Peet’s Debuts Vegan-Friendly Pumpkin Spice Latte

Major coffeehouse chain Peet’s Coffee will add a vegan-friendly pumpkin spice latte to its menu from August 30 until October 31 at all of its locations nationwide. The latte—which can be made with coconut milk and topped with coconut whipped cream instead of dairy products—features hand-pulled espresso and pumpkin, and is dusted with fragrant spices. “There is no flavor that evokes the feeling of autumn quite as effectively as pumpkin,” Peet’s Senior R&D Manager Patrick Main said, “and we’re pleased to present this classic fall flavor in a new way to our customers by offering an entirely non-dairy beverage by preparing these and other favorites with coconut milk and optionally topping them with our premium whipped coconut cream.” Peet’s—which also offers almond milk that can be swapped to prepare any beverage sans dairy—was the first major coffeehouse to debut a coconut cream-based whipped cream as part of its “Coffee Meets Coconut” campaign during the summer of 2016. Competitor Starbucks has made several strides in the plant-based direction—most recently, adding a vegan grain bowl to its menu—but has yet to feature a vegan-friendly pumpkin spice latte or offer a vegan whipped cream option.