Vegan? Here's What You Need To Know About Ordering A Dairy-Free PSL

Summer's end is finally approaching, and we all know what that means: pumpkin spice products raining from the sky in an autumnal storm. Chief among them is everyone's favorite Starbucks seasonal offering, which is usually released around Labor Day. In the past, it's contained milk products on milk products, but this year, is Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte dairy-free? Unfortunately for all the dairy-free folk out there, the drink is still off-limits, even if you order it with almond, coconut, or soy milk.

As most people with allergies or dietary restrictions already know, Starbucks lists ingredients and nutrition information on its website. That means the Pumpkin Spice Latte's ingredients are laid out for all the world to see, making my job as the Bustle Dairy Sleuth fairly easy. Judging from the website, all pumpkin spice drinks at Starbucks inherently contain dairy. The Pumpkin Spice Sauce, you see, contains condensed milk (along with sugar, pumpkin puree, and other stuff). So even if you ask a barista to hold the whipped cream and make the drink with a non-dairy milk, the Pumpkin Spice Latte is very much based in dairy.

If you don't believe me, you can check out the website for yourself. Play around with it as much as you like, and dairy will still be lurking in the ingredients list. Dairy-free readers, please take as much time as you need to process this news.

The good news is that there are plenty of other Starbucks offerings that won't kill people with dairy allergies. The Cinnamon Dolce Latte or a Caffè Mocha will get anyone in the mood for fall, and their syrups contain no dairy. If you're truly desperate, the pumpkin spice topping — as in the literal spices — doesn't list any dairy.