If you’re like me, your first thought in the morning is coffee. I wake up eager for a soy latte from Starbucks, but spending the steep price of $4.51 each morning is becoming too expensive for my meager college budget. So I decided to experiment with my Keurig and find a way to use K-cups to recreate my favorite Starbucks beverages.
The results were not only delicious, but they were also often healthier than their counterparts at Starbucks and, most importantly, easier on my budget.
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Skinny Vanilla Latte
Every girl’s classic go-to morning drink was just made infinitely more accessible. All you need is skim milk, vanilla extract, stevia, and a regular coffee K-cup. Brew a cup of coffee set to size medium. Then heat the skim milk to a boil (this can be done in a microwave if you’re in a dorm… or lazy). Add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, pour the flavored milk into your cup of coffee and stir. Add stevia if needed and enjoy. Your favorite drink just went from 120 calories to 80 calories, and from $3.95 to less than a dollar.
Mocha Latte
Photo by Annie Slabotsky
Pop an Original Donut Shop Regular Coffee K-cup into your Keurig, then add half a packet of Swiss Miss hot chocolate powder into your mug. Add the hot brewed coffee to the hot chocolate mix and enjoy. Your new and improved cup of caffeine is only 75 calories compared to the 360 calorie drink from Starbucks.
Chai Tea Latte
Photo by Annie Slabotsky
This one is so simple to replicate. Start by placing a Cafe Escapes Chai Tea Latte K-cup into your Keurig and set to fill 3/4 cup. Once brewed, add in half a cup of milk and sugar to taste. The calories in this new drink may be equivalent to the one at Starbucks, but you save $3 per cup which adds up quickly.
Pumpkin Spice Latte
Photo by Annie Slabotsky
All you need to recreate this tasty seasonal drink is a Cafe Escape Pumpkin Spice flavored K-cup. Not only is this drink 60 calories compared to the whopping 420 calories in a grande PSL at Starbucks, it is also sweeter and a quarter of the price. Winner? I think yes.
Gingerbread Latte
Photo by Annie Slabotsky
To replicate this dessert-style breakfast beverage, you will need almond milk, any regular coffee K-cup, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and maple syrup. Don’t let the lengthy list of ingredients intimidate you – this recipe is still easy as pie.
To assemble, pop in the regular coffee K-cup and select 6 oz. Once brewed, add 1/2 teaspoon of each spice and 2 teaspoons of maple syrup. Top with two cups of boiling almond milk and voila! This drink now has 160 fewer calories than its counterpart from Starbucks and is equally as delicious.