Even before fall officially knocks on the door, pumpkin-flavored this, pumpkin-flavored that, starts to bombard us from every corner. With their limited-time pumpkin spice lattes, coffee shops seem to be a nationwide success. But what if you could have that drink for much cheaper and year-round?
Coffee is one of the most famous drinks in the entire world, especially in the US, so it was bound to fall into the pumpkin-flavored category. Though I was skeptical about it at first, where I am from, coffee with milk, or as we call it café com leite, is the most common drink there is, with kids as young as three or four drinking it. So why not put some fall flavor in that too?
Marking the beginning of the fall season, this drink evokes strong nostalgia. Because of this strong attachment, companies take advantage of the season to make things limited, causing some fanatics of the drink to order so much that they are sick of it for the year, only to start all over again the next year. If you are a cozy stay-at-home person like me, the best way to enjoy the drinks you like is with an easy, delicious homemade drink recipe that is not limited to a specific time of year.
What you will need
- Mug
- Spoons for mixing
- Milk of chosen kind
- Coffee maker for Coffee or Espresso
- Milk Froather (Optional)
- Pumpkin Spice
- Vanilla Extract (Optional)
- Sweeteners of choice
- Whipping Cream (Optional)
The best way to start is, of course, by preparing some coffee. Espresso is the best option, or you can make some stronger coffee if you do not particularly enjoy the strong taste of espressos or just don’t have an espresso machine. Then, place the coffee in a mug of your choice, filling it a little bit less than halfway. Now, start to warm up some milk of your choice while you mix the coffee with what will give it the pumpkin spice taste!
The best recommendation for the pumpkin taste is pre-mixed pumpkin pie spice, which can be found at your local stores like Walmart or Target for much cheaper than a Starbucks drink and that will last a very long time. Giving an extravagant taste to the drink, if you are feeling extra you can add some vanilla extract to enhance the coffee shop taste.
To sweeten the coffee, there are many different methods. Using some honey will give it that natural sweetness, while maple syrup will provide a cozy sweet taste, and brown sugar will sweeten it softly. If those add too much flavor for you, using artificial sweeteners or white sugar is also an option. Also, if you are the kind of person used to drinking black coffee like me, you can even skip this step.
The last thing to do is to grab the warm milk and use a milk frother, if you have one, to foam the milk for 30 seconds. Carefully fill up the rest of the mug with the milk, leaving extra foam on top. Then you can add some extra cinnamon or pumpkin spice on top to give it more taste, and even some whipped cream if you’re feeling fancy.
Of course, doing this recipe every day may become a waste of time and just create additional dishes for someone in a rush. Which is why coffee shops are so overrated these days. However, doing this for an occasional sweet treat is a very cozy way to enjoy a favored drink from home. While skipping the extravagant sweeteners and milk foaming could be a healthier and faster choice for the everyday person.
