In this final day of October, I had to squeeze in one final pumpkin recipe. I know, I know, pumpkin is EVERYWHERE this Fall. It is in our sweet treats, candy, bread, beer, candles and of course, drinks. I personally love it, mostly because I love pumpkin, but I can understand how it can be a bit overkill this year.
One thing is for sure, the weather is finally feeling like Fall in NC, which gives me a hankering for warm drinks. As much as I would love to just hop into a Starbucks and order the ever-so-popular Pumpkin Spice Latte, I know better. First of all, they use a syrup in the drink that doesn't even contain any pumpkin! Wait, a Pumpkin Spice Latte doesn't have any pumpkin in it...absurd!
Secondly, a small "Pumpkin" Spice Latte has 40g of sugar with non-fat milk. This doesn't even include the whipped cream. Not to mention, the sugar grams aren't even from a natural sugar! These drinks may be good, but I don't enjoy putting unknown ingredients in my tummy.
Lastly, these drinks cost you a pretty penny...every time! There is a reason why Starbucks is called "Four Bucks!"
Lastly, these drinks cost you a pretty penny...every time! There is a reason why Starbucks is called "Four Bucks!"
I do love my hot drinks though, so I was determined to create my own to prevent deprivation from my favorite Fall drink. It was easier than I thought. I seem to have an abundance of pumpkin puree in my kitchen this year, so I started with that and hot milk (non dairy milk works well here too) and added pumpkin pie spices, maple syrup and a bit of vanilla extract. Heat this, add your coffee and BAM....an actual pumpkin spice latte at home.
And for a little healthy treat with your latte, try these Healthy Pumpkin Spiced Cookies from Kris Carr's blog. Delish!
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte
Yields: 1 drinkPrep Time: 2 minutes + brew time
1/2 cup milk (or non-dairy milk like almond milk)
1 T pumpkin puree (can is OK)
1/2 teaspoon maple syrup (or more for a sweeter drink)
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup strong coffee or espresso
whipped cream (optional)
ground cinnamon (optional)
whipped cream (optional)
ground cinnamon (optional)
In a microwave safe bowl, whisk the milk, pumpkin, syrup, vanilla and spices briskly to combine well. If you are using homemade pumpkin puree, it might be a good idea to put this in a blender or food processor to blend the small pumpkin bits.
Make the coffee on a strong setting or use espresso if you have a machine.
Heat this in the microwave in 30 second increments, whisking in between cooking sessions. After about 1 min and 30 seconds, remove the milk mixture and pour into a large mug. Add in the coffee and top with whipped cream and cinnamon on top. Enjoy!
Kettler Cuisine Notes:
- For a stronger drink, increase the amount of coffee.
- For a creamier drink, increase the amount of milk.
- I prefer less sweet coffee drinks, so increase the maple syrup for a sweeter drink.
- Canned pumpkin puree can be used here as well.
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