Who doesn’t love a good pumpkin spice latte? Though the fall drink was originally made popular by Starbucks, other coffee shops are now jumping on the bandwagon and offering up their own versions. Starbucks has in the past used things like artificial ingredients and colours in their pumpkin spice lattes, but this year they have changed their recipe to get rid of these harmful ingredients. It’s a great start, but there are still many other questionable ingredients being used, such as sugar (likely GMO), natural flavours, potassium sorbate, mono and diglycerides, and carrageenan.
I also find it slightly amusing that in the past Starbucks has defended their PSL against critics saying “but there isn’t even any real pumpkin!”, with “it’s a pumpkin spice latte, not a pumpkin latte”. They have suddenly swung the other way and are now proud to introduce their new version, this time with real pumpkin. It’s all about what the people want, I suppose. It just goes to show that consumers can make a difference!
What I want is to make my own version of a pumpkin spice latte, so I know exactly what goes into it. I know just how healthy/unhealthy the ingredients I choose are, and I can make my latte just the way I like it. If you are also interested in knowing what you’re putting into your body, try this pumpkin spice latte. You won’t be missing out on the traditional fall beverage, and you can feel good about the ingredients. Oh, and it has real pumpkin in it, of course!
- ½ cup raw walnuts, soaked
- ½ cup raw pecans, soaked
- 3 cups filtered water
- 1 ½ cups brewed coffee
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree (homemade if possible)
- ¼ cup No. 3 maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ tablespoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- 3 turns black pepper
- pinch of mineral salt
- Soak walnuts and pecans in filtered water for 6 hours, or overnight. Drain and rinse them well, then blend them with 3 cups water. Strain milk through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth. Save the pulp for adding into recipes like muffins, oatmeal, cookies, or smoothies.
- Brew your coffee as desired. We used Oso Negro coffee made in our french press. Pour walnut-pecan milk into a medium pot, and whisk in coffee, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, black pepper, and salt. Whisking frequently, bring to a gentle simmer.
- Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, especially if the pumpkin puree was made with the skins on. Pour into mugs and froth if desired. Top with extra cinnamon and nutmeg and serve immediately.
Would it work using commercially purchased organic almond milk?
Yep, for sure!