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.
Photo by Christine Chang
2. While the coffee is brewing, stir milk, pumpkin puree, sugar and pumpkin pie spice together in a mug until combined.
Photo by Christine Chang
3. Microwave the milk mixture for 1 minute, or until the sugar has dissolved.
4. Pour coffee into the heated milk mixture and stir.
Photo by Christine Chang
5. Top with some whipped cream or extra spice (optional), and indulge.