Healthier Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte (Dairy-Free)
This healthier homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte is dairy-free and naturally sweetened with maple syrup. I’ve been loving this over iced coffee lately making it perfect for early Fall.
It’s perfectly sweet, creamy and has just the right hint of all the pumpkin pie spices including lots of cinnamon, ginger, all spice and nutmeg. That said, you can also make this with a pre-made pumpkin spice mix if you have one on hand.
You can even omit the nutmeg and all-spice if you don’t have them but I think the addition of these spices add to the complexity of this healthier homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte so if you have them definitely add them in!
A Note on Store-bought Lattes
Although I love a drink from a local cafe as much as the next person, I don’t always love the price or the extra additives. In comparison, this homemade latte saves money and allows us to control exactly what goes into this decadent drink versus the ever-popular Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. Some PSL ingredients to be mindful of:
Sugar & condensed skim milk – basically a good amount of refined sugars. Don’t be fooled by the “condensed skim milk” which is just sweetened milk.
Potassium sorbate – a preservative that is safe to a maximum limit although it is so widely used it can be easy to consume past that threshold. Read more, here.
Carrageenan – used as a thickener in commercially processed foods but also used in medical studies like this one to induce inflammation on lab animals. Read more, here.
A Handful of Healthier Ingredients
Whereas my homemade latte contains just a few simple ingredients contains no preservatives, provides healthy fats and a lower sugar content!
Canned Full-Fat Coconut Milk – ensure it’s full-fat for the most rich and creamy latte! Coconut milk also contains some awesome medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) which are a great source of energy that the body can use quickly. Read more on how to choose store bought coconut milk.
Pumpkin Puree – ensure that the ingredient list notes only pumpkin as the single ingredient
Maple Syrup – this balances out all of those warming spices
Pumpkin Pie spices – cinnamon and ginger are the main ones that you’ll need plus cloves, allspice and nutmeg
Collagen Powder (optional) – this is completely optional but I’ll often also add collagen powder to my latte for some extra protein (use code HAPPYHEALTHCC25)
Ingredients
1/2 cup Coffee or 2 espresso shots
1 cup Canned Coconut Milk
1 1/2 tbsps Pureed Pumpkin
1 1/2 tbsps Maple Syrup
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 pinch Ground Cloves
1 pinch Ground Ginger
1 pinch Ground Allspice
1 pinch Nutmeg ground
Brew your coffee and set aside.
In a jar, add the coconut milk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup and spices. Seal the jar tightly with the lid and shake to combine well.
Option to warm the milk mixture in a heated frother, over the stove or enjoy it cold with ice as an iced Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Pour your milk mixture over the previously brewed hot coffee.
Top with a dollop of homemade whipped cream or coconut whipped cream (optional) and sprinkle with additional cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. Enjoy!
Pumpkin Spice Mix: if you have Pumpkin Spice mix on hand, sub 1/2 tsp of Pumpkin Spice Mix for the cinnamon, cloves, ginger and all spice.
Caffeine Free: use decaf or omit and simply enjoy some pumpkin spice "milk"!
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Mix: mix 1/4 cup ground cinnamon, 4 tsp ground nutmeg, 4 tsp ground ginger and 1 tbsp ground allspice. Store in an air-tight container.