Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice Latte

It’s that time of the year again! That time between September and November when Pumpkin Spice takes over every product on the market; breads, muffins, pies, baby food (?), and our all-time favorite….coffee! Here’s me, keeping up with this pumpkin craze by introducing a way to make homemade pumpkin spiced latte for yourself or your holiday guests!

Before experimenting with this, I did some research on Starbucks’ well-known pumpkin spiced drink and it’s nutrition label. I found that their tiny “Short” 8 oz. cup contains 210 calories with 26 grams of sugar (that’s almost 6x more than one of my orange waffles http://nourishgal.com/2015/09/15/whole-wheat-orange-belgian-waffles/ ). Because the “short” is rather small I gather most people in our country are ordering a “Grande,” 16 oz. with a whopping 50 grams of sugar! Which is why this recipe has moderate amounts of sugar, natural ingredients, and still tastes wonderfully pumpkin-y!

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice Latte

(Makes 3 cups – 6 g. sugar per serving)

• 1 1/2 c. 1% milk (or fat free)
• 1 1/2 tsp. sugar (use Stevia for sugar free)
• 2 tbsp. pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ tsp. pumpkin spice
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ c. espresso coffee or ½ c. strong coffee
• Whipped cream to top (optional)
• Sprinkle of cinnamon

Method: Set stove to medium. In a small saucepan add milk, pumpkin puree, sugar, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Stir frequently for 5 minutes until all ingredients are completely mixed. Prepare coffee or expresso while pumpkin mixture is being made. Strain mixture twice (this removes the grainy and thick particles of pumpkin). If you have a milk frother use it to froth the pumpkin spiced mixture. If you don’t have one you can always use a blender to get the desired foam. Pour the espresso/coffee in a cup then pour pumpkin spice cream. Top with cinnamon. If you want to give it a decorative holiday look add whipped cream and cinnamon. It’s a nice touch, especially when guests come over! Happy Fall entertaining everyone & ENJOY!