In today’s blog post, I’m gonna go ahead and live up to this stereotype like whoa:
I’m white, I practially live in yoga pants, and I fucking LOVE pumpkin spice.
But here’s the thing: Starbucks doesn’t actually put any pumpkin in their PSL. Aside from whatever other “natural flavors” may or may not be in there, that bums me out.
And the other thing: in my twenties, I had a latte every single morning for like two years. Most of the year, I’d get caramel. But in the fall, it was always pumpkin spice. And do you know what happened?
SIX CAVITIES HAPPENED. Almost all in a row. Which is really expensive and I hate going to the dentist anyway, so basically, it was torture all around.
Turns out that coffee syrups are full sugar (surprise!) and when you coat your teeth with sugar after you brush your teeth every morning, your teeth don’t tend to stay healthy.
I stopped putting syrups in my morning lattes, and have not had a cavity since.
Moral of my story: homemade is always better. (I mean, we already knew that, didn’t we?)
So it should come as no surprise to anyone ever that I have a favorite made-from-scratch pumpkin spice latte recipe. It’s more of a magical morning elixir smoothie than a latte, really, but let’s not quibble over words.
The recipe below does ask for some special equipment. I have a cappuccino machine and a stick blender (a.k.a. immersion blender) that make it super easy, but if you don’t have these things, I’ve provided some possible workarounds in my instructions. Homemade PSL for everyone!
It’s thick and creamy and the authentic, real, actual pumpkin + spice + warm autumn goodness flavors will be a party in your mouth.
Let’s get to it.
How to make a DIY pumpkin spice latte
In a small bowl (I use a 2-cup glass Pyrex measuring cup), mix the following.
- One or two shots of your favorite espresso (strong coffee will also suffice)
- A generous dollop of pumpkin puree (I generally use 2-3 tablespoons)
- About a tablespoon of cashew butter (for richness and creamy magic…plus it’s super good for you)
- A splash of vanilla extract
- A generous pinch of pumpkin spice (duh)
- Honey or maple syrup for sweetness, to taste
- A little pinch of salt
Using an immersion blender or Magic Bullet mixer (click here for a DIY hack), blend all of the above until they’re creamy and thick. I like to heat this mixture in the microwave for a few seconds—the time it takes to blend everything really cools down the espresso temperature, and I like my lattes nice and hot. But you do you. Pour into a large coffee mug.
Steam your milk or milk substitute of choice (again, a little extra hot if that’s your thing) and pour over the magical pumpkin spice espresso.
Stir well and enjoy!
Happy pumpkin spice season to you. If you liked this post, you might also like my recipe for pumpkin spice granola, homemade pumpkin puree and DIY pumpkin pie spice. My meal plan this week also features these pumpkin cream cheese muffins OMG fall tastes so good!
Leave your favorite pumpkin spice recipes & tips in the comments, please. I simply can’t get enough.
// Photo courtesy of Unsplash
