A pantry pumpkin spice latte hack skips the drive-through line. Espresso or strong coffee, warm milk, a spoon of pumpkin, spice, and sweetener. Froth what you can. Sip what you must.
Pantry-friendly here means swaps are welcome. Amounts are still listed so you can cook without guessing.
Yield: 1 large latte · Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
Latte
- 2 tbsp pumpkin puree
- 1-2 tbsp sugar or maple
- ½ tsp cinnamon (or ½ tsp chai blend)
- pinch ginger + nutmeg
- ¾ cup milk
- ½ cup strong coffee or 2 shots espresso
- ½ tsp vanilla
- Optional whipped cream
Steps
- Warm 1 cup milk with 1 to 2 tbsp pumpkin puree, 1 tsp sugar or maple, and ¼ to ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice. Whisk until steaming and smooth. Do not boil hard.
- Brew a strong coffee or shot of espresso into your mug.
- Pour the pumpkin milk over the coffee. Froth with a whisk, frother, or jar shake if you want foam. Top with a pinch of spice.
Use-what-you-have swaps
- Oat or almond milk fine, foam less
Serve / store
Make to order. Leftover pumpkin milk keeps in the fridge 2 days. Shake before reheating. If you are packing this for a party or school event, transport in a lidded container and add final toppings on site when you can. Note major allergens on a piece of tape on the lid when you are feeding a group.
Dairy-free milk works. Oat milk froths kindly. Adjust sweetness down if you usually order sugar-free. Tip from our chaotic kitchen: read the ingredient list once before you start, preheat before you mix wet and dry, and set a timer even when you think you will remember. Taste as you go when the recipe allows it, and write a note on the recipe card if you changed a spice amount so next time is easier.
Photo/Image credit: Pexels via Pexels (Pumpkin spice latte) (Pexels License (free to use))
