Starbucks' PSL Topping Features These 4 Warm Spices

Starbucks' seasonal pumpkin drinks are often topped with a sprinkle of orange powder. If you guessed that was not just for decoration, you would be correct. What seems to be a mere garnish is actually a pumpkin spice seasoning, which may be referred to as a PSL topping, consisting of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove.

These four seasonings form the core of most pumpkin spice blends, and for good reason. Each bold, autumnal flavor is commonly featured in pumpkin pie, the inspiration for many pumpkin spice-flavored foods and drinks. This makes sense, given that pumpkin spice blends were first invented specifically for Thanksgiving pies made of squash.

This four-seasoning combo adds a pleasant and essential finishing touch to a Pumpkin Spice Latte, especially if it is mixed into the actual drink. The mixture of spices also forms the entirety of this easy homemade pumpkin spice recipe, which simply needs to be mixed together and sealed in an airtight container.

Every fall, pumpkin spice is an enormously popular flavor category with consumers. Even though they feel distinctly autumnal, these four spices are versatile enough to show up in some wild pumpkin spice foods and drinks. These include options as far-fetched as pumpkin spice-flavored Spam and bourbon, both of which some people actually liked.

It is, however, more commonly thought that pumpkin spice shines brighter in sweet foods and drinks. For an easy tip, consider adding pumpkin spice to a boxed brownie mix. Put roughly 1 tablespoon of it in the brownie batter and bake as instructed for the ultimate low-effort chocolatey pumpkin treat.

Chocolate and pumpkin spice also take center stage in Taylor Swift's chocolate chip cookie recipe. The superstar singer-songwriter is also beloved by fans for her baking obsession, which includes chocolate chip pumpkin cookies made from a Food Network recipe that calls for pumpkin purée and these four pumpkin spice seasonings. Between the purée and extra spices, they taste almost like a hybrid of pumpkin bread and chocolate chip cookies.