Boston seasonal guide
Where to Get a Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte in Boston
Pumpkin syrups often contain dairy, so most PSLs can't be saved. Here are the places with real options.
If this is your first vegan autumn, I have bad news: the beloved pumpkin spice latte isn't vegan! At least not if you're getting it from Starbucks, Dunkin, or most other places. And unfortunately, swapping in oat milk doesn't solve things. For PSLs, the dairy is more insidious because it's frequently an ingredient in the pumpkin syrup itself! But don't despair yet, the plant-based PSL is elusive, but it exists, and I'm here to help you find it. At Farro, I'm working day and night to uncover every vegan item at every restaurant around Boston, including fun seasonal lattes! After all, nobody said being basic would be easy. To keep the list short, I'll focus primarily on places with multiple locations around Boston.
First, Why Aren't Pumpkin Spice Lattes Vegan?
Ordering a PSL with oat milk seems like it should work. After all, pumpkin is vegan. Spice is vegan. But the reality is many of the most popular restaurants use pumpkin syrups that also contain dairy. Starbucks' pumpkin sauce contains condensed skim milk. And Dunkin's pumpkin swirl contains sweetened condensed nonfat milk.
Everything below is a place where the syrup itself is clear.
Tatte
My number one recommendation for a fall pumpkin drink is Tatte's Tahini Pumpkin Oatmilk Latte. This is my first recommendation for three reasons. First, most people in the Boston area have a nearby Tatte, so you won't have to go far out of your way. Second, the drink is totally vegan by default, since it is made with Oatmilk. And third, the latte is delicious! I do not like tahini, so I wasn't eager to try this drink, but I wanted to vet it before I placed it in the top spot. And I'm glad that I did! It doesn't taste like tahini per se, but it has a very distinctly nutty flavor that I think comes from it. The drink is not as candy-sweet as a chain PSL, which for me is a very good thing. And as a bonus, mine came with fun latte art.
I wrote a guide to vegan options at Tatte recently, and while they have some worthwhile options, they aren't a notably vegan-friendly place. Therefore, I'm really happy to see this plant-based drink at the center of their fall menu.
Life Alive Organic Cafe
Life Alive is a fully vegetarian restaurant with twelve locations. Their spin on the PSL is to swap one squash for another, giving us the Butternut Spice Latte. It comes in both a hot or iced variety and is made with espresso, roasted butternut squash, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, agave, and oat milk. Though Life Alive does use milk and other animal products, almost everything on the menu can be made vegan, which makes it a great place for a meal.
Saxbys
I've never been to a Saxbys, but that may be because I didn't go to college in MA. Their three Boston-area locations are located at BU, Northeastern, and Wellesley. They offer multiple veganizable pumpkin options, including a pumpkin latte, pumpkin matcha, and pumpkin cold brew. Ask for them with almond or oat milk (both Califia Farms brand), and you're good to go.
One note is that their Caramel Apple Cider contains dairy, so unfortunately that's not an option. Their locations are all cafés on campus, so check hours against the academic calendar.
Lulu Green
Boston Magazine named Lulu Green Boston's Best Vegan Restaurant in 2025. They have locations in Cambridge and in South Boston, so I'll generously count them as a chain. Lulu Green takes a similar approach to Tatte by leaning on the flavors of sesame (the main ingredient in tahini). They offer a Spiced Sesame Latte with a house-made sesame syrup infused with organic black tea and chai spices. You may be thinking this is not a pumpkin drink, and you're correct, but the spicy, nutty profile should hopefully scratch a similar itch. And unlike Tatte, Lulu Green offers a variety of vegan sweets and baked goods to pair with your latte, including a cinnamon maple banana bread. The Spiced Sesame Latte is available year-round, so no need to rush out.
Not Ya Mama's Vegan Cafe
Okay, not actually a chain, but I wanted to give one honorable mention to make sure we're properly shouting out some fully vegan places. And where better to enjoy a fall beverage than Salem?
Pumpkin Pie Latte with Spiced Cold Foam ($6.25). This is the only true pumpkin spice latte on this list that requires no substitutions and comes with all the bells and whistles: house-made pumpkin pie syrup, espresso, and plant milk topped with spiced brown sugar cold foam!
Their fall menu is pretty extensive and includes Caramel Apple Chai Cider, Cranberry Spice Chai, Butter Pecan Chai, Snickerdoodle Chai, and hot apple cider. Additionally, they offer a range of casual food and a selection of vegan donuts.
It's located at 7 Church St, Salem. If you do make the trip, certainly plan around the crowds.
One footnote: Peet's
Peet's pumpkin sauce is dairy-free, so a Pumpkin Latte with oat milk and no Vanilla Dream Top is vegan. It's one of the few national chains that gets this right! Unfortunately, Peet's is not that widespread in MA. There are two locations in Greater Boston: Harvard Square and Lexington. The Boylston Street store closed.
If You Have to Make Do
Starbucks. The pumpkin sauce has condensed skim milk, so no pumpkin drink here. The pumpkin spice topping (i.e. the shaker of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove) is safe and can be added to an ordinary oat milk latte. Additionally, this year's pecan syrup and pecan crunch topping are both vegan. So my best recommendation would be a pecan latte with oat milk and non-dairy cold foam.
Dunkin'. The pumpkin swirl has dairy. If you had to make something work, I'd try a chai latte with oat milk, coconut flavor, cinnamon sugar on top, no marshmallow cold foam. That's their Harvest Spiced Chai minus the dairy component. Maybe add a shot of espresso for the dirty version.
How We Checked This
This information was last checked September 10, 2026. Tatte's Tahini Pumpkin Oatmilk Latte was checked against Tatte's Allergen & Nutritional Information guide, version 05.28.26. The Saxbys drinks were checked against Saxbys' published nutrition guide, which marks each pumpkin drink as able to be made vegan, but marks the Caramel Apple Cider as containing dairy. Life Alive's ingredient list came from Life Alive's website. Not Ya Mama's and Lulu Green are plant-based cafés, and their drinks were read from their published menus online. The Starbucks and Dunkin' syrup ingredients come from the respective chain's published ingredient information and allergen guides. This guide focuses on a few options worth knowing and is not an exhaustive list.
Menus and preparation change and seasonal drinks come and go, and may vary by location. If you find something out of date here, please send me an email at ryan@getfarro.com.
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