Greet October With A Lighter Pumpkin Spiced Latte
October 1, 2012 18 Comments
Some people think fall has arrived when the leaves start changing and apples become abundant. Others know it is here with the arrival of the pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks.
I was recently visiting New York City when I noticed that there is literally a Starbucks on every corner. They should rename Manhattan - “StarbucksLand” or “Manhattan brought to you by Starbucks”.
Did I make it out of there without going into one?
Nooooo. I decided I needed an espresso when I passed yet another Starbucks on my way to a meeting.
Frankly, I don't like the Pumpkin Spice Latte because I find it too sweet. I do adore pumpkin spice so I thought I would attempt my own version. It turns out that ANYONE can make their own pumpkin spice latte.
Why would you want to make your own? You will save:
- Calories - mine is 130 calories less than Starbucks' lite version
- Money - saved about $2.50
- The Environment - no paper cup and lid to toss away
You don't need an espresso maker with a milk frother to make this drink. You can buy a milk frother that runs on batteries from Ikea for just $4 or you can order it from Amazon for under $10. I have one (first saw it in Europe) and it works great!
Buy some pumpkin spice from the baking section of your supermarket, skim milk, sugar, and you are ready to go. Try adding just one teaspoon of sugar and see if you like it. You don't need a lot of sugar to make this taste delicious.
You have some choices on how you can make this. For example, you can add some pumpkin spice to your ground coffee BEFORE you brew it. This will infuse your coffee with the pumpkin spice flavor.
If you want to use maple syrup, agave syrup, or another sweetener please feel free. And, of course, there is always a choice of milks - almond, soy, flavored soy, etc.
You can also make this drink with tea! Then you call it “chai”. Milk, black tea, spices and sugar and you got one comforting drink to keep you warm on a chilly fall day.
How do you deal with the Pumpkin Spice Latte season?
Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe
Ingredients
4 ounces coffee or espresso
1/2 cup skim or nonfat milk
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (plus extra to dust on top)
Instructions
Brew coffee and heat milk until hot in microwave. Foam milk with Aerolatte or other milk frother. Mix sugar and pumpkin pie spice in coffee and pour milk on top. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
one serving = 78 calories, 0.3 g fat, 14.6 g carbohydrates, 4.6 g protein, 0 g fiber, 66 mg sodium, 2 Points+
Points values are calculated by Snack Girl and are provided for information only. See all Snack Girl Recipes
Bonsenkitchen Milk Frother Handheld, Automatic Hand Frother Milk Foam Maker for Bulletproof Coffee, Matcha, Hot Chocolate Stainless Steel Whisk Battery Operated Mini Drink Mixer-Silver
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