Now that it is officially fall, I can finally post a pumpkin recipe! It’s been a busy week in my household, so I’m going to keep this post short. It’s also been an exciting week, because I was quoted in an article for in the Toronto Sun, as well as local Sun Media papers in a dozen or so other Canadian cities such as Calgary, Ottawa, Edmonton and Winnipeg. Check out my thoughts on sugary vs. salty snacks here!
Okay, back to more important things, our beloved pumpkin – the celebrated fall flavour that is exploding all over the blogosphere and Pinterest right now! You can pretty much type “pumpkin” before any food and find a recipe…pumpkin fudge, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pie, pumpkin chill and of course, the fan-favourite:
Pumpkin Spice Latte!
I’ve been making my own pumpkin spice latte for a few years now, because:
- I didn’t trust the barristers to not cross contaminate my soy latte with milk
- I don’t love soy milk, especially the heavily sweetened one they use at Starbucks
- They’re damn expensive
- I didn’t trust the ingredients
I knew the ingredients had to be shifty, but I hadn’t actually looked into it, so I couldn’t speak to it. Well that all changed a few weeks ago when Vani over at The Food Babe did an expose about what’s in your PSL! If you haven’t seen it on your Facebook feed, go check it out now. It’s worth the read! Turns out all of my reasons for avoiding the Starbucks PSL were legit: the pumpkin syrup is sweetened with condensed milk, so even a soy version has dairy in it, and there are some other sketchy ingredients!
Last year I was in the habit of routinely making PSLs from scratch every morning – and while they were delicious, it was a little time consuming. So this year, I created a PSL creamer that you can just add directly to your coffee! Not a coffee lover? Add some extra milk to enjoy a warm mug of pumpkin spice deliciousness, similar to a hot chocolate!
A few notes:
– pumpkin spice does not have to contain pumpkin, but I like to add it because it makes the flavour richer and pumpkin is good for you!
– I don’t like my coffee sweet, so if you’re expecting a Starbucks style PSL, you’re going to want to add more maple syrup!
– the creamer works best if you pour it in first, and add coffee to it, or if you blend it with an immersion blender, but a vigorous whisk with a fork will do just fine!
Step 1: gather ingredients – coconut milk, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup, vanilla extract, sea salt
Step 2: combine ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Blend with an immersion blender, or transfer to a stand up blender.
Step 3: store in a jar in the fridge for 5-7 days.
- 2 cups full-fat coconut milk (preferred brand: Aroy D)
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree (organic canned or homemade)
- 1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
- Combine all ingredients in a small pot and heat over medium.
- Blend with an immersion blender, or transfer to a blender.
- Store in a jar in the fridge.
- Use within 5-7 days.
- Shake well before using (there are no emulsifiers added, so separation might occur!)