treat, not an everyday drink.
Implementing some of these tweaks can potentially save you 100 calories or more per drink while still letting you enjoy the signature pumpkin spice flavors.
The Bottom Line
A Dunkin’ Donuts large pumpkin spice latte contains a substantial 510 calories. This equates to around 20-25% of the total daily calories needed for an average sedentary woman or man.
These high calorie counts are driven by the high amounts of added sugar and fat that come from the pumpkin pie flavored syrups and the fatty milk. Customizations like bigger sizes, extra flavor shots, whipped cream, etc can pile on even more calories.
An occasional pumpkin spice latte can be worked into most diets, but it shouldn’t become an everyday habit. Following some of the tips above to order a lighter version can help keep the calorie count reasonable.
Conclusion
While pumpkin spice lattes are a popular seasonal treat at Dunkin’ Donuts, they are very high in calories, with a large size containing 510 calories. This exceeds a quarter of the total daily calories needed for an average inactive woman. All the added flavors and high fat milk lead to the high calorie count compared to more basic coffees and lattes. Enjoying PSLs only occasionally and customizing them to be lighter can help keep your daily calorie consumption in check. But these should be seen as a sometimes food rather than an everyday indulgence.
