Like many basic babez around the country, I was so excited to see the recent return of the #PSL at Starbucks. For a couple of years now though, I have been modifying this guilty pleasure to make it just a little less guilty. I only do one pump of pumpkin flavoring and I swap milk for almond milk. If I get the whipped cream at all, I ask for it light. I love the Starbucks app for this reason- I can be as picky and obnoxious with my drinks as possible. These are certainly not an every day drink, but a pumpkin spice pick-me-up is a great and easy way to treat yo self.
"Hey there, pumpkin" Coffee Mug
If you have the time or will to make your own pumpkin spice lattes, that’s really the best way to go. I’m not going to lie- I was going to do a roundup of how to make healthier pumpkin spice lattes but realized very quickly that the recipes are all basically the same, swapping out sweeteners and coffee gadgets from post to post. Here’s the main gist of it and the first recipe I found:
From eating bird food:
- 8 ounces brewed coffee (or 1-2 shots of espresso)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 3 Tablespoons pumpkin puree
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup (or sweetener of choice)
- sprinkle of cinnamon
In a cup or sauce pan, mix together almond milk and pumpkin. Cook on medium heat on the stove top or microwave for 30-45 seconds. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, spices and sweetener, place in a cup and use a frother to foam the milk. You can also use a blender — just process for 30 seconds or until foamy. Pour coffee into a large mug, add the foamy milk mixture on top. Sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy!
This looks great but honestly I do not have the time for all these steps in the morning.
I cheat a little bit when I make mine. My mom got me a pumpkin spice latte mix I’m supposed to use with warm milk. I just use a tablespoon of that in with a tablespoon of my usual ground coffee. This gives me just a hint off pumpkin without being overly sweet. I cool it down with a little touch of creamer or a dollop of almond milk, then top it off with a couple pumps of Jordan’s Skinny Syrup. I just got a Capresso® On-the-Go Personal Coffee Maker this summer and I love that I’m not being wasteful with coffee pods.
BTW- my drink is under 100 calories with either the almond milk or creamer vs the Starbucks version at 370. WOOF.
I think the main thing is to take it easy on the sugar, and I know I don’t do well with dairy so staying away from that is a no-brainier for me. Do you like the OG PSL or do you doctor yours?
And by the way- you can pumpkin spice latte your pets, too.
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