Warming Pumpkin Spice Latte

It's surely not groundbreaking to suggest pumpkin spice latte is overplayed. There's pumpkin in everything from breakfast cereal to the obvious, ubiquitous coffee drinks in the fall. Yet, despite its ubiquity, we wanted to find a way to spruce up the PSL (sorry) that would please fervent PSL lovers and staunch enemies alike. Moreover, we wanted to avoid the cloying sweetness that so often accompanies the drink. The answer? Make the entire thing from scratch, and use real pumpkin. Our version mellows the sweetness of store-bought pumpkin puree with unsweetened almond milk. Its velvety texture and gingery, cinnamon-forward pumpkin pie spice blend will surely make you forget all about your local coffee shop's PSL.

In the annals of fall flavors, few are as polarizing as pumpkin spice. For some, it's the quintessential taste of the season, a warm and inviting blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice. For others, it's an over-the-top, cloyingly sweet assault on the senses. We fall firmly into the former camp, but we also understand that not everyone shares our love of all things pumpkin spice. That's why we set out to create a pumpkin spice latte that would please even the most ardent pumpkin spice skeptic. We started with real pumpkin puree, which gives our latte a rich, velvety texture and a subtle sweetness. We then added unsweetened almond milk to balance out the sweetness of the pumpkin puree and to give our latte a lighter, more refreshing flavor. Finally, we added a blend of pumpkin pie spice, which gives our latte all the warm, inviting flavors of fall. The result is a pumpkin spice latte that is flavorful and satisfying, without being overly sweet or cloying.

Prep time: 5 | Cook time: 5 | Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/2 cup hot coffee

Instructions

1. Combine the almond milk, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, and maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the hot coffee.
5. Top with whipped coconut cream, if desired.

Why It Works

• Using real pumpkin puree gives our latte a rich, velvety texture and a subtle sweetness.
• Unsweetened almond milk balances out the sweetness of the pumpkin puree and gives our latte a lighter, more refreshing flavor.
• Our blend of pumpkin pie spice gives our latte all the warm, inviting flavors of fall.