Fall officially started September 22, accompanied by the annual nationwide Starbucks pumpkin spice latte craze. For a coffee drink to have its own website seems a little extreme, but I will admit that the warm, smooth, cinnamon-y goodness of the #PSL is the perfect accessory on a brisk fall day. For those of us who are pained by the thought of dropping $4 on a 16-ounce beverage, I present to you a substitute that I personally find even better than Starbucks. Plus, we’re using real pumpkin, not some combination of chemicals and sugars turned into a pumpkin-flavored syrup. So if you have 5 minutes, 5 simple ingredients and a craving for the fall beverage of your dreams, read on.
Prep Time: 4 minutes
Cook Time: 1 minute
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1 (but can easily be doubled)
Ingredients:
½ to 1 cup milk of choice (Tip: For a richer flavor, use whole milk. For a lighter drink, use 2% or skim. You can also use a plant-based milk.)
2 tablespoons puréed pumpkin
1-2 tablespoons sugar of choice
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
½-1 cup hot brewed coffee (or 1-2 shots espresso)
*Note: each of these ingredients are easily adaptable to your preferences. You can customize the drink however you want: add more sugar, decrease coffee, etc. It’s up to you!
Directions:
1. Brew coffee or espresso.
2. While the coffee is brewing, stir milk, pumpkin puree, sugar and pumpkin pie spice together in a mug until combined.
3. Microwave the milk mixture for 1 minute, or until the sugar has dissolved.
4. Pour coffee into the heated milk mixture and stir.
5. Top with some whipped cream or extra spice (optional), and indulge.