In the fall, when the leaves turn orange and we break out our wool sweaters, pumpkin spice lattes are all the rage! Plunge headlong into pumpkin spice latte (PSL) mania; try making our three beverages in the comfort of your own home!

Commercial PSLs are very popular. One even has its own Instagram account with nearly 40K subscribers ! But, there are many good reasons to prepare your own homemade version:

• It will be much less sweet ! In fact, a 16-oz. pumpkin spice latte can contain up to 50 g (!!!) of sugar, or the equivalent of about ¼ cup^[1]. Now that’s a lot of sugar !
• It’s easier on your wallet ! All the required ingredients can be purchased at the grocery store, and you can prepare one, two, three or ONE THOUSAND fall-themed drinks without breaking the bank !
• It’s easy as…well…pie. You don’t need any sophisticated equipment to enjoy your hot drink while waiting for the first snowflakes to fall.

The basics

That’s all fine and good, but what exactly is pumpkin spice latte made of? Many variations exist, but here are the five key ingredients of this mythical beverage:

• The pumpkin. You’ll find 100% pure pumpkin purée (not to be confused with pumpkin pie mix) in the flour and pastry products section. You can also make your own by simmering peeled and seeded pumpkin cubes in a saucepan with a few inches of water until the meat flakes easily with a fork. Purée in a blender, then heat again in the saucepan to evaporate any excess water. You’re aiming for a consistency similar to that of ricotta !

Since a PSL doesn’t require a huge amount of pumpkin, freeze any leftovers in ice cube trays. That way, you’ll have it on hand for use in future PSLs or in oatmeal, chia pudding, muffins, energy balls, lentil curry, etc. You can always use an extra dash of beta-carotene !

• The spice mix. The combination of spices is the secret to the PSL magic ! You can buy ready-made mix in some shops or prepare one yourself according to the following proportions (it’s super easy !):
  • 4 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp. powdered ginger
  • ½ tsp. nutmeg
  • ½ tsp. allspice
  • ½ tsp. cloves
• The milk. You can make a latte without milk ! Vary your pleasures by trying 0% or 2% milk, a soy beverage or low-fat coconut milk.

• The coffee. So that the taste of coffee doesn’t get drowned out by the milk and spices, brew your coffee a little bit stronger than usual. A filter coffee will do the job.

• The sweetening agent. Always keeping moderation in mind, try sweetening your PSL with maple syrup, honey or even dates ! You can also cut sugar while losing none of the taste by adding a few drops of vanilla.

Once these bases are well understood, you’re ready to treat yourself !

The recipes

All three recipes yield one portion each.

^[1] https://www.starbucks.ca/menu/nutrition-info