October...month of pumpkin goodness 2

Whenever October rolls around, I "die" for a Starbucks pumpkin spice latte (please excuse my Rachel Zoe lingo). But when I go to buy one, I hate myself for spending $4 on a small drink. I found this recipe online and I was pretty impressed with the results. I like that pumpkin puree is used instead of syrup. The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of cinnamon but I would recommend skipping it altogether since there is already cinnamon in the pumpkin spice. If you don't have pumpkin spice in your kitchen, you can do what I did and make your own using this recipe.

Pumpkin Spice Latte
1. Make coffee (a pot, a cup, in whatever fashion and however you prefer making your coffee. The stronger the better)

2. Make Pumpkin Milk

1 c milk (I used half and half and milk combined)

1/4 heaping cup pumpkin puree (more if you really love pumpkin)

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice blend, or to taste

1 tsp cinnamon, or to taste

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp of sweetener of choice (agave or brown sugar)

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well by hand or blend all ingredients using blender

Optional: Warm the finished pumpkin milk mixture in the microwave or on the stovetop (I do a quick nuke of about 1 minute)

3. Pour 1 c of brewed coffee into a mug and pour half the pumpkin milk mixture over the top of the coffee and enjoy. (Optional: Finish by garnishing with real whipped cream/whipped topping; and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice/cinnamon on top)

The other half of the pumpkin milk mixture is for the refill you know you will want. If you truly don’t want a refill, refrigerate it for up to a few days and use for your next latte, in a smoothie, or drink it as is. As long as you’re dirtying dishes, I always make a little extra for refills or for later.