Pumpkin Spice Coffee and Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe

It’s officially fall and you know that means it’s Pumpkin Season!

*cue nonstop happy dancing and laughter*

Pumpkin flavored everything is available and if you want food made with actual pumpkin, this is the time of year to horde it, I mean, enjoy it.

Keep reading! I'll teach you how to make this for the fraction of the cost of a coffee shop latte

The thing is, most of the time that pumpkin flavored coffee or latte or whatever doesn’t have any actual pumpkin fruit* in it. The pumpkin flavor is actually pumpkin spices.

Once I clued in to this little cooking tidbit Husband and I now enjoy DIY pumpkin latte and pumpkin coffee all year long.

Pumpkin Coffee Recipe

You will need:   

Coffee – My new favorite is Gevalia because you can now buy it in the grocery store. I used to order Gevalia coffee from time to time but stopped because I don’t need more than one complimentary coffeemaker.

Pumpkin spice

Tip: If your pumpkin treats are on the bland side, it may be the brand, age, or blend of pumpkin spice you use instead of the fruit itself. I used to fall for the ‘cooking with big pumpkins is bland, only use the little pie pumpkin' thing until I bought a bottle of Trader Joe’s pumpkin spice when I ran out of McCormick. Turns out it was the brand and blend of spices that made the difference to our taste buds not the size of pumpkin. Who knew?

Coffeemaker 

Make it: 

It is so simple I practically don’t have to write it up as a recipe. But I will.

1. Put the coffee in the coffeemaker filter. I use a reusable gold coffee filter. It’s supposed to make a better cup of coffee than paper filters. All I know is with a reusable coffee filter, I will never run out of filters, it saves me a boatload of cash and that is one less thing I have to deal with disposing of responsibly.

 

I bought my reusable coffee filter from Amazon. 

They also sell basket style reusable coffee filters if that's what you need.

2. Sprinkle approximately 1/8 to ¼ teaspoon of pumpkin spices on the ground coffee. How much spice you add will depend upon how much coffee you are making and to taste.

3. Add water to the coffee maker, and turn on the machine.

4. Pour a cup of pumpkin coffee and drink it up!

Pumpkin Latte Recipe

 

 
You will need:

Coffee – a dark espresso roast works great

Coffee maker or espresso machine

Pumpkin spice

Milk – you can make it a dairy free pumpkin spice latte if you substitute milk with almond/rice/soy milk

Milk frother or a small glass jar with lid and a microwave oven

Make It:

1. Follow Pumpkin Coffee Recipe Steps 1 through 3.

2. Froth the milk using any of these three methods:

1. Steam frothing spout on an espresso machine (I can’t get mine to work so I don’t use it.)
2. An electric frothing wand. I have an Aerolatte Milk Frother. It works great. It also mixes a mean glass of chocolate milk :)

3. A glass jar with a tight fitting lid and a microwave oven - see below.

3. Pour the milk into your espresso and spoon the foam on the top of your latte.

4. Drink it up yum!

How to Froth Milk Without an Espresso Machine

 

This is my favorite way to froth milk. I usually by pass the espresso machine attachment and frothing wand and grab a jar from the cupboard.

1.  Pour a small amount of milk or cow’s milk substitute (almond/soy/rice milk) into a glass jar.

2. Microwave the milk for approximately 30 seconds to heat the milk. You don’t want to microwave the milk too long because the milk may overflow the jar and/or scorch if it gets too hot. Guess how I know?

3. Use the oven mitts or potholders to remove the hot jar from the microwave.

4. Put the lid on the jar and shake. You might want to wear the oven mitts while you shake the jar.

5. Remove the lid and behold! Instant frothy milk.

*Pumpkin is classified as a fruit because it has seeds. It is not a vegetable. Thanks to Twitter (follow me on Twitter @condoblues pretty please?) for settling a debate between Husband and I last fall. Thanks again Twitter!

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