November came today with a real Fall attitude: a very cloudy sky in beautiful contrast with what’s left from the yellow leaves, low temperature and a sudden need of comforting drinks. I’m blessed to have huge studio windows that provide a great light even when outside is very cloudy, so I could photograph the pumpkin spice latte I treated myself with in the afternoon.
Coffee is simply not enough for me during these dark afternoons and the pumpkin spice latte ingredients are just what I need for turning my kitchen into a wonderfully smelling sanctuary, boost my nutrient intake and get a comforting, homey feeling at the studio.
If you’re a fan of the Starbucks pumpkin spice latte recipe you will love my vegan and refined sugar-free version. Plus, making your own latte will help you save money and regain control over what you’re putting into your drink.
The sound of grinding your coffee, the flavor, every little move that you make in order to create your own drink, all these help you relax and stay present while making small steps toward a healthier lifestyle.
I only use freshly roasted pumpkin. Canned ingredients lose a lot of their nutritional load, the taste is often enhanced with artificial ingredients and there’s also the danger of contamination with chemical bisphenol A (BPA) from the packaging.
Exposure to bisphenol A can disrupt the activity of estrogen receptors in our bodies and increase the risk of breast cancer, while also influencing our mood and reaction to stress.
Roasting a pumpkin is the easiest thing to do, and the smell is amazing, so next time you put your hands on a canned one you’ll probably think twice!
If you like your pumpkin spice latte topped with whipped cream peaks but you want to skip the saturated fats and carrageenan in cream, use whipped coconut milk instead.
The full fat version turns really smooth and fluffy when processed with a hand mixer and its fats are nothing to be scared of, more likely you should welcome them into your life as they help your body absorb the pumpkin beta-carotene antioxidant. The only secret is to use really chilled coconut milk – I usually keep it overnight into the refrigerator before processing.
You can improve your PSL and turn it into real medicine if you add extra ingredients such as turmeric for its anti-inflammatory effects, ginger for digestive health, maca powder for its hormone balancing properties or collagen peptides to support your skin tone. If you’re fighting with an imbalanced hormone production (like I do), it might be a good idea to skip the coffee and use brewed roiboos tea instead.
It might be difficult to eliminate caffeine from your life, but taking small steps really helps: reduce your daily coffee intake first then replace it with black, green or matcha powder tea and slowly switch on roiboos or herbal infusions. Saying goodbye to coffee is still difficult for me at this time, as my energy levels are at their peak in late afternoon, so I need my caffeine dose to get me started in the morning, but I’m taking small steps too.
I did use brewed coffee and I kept my pumpkin spice latte recipe on the simple side this time. I couldn’t resist adding some nut butter to get a velvety texture and get my dose of minerals for the day!
Cold weather is just getting started and if you’re looking for other drinks to warm you up, here are some of favourites: Turmeric Golden Milk for Better Sleep, Matcha Latte with Maca – The Super Healthy Energy Drink, the Chai Latte with Adaptogens for Stress Relief or my Vegan Hot Chocolate, a real afternoon treat!
Pumpkin Spice Latte, The Healthy Version
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree made from blending roasted pumpkin
- 1 tsp pumpkin spice plus extra for decorating
- 2 &1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk hot
- 1 tsp coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp almond butter
- 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk refrigerated overnight
- 2 shots espresso
- Pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients (except the coconut milk) into a blender and process to obtain a creamy liquid.
- Add the coconut milk into a bowl (remove any liquid) and process with a hand mixer to obtain a thick cream (about 4 minutes).
- Divide the liquid into the serving cups, top with whipped coconut cream, sprinkle pumpkin spice and serve warm.
Sarojini says
Yummy drink, and totally agree with you about canned stuff. Think I might be tempted to skip a meal, it looks so filling!
Ana says
Thanks so much! And definitely, you can have this for dinner if eliminating the coffee from the recipe 🙂
Adrienne says
This recipe is so comforting! Not to mention it’s one hundred times healthier than the ones at Starbucks.