Even though the temperatures are well above 100 degrees in some areas, pumpkin spice latte season is nevertheless nigh. The good news is iced pumpkin lattes exist. The not-so-good news is that means you’ll be paying anywhere between $5.45 and $7.45 at your local Starbucks, plus tip (depending on your personal views on that controversial topic), for your treat. 

Needless to say, that kind of spending racks up quickly and can easily turn the sweetness of pumpkin spice season sour. 

You could break down and shell out the cash…or you could follow the lead of TK, who goes by Taekook on TikTok, and make your own version using only Dollar Tree ingredients for a fraction of the price. 

Pumpkin Spice Latte: the Dollar Tree version

Spending only about $5, TK purchased:

Pumpkin pie spice (obviously a key ingredient)

Sweetened condensed creamer

Pumpkin puree (technically bought at Aldi, because TK’s Dollar Tree hadn’t rolled out this seasonal item yet…but still only $1.65) 

To make the sauce, he whisked together one cup of the puree with the entire can of sweetened condensed creamer, two teaspoons of the pumpkin pie spice, plus a teaspoon of vanilla extract he already had at home, and a pinch of salt to “bring out all the flavors.” 

He then mixed one tablespoon and one teaspoon of the instant coffee with four tablespoons of hot water for the “espresso” portion. 

TK then poured four tablespoons of the homemade pumpkin sauce into a cup (though he recommends measuring this portion “with your heart”), added the........

© Upworthy